Gamma-ray attenuation coefficients of some building materials available in Egypt

Mass attenuation coefficients of various types of building materials were measured using a high-resolution HPGe spectrometer detector. Samples were irradiated by gamma-rays emitted from point sources of 241Am, 133Ba, 60Co and 137Cs. The results are in good agreement with the theoretical calculations of XCOM code. The effectiveness of building materials in shielding were determined over the range 503000 keV. Finally, the protection efficiency of walls and roofs from radiation exposure were determined. The effectiveness of all tested building materials was better than the internationally accepted limit, and they are therefore acceptable for use. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.