Radiation Shielding Calculator
Calculate required shield thickness for target dose reduction using half-value and tenth-value layers.
Inputs
Results
Required Shield Thickness
5.62 cm
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter Initial Dose Rate, Target Dose Rate, and Half-Value Layer (HVL).
- Set Shielding Material.
- Review the Required Shield Thickness (cm) result.
- Use Number of HVLs and Number of TVLs to inform your decision.
- Use the chart to visualize the results and explore different scenarios by adjusting inputs.
How the result changes with Half-Value Layer (HVL)
| Half-Value Layer (HVL) | Required Shield Thickness |
|---|---|
| 10 | 86.44 cm |
| 35 | 302.53 cm |
| 65 | 561.85 cm |
| 90 | 777.95 cm |
What each input means
- Initial Dose Rate
- Unshielded dose rate at the point of interest in mSv/hr.
- Target Dose Rate
- Maximum allowable dose rate after shielding. Occupational: 0.01 mSv/hr, Public: 0.0005 mSv/hr.
- Half-Value Layer (HVL)
- Thickness of material that reduces dose by 50%. Lead for Co-60: 1.2 cm, Cs-137: 0.65 cm.
- Shielding Material
- 1=Lead (11,340 kg/m³), 2=Concrete (2,300 kg/m³), 3=Steel (7,800 kg/m³), 4=Water (1,000 kg/m³).
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersInitial Dose Rate = 10, Target Dose Rate = 0.025, Half-Value Layer (HVL) = 0.65, Shielding Material = 1 = 4 input(s) provided
- Calculate Required Shield ThicknessRequired Shield Thickness5.62 = 5.62
- Calculate Number of HVLsNumber of HVLs8.64 = 8.64
- Calculate Number of TVLsNumber of TVLs2.6 = 2.6
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