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The Earth, Moon and Mars samples have been investigated in terms of gamma ray energy absorption buildup factors ( EABF ) depending on penetration depth, weight fraction of constituent elements and photon energy. The five parameter geometric progression (G-P) fitting approximation has been used to compute the buildup factors in the energy region 0.015–15 MeV up to a penetration depth of 40 mean free paths (mfp). The maximum values of EABF have been observed for the Earth, Mars and Moon samples at 0.2, 0.3 and 0.2 MeV, respectively. At the corresponding energies where maximum EABF occur, the Earth samples have the highest and the Mars samples have the lowest EABF values. There is no significant variation in EABF for the Earth, Moon and Mars samples beyond 1 MeV, hence the values of EABF remain constant with the variation in chemical composition for all the given materials. Finally, the buildup factors so obtained have been discussed in function of the penetration depth, weight fraction of constituent elements and photon energy.

Samples of concrete for popular habitation (0.1×0.03×0.1 m) and cellular concrete (0.1×0.05×0.1 m) were submitted to water vertical ascending infiltration. The moisture content spatial and temporal evolution of each sample it was monitored in three halfway positions in a same horizontal line, applying the gamma rays transmission method. The data were taken with a 137Cs (3.7×1010 Bq, 0662 MeV) source, Nal (Tl) of 2×2″ detector coupled to gamma ray spectrometry standard electronic with multichannel analyzer and a micrometric table. For the popular habitation concrete, there was a clear correlation between wetting profiles and concrete strength. The cellular concrete showed a wetting profile compatible to its greater porosity.