TEPCO released the 17-page summary of its survey of the Reactor 4 building, as if to respond to the allegations by the experts foreign and domestic that the reactor building is "tilting" and on the verge of collapse. It is only in Japanese right now. (Well that was when I was writing the post. Now they have an unofficial English version. But since it took me long time to put English labels, I'll present the Japanese version with my labels anyway.)
According to the summary, TEPCO did both the horizontal and vertical measurements, looked for cracks larger than 1 millimeter-wide, and did the non-destructive inspection using Schmidt hammer.
The result of the horizontal measurements have already been published.
The company says one location on the west wall near the elevator shaft has a bulge (33 millimeters), but all the measurement points were well within the spec of the Building Standards Act.
Problem of course is that there is no independent confirmation of the data.
From TEPCO's handout for the press (5/25/2012):
Horizontal:
Vertical:
Cracks:
Concrete strength using Schmidt hammer:
The most interesting to me personally was this slide showing the location of the Spent Fuel Pool and the locations of damages on the walls. The hole in the south wall that many people including Kyoto University's Koide have pointed to as the location for the SFP and said "If this wall collapses...". It looks like the Spent Fuel Pool is not there.
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23 comments:
Experts foreign and domestic say the building is titling?
To tell the truth, I thought Arnie was the only one who was saying this. Who are the other experts saying this?
TEPCO has not posted flat out false data, at least afaik, during this entire accident.
With journalists about to visit the site again, it would be plain stupid to post numbers that anyone with a level could disprove during a site visit.
SO I'm inclined to accept this data at face value.
Straight UP! I am exhausted from the bouncing ball between: Tepco, Japan perfecture, US and WHO! I am dizzy and sure I can blame this on Fukushima or that damn bouncing ball I've been watching!
This media BS is like a bunch of rats in a sewer. They are trying to find their way out of their lies!
anon at the top,
US experts saying this other than Gundersen: Alvarez, two people at Beyond Nuclear (forgot their names)
Japanese: Hiroaki Koide
anon at 6:50pm,
Neither Robert Alverez, nor Beyond Nuclear, nor Hiroaki Koide assert that unit 4 is leaning.
They all assert that the spent fuel is a catastrophic problem if it catches fire, but none of them has suggested that the building is leaning.
Beyond Nuclear: "http://enenews.com/nuclear-expert-unit-4-is-looking-more-and-more-like-the-leaning-tower-of-pisa-right-now-video
Koide most certainly said so in his press conference in NYC in early May.
another one at Beyond Nuclear saying the building is "listing"
http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2012-14-07/largest-short-term-threat-humanity-fuel-pools-fukushima
Koide said the Reactor 4 SFP was damaged on March 15 last year and was leaning, during his press conference in New York City in May this year.
I don't know if he's saying only the SFP is leaning, or the building that houses the SFP is leaning.
More unbiased scientific information from Enenews and Russia Today... LOL.
Because of all these so-called "experts" making noise, somebody had to go and measure the building. I hope he didn't get much radiation exposure for the work.
Number 4 is not so contaminated, so hopefully workers were not exposed to much more radiaiton than during a normal shift. But yeah, I don't know what those experts were expecting to achieve.
EXPERT: The building is tilting. It's going to EXPLODE
TEPCO: Apparently is not.
EXPERT: dur CONSPIRACY
TEPC: mkay
Bravo experts
Fukushima Daiichi requires a Manhattan Project approach to avoid another nuclear accident
This is my sixth column about the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident that started last year in Japan following the tsunami. But unlike those previous columns (1,2,3,4,5), this one looks forward to the next Japanese nuclear accident, which will probably take place at the same location.
That accident, involving nuclear fuel rods, is virtually inevitable, most likely preventable, and the fact that it won’t be prevented comes down solely to Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) incompetence and stupidity. Japanese citizens will probably die unnecessarily because the way things are done at the top in Japan is completely screwed up.
http://betanews.com/2012/05/25/fukushima-daiichi-requires-a-manhattan-project-approach-to-avoid-another-nuclear-accident/
Thanks, anon. Another expert. In this case, some journalist who doesn't seem able to understand the difference between 3 and 30 years (based on the article he quotes.)
Bravo Cringley
LAPRIMAVERA, WHY ARE YOU FIXATED ON SEMANTICS?
THE WHOLE UNIT 4 BUILDING IS TOTALLY FUBAR.
JUST LOOK AT IT FOR CHRISSAKES.
TEPCO HOPES IT CAN MANAGE THIS 'PERCEPTION PROBLEM' BY ASSURING US THAT THE BUILDING IS NOT "TILTING"; AND YOU ARE HELPING THEM WITH THIS PROCESS.
ENOUGH ALREADY. (YEAH, I MEANT TO YELL AT YOU.)
anon above, the louder you shout, the stupider you look, if that's even possible. feel free to go away to your favorite joints. maybe at fairewinds?
Tilting or not, one unexpected jolt from another earthquake, and Japan is done for. That is the real problem that must be dealt with.
BTW, badmouthing the truth does not make the truth any less truthful. Fairewinds publishes the truths that others dare not touch.
Tilting or not, one major jolt from another big earthquake, and Japan may not be able to ever recover. That is the problem that must be dealt with.
Fairewinds publishes the truths.
Hahaha that's a good one. Thanks for the laugh.
Who gives a rat's ass what TEPCO publishes!
They lie.
They omit.
They coverup.
They payoff.
They talk about things that only idiots would believe.
I haven't found too many idiots that read this site! Unless they are government spin doctors! Seems like only intellectually, aware people, track of this TEPCO fiasco.
Hey TEPCO, nuclear power is finished in most countries so, plan on your company going into a "Cold Shutdown!"
Ha, Ha, Ha you have lost face! You are a huge embarrassment to the Japanese people .....
anon above, then don't come here reading what TEPCO publishes.
As to idiots, they believe in the "other side" with blind faith, in case you haven't noticed. I guess you will never notice.
LaPrimavera, thank you for this big effort!
There are some things that worry me.
1. Tepco stated that the building will withstand a magnitude 6 (six) earthquake.
They do not say what they expect to happen at a mag 7, 8 or even 9 earthquake.
So, one could interpret this as Tepco indirectly admitting that they cannot exclude the spent fuel pool collapsing at any earthquake larger than magnitude six.
2. Because of the many broken pillars the static load distribution has changed much and now concentrates on a relatively small remaining part of the former construction, namely on a relatively thin outer wall segment at floor 1 with little remaining lateral reinforcement, which, by the way, wasn't tested with Schmitt hammering. Point of initial failure will probably be that area.
3. I doubt Schmitt hammer testing will be of real value if one keeps in mind that even a tough construction like the SFP will be damaged if it suddenly loses its support.
It will break at the main stress lines when loads exceed the strength of the concrete, even if it was in perfect shape before.
So I consider the Schmitt hammering as "dullifying showbusiness" like the water helicopters etc.
So, after all, I'd like to know what Tepco thinks what could happen at earthquakes above magnitude 6.
They somehow completely evade this crucial question.
Anon, Tepco is not using Richter, but the Japanese seismic intensity scale, which goes from 1 to 7: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Meteorological_Agency_seismic_intensity_scale
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