Infinite Unknown

- Greek Economy Grinds To A Halt As New Construction Implodes By 66.6% (ZeroHedge, Feb 12, 2013):

Some time ago we used to joke that the Greek economy, and by implication society, is literally falling apart due to its sacrifice at the altar of preserving the European, and thus global, status quo. It is no longer a joke, and the latest confirmation of the absolute halt in the Greek economy, which is now way beyond the liqudity trap and is now in a liquidity (and everything else) tiger cage is data on Greece Construction activity which according to data released on Tuesday by the Hellenic Statistical Authority is in complete freefall. From Kathimerini “In November 2012, total activity dropped 66.6 percent year-on-year in terms of building permits, 63.3 percent in terms of surface area and 65.4 percent in terms of volume.” Just 1,156 permits were issued across the country, corresponding to 197,000 square meters and 706,900 cubic meters. In the first 11 months of last year construction activity shrank by 36.4 percent in terms of permits, 30.3 percent in surface area and 28.7 percent in volume, compared with the same period in 2011. The statistics observed in private construction activity are virtually the same as the above, as activity in the public sector has effectively ground to a halt.

And for those curious how the people are surviving, the answer is simple: nobody is paying taxes: Continue reading »

Tags: Collapse, Construction, Economy, Global News, Greece, Society

YouTube Added: 23.04.2012

Description:

TV producer and Internet-video personality Kirsten Dirksen invites us on her journey into the tiny homes of people searching for simplicity, self-sufficiency, minimalism and happiness by creating shelter in caves, converted garages, trailers, tool sheds, river boats and former pigeon coops.
Continue reading »

Tags: Construction, Society

16 Year Old Builds Tiny Home To Guarantee Mortgage-Free Future

YouTube

Teen Tiny House Builder Austin Hay Finishes Dorm On Wheels

YouTube

Tags: Construction, Good News, Society

- China Will Build the Tallest Building In the World in Just 90 Days (Updated) (GIZMODO, Nov 20, 2012):

According to its engineers, this will be the tallest skyscraper in the world by the end of March of 2013. Its name is Sky City, and its 2,749 feet (838 meters) distributed in 220 floors will grow in just 90 days in Changsha city, by the Xiangjiang river. Ninety days!

It’s not a joke. According to the construction company, the skyscraper will be built in just 90 days at the unbelievable rate of five floors per day.

Continue reading »

Tags: China, Construction, Economy, Global News, Technology

- 214,200 Bq/Kg of Radioactive Cesium from Crushed Stones from Namie-machi, Fukushima (EX-SKF, Feb. 15, 2012):

Remember the radioactive apartment complex in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima, where the concrete foundation contained the supposed “radioactive” crushed stone from the stone pit in Namie-machi, bordering the “no-entry” zone?

Fukushima Prefecture finally released the data on the radioactivity of the stones, and it was indeed high. The survey by the Fukushima prefectural government and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is still ongoing, in an effort to identify the elevated radiation levels coming off the concrete that used these crushed stones. Good luck.

Jiji Tsushin (2/15/2012) reports:

…県は、１月２０日に実施した砕石場の現地調査の結果も公表。屋根のない保管場所では生コン用砕石から１キロ当たり最大１２万２００ベクレル、路盤材用砕石からは同２１万４２００ベクレルの放射性セシウムが検出されたという。

…Fukushima Prefecture also announced the result of the survey at the stone pit [in Namie-machi] conducted on January 20. The crushed stones for concrete stored in the open without a roof were found with the maximum 120,200 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium, while the crushed stones used as subbase course materials were found with 214,200 becquerels/kg.

(At least) 7 tonnes of stones (for building exterior) from Fukushima Prefecture were sold in Tokyo last year, as I reported in my post on January 22, 2012. I haven’t heard news of whatever happened to them.

Tags: Construction, Environment, Fukushima, Global News, Government, Health, Japan, Nuclear, Nuclear reactors, Politics, Radiation

Tags: China, Construction, Economy, Global News, U.S.

- #Radioactive Construction Sites: 1,000 Sites May Have Used “Contaminated” Crushed Stones in Fukushima (EX-SKF, Jan. 18, 2012):

From Kyodo News (1/18/2012):

汚染石の使用現場は千カ所か　経産省、流通の特定難航

1,000 sites may have used the contaminated crushed stones. The Ministry of Economy having trouble identifying the buyers

福島県浪江町の砕石場で放射性物質に汚染されたとみられる石がマンションなどに使われた問題で、この砕石場の石やコンクリートが県内千カ所近くの工事現場で使われていた可能性のあることが１８日、経済産業省への取材で分かった。

Concerning the crushed stones from the stone pit in Namie-machi in Fukushima suspected to have been contaminated by radioactive materials and which were used in the construction of the apartment [in Nihonmatsu City] and other buildings, it was revealed on January 18 in the interview with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry officials that 1,000 construction sites in Fukushima Prefecture may have used the crushed stones or the concrete with the crush stones from this stone pit.

Continue reading »

Tags: Construction, Environment, Fukushima, Global News, Government, Health, Japan, Nuclear, Nuclear reactors, Politics, Radiation

- Actual Fukushima worker talks: water purifying system has never worked (Fukushima Diary, Dec. 6, 2011):

Following up this article 220 tons of highly radioactive water leaked and a part of it leaked to the sea

The water purifying system has never worked properly.

It was urgently constructed, the whole system can’t stand anymore.

These are the tweets of actual Fukushima worker Happy20790.

He explains how it is on the sight.

12/5/2011

Happy20790 ハッピー
ただいまっ(^O^)今日は月曜日でお疲れ気味でし。汚染水処理システムも色々ガタが出てきました。昨日はたまたま建屋の外に汚染水が漏れたから報道あったけど…、最近いろんな場所でよく漏れてるんだ。

建屋って報道で言ってるけどコンクリートで基礎の土間を打って固めた場所に蛇腹ハウス建ててその中に装置があるんだ。装置稼働した初期も漏れたから途中からハウス内に堰を作ったんだ。堰の高さは20センチくらいかなぁ…。

オイラは最近蛇腹ハウスの中は線量高いから入ってないけど、前は水中ポンプで漏洩水を片付けたよ。だけどβ線量が高いからいつもより注意が必要なんだ。今回もβ線110mSv/hって報道してたけど、もっと高い場所もあるんだ。

蛇腹ハウスのコンクリート土間もまだ新しくて半年位しかたってないんだけど、突貫工事の短期間でコンクリート流して十分な乾燥期間もなくて装置設置してハウス組立たから割れが出たんだね。他の棟もひび割れてるかもしれないなぁ…。

各メーカーは通常の契約とは違って装置の運転やメンテナンス契約してないから装置設置して東電に納入したら完了で、あとは東電社員や直営企業で作業してるんだ。手に負えない時はメーカー使ってるけどね。ここにも予算の弊害があると思うんだけど…。

前にもつぶやいたけど、汚染水処理システムはまともな設計期間もなく応急処置で集めたり作ったものだから、早く恒久的な対策を取り入れて汚染水を完全に浄化するシステムを伴った海洋投棄システム作らなきゃダメだと思うんだ。

:側溝の事も前につぶやいたけど、早く今の側溝は流れて行かないようにつぶすか、下流に受けタンク設置して処理システムの一部に加えないとダメなんだ。雨が降ると地面の汚染も草木についた汚染も側溝から海に流れてしまうよ(;_;)

メーカーや作業員は減ってきてるけど、東電は行き当たりばったりの何か問題あったら対処する今のままじゃなくて、常に先手を打って欲しいんだけどね。今日は新たなプロジェクトの話したかったけど、またね。

Translation:

The contaminated water leaks a lot recently. This time, it went out of the “building” so it was reported but actually it happens frequently.

I called it “a building”, but it’s actually a temporary tent on a temporary concrete basement. It leaked from the first operation, so they made a tiny dam in it. Maybe it’s only 20cm high.

I don’t get into the tent recently because it’s too radioactive, but I used to pump up leaked contaminated water. The contaminated water emits a lot of beta ray, so you need to be careful.

This time, Tepco’s spokesman said it was 110 mSv/h, but it is higher at some points.

The concrete basement was constructed really urgently. They built the tent even before the concrete dried so it got cracked already. Other tent may have the same problems too.

Unlike our ordinary contract, makers only set the facility, they don’t take responsibility of handing or maintenance.

As I tweeted before, this water purifying system is not a long-lasting system. It is a temporary system without proper planning process. In order to release cooling water to the sea, we must install more proper facility.

Now the gutter is directly connected to the sea. They must be shut down or a dam must be made. Currently every time it rains, radiation on the ground and radiation stuck to the plants flow into the sea directly.

Makers and workers are already withdrawing from Fukushima plants, but Tepco has no long term plan. They need to predict the future risk and prevent it from happening in advance. Continue reading »

Tags: Construction, Contamination, Environment, Fukushima, Global News, Health, Japan, Nuclear, Nuclear reactors, Radiation, TEPCO

Tags: China, Construction, desert, Global News, Government, Politics

Repeat after us – there is no Chinese bubble </sarc>.

Although none is needed, here is some commentary:

As the United States and China battle over the finer points of currency manipulation at the G-20 summit, American negotiators may want to take note of this startling testimonial to the productivity of Chinese workers: A construction crew in the south-central Chinese city of Changsha has completed a 15-story hotel in just six days. If nothing else, this remarkable achievement will stoke further complaints from American economic pundits that China’s economy is far more accomplished than ours in tending to such basics as construction.

Continue reading »

Tags: China, Construction, Economy, Global News