Pumped up

Wow, this thing is huge!

Although that is better than fire hoses or crowd control water cannons it is still ad-hoc, temporary and soon going to dead end. Good speed with getting the system up and running absolutely ASAP. TEPCO are a bit slow with photo releases and video. Where's the CCTV of the tsunami swamping the plant?

YongYang: Why is this a "dead end"? It looks very precise and effective to me.

I read something like that was being sent over from China. Is that the one?

I hope the pump doesn't topple over during the next aftershock.

German kit, one was shipped from the US and not sure where the other one happened to be.

Both from the US, I heard - one from Los Angeles, the other from North Carolina where, ironically, it was involved in the construction of a MOX conversion plant.

Pumped water was contaminated, and then was pumped out to the sea. TEPCO may wonder its solutions now.

They need to cool the reactor down for several months before they could safely remove any fuel remnants. Temperature and pressure readings from inside the reactor seems to be relatively stable.

"articulate" dictionary meaning: "having sections connected by a flexible joint or joints"

BTW - good luck to these men in the trenches battling away.

BTW - YongYang, don't be too quick on judgements, the fat lady hasn't sung yet in Fukushima.

A little nitpick: If you look at the tractor and compare the models, it seems that the photo shows the Putzmeister M 62-6, one of the smaller (well, relatively smaller) models.

This is not the big one (M 70-5) that has arrived from the US via the Antonow giant plane. Maybe the reporter got ahead of himself?

In addition: Just count the axles. The big Putzmeister has 10 axles. This one has 5. Not "maybe". Definitely the article writer got ahead of himself.

This is not the big one (M 70-5) that has arrived from the US via the Antonow giant plane. Maybe the reporter got ahead of himself?

Ye gods, this is the smaller one? I can't wait to see the updated picture when the M 70-5 arrives!

Looks like they are pumping in and not out!

When not dousing critical nuclear reactor accidents the Putzmeister 70Z likes to spend its time pumping patrons full of beer at Oktoberfest. Call now to rent the Putzmeister for your next fraternity Keg party!

Unfortunately, its name doesn't quite carry the gravitas of the situation..

We have to thank our German friends for the Putz-Meister. Sure - it has a ridiculous name - but it's in there fighting that radiation like a champion!

just looking at that photo gives me radiation sickness

They cost $2M+ each. And will not be returned to the U.S. because of radiation contamination.

Well, they will need to pour a lot of concrete, when they eventually, in a couple of years, build a giant concrete tomb for the nuclear babies 1 to 4. So the big Putzmeisters will come in handy then too.

And yes this seems to be a smaller one, only 4 axles on the trailer. The 70Z trailer on which the unit sits is supported by 5 axles. The tractor-trailer that tows it has three drive axles at the support point and two axles for the front end of it. That's how you get 10 axles.

I think its twin is operating next to my apartment, building a new high riser. Man, it is noisy here everyday for the next few months.

The workers closest to the camera look like they are just observing. Given the radiation, do they need all those people?

The pump that would significantly reduce the contamination volume of the water is the one that filters radioactive non-soluble particles. That pump has yet to be reported - would it be reported in the news?

If you don't like the word Putzmeister, use the english one: Plaster Master !!!

Those workers sure look very casual, just like at a normal construction site, those radiation levels must be way down than.

The process will dead end. This is a stop-gap. A more permanent solution is needed yesterday. There is nowhere to go after: Pour the water in, pump the water out store the water... oops. No more storage space.

Yup this is the wrong one. The bigger one is all white and has a lot more wheels. It was the picture of the day a few days ago: JT /category/picture-of-the-day/view/heavy-help

I want to see a photo when the big one arrives. But I think that one is still stuck somewhere one a winding access road. I don´t think any road in Japan is designed for that monster...