Chernobyl No.4's New Roof is Completed; Currently Moving Into Position - Polidicks

[img]http://www.m1key.me/photography/chernobyl_questions_answers_2/chernobyl_questions_answers_2_05.jpg[/img] [quote]Work has begun at Chernobyl in Ukraine to move a giant shield over the site of the world's worst nuclear accident. The concrete and steel arch will eventually cover the remains of the reactor which lost its roof in a catastrophic explosion in 1986. The blast sent a plume of radioactive material into the air, triggering a public health emergency across Europe. The shield is designed to prevent further radioactive material leaking out over the next century. It measures 275m (900ft) wide and 108m (354ft) tall and has cost $1.6bn (£1.3bn) to construct.[/quote] [img]http://thumbs.media.smithsonianmag.com//filer/9e/b9/9eb9cb13-5370-4703-9791-08d4fea3837a/chernobyl_nuclear_power_plant_new_safe_confinement_26447282122_l.jpg__1072x0_q85_upscale.jpg[/img] [quote]It began moving on Monday using a system of hydraulic jacks and will take about five days to be put in its final position. Work will then begin to safely dismantle the reactor, which has been sealed inside a so-called sarcophagus, and to secure the huge amount of radioactive material still inside.[/quote] [quote]The shield, known as the New Safe Confinement, had to be built away from the scene of the accident as the radiation immediately above the reactor is still too intense.[/quote] [quote]The meltdown and explosion at the Soviet-era plant was the worst nuclear disaster in history, spewing a cloud of radioactive material that drifted into other parts of the then-USSR, including Russia and Belarus, and northern Europe. The number of people killed remains disputed. A 2005 report by the UN-backed Chernobyl Forum said that fewer than 50 people had died as a result of exposure to radiation, most of them workers killed immediately after the disaster, but some survived until as late as 2004.[/quote] [url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37978482]**SOURCE**[/url] It's the end to a project in the planning stage as long as I can remember and it's big. It's an absolutely immense building.

wow thats one less disaster we have to worry about i guess

I would love to go here now that that's constructed Chernobyl and nuclear power plants in general have always appealed to me

I wonder how long that giant sarcophagus becomes symbolic of Chernobyl more than the ruined reactor itself. That thing is designed to have a very long future. I almost wish that I could see what it looks like in 500 years.

Oh? That's good news. I heard that they were having problems paying for it with the whole war and all. Maybe they found the money or other people chipped in. It's a pretty cool design too. They obviously can't just build it right on top of the old sarcophagus because that'd be dangerous, so it's basically on rails and it'll be rolled on top.

[QUOTE=thelurker1234;51372253]Oh? That's good news. I heard that they were having problems paying for it with the whole war and all. Maybe they found the money or other people chipped in. It's a pretty cool design too. They obviously can't just build it right on top of the old sarcophagus because that'd be dangerous, so it's basically on rails and it'll be rolled on top.[/QUOTE] It's not that expensive for a country like Ukraine, but it was probably really low on the agenda.

[QUOTE=Canary;51372291]It's not that expensive for a country like Russia, but it was probably really low on the agenda.[/QUOTE] KUSHAI LIMONCHIK PADLA NYET. UKRAINA.

Eh whatever same point stands.

Blyat that roof looks fly as fuck.

[QUOTE=elixwhitetail;51372222]I wonder how long that giant sarcophagus becomes symbolic of Chernobyl more than the ruined reactor itself. That thing is designed to have a very long future. I almost wish that I could see what it looks like in 500 years.[/QUOTE] It's only supposed to hold for about a century. Hopefully, they'll use the time to work out something more permanent, as it won't be completely safe for another 22 000 years. I guess they could keep stacking giant shields on it like one of those russian nesting dolls.

Well the idea is the shield will remain for as long as it takes them to clear out the radioactive material and dismantle the reactor, so it really doesn't need to last forever.

[QUOTE=Flapjacks;51372367]I guess they could keep stacking giant shields on it like one of those russian nesting dolls.[/QUOTE] Eventually all of Ukraine will just be a giant cover over chernobyl.

[QUOTE=Flapjacks;51372367]It's only supposed to hold for about a century. Hopefully, they'll use the time to work out something more permanent, as it won't be completely safe for another 22 000 years. I guess they could keep stacking giant shields on it like one of those russian nesting dolls.[/QUOTE] Once a reactor is successfully dismantled the remains of the structure are filled with sand and capped. Most of the Hanford Reactors are just small-ish blocks of concrete now that they've been entombed and the surrounding building has been demolished. [img]https://usresponserestoration.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/hanford-f-reactor-area-remediation-complete-cocooned-reactor-landscape_dept-energy_1000.jpg[/img] Eventually the entire plant will be a few concrete blocks where the reactors used to be and the rest will be empty field. [img]http://www.hanford.gov/images.cfm/100F_9-30-09-111_Large.jpg[/img]

Still that radioactive? Damn. It looks like it was built really close to the plant though, I wonder what kind of danger the workers where in at that distance?

Weren't there some concurrent efforts to seal in the soil around the reactor? I mean isn't it only a half-solution if the building is capped from the top while radioactive material continues to seep into the ground/groundwater?

That's been ongoing since 1986. For the most part groundwater contamination has now been mitigated.

would have been cooler if they had left it and the place remained an abandoned dead zone

[QUOTE=_Maverick_;51372413]Still that radioactive? Damn. It looks like it was built really close to the plant though, I wonder what kind of danger the workers where in at that distance?[/QUOTE] Most of the dangerous radiation in the exclusion zone doesn't come out of the reactor directly, but radioactive particles already on and in the ground that came out of the reactor long ago. In fact, the area immediately around the reactor had the most decontamination work done (it had to be, to keep containment workers safe and the other reactors running), so it's ironically one of the least radioactive areas in the exclusion zone.

[QUOTE=abcpea;51372787]would have been cooler if they had left it and the place remained an abandoned dead zone[/QUOTE] Uhhhhhhhh no. The previous sarcophagus was already a piece of shit because it had to be made quickly and cheaply due to time restraints from keeping the reactor spewing radioactive dust everywhere, and now it's starting to fall apart completely. If this hadn't been built, half of Europe could have been feeling the radioactive wind in the near future. Besides, the place will remain an abandoned dead zone, the exclusion zone will not be disappearing for quite a while.

[QUOTE=Sableye;51372164]wow thats one less disaster we have to worry about i guess[/QUOTE] This is not a permanent solution sadly...

[QUOTE=TornadoAP;51372891]Uhhhhhhhh no. The previous sarcophagus was already a piece of shit because it had to be made quickly and cheaply due to time restraints from keeping the reactor spewing radioactive dust everywhere, and now it's starting to fall apart completely. If this hadn't been built, half of Europe could have been feeling the radioactive wind in the near future. Besides, the place will remain an abandoned dead zone, the exclusion zone will not be disappearing for quite a while.[/QUOTE] just hose it down if you're worried about dust

[QUOTE=abcpea;51372938]just hose it down if you're worried about dust[/QUOTE] Try telling that to the workers in '86 who got rewarded with cancer for saving Europe from a radioactive hell.

[QUOTE=abcpea;51372938]just hose it down if you're worried about dust[/QUOTE] I cannot for the life of me figure out if this is a sarcasm or not.

[QUOTE=pentium;51372411]Once a reactor is successfully dismantled the remains of the structure are filled with sand and capped. Most of the Hanford Reactors are just small-ish blocks of concrete now that they've been entombed and the surrounding building has been demolished. [IMG]https://usresponserestoration.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/hanford-f-reactor-area-remediation-complete-cocooned-reactor-landscape_dept-energy_1000.jpg[/IMG] Eventually the entire plant will be a few concrete blocks where the reactors used to be and the rest will be empty field. [IMG]http://www.hanford.gov/images.cfm/100F_9-30-09-111_Large.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE] What would happen if someone tried to blow that open? I'm assuming that it'd probably just start leaking, be detected, probably not cause too much damage, and plugged up?

The new confinement is actually moving on top of the old building right now. The process will take 5 days. I hope it's being filmed, I'd love to see a timelapse.

[QUOTE=abcpea;51372938]just hose it down if you're worried about dust[/QUOTE] Are you joking?

[QUOTE=Canary;51372291]It's not that expensive for a country like Ukraine, but it was probably really low on the agenda.[/QUOTE] Most of the money is EU and World Bank money [editline]15th November 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=abcpea;51372787]would have been cooler if they had left it and the place remained an abandoned dead zone[/QUOTE] wtf, if the old sarcophagus collapses on the building, so much radioactive dust would've been sent out that would make Europe a disaster zone

[QUOTE=abcpea;51372938]just hose it down if you're worried about dust[/QUOTE] This is obvious sarcasm.

you would need a big hose, obviously

I've been to Chernobyl just two weeks ago. The new confinement looks pretty impressive. When we were visiting, there was some rusty smoke ejected from the 3rd reactor machinery building vents (it's right next to the 4th reactor building, part of sarcophagus). Nothing radioactive (we checked background levels), but it's just a sign that something collapsed there. The old building was said to have 20 year lifetime (which ended in 2006), while in reality it had more of a 10 year lifetime. The main horizontal support beams holding the most visually striking part of sarcophagus are standing on two vertical supports. One support was built specifically for the project, but second vertical support is part of the original reactor structure. Over time radiation has severely eroded concrete (plus constant weather effects), so that is probably gonna collapse at some point soon. After confinement covers the reactor, they will spend much of the new confinements lifetime to dismantle the reactor building & reactor itself [editline]15th November 2016[/editline] Just out of curiosity, here's the general cross-section of the sarcophagus (the left side of it is supported by the building. The right side is supported by the concrete tomb that covers much of the radioactive debris near the building itself): [thumb]http://s00.yaplakal.com/pics/pics_original/6/3/3/4859336.jpg[/thumb]