Japanese contractor Takenaka Corp. and plasterboard maker Yoshino Gypsum Co. announced on October 11 that they jointly developed radiation shielding block wall made of barium sulfate-added plaster. The enhanced specific gravity enables the wall more protective against gamma rays and x rays than conventional concrete blocks. As construction requires no masonry joint, the work period can be shortened.

Takenaka installed the wall at the new building of Fukushima No.1 Nuclear Power Plant. “RadBlock-X,” which is highly dense and able to be precisely measured thanks to fine-textured materials, shows 1.2-fold shielding effectiveness against gamma rays compared to normal concrete walls. The company intends to promote the product not only to nuclear facilities but to medial centers that have radiotherapy units. (2016/10/12)