Now that the dilapidated housing across the street has been cleared, construction has started on a mansion all the neighbors agree is far too ambitious for the lot. As it will require a strong foundation, deep holes are being dug using a collection of monstrous machines which I’d seen before but didn’t know the name of in any language. So I ventured over to ask.
The young worker who kindly responded to my beckoning said 「チヤック」- “chuck” -and, noticing my confusion, gave me its more formal name: 「全周回転機」(ぜんしゅうかいてんき). A somewhat prolonged Google search provided it’s English translation: “casing rotator.” (It’s also called a “chuck” in English.) Basically, a huge pipe with teeth is lowered into a gigantic rotator to dig, and an immense crane drops a weight with a device at the tip that looks like a stork beak that snaps shut when it hits the bottom and is raised to empty its contents, and the process repeats. The casing will be left in place, filled with concrete, and - voila!- a foundation.
The problem is that it creates localized tremors equivalent to maybe M2 repeatedly, all day. My dog loathes earthquakes, so he is not a happy pup. Below is a schematic of the apparatus and links to a Youtube video of how it works and an English-language explanation. And I learned some new words today in two languages. - William https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=87&v=6MY7XqvoNcs http://www.n-sharyo.co.jp/business/kiden_e/topic20120709.html