$15M withheld from Bay Bridge contractor for faulty anchor rods. Notice no Caltrans or MTC workers, who were supposed to be supervising this gigantic cost overrun travesty, were fired or even demoted. Caltrans, inventors of the truck that sleeps three. We can’t wait to see how many billions of cost overruns Jerry Browns High Speed rail has, or to watch it be a gigantic fail. (Providing we live long enough).
This post was last modified on January 26, 2021
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Sounds like they found somebody to sue when the bridge collapses during the next quake.
AND they managed to absolve Cal Trans of any liability at the same time.
CalTrans is SUPPOSED to have material testing procedures in place for ALL materials used on a project. CalTrans inspectors signed off on the job, so it IS their baby, at least in a world that works right. But then, this IS California.
From the article. After spending 20 million bucks to conduct a study; "The state has concluded that the steel fasteners are sound as long as they are kept DRY."
Did anyone conducting this test bother to go out, stand on the bridge... and look DOWN?
These are Caltrans engineers. They're way too smart to worry about water being wet.
I read somewhere that the Caltrans engineers had the rods galvanized twice, which screwed up the strength.
I had a question too;
'Thirty-two of the rods sat in rainwater for five years, exposing them to corrosive hydrogen, then snapped after they were cinched down in March 2013."
Sat in the rain where, on the site or at the supplier? Something tells me the supplier isn't that stupid.
Question for Jerry Brown…
As well as testing high speed rail cars, how about high speed desalinization plants, or high speed dam digging?
Caltrans, inventors of the truck that sleeps three.
Co2, I've never heard that before and I have to ask.
Actually, when I was a kid, I heard my father mention something about Jersey Central Power and Light trucks sleeping 5.
Ahhh, got it! Thx.
Chinese manufactured anchor rods, I bet.
Made in Ohio. Here's a link to the fiasco. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Bay-Bridge-supplier-failed-to-reveal-rods-6037844.php
Made in Ohio, under the supervision of John Boehner perhaps?
He cried on them at the wrong time, and ruined the temper.
Surprising because I remember early problems with welding done by a Chinese company Caltrans hired even though they had no experience whatsoever building bridges:
http://media.sacbee.com/static/sinclair/sinclair.jquery/baybridge/index.html
That Sac Bee article is a real eye-opener.