caltrans projects 900 million for bridge, spends 6.4 billion, now has to redo it

[chad]

cliff notes:

1. engineers tell them not to use hardened steel for rods.

2. politicians ignore them and order them anyway.

3. chines assemble bridge in sections using said bad steel.

4. upon installation, rods start breaking.

5. do to the way the chinese manufactured the sections, rods are not replaceable unless a whole section is dismantled and redone from scratch.

6. jerry brown is on the scene "seeing what went wrong."

7. californa taxpayers get fucked as the whole thing now has to be redone.

8. BONUS: some of the original politicians involved in ordering it to be done wrong think they should leave the bad rods in "and monitor it."

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Expert-Replace-at-risk-Bay-Bridge-rods-4532939.php

[JohnQPublic]

Where did you get the cost data? I cannot find it in the link.

Sounds like bolts with HRC > 34 are susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement, and this was the cause of the failure.

[chad]

just know it from following the story. here's a watchdog report with more details (google flags it but is fine. google doesn't like the caltran watchdog people for political reasons)

https://www.calwatchdog.com/2013/05/20/caltrans-bay-bridge-delays-shun-private-solutions/

also not mentioned in the story (but i saw it other places), the chinese TOLD CALTRANS not to order it like that, but caltrans insisted. when you have the chinese telling you that your are ordering crap, that takes it it to a whole new level.

another thing not mentioned is that they were supposed to rust coast potions of it upon completion, but they didn't, and now sections of it are rusting apart as well.

[JohnQPublic]

It is especially a problem in marine environments. I wouldn't say it was crap, it just was not right for the environment. Harder bolts/rods are stronger, but more susceptible to this type of corrosion. Then again the difference between HRC 34 and 37 is not that much. I think Caltrans wanted to make it stronger, but this is a naive wish, because it is stronger initially, but once it starts to corrode/fatigue, you lose ion the long run.

[chad]

and the best part is that all of the caltran people will have nothing of consequence happen to them + they'll all get 250k a year pensions.

[vacuum]

and the best part is that al of the caltran people will have nothing of consequence happen to them + they'l all get 250k a year pensions.

plus overtime

[General of Darkness]

The reason for this mess in some part were because of local jews complaining. I shit you not.

[chad]

The reason for this mess in some part were because of local jews complaining. I shit you not.

it was too expensive for them or what?

[madfranks]

jerry brown is on the scene "seeing what went wrong."

What a hoot, as if this ignoramus is able to figure out what went wrong. Actually, he's being told what went wrong by other people, probably engineers who knew it was a problem in the first place. What a world, where politicians, who know nothing about engineering, are the ones who make the decisions on how things should be built.

[Norweger]

when you have the chinese telling you that your are ordering crap, that takes it it to a whole new level.


Ha-ha.

[gunDriller]

it was too expensive for them or what?

maybe the parts weren't Kosher.

the Jews wanted a Jewish supplier ?

[Horn]

9. The only guy that knows what went wrong is 90+ and on his last breath yet retains his knowledge as its the only way to collect his government consultant's pension.

[JohnQPublic]

It's like the story of the engineer who worked for GE, created a great and important machine, then retired. The new people call him in for consulting as they were having some problems with the machine. He walks up and down the machine, looks, listens, opens panels, etc. After about 45 minutes, he takes out a sharpy pen and makes an "X" at a particular location, then leaves. Lo and behold, they check that area and find the problem. The retired engineer sends a bill for $10,000.

The management balks, and says that they are grateful that he helped, but they thought $10,000 was too much. All he did, ultimately was draw an "X" on the machine. So they asked him to itemize the invoice. He agrees, and sends the following itemized invoice:

1. Drawing and "X" on the machine...... $10.00
2. Knowing where to draw the "X"........$ 9,990.00

[Hatha Sunahara]

The real tragedy is that the politicians that are responsible for this debacle will all be re-elected, or promoted and no one will be held accountable. Who's going to protect us from our politicians? Apparently nobody.


Hatha

[Glass]

It's like the story of the engineer who worked for GE, created a great and important machine, then retired. The new people call him in for consulting as they were having some problems with the machine. He walks up and down the machine, looks, listens, opens panels, etc. After about 45 minutes, he takes out a sharpy pen and makes an "X" at a particular location, then leaves. Lo and behold, they check that area and find the problem. The retired engineer sends a bill for $10,000.

The management balks, and says that they are grateful that he helped, but they thought $10,000 was too much. All he did, ultimately was draw an "X" on the machine. So they asked him to itemize the invoice. He agrees, and sends the following itemized invoice:

1. Drawing and "X" on the machine...... $10.00
2. Knowing where to draw the "X"........$ 9,990.00

I've had this experience. What you need is a Marker that fades after about 1 week.

I tell people this is why they hire me. A trained person can tell many things just by listening and looking for the symptoms. Just about anything can tell you a lot by the noise it makes. Thats why doctors have stethoscopes, why mechanics get the long socket extender or screwdriver and put it against the engine to have a listen. Much faster and cheaper than stripping the whole thing down.

[palani]

The real tragedy is that the politicians that are responsible for this debacle will all be re-elected, or promoted and no one will be held accountable. Who's going to protect us from our politicians? Apparently nobody.


Hatha

You fail to take into account how success is measured (hint ... if you can spend more money then you are a better manager). Remember when Stapleton International airport in Denver was built. It ran so far over budget that they made the manager in charge head of the Dept of Transportation at the federal level. He had proved that he could handle large budgets and so was rewarded.

Obama is a case in point. When Bush abandoned office he left a large national debt. The only reason Obama is in office is to find someone to hang this debt on. He has done an exemplary job in making it grow as well.

[govcheetos]

Another example of government doing what it does best.