9/10/2013
HEADLINES
Eastern Span of Oakland Bay Bridge Opens
“The gleaming white and newly built $6.4 billion eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge handled its first commutes Tuesday with few problems other than the traffic snarls that were common around the old span,” the Associated Press reports.
Bridge officials have been battling significant bolt issues with the span since March, when “more than two dozen rods (32) used to anchor the roadway to important earthquake safety structures cracked after they were tightened,” according to USA TODAY.
The fractured bolts were determined to have hydrogen embrittlement, launching a feverish search for every other bolt on the span so they could be tested. But a barrage of tests on the remaining bolts confirmed their viability, allowing engineers to design a way to safely fasten the section where the broken bolts were located.
“The short-term fix involves installing steel plates in the area of the broken bolts to help prevent movement during an earthquake,” AP reports. “The measures would remain in place while workers install a permanent steel saddle to replace the clinching function of the failed bolts.”
“In the end, the bridge opened with a temporary fix for the broken rods while the permanent repair, expected to be completed in December, is being installed.”
But not before bolt manufacturer Dyson Corp. of Ohio came under public scrutiny.
Ultimately MTC Executive Director Steve Heminger conceded that Caltrans failed to provide adequate specifications to the manufacturer or mandate specific tests that would have revealed whether the bolts, manufactured between June 4, 2008, and September 6, 2008, were susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement.
Still, Dyson’ reputation was challenged.
“Dyson has taken a fairly heavy pounding in the press with a lot of the blame for this phenomenon,” Rawson stated.
The fallout has led to uncertainty for the company, its employees, its supply chain partners and customers, who are questioning the quality of the bolts they’ve purchased from the 129-year-old company, he noted.
Founded in 1884 as a specialty forging shop in Cleveland by Joseph Dyson, today Dyson is a ISO 9000 certified manufacturer of fasteners for the nuclear, bridge, mining, military, locks and dams, oil and gas and wind power markets. ©2013 GlobalFastenerNews.com
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