7/1/2013 11:37:00 AM
NEWS BRIEF
“Caltrans has no evidence it verified the quality of the hundreds of irreplaceable rods needed to anchor the tower of the new Bay Bridge eastern span or made sure the manufacturer hadn’t left them vulnerable to cracking,” the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Among thousands of documents about the high-strength fasteners on the bridge, “the agency cannot find any indication it inspected the manufacturer’s plant – as required under Caltrans rules – or performed mandatory quality-assurance tests to prove that the rods met its standards before accepting them in 2007,” writes Jaxon Van Derbeken of the Chronicle.
Years after install, Caltrans discovered that the supplier, Vulcan Threaded Products, had galvanized the 24-foot-long fasteners, contrary to state instructions, exposing the fasteners to a process that could increase the chances they will fail.
In addition to no records of bolt testing, Caltrans inspectors reportedly never visited the Vulcan plant in Pelham, AL, to ensure that the company was following the state’s manufacturing instructions. Nor did they visit Tennessee Galvanizing Inc., that dipped the rods in molten zinc to protect them from rust.
“It’s the latest problem to beset bolts and rods on the $6.4 billion eastern span, which is scheduled to open to traffic Sept. 3. Caltrans has been conducting tests to determine whether 2,300 steel fasteners installed on the span are safe,” Van Derbeken writes.
Caltrans Chief Deputy Director Richard Land sees only a minimal danger that the rods will crack, because they are in a relatively dry environment and are not tightened to a degree that could shorten their life span. ©2013 GlobalFastenerNews.com
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