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PoliticAverse

(26,366 posts)
Sun Dec 8, 2013, 06:13 AM Dec 2013

Experts raise new doubts about essential Bay Bridge rods

Yun Chung, a retired engineer and metallurgist, read the official report explaining why massive, high-strength steel rods on the new San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge broke last March and was stunned – then alarmed.

At first glance, Chung said about the July report, he saw obvious errors – some typographical, others that confused basic terminology. Digging deeper, he discovered more important problems. He concluded that the analysis defied metallurgical science and common sense.

“I think it’s very shameful that in this public document, this important (oversight) report, there are so many errors. (I have) a sense of outrage,” Chung said in an interview last week.

Diverting attention from caring for his disabled wife, Chung, 81, said he spent hundreds of hours reviewing the report, consulting the technical literature and writing – with another engineer – a 105-page rebuttal. Chung, who had worked for Bechtel Corp., and Lisa K. Thomas, a materials engineer at Berkeley Research Company, a consulting and test lab, recently prepared an 18-page supplement to the report after a request from The Sacramento Bee to further detail their concerns.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/12/08/5981376/experts-raise-new-doubts-about.html

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Experts raise new doubts about essential Bay Bridge rods (Original Post) PoliticAverse Dec 2013 OP
Yeah, but what's the worst that could happen? Demo_Chris Dec 2013 #1
Some obscenely wealthy person might lose money. That's always the worst valerief Dec 2013 #2
The bridge was largely built in China... Atman Dec 2013 #3
BINGO! DeSwiss Dec 2013 #4
+ A shit load! nt Enthusiast Dec 2013 #5
Ironically, the bolts in question were manufactured in the US Brother Buzz Dec 2013 #6
the bridge terrifies me pothos Dec 2013 #7

valerief

(53,235 posts)
2. Some obscenely wealthy person might lose money. That's always the worst
Sun Dec 8, 2013, 09:09 AM
Dec 2013

thing that could happen.

People losing their lives in a bridge collapse? Well, that's just a reasonable risk when it comes to making tons of money, and obscenely wealthy people are always willing to take that risk--with other people.

Atman

(31,464 posts)
3. The bridge was largely built in China...
Sun Dec 8, 2013, 09:16 AM
Dec 2013

...and shipped to the U.S. in sections. Surprise! A Walmart bridge is a cheap Chinese piece of crap.

pothos

(154 posts)
7. the bridge terrifies me
Tue Dec 10, 2013, 03:53 AM
Dec 2013

i'm scared to drive over it because I think it was built with really substandard materials. and the sad thing is episodes like this make people trust government even less. caltrans should have never let the wrong bolts be used. the whole thing is a huge debacle.

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