Bay Bridge Problems Literally Fixed With Duct Tape

Corrosion problems during construction of the $6.4 billion Bay Bridge discovered as early as November, 2004, were "fixed" by a bridge inspector using duct tape to cover leaking vents leading to ungrouted galvanized ducts containing already stressed post tension tendons designed to add strength to the bridge deck carrying traffic, according to CALTRANS inspection records uncovered recently. California Governor Jerry Brown announced yesterday that this, and other corrosion related problems arising during bridge construction, has initiated a review of bridge construction documents dating back to 2003 or earlier, and will likely delay the scheduled Labor Day opening of the iconic bridge.

"I take it very seriously, and that thing's not going to open unless it's ready," Brown said. Besides defective girder welds, fracturing seismic equipment bolts, and questions about the strength of the bridge's concrete foundations, inspection records released recently reflect that hundreds of steel tendon inserted into bridge deck segments and stretched, to add strength to the traffic carrying bridge deck, could have been seriously damaged by corrosion during early phases of the construction project. At one point, the situation brought one of the bridge's engineering managers to tears, as he observed workers pumping gallon after gallon of rusty water from ungrouted tendon ducts.

Post tension bridge construction involves using precast concrete panels for segments of the bridge decking. The panels are manufactured with galvanized ducts inside them. Once the precast panels are in place on the bridge, steel cables are inserted into the ducts, and stretched under tension to compress the precast panel, adding significantly to its load bearing strength. Commonly used engineering standards, included in the Bay Bridge contract, require the ducts to be filled with protective grout within ten days after the tendons are put under tension, to avoid corrosion and early failure of the steel cables. Failure to timely grout the ducts exposes the stressed cables to moist air and other elements that can corrode the steel.

During a November 2004 routine inspection of the under construction bridge deck, CALTRANS inspector Laura Rubalcaba found water inside ungrouted ducts containing cables which had been under tension for two months or more. That day, Rubalcaba wrote in her construction diary, "The top of the grout injection/vent hoses were not sealed against the rain. I ... found many instances where it was obvious that rain water was already in the ducts with the stressed tendons." Rather than stopping work on the deck section involved, Rubalcaba had a solution that should send chills up and down the spine of every bridge engineer around the world - "I duct taped over the tops of the tubes myself."

After Rubalcaba's report, and numerous other, similar observations of potentially destructive corrosion of post tensioned cables in wet ducts, CALTRANS undertook some inspection and testing efforts to evaluate the problem, finding it not a significant risk to the bridge. However, even after that report was issued, bridge builders left cables under stress within wet ducts for many months, and failed to use a special grout formula designed for wet ducts once the ducts were finally grouted, despite five to nine inches of rainfall during the six months it took to get around to grouting the wet cables.

The bridge is already billions over budget and years behind schedule. Any elected official who is in any part responsible for a premature decision to open this bridge to traffic, or releasing taxpayer dollars in final payment to the contractors involved in these failures, should be held fully accountable to the public for any future disasters which might befall this bridge.

Chicago Contractor Still Has "The Right Stuff"

Chicago based Walsh Construction showed over the last nine days that it still has the right stuff, despite the declining fortunes of the Chicago and Illinois construction economies. Walsh/II in One joint venture will apparently complete the complex, waterborne reconstruction of the bilevel Wells Street twin leaf bascule road and rail bridge across the Chicago River within the nine day schedule allowed, so the bridge can reopen to both auto and CTA rail traffic for tomorrow morning's rush hour commute.  With a minimum of interference to road, rail and river traffic, using twelve hour work shifts for nine straight days, the contractor has worked with the Chicago Transit Authority and Chicago's Department of Transportation to complete replacement of the bridge, last rebuilt in 1922. Wells Street, Chicago's busiest bridge, serves 12,000 cars and trucks, and 70,000 CTA bus and rail commuters every weekday.

The only other bilevel road and rail bascule bridge of its kind, crossing the Chicago River at Lake Street, was replaced in 1996, and that project took 12 months to complete. Kudos to the Chicago based Walsh brothers, Dan and Matt, for managing to complete this essential infrastructure project in 97.5% less time. Chicago's construction market supports some of the world's best!

Grosse Pointe Billionaire Strikes Out In Ambassador Bridge Lawsuit

Wayne County Circuit Judge Prentis Edwards ordered Michigan DOT to take over the portion of Detroit’s Gateway Project linking the Ambassador Bridge to Interstates 96 and 75, and construction crews have begun demolishing Pier 19, the “ramp to nowhere” owned by billionaire Manuel Moroun, which stood in the way of the MDOT project. Through his companies Detroit International Bridge Company and Canadian Transit Company, Moroun owns the Ambassador toll bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Pier 19 was the aborted beginning of a second privately owned billion dollar bridge Moroun wanted to build alongside the Ambassador, to maintain his monopolies on truck traffic tolls and duty free diesel fuel at the border crossing. He couldn’t get financing or regulatory approval to complete construction of the second bridge.

The Ambassador, a suspension bridge over the Detroit River, was built in 1929 with what was the longest suspended central span in the world until construction of the George Washington Bridge in 1931. Moroun’s ownership of the bridge gives him a monopoly on more than 25% of all truck shipped merchandise trade between Canada and the United States, producing truck tolls of over $135,000.00 per day. In addition, Moroun’s Ammex Detroit Duty Free Store, a monopoly seller of duty free motor fuel, sells gasoline and diesel fuel to folks for a pump price a few cents less than nearby filling stations, while avoiding $0.60 per gallon in Canadian and American motor fuel taxes. Moroun pockets the difference of fifty to fifty five cents a gallon. Canadian and Michigan authorities have proposed a Detroit River International Crossing bridge directly connecting US Interstates 75 and 94 in Michigan with Canadian Highway 401, which would take the truck traffic from the Ambassador off the surface streets in Windsor, and break Moroun’s monopoly on tolls and duty free fuel sales.

Gasoline Tax Indexing Compromise Proposed

Yesterday Senate Environment and Public Works Chair Barbara Boxer proposed indexing the gasoline tax to inflation at a meeting of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, as compromise between the administration's resistance to gasoline tax increases, defended by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, and ranking member George Voinovich, who insists on a gas tax increase, which would be the first since 1993.

Legislators predict the need for investment of half a trillion dollars in highway and bridge construction over the next six years, and the gasoline tax will fall far short of raising that much money at present rates. LaHood said the administration had not considered indexing the tax to inflation, but would be open to evaluating the idea.

Indexing the tax to inflation would be good news for highway contractors, but bad news for others in the construction industry who would have to pay the tax but who get no direct benefit from the increased highway spending appropriations which would follow.