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California discovers hidden price tag of outsourcing Bay Bridge to China
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/10/1305808/-California-discovers-hidden-price-tag-of-outsourcing-Bay-Bridge-to-ChinaThe California Department of Transportation's decision to save money by hiring a Chinese company that had never built a bridge to build major parts of the new San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge was troubling to begin with. A major Sacramento Bee investigation pushes it from troubling to terrifying. The article, by Charles Piller, details how Caltrans management was determined to stick with Chinese contractor ZPMC even as Caltrans inspectors repeatedly caught the company making significant mistakes and failing on quality control measures:
But committee chair Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, suggested that Caltrans had tried to cover up serious problems with “a deliberate and willful ... attempt to obfuscate.”
His comments were echoed by experts inside and outside Caltrans – some of whom supervised the welding and warned of serious flaws. They said the state bought a bridge likely to require extraordinary and costly maintenance. [...]
Professional engineers, he said, must report “any irregularities that could affect public welfare.” That’s what [Doug Coe, a Caltrans engineer who worked on the project in China] and his colleagues did.
“But (Caltrans) has the prerogative to accept these (cracked or suspect parts), ‘fit for purpose,’ ” Coe said. That’s what Caltrans managers did.
His comments were echoed by experts inside and outside Caltrans – some of whom supervised the welding and warned of serious flaws. They said the state bought a bridge likely to require extraordinary and costly maintenance. [...]
Professional engineers, he said, must report “any irregularities that could affect public welfare.” That’s what [Doug Coe, a Caltrans engineer who worked on the project in China] and his colleagues did.
“But (Caltrans) has the prerogative to accept these (cracked or suspect parts), ‘fit for purpose,’ ” Coe said. That’s what Caltrans managers did.
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Yet most of those that think this is a good idea will probably be re-elected in Nov.
New Bay Bridge shows signs of rust in critical areas
April 12,2014
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10406206
Can't build bridges. What a disgrace. A Disgrace and an insult to this nation.
But the jobless can sleep under the defective bridges so there's that.
