Posted on 07/20/2013 9:04:04 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
While broken bolts on the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge are commanding everyone's attention, Caltrans has another problem on its hands - 96 seismic shock absorbers on the western span, some of which began leaking lubricant just three years after they were installed.
The estimated cost of the fix - $13 million.
And, like the brittle bolts on the eastern span, there are questions as to whether Caltrans ordered the right shocks - or dampers, as they are known - in the first place.
The dampers are located between the bridge towers just below the roadway, and are intended to dissipate energy from an earthquake and reduce stress on the structure.
Caltrans installed them in 2004 as part of a $670 million seismic upgrade of the western span and its approaches. Transportation officials expected them to last 20 years.
But by 2007, Caltrans officials say, a dozen of them began leaking.
The number has since grown to 37.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
So, where is the warranty?
“And the MSM recently has been praising Brown for solving California’s budget problems, and turning around California. “
Brown is simply “basking” in a windfall of investment sales taxes that occurred at the end of last year when there was no certainty about investment tax rates not changing. Brown’s “recovery” is a 360 which later this year will be back on track into the financial toilet. Worse still will be the fact that the RAT legislators wasted no time spending all the windfall.
Actually, the Spanish translates to "mint," of which the most likely species is Satureja douglasii, which goes by the common name "yerba buena." It is a widely distributed groundcover and smells absolutely wonderful when you walk on it.
Yep, the Democrats did spend the windfall.
Well, politically, Democrats control California now. They have all constitutional officers, from governor on down, as well as big majorities in both State Assembly and State Senate. Whatever happens in California can NOT be blamed on the GOP. So when things go south again in California’s financial situation, Jerry Brown will have only himself and his fellow Democrats to blame.
I doubt they spent it they and their buddies merely pocketed any funds.
Remember how a few years ago the French built a bridge with the longest span in the world (or some such record) in 18 months? How long has this construction been going on?
Originally, San Francisco was named Yerba Buena, formally named in 1835 (by an Englishman) after the Yerba Buena pueblo founded in 1776 by the Spanish. And it does mean "good herb", at least that was the intended meaning by the founders. I toured the insides of what remains of the pueblo in the early 1960's, and saw the graves going back to the early days after 1776. My history teacher then, said the pueblo was formally created on July 4th, 1776 - same day as some other event going on elsewhere.
San Fran used to be called something that roughly translates as Good Weed!!!!
How prescient.
The good Saint, were he able to make an appearance today, would tell those guys off but good. He’d surely say the wolves he tamed were more civilized than they. Then he’d preach the gospel... and probably get tossed out on his ear for it.
I like the pontoon bridges like they have in Seattle. They do the job a lot less expensively. So the unions (obviously) exert insane pressure via their Democrat stooges to do it the most expanse way even if done with made_in_China_steel
The shocks are similar ,, the effects the same.. made by the cheapest bidder and sadly,. not made in china.
Yes. But just as our nation was highjacked by a evil soul-less leader, there's hope that San Francisco will be taken back by good leaders. I was in SF a couple days ago visiting friends and their families. Lots of families, and kids, filled the streets and restaurants. Popular lore is that SF is overrun with gays and crazies. Nope, just the leadership, same as with our nation. Small percentage. They messed up the City, and they're now messing up the country. But we'll take it back. And perhaps build bridges the right way.
“There are to bridges connected by an island. This story is about the section that is not being replace.”
I think that the connection is the lousy engineering control on both sections of the Bay Bridge on the part of Cal Trans. The state keeps allowing CT to do most of the “engineering” and construction supervision (kinda like lousy building inspectors) and the negative results are there for all to see. The leaking shock absorbers and the failing bolts are both part of the poor quality technical ability of CT.
“Jerry Brown will have only himself and his fellow Democrats to blame.”
And yet I marvel at the abject stupidity of the “electorate” here. I just imagine when the financial $h!t hits the fan again, and there isn’t any question that it will, Brown and his cohorts in the legislature will feed the folks an extra large helping of BS and all will be forgotten!
haha, well ‘unthinking’ is definitely the default mode.
It's almost a perfect parallel in so many worrisom ways...
Spend spend spend. Borrow borrow borrow lie lie lie..
Yup, spitting images.
Is Cal Trans filled with EEO managers and political cronies?
That often happens in govt orgs....
You have the wrong contract I think
This is different, shock absorbents not the bolts
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