FR-er Metallurgical wonks please respond, is this a form of "Hydrogen Embrittlement"?
Here in Seattle they just tore down a 13-story skyscraper. It was built about 10 years ago. They started having corrosion in the pre-tensioned wires. They were supposed to have a dab of epoxy on the ends. The guy didn’t do his job. And managers, inspectors, etc. didn’t do their jobs. They spent millions trying to fix the problem to no avail.
Funny thing is, it was built by the carpenter’s union FOR the carpenter’s union. To be a source of income for their pensions.
I’m guessing it will be a tad more expensive to tear down the bridge and start from scratch.
Yes. High Tensile steel is prone to hydrogen embrfittlement. It is actually atomic hydrogeon i.e. H1 not H2 the molecule. The hydrogen gets into the crystal lattice of the steel and weakens it. It literally forces the lattice structure apart at an atomic level. Mild steel is not subject to this nor is stainless steel. However, they do not have the strength of high tensile steel. This is an engineering fiasco. It did not need to happen. It can be engineered around with different metals. Larger rods of a lower tensile steel could have given the strength needed and not be subject to embrittlement.
F---ing idiots.