Agency Ordered Steel Test For Bay Bridge In 2008

As engineers in California try to determine the cause of brittleness in steel rods on the new Bay Bridge, newly revealed documents show state transportation officials expressed concern about the integrity of some steel components for the span more than four years ago.

The San Jose Mercury News reported that in 2008 Caltrans admonished the bridge contractor for rushing the test schedule and delivering products that didn’t meet specifications. Three weeks later, the state ordered an additional surface crack test on a list of critical steel fasteners.

Caltrans had recorded three instances where steel parts supplied by an Ohio-based manufacturer failed to meet specifications.

Dozens of rods that fastened earthquake safety pieces to the bridge deck and a concrete cap snapped earlier this year when crews tightened them.