Caltrans faults Bay Bridge contractors for delay

Caltrans officials recently moved to gain approval from the Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee (TBPOC) to end Caltrans’ contract and hold American Bridge/Fluor accountable for the delays and fault work in the Bay Bridge project, but before any further action can be taken in ending the contract and starting negotiations about penalties and damages, the project’s governing body (TBPOC), developed by the legislature, must grant its approval of entire legal process.

In fall 2014, inspectors with Caltrans discovered that its contractor failed to properly seal over 400 high-strength steel rods that are anchored in the foundation of the tower. Without the proper seal, these rods are susceptible to the elements. Eventually, one rod’s threads stripped through its bolt and entirely failed, causing inspectors to investigate the project’s rods. The inspectors removed two rods for testing and ordered that the remaining rods have in-place earthquake-force tests conducted. The results of the tests showed that the bolts are able to handle severe catastrophic earthquakes.

Engineers with Caltrans will also request approval from the TBPOC to recommend an external panel comprised of seismic experts to either mitigate or fix the construction errors of the contractor. These errors have heightened the chance of corrosion for these rods currently in place.