Caltrans: Steel Rods Not A Long-Term Problem On Bay Bridge; More Tests Coming
OAKLAND (KCBS) — Caltrans engineers said on Tuesday that they believe water found at the base of a dozen giant steel rods at the base of the new Bay Bridge tower does not pose a major long-term problem but a series of tests will still be conducted over the next several weeks.
Caltrans: Steel Rods Not A Long-Term Problem; More Tests Coming
Last week it was reported that another batch of steel rods new eastern span of the Bay Bridge had been exposed to water creating a possible corrosion issue.
The bolts are located at the base of the suspension tower. A team of structural and metallurgical engineers working for Caltrans said that while they do have water around their base, the water—likely from rain—can be removed.
"In my opinion this not a major issue; it's an issue of maintenance," Thomas Fisher, a Caltrans engineer, said.
The key, Caltrans said, is designing a system to keep the water out of the tower base but that will take more study.
Caltrans Engineers also said that some 2,000 other bolts are not corroded and can stay in place. While 32 of them were found to be corroded and cracked two years ago, the remaining bolts were subject to significant testing and found to in good condition.
