New Bay Bridge—What's Up With The Bolts? Fail...

I have been poking around a little with a sharp stick amongst the many top-notch journalistic articles about this disaster, and present what I have learned. Sadly, this story is only halfway finished.

The New Eastern span of the Bay Bridge is finally finished. Yes, it has been like a Keystone Cops comedy, but not in the humorous sense. There are many problems, but today's focus will be the anchor rods that snapped off when tightened. These connect the bridge deck to the concrete support columns sunk into the bottom of the Bay.

A BIT OF HISTORY

I am old enough to remember the genesis of the new eastern span. The year is 1989: the 3^rd game of the World Series (that year, it was the Bay Bridge Series: SF Giants and Oakland A's) is about to start, and I am rushing home from work to catch the first pitch. Before I can get home for a quick shower, the Loma Prieta Earthquake strikes. All TV and radio stations are knocked off of the air, and the game was canceled. The trestle portion of the eastern span failed, and it took a month to repair and reopen.

By 1997 (yes, it really took that long and the costs in the meantime increased), there was a decision to be made: retrofit ($1.5b and 5 years) or replace ($1.7b and 7 years)? The latter was chosen. In the end, the cost was $6 billion, and would take a decade to finish and open for traffic.

WITH VISIONS OF STEEL BOLTS DANCING IN HER HEAD

Many casually refer to the failed pieces as “bolts”. Technically speaking, they are connecting rods (picture here). Bolts have an integral head, is inserted through a hole, and is tightened with a nut on the other end. A connecting rod does not have a head, but is tightened with bolts from either end. This is a contributing factor to the failed rods.

'THOU SHALT NOT GALVANIZE'

When hardened steel is galvanized and used in a bolt, the material spec is called A490. When the same steel is used in a connecting rod, it is called A354BD. The former is strictly forbidden for use in bridge construction. The latter spec stops just short of outright ban, and therein lies the problem. Even still, A354BD is prohibited by standard bridge building practice, and Caltrans' own regulations bans its use. The design engineers for the bridge think they have a workaround, so specified A354BD connecting rods. In ordinary words, they cheated.

The reason they are banned, is that they are brittle and can snap when tightened, and have a tendency to crack over time when placed under load, as they are in the Bay Bridge. When the A354BD rods were tightened under load, some of them snapped.

2008 vs. 2010

When I hear people talk about these problems, there are often remarks about inferior quality Chinese steel. The rods in question where manufactured in Ohio.

These were made in 2 batches, one in 2008 and another in 2010. The rods that failed were from the 2008 batch. Despite the fact that the engineers fudged the specification, the 2010 batch seems to be OK.

BAY BRIDGE, THE NEXT GENERATION

Some of these things can be replaced, others are inaccessible since they are embedded in concrete. They ended up doing a retrofit, by attaching doo-hickeys to the rods in question to restore their strength. A permanent solution is still needed.

I did not read any firm, engineering opinions about the eventual fate of the A354BD rods. The best I saw were a couple of off-the-cuff remarks that they should be OK in an earthquake. As a taxpayer who helped pay for this disaster and someone who occasionally crosses said bridge, that is not very reassuring.

RUST?

You may have heard more recent stories about rust. This is a totally different, and much more dangerous problem. The bridge uses steel cables, called tendons, throughout. Protected from the salt spray from the Pacific Ocean, they give the bridge strength and seismic safety and are part of the so-called self-anchoring concept. Some have noticed orange rust at the connection points for the tendons. Problem is, rust tends to cause the tendons to snap off during, for example, an earthquake. If enough of these fail, it will cause partial if not total failure (collapse) of the bridge. Caltrans has responded by saying that only a tiny % are corroded, and this does not pose a structural danger. For the sake of those who are crossing the bridge during the next big earthquake on the San Andreas Fault, let us pray that they are correct.

150 YEARS

This is the projected lifespan of the new eastern span. Well, perhaps. In light of the problems (and there are yet others: flexing deck plates, poorly fabricated concrete pylons), I am doubtful. Perhaps they should start work on the a new bridge right now.

Open This Door, Salad Police!

Politicians can be such hypocrites.

Really? Duh...

FICTION

FLOTUS has scolded all of us: our salad should not be “swimming” in dressing This harangue is part of the FLOTUS effort for healthy eating habits. I understand very well. Having a background in food service, I know that an otherwise healthy salad full of happy vegetables can end up with as many calories as an extravagant dessert if you use a lot of salad dressing, especially the creamy types.

FACT

This is a classic case of “do as I say, not as I do”. We know very well what the favorite foods of FLOTUS are:

• pizza (regular white flour crust; no whole wheat here, even though public schools are required to serve only whole wheat crusts)
• french fries
• hot wings with lots of bleu cheese dressing
• double crust apple pie

I suggest you emulate FLOTUS: have a feast in honor of Michelle Obama: serve vegetable pizza, french fries, hot wings with buckets of blue cheese dressing, and apple pie for dessert.

Pig on, America!

Shanghai's Catholic Bishop Ma—Are Chinese That Stupid?

Got your attention, yeah? Huh? Huh?

No, no, I am not referring to racial heritage or ethnic origin.

I am singling out ethics, morals, and religion.

I am not Catholic, nor even Christian. Yet, even I acknowledge that the Catholic Church is that rare human force doing much good for that contemptible race known as homo sapiens (heh, heh...). Why is the Chinese Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee imprisoning one of God's warriors? Why are not Chinese citizens up in arms, protesting?

If the United States were to imprison Xi Jinping as a godless maoist, do you not think our citizens (even the non-Chinese ones) would form a human shield, making sure that no harm comes to him? Why do Chinese citizens not have that same sensibility?

My head hurts.

Sea Level is Not Rising – Prove It for Yourself

It is common myth that if the earth's atmospheric temperature increases, it will melt polar ice and raise sea level. It is logical. It makes sense.

It is also very wrong.

But, you do not have to take my word for it.

A Home Experiment

1. take a wide-mouth glass, and half fill it with water
2. float an ice cube in the water: make sure it does not touch the sides or bottom of the glass
3. take a piece of tape, and carefully use it to mark the water level
4. let the ice cube melt completely
5. measure the new water level

Hey, magic! It is the same! Wait, how is that?

Density: because ice is lighter than water, it floats (well, duh...). Since ice is 10% lighter, 10% of the ice has to float above the water to compensate for lighter weight (think iceberg). This is the point that my high school science teacher tried to explain, but it went right over my head. It was not until Newtonian mechanics in college that I finally got it.

In fact, this phenomena is how water-body-fat measurement and sugar content meters work:

you can tell the difference in density by simply measuring what % of a free-floating object sticks above the level of the liquid.

Leave the Polar Caps Alone

So, if the earth's temp is going up, and if this causes polar ice to melt, it will not raise sea level by one micron.

Indeed, it is possible that sea level is rising, but it has other causes.

The Environmentalists are Tricking You

Yes, they are all aware of this bit of scientific jujitsu. Since a melting ice cube suspended over a glass increases the water level in the glass, they are hoping that you do not understand the difference. Well, this home experiment is rather counter-intuitive, but you have now proved it for yourself.  

How To Solve Illegal Immigration

The secret to untying the Gordian Knot (Google it, people) is to accept that there is no comprehensive solution short of uprooting and discombobulating half the Earth, kinda like what happened when the bad guys cut down that whatever-tree in Tolkien's Silmarillion.

There are some, many of whom should know better, who reflexively equate the increased immigration of high-skilled workers with the legalization of sneak-across-the-border Mexicans who swell the ranks of unlicensed contractors.

This is soluble, but only if you accept that there are many aspects. They are all different, have nothing to do with one another, and never the twain shall meet. They can only be solved independently, not comprehensively.

Doctors and Engineers

Yes, this is type of immigrant we surely need more of. Doctors from India and computer programmers from Ireland cannot get into our country because the current lottery/quota system is broken.

Workers' Permits

This is one category I oppose. Its only effect is reduce the labor costs for agribusiness. It would allow those who are otherwise illegal the ability to work as farmhands.

Sneak-In Robotics Designers

This is one category that simply does not exist. The sneak-ins are not engineers wishing to help design the next generation of Roombas. Amnesty will not bring in more fashion designers or internet webmasters.

Flotsam and Jetsam Hanging Out at Home Depot

This one is a sticky wicket. It would be impractical, not to mention rude, to simply deport all the illegals. Currently, they live in a legal gray area: not legal workers, but are mostly left alone. This one area where eVerify might, through attrition over time, gradually shrink the pool of illegals.

Why Defeating “Amnesty” is a Winner for Republicans

For those to whom the name Cesar Chavez means nothing, let us review. His goal was not to legalize illegal sneak-ins or to promote amnesty. Rather, he wanted to raise the standard of living for legal Mexican immigrants by unionizing farm workers. “UFW” (United Farm Workers) and “proudly picked with union labor” printed on boxes of produce were badges of honor for CC. He opposed amnesty, because the presence of illegal immigrants makes it that much harder to make unionization stick.

Sadly, this problem persists even today. Legals are finding it difficult to get ahead, because the preponderance of illegals suppresses their wages. If you bother to ask them, they oppose amnesty to the same degree as native-born citizens.

Allowing those who broke the rules the same courtesy as those who obey the law is unseemly.

Darth Putin the Revanchist

Y' know, the worst part of blogging is the obvious decline in the art of language. I would be willing to bet, that every single person who reads this post will have to look up the word “revanchist”, cuz few of you know what this word means, and this includes professional journalists and writers.

Just as I wished to title this entry as “Darth Vlad”, which is much funnier than you realize, cuz few you know who “Count Vlad” is (Putin's first name is Vladimir). He is known as “Vlad the Impaler” who impaled his enemies (of both sexes) through the anus naked on sharp, pointy sticks, and is also the source of the Count Dracula myths. And, yes, I know that he is Hungarian, and neither Ukrainian nor Russian. Big, fat hairy deal.

The problem with Revanchists is that they are fanatical and irrational

• if you remove Putin's makeup, you will find Khrushchev and/or Brezhnev
• if take one of those green nylon scrubbies from the kitchen and scrub off the superficial layer of dirt and grime from Putin's Russia, you will find the bright, shiny metal of the old Soviet Union
• anyone who denies the above 2 truths is an idiot
• Premier Putin has already reconquered Kazakhstan and Belarus, and Ukraine is next in Vlad the Impaler's cross-hairs

Calif. Sen. Leland Yee, Weapons Dealer Extraordinaire

Said powerful California state senator was caught in an FBI sting, selling illegal military weapons

• M16, the full-auto NATO military version of the civilian AR15
• shoulder-fired missiles (MANPADS) from the Philippine Army

Senator Yee's Qualifications as a Gunrunner

• leading Gun Control political activist
• powerful state senator
• prominent Chinese power broker
• Democrat

As a right-wing Republican, I officially do the:

conservative I-told-you-so dance of joy

Have a nice day.

Why Obamacare Has Failed, and How To Fix It

Fail

• millions have had their chosen health insurance canceled
• all health insurance policies must cover many benefits that are not needed
• you get premium subsidies only in states that have dramatically expanded state Medicaid programs (about half of all states)
• plans with affordable premiums have deductibles that are often not affordable
• those who cannot afford or do not need health insurance are still required to buy it
• you cannot choose your own doctor
• extremely limited provider networks
• those with terminal cancer cannot choose plans that cover needed oncology care or expensive cancer drugs
• for those who are uninsured because they cannot afford health insurance, it is still unaffordable
• patients are not free to choose an individual policy that meets their specific needs

Fix Me

Well, it cannot be fixed.

• the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is repealed lock, stock, and barrel
• a piece of standalone legislation that requires insurance companies to permit children up to 26 year-olds to remain on their parents' health insurance
• a brief bill categorically prohibits the ability of the Federal Government to require anyone to buy health insurance
• a Federal high-risk heath insurance program (similar to, say, Federal Flood Insurance) is created: the policies will be tailored to the needs of patients with significant health problems, and one must have been rejected for health insurance 3 times (due to preexisting conditions) to be eligible
• people may buy health insurance from other states: the Individual Policy Mandate of the state where policy is issued shall stand, not that of the state where the applicant lives
• lower income federal tax filers shall be entitled to a fully refundable tax credit for all premiums, co-pays, deductibles, and prescription drugs paid: the enabling legislation shall direct insurance companies to send to each person this total amount at the end of the year, that may be directly transferred to the 1040 tax form
• companies selling health insurance shall be encouraged to sell policies that meet the needs of the applicant
• the deductibility of health insurance premiums provided by employers to employees is not changed
• the existence of community healthcare clinics and retail mini-clinics staffed by RNs and NPs under local health regulations shall be encouraged, and Federal taxes and regulations shall be changed to catalyze their existence
• a standalone bill encouraging physician-owned hospitals and provider networks: Federal regs shall be changed to catalyze same
• nation-wide drugstore chains shall be encouraged to provide routine medical care to their community: Federal rules and regulations shall be altered to encourage and catalyze same