San Francisco

Caltrans Downplays Bay Bridge Steel Rod Failure

99 percent of the rods that underwent testing passed the tests

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - State officials say a second steel rod anchoring the foundation of the new San Francisco Bay Bridge eastern span tower failed a critical strength test.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported Thursday that Caltrans officials acknowledged Wednesday that 99 percent of the rods that underwent testing passed the tests. The cause of the recent failure will need to be determined by further tests in a materials lab.

Caltrans tested all 407 of the rods available for testing and two failed.

Caltrans' Dan McElhinney says the problem could have been caused by threads that were stripped during installation, by corrosion from sitting in water or both, the newspaper reported. Further testing is expected in the next few days but results of those tests could take months. McElhinney says the bridge is safe and is expected to withstand a major earthquake.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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