OAKLAND — Four years before large anchor rods on the new Bay Bridge snapped, Caltrans ordered the contractor to test for cracks in key steel fasteners used throughout the suspension span.
The order came three weeks after the state and American Bridge Fluor Jt. Venture clashed over what Caltrans characterized as the contractor’s failure to order 96 anchor rods — the same batch of 3-inch-diameter rods where 32 broke last March — in sufficient time for the normal product testing process.
Caltrans had recorded by that time three instances where steel parts supplied by Ohio-based manufacturer Dyson Corp. and its subcontractors failed to meet specifications.
It is unclear if the agency’s concerns triggered the broad testing order, and Caltrans is declining to answer any questions.
“Due to the Toll Bridge Program’s ongoing investigation, we cannot address specific questions about the bolts’ fabrication process,” said Bay Bridge spokesman Andrew Gordon. (…)
