California spends millions of $$$ on defective bridge work

[RoadVirus]

What happens when you buy Chinese instead of American:

California officials may be coming to regret going with the lowest bidder for repairs on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, as reports show the Chinese company hired by the state produced spotty work that cost millions more to fix.

The state, initially hoping to save on construction costs, hired Chinese company Zhenhua Port Machinery for the massive bridge repair -- as well as construction of the bridge’s new signature tower and roadway -- back in 2006. The company, though, had never built a bridge before.

The Sacramento Bee reported Saturday that based on its review of more than 100,000 pages of construction records, Zhenhua Port Machinery not only lacked experience but was unable to make key decisions that led to millions of dollars being wasted on the project. The company also reportedly delivered a bridge replete with cracked welds.

Read the rest here:
Chinese firm reportedly cost California taxpayers millions extra for spotty bridge work | Fox News

 

[Harry Dresden]

if i can help it i avoid anything from China....

 

[Rozman]

Lefties scream about spending for Infrastructure work...
So there you go.

 

[Wry Catcher]

Lefties scream about spending for Infrastructure work...
So there you go.

Myopic legislators require agencies to take the low bid. Yeah, it's stupid and results in overruns and costly repairs.

I don't know if that was required for the Bay Bridge Project, but see below the law which requires cities to do so:

PUBLIC CONTRACT CODE
SECTION 20160-20175.2

20160. The provisions of this article shall apply to contracts
awarded by cities subject to Title 4 (commencing with Section 34000)
of the Government Code.

20161. As used in this chapter, "public project" means:
(a) A project for the erection, improvement, painting, or repair
of public buildings and works.
(b) Work in or about streams, bays, waterfronts, embankments, or
other work for protection against overflow.
(c) Street or sewer work except maintenance or repair.
(d) Furnishing supplies or materials for any such project,
including maintenance or repair of streets or sewers.

20162. When the expenditure required for a public project exceeds
five thousand dollars ($5,000), it shall be contracted for and let to
the lowest responsible bidder after notice.

20163. It shall be unlawful to split or separate into smaller work
orders or projects any public work project for the purpose of evading
the provisions of this article requiring public work to be done by
contract after competitive bidding. Every person who willfully
violates this provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.

 

[OnePercenter]

Reminds me of Vegas buying a Canadian monorail. Parts kept falling off.

 

[Harry Dresden]

Lefties scream about spending for Infrastructure work...
So there you go.

Myopic legislators require agencies to take the low bid. Yeah, it's stupid and results in overruns and costly repairs.

I don't know if that was required for the Bay Bridge Project, but see below the law which requires cities to do so:

PUBLIC CONTRACT CODE
SECTION 20160-20175.2

20160. The provisions of this article shall apply to contracts
awarded by cities subject to Title 4 (commencing with Section 34000)
of the Government Code.

20161. As used in this chapter, "public project" means:
(a) A project for the erection, improvement, painting, or repair
of public buildings and works.
(b) Work in or about streams, bays, waterfronts, embankments, or
other work for protection against overflow.
(c) Street or sewer work except maintenance or repair.
(d) Furnishing supplies or materials for any such project,
including maintenance or repair of streets or sewers.

20162. When the expenditure required for a public project exceeds
five thousand dollars ($5,000), it shall be contracted for and let to
the lowest responsible bidder after notice.

20163. It shall be unlawful to split or separate into smaller work
orders or projects any public work project for the purpose of evading
the provisions of this article requiring public work to be done by
contract after competitive bidding. Every person who willfully
violates this provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.

that lowest bidder shit should only be for American Companies not foreign.....if it pertains to any Govt entity.....

 

[boedicca]

No, it's what happens when the government runs construction projects.

The earthquake happened in 1989. The bridge wasn't finished until 2013.

Why?

 

[shart_attack]

No, it's what happens when the government runs construction projects.

The earthquake happened in 1989. The bridge wasn't finished until 2013.

Why?

That's how long it took for most of the Cali workers to pass their drug tests is my guess.

 

[Missourian]

Lefties scream about spending for Infrastructure work...
So there you go.

Myopic legislators require agencies to take the low bid. Yeah, it's stupid and results in overruns and costly repairs.

I don't know if that was required for the Bay Bridge Project, but see below the law which requires cities to do so:

PUBLIC CONTRACT CODE
SECTION 20160-20175.2

20160. The provisions of this article shall apply to contracts
awarded by cities subject to Title 4 (commencing with Section 34000)
of the Government Code.

20161. As used in this chapter, "public project" means:
(a) A project for the erection, improvement, painting, or repair
of public buildings and works.
(b) Work in or about streams, bays, waterfronts, embankments, or
other work for protection against overflow.
(c) Street or sewer work except maintenance or repair.
(d) Furnishing supplies or materials for any such project,
including maintenance or repair of streets or sewers.

20162. When the expenditure required for a public project exceeds
five thousand dollars ($5,000), it shall be contracted for and let to
the lowest responsible bidder after notice.

20163. It shall be unlawful to split or separate into smaller work
orders or projects any public work project for the purpose of evading
the provisions of this article requiring public work to be done by
contract after competitive bidding. Every person who willfully
violates this provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.

The lowest RESPONSIBLE bidder, not the lowest bidder.

It is the STATES duty to determine if a contractor is capable of fulfilling the contract.

If it is determined that they cannot, i.e. - they have never build a bridge before, the contract should be awarded to the second lowest bidder, if they are deemed responsible.

This is a very common occurrence in the public building process.

Someone in government dropped the ball here...or the fix was in.

http://constructionlawyers.com/CM/book/chapter-12.html

 

[blastoff]

Sounds a lot like Barry & Co. hiring the already known failed Canadian company to build their famous BarryCare web site.

Anytime a government agency is involved the chances for screwups grow exponentially.

 

[jasonnfree]

Sounds a lot like Barry & Co. hiring the already known failed Canadian company to build their famous BarryCare web site.

Anytime a government agency is involved the chances for screwups grow exponentially.

Well, the sell out goes back further. Nafta, most favored nation status for china. I wouldn't be surprised if our military's duties, army, navy, marines etc. including the pentagon and all, weren't contracted out to china who could certainly do it cheaper.It doesn't matter which political party is in power either.