Blueprint for the independent investigator

There are many unanswered questions involving the seriously-flawed SSTC. I invite you to add your questions to the following list by using the comment feature at the end of this post. I’ll do my best to get your questions and mine to the independent investigator, should an independent investigation come to be. (This will happen if you and I demand an independent investigation directly from our elected representatives and through your and my public comments to media reports.)

1. Why did Montgomery County select Foulger-Pratt to build the SSTC, Parsons Brinkerhoff to design it, and Balter Co. to inspect and test concrete and to function as special quality inspector?

2. Why did so few firms respond to Montgomery County’s invitation to submit qualifications to design and build the SSTC?

3. Were political contributions part of the selection process?

4. Why wasn’t the SSTC bid for construction, as has been standard practice for public works’ projects for decades?

5. Why was Montgomery County with their full-time, onsite construction management team, their periodic inspections from other Montgomery County personnel, their being owner of record for the SSTC, and having the responsibility to issue construction permits and monitor construction within Montgomery County, seemingly unaware of the serious design, construction and inspection/testing flaws with the SSTC, until the construction was essentially complete?

6. Given that more than half of the funding for the SSTC is federal funding, how does Montgomery County justify the tens of millions of dollars in existing and future budget overruns, repair costs, administrative costs, legal fees, excessively high maintenance costs, etc. that taxpayers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia must pay for the seriously-flawed SSTC?

7. Is WMATA looking out for their patrons’ and taxpayers’ interests in taking over future operation, maintenance and ownership of the seriously-flawed SSTC?

8. Why did Parsons Brinkerhoff fail to meet their contract requirement that the SSTC be designed to meet WMATA criteria? Why are there no expansion joints in the 580 ft. by 315 ft. SSTC? (WMATA criteria require expansion joints spaced no more than 100 ft. apart.) As designed, why are some beams (approximately 250) under-designed, i.e., cannot take design loads within allowable design stress limits? Why wasn’t Montgomery County aware of these failures sooner?

9. Why did Foulger-Pratt and its subcontractors fail to meet contract requirements and normal standard of care in building the SSTC, e.g., slabs that are more than one inch less thick than called for, exposed reinforcement, missing reinforcement, concrete that is understrength and overstressed because of too much water added onsite, improper cold weather curing and greater post-tensioning than called for, etc. Why wasn’t Montgomery County aware of these failures sooner?

10. Why did Balter Co. fail to conduct concrete inspection and testing and special quality inspection in accordance with contract requirements and normal standard of care? Why wasn’t Montgomery County aware of these failures sooner?

Please use the comments feature to add your questions to the list. The questions can serve as the "blueprint" for the independent investigator (excuse the pun).

Thank you.