Reasons not to use the Silver Spring Transit Center

According to the county executive, Isiah Leggett, & director of the Dept. of General Services, David Dise, the Silver Spring Transit Center is a complicated structure.  Silver Spring transit hub gets another delay - The Washington Post ... This doesn't say much for Montgomery County building inspectors; however, it does say much to those working and living in or near the hundreds of high rises in Montgomery County MD. ... The 2-story, glorified parking garage, Silver Spring Transit Center is a complicated structure? ... Really? 

1. Concrete cracking

photographs are from KCE's & WMATA's reports for the Silver Spring Transit Center

SSTC Structural Evaluation Report, March 15, 2013, KCE Structural Engineers, Inc.

Needless to say, cracking like this in a brand new, yet-to-be-opened structure is not normal. The SSTC hasn't seen its first fully-loaded bus. 

2. The SSTC doesn't have expansion joints (the likely source of the widespread cracking).

Standard construction practice requires expansion joints in structures exposed to temperature changes. WMATA design and construction standards, to which the SSTC was supposed to have been designed and built, require expansion joints be spaced no farther apart than every 100 feet. The 315 ft. by 580 ft. SSTC doesn't have expansion joints located every 100 feet. Ongoing repairs to the SSTC will not fix cracking caused by its total lack of expansion joints.

NOTE: It is unclear to me from the KCE and WMATA reports what, if any, expansion joints were actually constructed. It is clear, however, that, if constructed, the expansion joint(s) did not meet WMATA design and construction standards.

SSTC Structural Evaluation Report, March 15, 2013, KCE Structural Engineers, Inc.

3. Under-strength and overstressed concrete.

"Based on in situ sampling and testing performed, the concrete in the structural decks has lower compressive strength than required by the Contract Documents. The compressive strength is also lower than that reported by construction period sampling and testing."
SSTC Structural Evaluation Report, March 15, 2013, KCE Structural Engineers, Inc.

SSTC Structural Evaluation Report, March 15, 2013, KCE Structural Engineers, Inc.

Needless to say, ongoing repairs to the SSTC will not replace all of the SSTC's under-strength and overstressed concrete.

NOTE: The point here is that even though external reinforcement can be used to strengthen under-strength and overstressed beams, reinforcing the beams externally does not rid them of the under-strength and overstressed concrete that shouldn't be there in the first place. The SSTC is a LEMON.

The same can be said of the SSTC's complete lack of expansion joints. You can make an argument that the SSTC won't collapse because it doesn't have expansion joints; but, expansion joints are (1) standard construction practice, (2) a contract requirement (adherence to WMATA design and construction standards) and (3) the SSTC's total lack of expansion joints will result in higher-than-normal operations and maintenance costs.The SSTC is a LEMON that the public will be paying through the nose for for decades.

Silver Spring Transit Center

4. Deck slabs thinner than the 10 inches thick called for in the Contract Documents.

"Our survey results indicate that the slab thickness varied from approximately 7 to 12-1/4 inches. The slab thickness variations (particularly in the "thin" slab areas) impact initial and service level stresses as well as shear and moment capacities."
SSTC Structural Evaluation Report, March 15, 2013, KCE Structural Engineers, Inc.

5. Exposed and missing reinforcement

"... no additional cores were taken from Pour Strips due to their inherent unacceptability due to cracking and missing reinforcing ..."

SSTC Structural Evaluation Report, March 15, 2013, KCE Structural Engineers, Inc.

6. Reports of "chunks" of concrete falling from the SSTC.

http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/breaking_ground/2014/04/panel-warns-of-falling-concrete-at-transit-center.html

7. Perhaps the BIGGEST reason of all:

We can:

• see chunks of concrete falling from the SSTC.
• see that the SSTC doesn't have expansion joints.
• see the SSTC's cracks.
• see reinforcement sticking out of the SSTC's slabs, beams, girders and columns.
• measure the thickness (or lack thereof) of the SSTC's slabs.
• take some random samples and test the strength (or lack thereof) of the hardened concrete at that particular location.

We can't:

• see inside the SSTC's hardened concrete slabs, beams, girders, and columns.
• see what reinforcement may be missing.
• see if the reinforcement buried inside the SSTC's hardened concrete is the right grade (strength), size (diameter) and length. 
• see if rebars are tied properly to other rebars around them.
• test all of the SSTC's hardened concrete, in its entirety, at all locations, to determine its strength (or lack thereof).
• retrofit the SSTC for expansion joints when the SSTC wasn't designed or built with expansion joints in the first place.

That's why the statement "the SSTC will absolutely be safe" is absolutely absurd.

Fortunetellers can't predict the future.

Neither can David Dise nor anybody else.

8. "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link."

9. Listen to Kojo:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFICwt6mFwQ

Berliner: "No one should take that chance."

You're right, Mr. Berliner. No one should take that chance.

Mr. Berliner, with all due respect, you're playing fortuneteller too, just like David Dise. Let's get real and talk facts. The public are currently paying for repairs to the LEMON SSTC. Until the SSTC is fully litigated, it's "wishful thinking" to say that the public won't be stuck with costs for this LEMON. Some of us won't be happy until the full amount ($130+ million, and rising) is reimbursed to public coffers. 

Furthermore, if you and some of your constituents believe that Foulger Pratt and Balter Co. are "tops in the country" (contractor and inspection/testing firm, respectively), then there's a bridge in Brooklyn that you may want to buy.

Tom Sherwood, good idea! Tear it down and build a skateboard park. 

This time around, let's hope that Montgomery County selects a contractor, engineer, construction manager and materials' inspection and testing firm competitively (like most public works projects), based on qualifications and cost, rather than selecting them noncompetitively, based on politics (crony capitalism).

10. Watch and listen to the video made by Silver Spring high school students James Hall, Mario Lemus & Milton Flores: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TZrmEj-Xtk


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For some the SSTC is a political issue that involves a publicly financed transit center; for others it is a construction issue that raises government transparency questions. 

Jonathan Gruber has become famous for saying that voters are stupid; however, in the same breath Gruber said that "lack of transparency is a huge political advantage". 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G790p0LcgbI

For whatever reason(s) SSTC news media reports (print, TV, radio, internet) have failed to ask "probing questions" and to cover the story "in depth" that news media so highly tout. Irresponsible statements from public officials, such as "the SSTC will absolutely be safe" and "the public will not pay for repairs" go unchallenged even though public officials (or anyone else, for that matter) cannot predict the future. News media have failed to report how and why Montgomery County selected the SSTC's builder, engineer and concrete testing firm non-competitively, while most contractors and professional services firms are selected competitively for public works projects. There is much to the SSTC story that has not been reported; much of what has been reported has been one-sided at best and misleading or just plain inaccurate at worst. "Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage."

NOTE:  Funding for the SSTC (from your taxes and user fees) is 53% federal (administered by the Federal Transit Admnistration), 11% state (administered by the Maryland Transit Administration) and 36% local (Montgomery County). It is unclear why the news media (print, TV, radio, internet) have failed to cover the SSTC "in-depth" and to ask "probing questions" * that they so highly tout.

* such as, why did Montgomery County non-competitively select Foulger Pratt to build the SSTC, Parsons Brinkerhoff to design it and Balter Co. to inspect and test concrete and to serve as special quality inspector when contractors, engineers and materials' inspection and testing firms are selected competitively for most public works' projects? Why didn't Montgomery County hold public meetings before making "repairs" to the brand new, yet-to-be-opened LEMON SSTC where the paying public can ask their questions and make their comments on the public record? Why are "repairs" being made to the severely flawed, LEMON SSTC when those "repairs" won't fix the sources of the problems (cracking, etc.), e.g. the SSTC's lack of expansion joints? 

Once a LEMON, always a LEMON.

Silver Spring Transit Center

Add Isiah Leggett and George Leventhal to the Montgomery County fortunetellers: 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/cost-of-silver-spring-transit-center-repairs-jumps-another-21-million/2014/12/04/a87cf0bc-7bee-11e4-b821-503cc7efed9e_story.html

“The contractors and consultants responsible will be held fully accountable for all costs related to and resulting from the necessary remediation,” Leggett said.

Mr. Leggett, don't make promises that you can't keep. 

How many times have we seen that on this project?

“We’ll probably hold our noses and vote for it,” said Leventhal, “and work hard to make sure taxpayers are reimbursed. It’s a bitter pill to swallow.”

http://www.mymcmedia.org/council-president-leventhal-news-briefing-photos-and-video/

Mr. Leventhal, I'm curious why "the urgency of getting this facility open and accessible to the public" is #1 on your mind. Why isn't public safety your #1 concern? Why aren't you equally concerned with the federal, state and county funds that have been wasted on the LEMON SSTC? with crony capitalism in Montgomery County? with seeing to it that something like this never happens again in Montgomery County? 

Did you read the Montgomery County Inspector General report? If so, then why are you saying that "the fault lies (solely) with the contractors"? Your own IG report identifies systemic failures with Montgomery County's project management for the SSTC. The IG recommends that these failures be corrected so that they don't occur on future projects. Aren't you and the rest of the council going to follow through on the IG's recommendations?

Do your constituents agree with you that it is "the right decision to proceed (with "repairs", and paying for them with public money) now and get this facility open and running (ASAP)"? If so, then how do you know that your constituents agree with you? Montgomery County didn't hold public hearings to take citizen questions and comments on the public record before the decision to make repairs was made more than a year ago. Because you don't know what the public outside Montgomery County think about Montgomery County spending their public money (53% federal and 11% state) "repairing" the LEMON SSTC, what do you think that they think about that?

"...public hearing on January 13..." to get public input on robbing $21.75M from Peter (other projects, general fund, etc.) to pay Paul (the brand new, yet-to-be-opened, under "repair", lemon SSTC). Mark your calendars. Y'all come on out and give MoCo a piece of your mind.

For those who can't attend the public hearing, send a letter to Leventhal, and ask him to enter it into the public record for the hearing.

For example,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/speed-bumps-in-silver-spring-transit-project/2014/12/11/a42e040e-7f24-11e4-b936-f3afab0155a7_story.html

You have a point, Jonathan Gruber

Jonathan Gruber is catching a lot of flak for saying that American voters are stupid. 

What did Gruber really say?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G790p0LcgbI 

"Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage."

Does he have a point?

I'm not an economist and health care is not my field. Engineering is. Montgomery County's public statements, and lack thereof, and the news media's (print, TV, radio, internet) failure to report the Silver Spring Transit Center debacle "in depth", and to ask "probing questions", are definitely lack of transparency on Montgomery County's and the news media's parts.

In May 2014 Montgomery County MD councilman Phil Andrews said:

"'This project has been a monumental debacle', Andrews stated. 'There's no comparison between the Silver Spring Transit Center and any other construction project in the county's history.' 

In 1993, county leaders estimated a transit center would cost $26 million to build. That figure more than tripled to $93 million in 2008. In 2013 it spiked again to $120 million. Following the newest round of planned repairs, Silver Spring's fiscal eyesore should top-out at around $131 million.

'It is tens-of-millions-of-dollars over budget, it's got major safety issues, major durability issues, it can't work as intended at this point,' Andrews said. 'It's just way overdue.'"

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/05/silver-spring-transit-center-delayed-will-cost-taxpayers-even-more-money-102945.html 

This is taken from a presentation that Ed Blansitt, Montgomery County Inspector General, gave on 

September 3, 2014 to the annual conference of the Federal Audit Executive Committee (FAEC), Council 
of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria VA.

There's more.

The Silver Spring Transit Center is publicly funded: 53% federal, 11% state (MD) and 36% county (Montgomery). 

In March 2013 Montgomery County made public a structural investigation and report for the over-budget, overdue SSTC. The report documents severe structural flaws, including widespread cracking, deck slabs more than an inch thinner than what they're supposed to be, under strength and over stressed concrete, exposed reinforcement, missing reinforcement, a complete lack of expansion joints, under designed beams, etc. 

Silver Spring Transit Center

The report blames the numerous flaws on "errors and omissions" by the SSTC's builder/contractor Foulger Pratt, design engineer Parsons Brinkerhoff and concrete inspector/tester and special quality inspector Balter Co. Montgomery County chose these private companies, non-competitively, via public-private partnership, to design, build and inspect the SSTC. Why didn't Montgomery County use the normal competitive practices for selecting a builder/contractor, design engineer and concrete testing and inspection firm for a public works project? Crony capitalism? The mainline news media isn't asking; and, Montgomery County isn't talking.

Look whose tongues that the cat's got! 
Montgomery County's and the news media!

"Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage."

Crony Capitalism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crony_capitalism

Currently, publicly funded "repairs" are being made to the yet-to-be-opened SSTC. However, without expansion joints, the lemon SSTC can be expected to continue to crack in the future. 

Montgomery County failed to hold public meetings to inform the paying public as to what they are doing and why they are doing it, and to answer the public's questions and to take their comments on the public record BEFORE the County began "repairing" the yet-to-be-opened, supposed-to-be-brand-new, LEMON SSTC. The mainline news media failed to report this blatant lack of transparency.

"Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage."

Former Montgomery County councilwoman Valerie Ervin spoke about Montgomery County's lack of transparency in an interview:
http://www.mymcmedia.org/valerie-ervin-on-silver-spring-transit-center-video/ 
"... there's a lot of the story still underneath the surface (translation: we haven't been told the whole truth) ... it's going to cost taxpayers a lot of money until it's resolved (contrary to what we've been told) ... people have many reasons not to believe what they've been told (translation: we've been lied to)".  

You have a point, Jonathan Gruber.  
"Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage."

BTW, the incumbent County Executive and County Council were re-elected.
"Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage."

One thing that is transparent: The Silver Spring Transit Center is a $130+ million, money pit, LEMON that will be wasting public funds (US, MD & Montgomery County) for DECADES.

Silver Spring Transit Center

Silver Spring Transit Center

Concrete cracking and the Silver Spring Transit Center

Excerpts from an article that explain the causes and effects of inadequate expansion/contraction joints in concrete sturctures:

"A crack, obviously, is a sign of failure caused by stresses, inadequate design, improper curing, etc. One of the dangers of a structural crack is the effect that it has on the reinforcing bar. The reinforcing represents one of the main structural values of the concrete.

Cracks left unprepared allow moisture, road salts and other contaminants to penetrate and attack the rebar. The rebar deteriorates, losing the structural value. Loosing the entire structure is often the result.

Repairing cracks by Injection is effective (only) after ... design changes. Prevent future cracks by fixing the original cause of the cracking, when ever possible.

Parking garages are an example of cracking problem that require a structural engineering analysis. Often inadequate design for expansion/contraction is the cause for parking garage structural cracking. Avoid weld injecting a crack if there are not enough expansion joints.  

This (overlay) does not however encapsulate the rebar in a way that will totally stop the premature deterioration of the steel. Often times additional joints are needed, thus the analysis of cracking problems is critical."

http://www.epoxy.com/injectn.htm

WMATA design and construction standards require expansion/joints be placed no farther apart than every 100 feet. The 315 ft. by 580 ft. Silver Spring Transit Center has none.

Silver Spring Transit Center

Silver Spring Transit Center

The Silver Spring Transit Center connection to the Purple Line

MD Gov. Larry Hogan campaigned against funding the Purple Line. He said that MD can't afford mass transit projects like the Purple Line right now.

Neither can the US public.

Like the lemon Silver Spring Transit Center before it, the proposed Purple Line will be a public-private partnership. 

53% of the funding for the public-private partnership SSTC are federal funds. Tens of millions of dollars in federal funds have already been wasted on the severely flawed, $140+ million, lemon SSTC, which is undergoing "repairs" before it's even opened to the public.  Further, with extraordinarily high future operations and maintenance costs, caused by the SSTC's numerous and serious flaws, public $ could continue to be wasted on the SSTC for the next 50 years (specified service life) or longer. In the end, there's no telling how much more public $ will eventually be wasted on the public-private partnership, lemon SSTC.

Public-private partnerships = crony capitalism = government waste.

Crony capitalism

Montgomery County noncompetitively selected Parsons Brinkerhoff to design the SSTC, Foulger Pratt to build it and Balter Co. to inspect and test concrete and to serve as special quality inspector. Why? Crony captalism? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crony_capitalism

US taxpayers can't afford more debacles like the Silver Spring Transit Center any more than MD or Montgomery County taxpayers can.

STOP wasting the public's $.  STOP the public-private partnership Purple Line.

http://www.gazette.net/article/20141112/NEWS/141119858/1070/silver-spring-residents-still-have-hope-for-purple-line&template=gazette

It's amazing to me how cavalier that some people are about wasting the public's $.

Silver Spring Transit Center

It's also amazing to me how the mainline news media (print, TV, radio, internet) have failed to report on the SSTC's public-private partnership/crony capitalsim connection to the public-private partnership Purple Line.

Silver Spring Transit Center video

On Oct. 16 I received a comment to my post entitled "The untold story of the Silver Spring Transit Center":

http://silverspringtransitcenter.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-untold-story-of-silver-spring.html?showComment=1412658740981#c1307949920718967705

Here's James' film: http://youtu.be/6TZrmEj-Xtk
(You can also find James' film on youtube.com ; search "Sarbanes Transit Center IB Documentary Project".)

Here are my comments on James' film:

James,

A+. GREAT job! Your film is outstanding. 

You picked the right interviewees. Founder and president of the Silver Spring Historical Society and Silver Spring resident. His credibility is unquestioned. You and he make a great point: that the SSTC is a collosal "bungling" and waste of public money (federal, state & local). I found his remarks about "public outrage" to be particularly insightful. His closing remarks are also VERY insightful. The SSTC is a "glorified" parking garage, not particularly difficult to design or build. The failures were failures in managing the SSTC's design, construction and concrete inspection and testing during construction.

I take exception with Tina Slater's comment that KCE's report blames "all parties". The KCE structural report, as complete, thorough and factual as it is, fails to blame Montgomery County for the debacle SSTC. But then, Montgomery County paid KCE ($1.7 million?) for its investigation and report. "Biting the hand that feeds you" is not a good practice for private consultants to take with their clients. However, Montgomery County is most surely partly to blame for the debacle SSTC. Ms. Slater blames Montgomery County in her remarks to you; but, she's incorrect when she says that KCE's report blames "all parties". 

Montgomery County has the responsibility to review and approve all construction within its boundaries. Further, as the SSTC's owner of record and construction manager, they have a further responsibility to manage the design and construction. Further still, as Montgomery County's Inspector General pointed out in his presentation, a Montgomery County building inspector discovered problems with the SSTC's design before construction began, and the County failed to follow up on their own inspector's findings. Certainly some, if not most, of the tens of millions of public dollars that have been wasted on the SSTC could have been avoided had Montgomery County had its act together.

This is taken from a presentation that Ed Blansitt, Montgomery County Inspector General, gave on September 3, 2014                            to the annual conference of the Federal Audit Executive Committee (FAEC), Council of the Inspectors General on                                  Integrity and Efficiency, at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria VA.

Governor elect Hogan did not support the Purple Line in his campaign. MD needs to take a hard look at the waste in public funds that resulted from the Silver Spring Transit Center public-private partnership, where Montgomery County noncompetitively selected Parsons Brinkerhoff to provide the engineering design for the SSTC, Foulger Pratt to build it and Balter Co. to inspect and test concrete during construction. The complete waste of public $ that resulted from the SSTC, because of crony capitalism, should not be allowed to happen with the Purple Line, which is currently proceeding as/towards a public-private partnership.


Great job! Congratulations!

The local news media (print, TV, radio, internet) should take note. James' video, along with KCE's report and Edward Blansitt's (Montgomery County Inspector General) presentation, are the only "in-depth" reporting of the SSTC that I've seen. As far as "probing questions" are concerned, that the news media so highly tout, James' "probing questions" stand alone, putting the local news media to shame.

Is the public mad? They should be.

***** UPDATE *****
November 5, 2014

It just goes to show that it’s OK to waste tens of millions of dollars of the public's money in Democratic party controlled Montgomery County MD. On a $130+ million (and counting), 550% over-budget (and counting), 17+ years overdue (and counting) lemon. A glorified parking garage, that is severely flawed, and needs “repairs” before it’s opened to the public. Where Montgomery County blames the SSTC’s builder, engineer and concrete inspector/tester, that Montgomery County selected noncompetitively using a public-private partnership; but, doesn't blame itself. Besides being responsible for review and approval of all construction inside Montgomery County, the County is also owner of record and construction manager for the SSTC. With all of this, Montgomery County takes no responsibility itself for the lemon SSTC. 
AMAZING! 
Only in America.
Only in Montgomery County, MD.
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November 4, 2014

We'll find out today how mad that the public is about the Silver Spring Transit Center.

They should be plenty mad.

First, there's the fact that in 1993 former Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan declared publicly that the $20 million Silver Spring Transit Center will be complete in 1998.

Today the SSTC is unopened to the public and its cost has exceeded $130 million. The final cost for the SSTC, including costs for "repairs", extras, consultant fees, attorneys' fees and extraordinary operations and maintenance costs caused by the SSTC's numerous flaws are unknown.

Second, there's the question of the SSTC's safety. "Chunks of concrete" have fallen from the building. Then there are the serious flaws, some, but not all, of which were revealed in the structural report that Montgomery County made public in March 2013. 

Deck slabs, beams, girders and columns are severely cracked. 

The SSTC has no expansion joints, despite the fact that WMATA design and construction standards, to which the SSTC was supposed to have been designed and constructed, require expansion joints to be spaced no farther than 100 feet apart. The 315 ft. by 580 ft. SSTC has none.

Deck slabs in some places are more than an inch thinner than what they're supposed to be. Reinforcement is exposed; some is missing entirely. 250+ beams are under-reinforced. Concrete is understrength and overstressed. etc.

The March 2013 structural report blames the SSTC's severe design, construction and concrete inspection and testing flaws on "errors and omissions" by the SSTC's builder/contractor Foulger Pratt, design engineer Parsons Brinkerhoff and concrete inspector/tester Balter Co. Clearly Montgomery County shares the blame. Montgomery County noncompetitively selected (public-private partnership) Foulger Pratt to build the SSTC, Parsons Brinkerhoff to design it and Balter Co. to inspect and test concrete and to serve as special quality inspector. Besides the County's basic responsibility to review and approve all construction within the County, Montgomery County is owner of record and construction manager for the SSTC with a full time team of County employees on site during construction.

Mad? The public should be mad. 53% of the funding for the SSTC are federal funds, making us all stakeholders in this over-budget and overdue lemon. 11% are MD state funds and 36% are Montgomery County funds. A project that started out at $20 million is 550% over-budget, and the end is not in sight. The SSTC was supposed to open in 1998. Will it open in 2015, 17 years after it was promised to the public? Who knows?

Will voters show their anger this election day? 
I'm not holding my breath.

Silver Spring Transit Center

"No Guts News" and the Silver Spring Transit Center

The 2014 election is here. 
Montgomery County MD Executive and several Montgomery County Council seats are on the ballot.

News media (print, TV, radio, internet) have gone dark on one of the biggest stories in metro DC. Search the internet for news during the past month for the Silver Spring Transit Center--the $120+ million public (53% federal, 11% State of Maryland and 36% Montgomery County) lemon--and you will find nothing new has been reported on this major story for more than a month. 

• Brand new, but unopened to the public
• Years' overdue
• Tens of millions of dollars over budget  
• Being "repaired" before it's even opened to the public 
• Severely cracked 
• No expansion joints in the 315 ft. by 580 ft. structure, despite the fact that WMATA design and construction standards, to which the SSTC was supposed to have been designed and built, requires that expansion joints be placed no farther than 100 ft. apart
• Deck slabs more than an inch thinner than what they're supposed to be 
• Understrength and overstressed concrete
• Exposed reinforcement 
• Missing reinforcement
• "Chunks of concrete" falling from the building
• 250+ underdesigned beams  
• etc. 

• And, not a word of news on the project for more than a month 
• Do you think that the election may have something to do with that?

Leave it to the news media. 

They tout that they cover the news "in depth" and ask "probing questions".

They've done neither on this story.

Gutless.

Silver Spring Transit Center