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| 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
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| photographs are from KCE's & WMATA's reports for the Silver Spring Transit Center |
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SSTC Structural Evaluation Report, March 15, 2013, KCE Structural Engineers, Inc.
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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.
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.
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| 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.
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SSTC Structural Evaluation Report, March 15, 2013, KCE Structural Engineers, Inc.
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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.
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| 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
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:
We can't:
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.
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
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.
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
********************************************************************************************************
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.
“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
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