Feds Declare Bay Bridge Welds Sound; Repairs Under Way
Welding on piers of the new San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge are set to resume once workers finish filling in the gaps left by an extricated 6-ft weld sample that the Federal Highway Administration declared free of defects May 4.
Welders last week were cutting out three 5.5-ft vertical shear plates in one bridge footing that are connected by partial joint penetration welds to bridge piles. They then reweld, patching holes left by the extricated welds with new metal, and install new shear plates. Dan McElhinney, California Dept. of Transportation Toll Bridge Engineering Manager, says when that is complete, welding will resume on the remaining four of 28 footings.