Our physical office is in downtown Silver Spring, MD. For years now, the Metro station there has been in the process of becoming a sooper-dooper multi-purpose transit center:
Construction started in 2008, and +$100 million has been spent on it. There was a really cool period when they had to dynamite bedrock - we listened for the warning klaxon every day and ran to the windows to watch the carefully controlled blasts.
I happened to ask my boss today if he'd heard of an opening date for the center. "You obviously don't read local papers." was his reply. Seems the sooper-dooper is a pooper. Multiple improper construction issues. Not safe. WMTA says "Huh-uh. We don't want it." Estimated life span in its current state = 12.5 years. Concrete too thin, concrete too thick. Concrete poured without rebar reinforcing. (Let me repeat that - concrete for platforms supposed to hold tons and tons of vehicles and their passengers poured without reinforcing) Improper joints. Cracks everywhere. Fingers pointing in all directions.
Gotta say, the fact that they've already installed the big ol' new sign now makes me smile. Irked me when I had to walk by it because I have the same amount of respect for Sarbanes as I do for Harry Reid. Seems appropriate now.
A bit more detail here.
WOW, I didn't realize it was THAT bad!!!
ReplyDeleteUh, tax dollars at work? How the hell did we build B-52's?
ReplyDeleteB-52s were a different era, in a different America. That building is shameful, and heads oughta roll. Sadly, in this era, the contractor will probably be rewarded with another big job, somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your informative topic
ReplyDeleterebar reinforcement