ZPMC Oakland Bay Project

Date 02-13-2012 11:05

Could anyone please give me directions on how to find out the present quality status of the above project. The reason I ask is that I was in ZPMC in Shanghai on the Greater Gabbard Wind Farm Project which was managed by the same leading American construction company that managed the bridge project. The reason I ask is that I know from personal experience there was major problems on welding and painting on the Greater Gabbard Wind Farm and this will result (allegedly!) in court proceedings in England this year, unbelievably 1/4 million dollars minimum (not to ZPMC account apparently).
My concern is that the Scottish government has awarded a contract to build the new Forth Bridge to ZPMC without fully understanding this company's past record. I and other Scotsmen are trying to take action to ensure we do not end up footing the bill for a sub-standard product.

By Lawrence (*****)

Date 02-13-2012 11:59

How could anybody not "fully understand" the quality issues that have been published in every media service on the face of the planet?

Usually you are a realist Nantong.

They know... It's the money.

I hope you and your cohort make so much noise that something good happens!

By nantong (**)

Date 02-13-2012 12:14

This is is not helpful.Where is "fully understand" the quality issues that have been published in every media service on the face of the planet? I do not know and ask for assistance. I need current status, was it "Cry Wolf" on the bay bridge during construction or are there still problems.

By nantong (**)

Date 02-13-2012 12:38

Cheeseandchive I hope you can add some input diplomatically to help our cause.

By Joseph P. Kane (****)

Date 02-13-2012 16:42

Nantong.

No, It was not just "Cry Wolf" in the china bridge fabrication quality problems both in the Oakland Bay Bridge and the Alexander Hamilton Bridge in NYC! There were real quality problems, many of them cultural systemic. However, as a Third Party Bridge Fabrication inspector in the USA and Canada, I can assure you that there are some very real quality problems, cultural, systemic and outright criminal in the USA too.

Although there are some considerable cost savings by taking the "Low Bids" from China to fabricate over there, I do not believe the offset in initial bid / fabrication cost, factors in the downstream value of local and even out of state returns into the net savings total. The values of the unemployment offset, steel manufacture offset, transportation offset, and even the administrative employment offset do not appear to be used in the net savings calculations.

There may be some "as yet unknown" quality problem costs crop up in the future due to the required repairs made in China, and the use of foreign steel in the fabrication. There were some problems with coatings and deck topping with the Tri-Boro Bridge in NYC.

It still offends me that our politicians cannot just punish the quality offenders in the USA, but bite the bullet and spend the extra dollars to keep the work at home.

Joe Kane

By Shane Feder (****)

Date 02-13-2012 23:56

Nantong,
C&C posted on the UK Welder forum a letter from some Scottish minister trumpeting how good ZPMC were and even quoted the Oakland Bay Bridge project as an example.

I sent this to him via a PM
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/25/BAKR15ESKG.DTL&tsp=1

Just type ZPMC into the Search engine and there are plenty of horror stories,
Cheers,
Shane

By nantong (**)

Date 02-14-2012 10:28

Thanks Shane I saw it.

By nantong (**)

Date 02-14-2012 11:52

Mister Kane, thank you for your response it is truly appreciated. I will tell you what offends me. What offends me is politicians, no matter where they come from speaking to the public as if they were children, ignoring facts and evidence and pushing ahead with" "pursuing the most cost-effective bid". Why? Why not build the jobs at home to keep people employed, keep steel mills in business. In my opinion building a new bridge in Scotland would never be construed as protectionism so why give the Chinese the job when we in Europe can do it ourselves. This completely stinks.