Integrity of future provision for Sliver line questioned

Safety issue lurks under Dulles rail bridge plan
Federal transit agency investigates delay in testing foundations built in 1977

By Lisa Rein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, November 22, 2009


Tracy A Woodward The Washington Post

A question of safety
(graph showing the location of the column foundation footings)

I have made it know for many years in this forum and others of the existence of the provision built in the K Route Orange line easement to accommodate the construction of the future Tyson, Dulles, Loudoun County N Route Silver line.

I don't see this being all that big of an issue. These footing, when originally built, were designed to WMATA's established loading standards. They have sat unused for more then 30 years. During those 30 years they have not been subjected to the pounding of weight from passing trains. WMATA has hundreds of similar pier footings throughout the system that are older that have never failed. Those older footing have been carrying the load of trains a hell of a lot longer then these that have not.

I am not buying the electrolysis induced corrosion argument. The folks that designed and built the system were very meticulous about bonding and ground their structures to minimize electrolysis induced corrosion. VDOT, MDSHA and DCDPW have numinous bridge foundation structures adjacent to WMATA's tracks that have not suffered from electrolysis induced corrosion.

The article mention that WMATA could not locate any of the records or documents on the foundation footing. Did they think to check VDOT plan and record archive? The article mentions that it was a contractor working for VDOT that did the construction of the column foundation footings.

I have been aware of the column stub between tracks K3 and K1 as seen in the photos above sense before the K Route Orange line opened to Vienna in on 06 07 1086.

What I didn't know is there were 12 other foundation footing constructed at the same time column stub was built.

The alignment shown in the FEIS did not utilize any of the column foundation footings. There is no mention in the FEIS for the reason why the column foundation footings were not to be utilized.

Extensive testing in new safety plan for Metro bridge
Contractor to examine all 32-year-old footings used in Dulles project

By Lisa Rein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, December 4, 2009

To me, this sounds like the usual "contractor wants to skimp by on anything he can get away with....." not a major "24" level plot. The only reason we know about it is the project is high profile.

"farecard"
To me, this sounds like the usual "contractor wants to skimp by on anything he can get away with....." not a major "24" level plot. The only reason we know about it is the project is high profile.

This issue is all based on the professional opinion of a one engineer, and I will add, an engineer that had differences of opinion on other aspects of the project.

It is my opinion, that when all of the piles in the pier footings are checked, they will be found to have met or exceed the required engineering specifications.

In the end this whole controversy will have been much a due about nothing and have been waist of money.

>In the end this whole controversy will have been much a due about nothing.

As an engineer, albeit not a CE building life-supporting structures, it is NOT about nothing. We can't assume bridges & buildings won't collapse, because they do. Look at the Bay Bridge, 35W in Minneapolis, the Silver Bridge in Ohio, etc.

It's far better to be safe now than sorry later.

"farecard"
As an engineer, albeit not a CE building life-supporting structures, it is NOT about nothing. We can't assume bridges & buildings won't collapse, because they do. Look at the Bay Bridge, 35W in Minneapolis, the Silver Bridge in Ohio, etc.

Both of those structures were subjected to live loads under both tension and compression as well as being exposed the elements. These foundation piles and footing have remained dormant under 6' earth for more then 30 years. Those conditions are radically different. As I said in the opening posts, "These footing, when originally built, were designed to WMATA's established loading standards. They have sat unused for more then 30 years. During those 30 years they have not been subjected to the pounding of the weight from passing trains. WMATA has hundreds of similar pier footings throughout the system that are older that have never failed. Those older footing have been carrying the load of trains a hell of a lot longer then these that have not."

Are you aware of the restoration of the Parthenon in Athens that has been under way for more the 25 years? During that restoration several of the column were dismantled so they could be more easily restored. When the marble cylinders were lifted, the wooden alignment block used to align the cylinders saw sun light for the first time in 2,500 years. The smell from the wood was if the wood was cut yesterday.

Until I am proven wrong, it is still my opinion, that in the end this whole controversy will have been much a due about nothing.

I think the issue here is the reported lack of engineering drawings for the footers and piers. The desgner of the new superstructure should be very reluctant to base his calculations on someone's memory of how the strutures were built. The design engineer for the new structure , who is in a real sense personally liable for the safety of the entire structure, should insist on detailed tests and inspections before using the old piers if drawings are not available. There should have been "as-built" drawings prepared after the original construction that are sealed by a Professional Engineer showing not only the original design but how each one of these foundations was actually built. The current design engineer could and would rely on the "As-Builts". Issues like this are exactly the reason "as-builts" are prepared. WMATA ( or maybe VDOT?) paid for them years ago. They should be able to produce them now. It would save a lot of time and money if they could be found.

>The design engineer for the new structure , who is in a real sense personally liable for the safety of the entire structure

Bingo. It is the PE's ass in the wind on any such decision. She or he is not just financially libel but her/his license & career are also swinging. If it was really egregious behaviour, criminal negligence charges are a real possibility. It's far smarter and cheaper to validate the integrity now than to bury the dead and start over at some point further on.

There's a great story about the Citibank building. Years after it was built, the head structural engineer uncovered a MAJOR flaw, partially caused by the "as-built" scheme not meeting his design. The flaw could have toppled the building. Care to guess how many would have died in such an unanticipated collapse in Midtown? [I'd bet far more than did in the Towers...] Not just the Citibank occupants but also those on the street and in adjacent buildings....

In great stealth, multiple parties worked to patch the problem, at night. [They welded gusset plates over bolted structural steel connectors, to both stiffen and strengthen those joints.] The whole affair was secret for years later, until it was the topic of a New Yorker piece.

Ahhm here's a link: http://www.duke.edu/~hpgavin/ce131/citicorp1.htm

A similar thing happened during the construction of the Greenbelt station. There was some question about the piles under the bridge abutments that carry roadway over the mezzanine from the southbound Capital Beltway exit to the parking lot. It was determined the number of piles that were driven were insufficient to carry the load. The correction was made before the abutment footing were placed. The correction added about 2 months to projects schedule.

That little boo boo was never mentioned in the media. I learned about it from one of the equipment operators after asking why it was taking so long getting the construction going after the grading done.

Transportation Department honors Metro safety whistle-blower

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 83_pf.html

The whistle-blower who alerted federal officials to potential safety issues with a bridge that will carry Silver Line Metrorail trains over Interstate 66 has received a commendation from the inspector general for transportation.

Steve T. Mackey, 49, bridge manager until last year for the Dulles rail extension, was honored with a letter of thanks from U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General Calvin Scovel III.

"This incident brings to mind one of the fundamental canons of the code of ethics for the American Society of Civil Engineers," Scovel wrote in a letter he presented to Mackey at DOT headquarters in Washington on Friday. " 'Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public.' Your actions exemplify this ethic and are a credit to you and your profession."
...

If it is determined that the piers meet or exceed the required loading standards, does Dulles Transit Partners get a refund for the cost for doing those additional tests? Will Dulles Transit Partners also be compensated for costs related to the delays that well result from doing the additional testing?

Sand Box John wrote:If it is determined that the piers meet or exceed the required loading standards, does Dulles Transit Partners get a refund for the cost for doing those additional tests? Will Dulles Transit Partners also be compensated for costs related to the delays that well result from doing the additional testing?

They will likely get any late penalty waived but it's highly unlikely that they'd get any recompense for added costs. I suppose it's possible that WMATA will have to pay for losing the as-builts; it depends what the contract says.

If they had skipped testing, and the supports later failed; they would have been sued six ways to Sunday.

"farecard"
They will likely get any late penalty waived but it's highly unlikely that they'd get any recompense for added costs. I suppose it's possible that WMATA will have to pay for losing the as-builts; it depends what the contract says.

It is not clear to me that WMATA ever possessed as built documents. The pile and pier footings contract were let by VDot as part of the original construction of VA I-66 inside the Capitol Beltway. WMATA's only involvement in their construction was provided the required loading specification for them to VDot.

Sand Box John wrote:If it is determined that the piers meet or exceed the required loading standards, does Dulles Transit Partners get a refund for the cost for doing those additional tests? Will Dulles Transit Partners also be compensated for costs related to the delays that well result from doing the additional testing?

This part of the project doesn't seem to be in the critical path, so I doubt that any delays here are going to delay the actual opening if all that happens is that they test it and find that it meets the specs. If it doesn't meet specs, then someone is going to have to scramble.

http://www.dullesmetro.com/pdfs/FinalPMPV6-0.pdf

On page 55, they indicate that the K-line tie-in would be finished in 2011, and other aspects of construction near the West Falls Church Metro will be done by 2012..

"JackRussell"
This part of the project doesn't seem to be in the critical path, so I doubt that any delays here are going to delay the actual opening if all that happens is that they test it and find that it meets the specs. If it doesn't meet specs, then someone is going to have to scramble.

http://www.dullesmetro.com/pdfs/FinalPMPV6-0.pdf

On page 55, they indicate that the K-line tie-in would be finished in 2011, and other aspects of construction near the West Falls Church Metro will be done by 2012..

Page 64 of same document:

West Falls Church Yard
Completion Date Final Design July 28, 2009
Completion Date Construction January 4, 2012

K Route Tie-In
Completion Date Final Design June 18, 2009
Completion Date Construction September 7, 2011

Dulles Connector Road, Cut & Cover Tunnel (I-66 Crossing)
Completion Date Final Design April 17, 2009
Completion Date Construction March 22, 2011

Completion Date Final Design March 16, 2009
Completion Date Construction October 1, 2010

Something else I noticed in the document, on Page 53:

"Physical construction of the Project’s line, stations, and facilities will include a junction with the existing Metrorail Orange Line under the Haycock Road Bridge in the median of I-66."

The FEIS shows the junction under the Great Fall Street overpass in the median of I-66.

WMATA built provision for the junction under the Haycock Road overpass when the K Route was originally built back in early 1980s. Seems MWAA and Dulles Transit Partners have decided to go back to using those provision to cut costs instead of building the junction adjacent to the Fisher Road Traction power substation near the north end of Great Fall Street overpass.

It my understanding WMATA wants junction fully functional and tested before track work and train control installation is started on the N Route west of the junction. Some if no all of the inbound track circuits related to the automatic operation of the junction are on the I-66 fly over bridges.

From page 62:

Safety and Security Certification July 31, 2013
Pre-Revenue Operations
September 6, 2013 – December 4, 2013
Target Revenue Service
December 4, 2013
FFGA Close-Out Activities
December 4, 2013 – December 1, 2014
Revenue Operation Date
December 1, 2014