VNB.jpg.JPG
To install new deck plates on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Chinese-made steel is being imported to Staten Island.
When you learned that another round of sniping has arisen over the use of Chinese-made fabricated steel plates for the new deck on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, you probably thought, "Haven't we heard all this before? Wasn't this issue settled? "
In fact, we have heard it and for most people, it was settled, just about a year ago. That's when it was first disclosed that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which owns and operates the bridge, awarded a $235-million contract to an American firm, but that that contractor, Tutor-Perini, decided to use a Chinese steel company to manufacture the steel.
The MTA is in the process of replacing concrete on the upper deck with lighter orthotropic steel deck panels, which can better withstand high winds and last much longer.
There's no question these specially designed plates, will perform better and last longer. That has been clearly established from their use on other bridges. That will save the MTA and, indirectly, toll-payers and taxpayers, money in the long run
But because Tutor Perini awarded the fabricating contract to the China Railway Shanhaiguan Bridge Group, which will get the steel from the Angang Steel Group (Ansteel), the number 2 steel manufacturer in China, many people here were angry.
Among them was Sen. Charles Schumer.
"If we continue to source to Chinese companies based entirely on bid pricing, they will always win; with the level of government support and over-production, it's impossible to beat their prices," Mr. Schumer wrote in a letter to the MTA last July.
"If American entities like the MTA don't support a level playing field for American steel made by American steel workers, no one will."
His complaint resonates with a lot of people in light of the hemorrhaging of American jobs over the last six years. It is still a hot-button issue in national politics and the loss of a steel production contract to China, a formidable economic rival of the United States, makes it sting that much more.
We wholeheartedly agree. Like most Americans, we would have much preferred it if the MTA, a public authority, had chosen an American steel-maker for the Verrazano job.
But here's the rub: The MTA sought out U.S. steel-makers, but none of them had the experience or expertise to make orthotropic steel on the scale and according to the timetable this project requires. Tutor-Perini also reached out to two American steel manufacturers, but they declined for financial and technical reasons.
Left with little choice and an outstanding MTA contract, according to the MTA, Tutor-Perini awarded the contract to fabricate the orthotropic steel deck plates to China Railway Shanhaiguan Bridge Group.
Does a state-owned Chinese company have an unfair competitive advantage as critics insist? Absolutely, but when there's no competition from American companies that can actually make these specialized steel plates, what's the answer?
What are the MTA's options?
Postpone the deck work until U.S. companies are able to do the job, thereby causing delays and costing the MTA (and the public that pays for the authority) hundreds of millions of dollars ?
Buy U.S.-made steel plates of whatever quality and suitability at any price just because they're made in America? What would the MTA's frequent critics say then?
Now that the first of 15,000 tons of specially fabricated steel is on its way from China, new concerns have been raised about the welding on the solid-steel-plate panels.
Sources familiar with the work told the Advance that the quality assurance sub-consultant to Tutor Perini, has pointed to welding issues on the first panels to be shipped within the next month. The sources say the consultant has filed nearly three dozen so-called non-conformance reports that "remain unresolved."
For its part, the MTA maintains that it has "eyes on the ground" in Shanghai and has engaged welding experts to oversee the work at six-week intervals and has "the most stringent quality control" in place.
The welding issues, if they exist, must be resolved. And we've certainly had our problems with the MTA's credibility on other issues through the years. But, with all that's riding on the project, the agency has assigned the best engineers to make sure it gets done the right way. Without anything more than rumor to the contrary, we think people should go with that.
The new complaints sound like more sour grapes from people who can't get past the fact that the U.S. is no longer the steel-producing powerhouse it once was. "Made in China" rankles a lot of people. We wish it were otherwise, but wishing won't make it so. In the meantime, the Verrazano needs a new deck.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 7/1/2022).
Cookie Settings
© 2022 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us).
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local.
Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site.
Ad Choices