Chron vs. Trib on the Bay Bridge
Remember Godzilla vs. Mothra? When the big lumbering beast does battle with the lighter and more efficient monster moth?
Well, now we at the Pepper have discovered a new tale: Chron vs. Trib. (Guess which one is the lumbering beast!)
The San Francisco Chronicle and the Oakland Tribune seem to be covering two different stories whenever they talk about the probe into welding on the Bay Bridge.
On Thursday, April 14, inspectors hired by Caltrans (which, by the way, is on the defense) explored five welds on the new span and found them sturdy.
As always, in journalism, interpretation makes the story, and the Chron and the Trib didn't see eye to eye.
Both papers wrote up brief treatments of the inspection results, but the Trib pointed out that the inspection methods may have had positive results because they didn't go deep enough: "The inspections were done on Box 4, using visual and magnetic particle testing ... Both methods, however, are unable to detect problems more than a quarter-inch below the surface of welds."
When asked about the methods, the Caltrans spokesman responded, ""They're not done, not by any means."
The Chron was on another planet regarding the "magnetic particle testing," in that they called it "sophisticated" as opposed to superficial.
The Chron's story was longer, and they talked to more people, and explained that the inspections involved one of the major support columns for the bridge. Buried in the middle of the story was the line, "It is one of only four support column foundations that has not already been covered with concrete."
And is one support column supposed to be representative for all the others? Call us picky, but we at the Pepper would like all the bridge columns to be welded perfectly.