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Shoddy work poses danger as money flows into construction
By Wu Jiayin |
January 7, 2010, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A SERIES of reports on substandard bridges are drawing increasing public concern over the quality of public construction, especially as China is pouring billions of yuan into stimulating the economy with infrastructure projects.
On Sunday, a section of the overpass at the new Kunming (capital of Yunnan Province) Airport under construction plunged roughly 7.5 meters to the ground, killing seven people and injuring 34.
Cheating
The cause of the accident, according to the Chongqing Evening News on January 5, was the "cheating on labor and materials," as a number of airport workers who were unwilling to reveal their names told the paper.
A faulty steel frame was the main reason for the collapse, the workers said. Untrained workers were also recruited to build the frame.
Huang Zhibin, chief safety supervisor of bridge construction, ludicrously attributed the collapse of the bridge to bad weather, arguing that it was windy and dusty when the accident happened.
In so arguing, he forgot that the Zhaozhou Bridge, a 1,400 year-old stone arch bridge in Hebei Province, remains in good condition although it has experienced floods, earthquakes and even war damage.
Huang should have asked himself why a bridge built today cannot weather some wind and dust.
Last month, over 50 cracks were observed in the granite bridge railings of a newly rehabilitated arch bridge in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, some as wide as one finger's breadth. The contractors filled the cracks with industrial adhesives overnight.
The situation is no better with the rehabilitation work of Shanghai's Henanlu Bridge, which was finished in January last year.
Last December, cracks were also observed in the bridge, and inside the cracks were rubbish, burlap bags and plastic foam.
Although the contractors responsible for these accidents have been punished, the potential dangers of other jerry-built public construction should make contractors, engineers, officials and the public vigilant. There may be many accidents waiting to happen.
On Sunday, a section of the overpass at the new Kunming (capital of Yunnan Province) Airport under construction plunged roughly 7.5 meters to the ground, killing seven people and injuring 34.
Cheating
The cause of the accident, according to the Chongqing Evening News on January 5, was the "cheating on labor and materials," as a number of airport workers who were unwilling to reveal their names told the paper.
A faulty steel frame was the main reason for the collapse, the workers said. Untrained workers were also recruited to build the frame.
Huang Zhibin, chief safety supervisor of bridge construction, ludicrously attributed the collapse of the bridge to bad weather, arguing that it was windy and dusty when the accident happened.
In so arguing, he forgot that the Zhaozhou Bridge, a 1,400 year-old stone arch bridge in Hebei Province, remains in good condition although it has experienced floods, earthquakes and even war damage.
Huang should have asked himself why a bridge built today cannot weather some wind and dust.
Last month, over 50 cracks were observed in the granite bridge railings of a newly rehabilitated arch bridge in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, some as wide as one finger's breadth. The contractors filled the cracks with industrial adhesives overnight.
The situation is no better with the rehabilitation work of Shanghai's Henanlu Bridge, which was finished in January last year.
Last December, cracks were also observed in the bridge, and inside the cracks were rubbish, burlap bags and plastic foam.
Although the contractors responsible for these accidents have been punished, the potential dangers of other jerry-built public construction should make contractors, engineers, officials and the public vigilant. There may be many accidents waiting to happen.
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