Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Collaspe of the Brattleboro-Hinsdale Bridge: Coverup in Gov Sununu's Office

Update July 25

It the below post, I meant the moveable bearings, not the fixed bearings. But they are both non functional.  

Update July 24

The inspection was incomplete. Why wasn't it mentioned in the new inspection report the new concrete footing was obstructing the fixed bearings as seen in my photograph? They are non functional. Is Hoyle,Tanner covering up for the NHDOT's screwups?


The inspectors took better photographs than me.    
2018 Routine/Fracture Critical Member Inspection Report 
Anna Hunt Marsh Bridge NH Route 119 over the Connecticut River NHDOT Bridge No. 041/040 Hinsdale, NH
Prepared for 
The Department of Transportation
July 2018 

Item 59.7 Bearings:

The bearings are considered to be in satisfactory to poor condition. The expansion and fixed shoes exhibit paint system failure with moderate to heavy rusting. There is heavy rusting with laminar corrosion at exterior of the pin and bearing saddle interface. The expansion bearing roller guides are not plumb. The north truss expansion bearing exterior rollers have rotated in the contraction direction beyond their limit and appear to be frozen based on the amount of surface rust and accumulated debris. The south truss expansion bearing exterior rollers have also rotated in the contraction direction but to a lesser degree and also appear to be frozen based on the amount of surface rust and accumulated debris. Refer to Appendix A for representative condition photographs.
 Inline image
Originally posted 7/16/2019...reposted.  

Update July 17

So yesterday Mr Young (gov's office) said he would call me right back. He was going to get me the telephone number to the right person in the NHDOT bridge inspection department. It has been 24 hours. I think he tripped into a situation a lot more complicated than he could imagine.   


Update

Just imagine if Gov. Sununu fired for cause a bunch of NHDOT inspectors and mangers? This scandal would just explode. NH is a extremely weak governor system. The governor is mostly powerless. I doubt the governor has the power to fire anyone except his staff?  

Has anyone asked why this bridge wasn't on the NH red list. This is how they apportion bridge funding to communities mostly. They were falsifying inspection.

So mike, why didn't it get on the red list. Because they would have no bases that any changes occurred. It would illuminate their systemic bridge inspections falsification game.  

Just like today, if they shutdown the bridge. I could ask the NHDOT what changes occurred on this new inspection compared to the last inspection. They-we wouldn't find any significant changes from the last inspection. The game would be up!!!  


...Mr Young gave me a phone call this morning. He is in Gov. Sununu office. He seemed irritated with me. He wanted me to cold call somebody in the NHDOT bridge building office, he wasn't associated with the bridge inspection department on Friday. I told him is he sending me on a witch hunt. He had a hard time understanding the bridge building department won't much be involved in the bridge inspection bureaucracy. I asked him if he called the "so called" bridge building guy to set the stage for me. I said, I know these guys. They are going to think of me as a nut case or crazy ass blogger. The will just blow me off the crazy talk. I am going to tell him some of his inspections are being falsified. He is shut up like a clam. He told he is going to figure this out...he will give the bridge building guy a phone call. I'll get you a number to call. That was around 9am. It now about 2pm. I'll bet after a few calls he found a manager associated with our bride. I'll bet the bridge inspection guy is giving  him a little education on the design of our bridge and updating new events.    




Michael Mulligan <steamshovel2002@yahoo.com>
To:preston.young@nh.gov
‎Jul‎ ‎15 at ‎12‎:‎16‎ ‎PM 

Mr. Young, 
I see you and your associates first emailed me with a program who could erase your email and all my return linked emails. You didn't get them all yet. Now the governor's office is implicated in a coverup. It is now time to get the lawyers involved. You are a amateur...all rank amateurs.

God help Gov. Sununu if there becomes a mass casualty event for the Brattleboro-Hinsdale bridge.

Hoyle Tanner is the firm who did the bridge inspections and I talked to them on the bridge.  

Michael Mulligan <steamshovel2002@yahoo.com>
To:mlow@hoyletanner.com

‎Jul‎ ‎15 at ‎10‎:‎15‎ ‎AM
Dear Sir,

My hobby for years was to replace this bridge(s). I was the spark who created the community rebellion that created the replacement project. I know you guys recently completely the NHDOT five year inspection associates with these bridges. Hopefully it is last. I know NHDOT is one of the most corrupt state agencies in the nation. Their bridge inspection agency is really bad. I have proof of this. These guys have been serially falsifying bridge inspections for years. 

I overheard your employee talking about the conditions under the deck. I got pictures of that too. Basically that area is horrendously rotted out, unsafe and needing maybe a year shutdown for a rehab job. We are facing a shutdown of the bridge even as the new construction project is building up steam. I believe the bridge now is unsafe and needs to be shutdown. It certainly is going to collapse before the new bridge is open. The state has been subtilty gaming bridge inspection for political reasons and favors for decades.

I have specific issues with the moving and stationary barings… the rocker and roller baring. The stationary bearings have way more corrosion damage than admitted in any NHDOT inspection report. I'd seen it close up with my own eyes and camera. Did you know the Brattleboro bridge is grossly out of plumb? It tilts toward the downriver side. Is this in your inspection report? 

There is a really thick plate guiding the gigantic truss into the bearing, then to footing truss bracket, that is terribly bent. With all that corrosion and metal rot, you have no idea of the operability with the stationary bearing. The same happy-land identical inspection wording of basically "heavy rust and leaks" is seen in inspection reports for decades on end. They are gaming inspections reports for a unseen agenda. I hope your company is not going to be involve with a mass causality event in the near future? We got a 1.5 million cars per year going across the bridges. Is this condition going to be accuracy represented in your current inspection report to the state? It never has been accurately represented in any NHDOT inspection report. The 1920 era bridge in the early years was severely damage in a catastrophic flooding event.    

This is an example of how pathetic and dangerous the NHDOT is. They rehabbed the fragile footing years ago with new concrete. This is the long bridge abutting Brattleboro, east side. They placed the concrete footing touching the roller or rocker bearings. The roller or rocker bearings has been blocked with the footing for decades. The footing made this safety device to non functioning for DECADES. There is nothing relieving the typical bridge stresses including thermal expansion and contraction. The thermal expansion joint seen from the roadway which gives some leeway between the footing and bridge...it is just for show. I actually see damage with the footing from the bride expansion and contraction. It is a disgrace. Are true and actual condition with these bearing going to be accurately represented in your inspection report? The NHDOT has been falsifying their inspections report on these bearings for years. Remember I got pictures of it. 

Believe me, don't bury this email in you system. I am a season whistleblower dealing with hundreds of million dollar cases over many years. Show this to your higher ups. Do not cover your asses. Please do not  be implicated in a coverup. I know federal funding is involved with NHDOT bridge inspections. I know the Governor's office is reluctantly in investigation my allegations. I am going after the NHDOT and its bridge inspection department. I am sure your employees felt the severe bridge vibrations and swaying from their cherry picker inspecting the highest reach of these gigantic truss.

Here below is my blog. This email is going to be posted on it. I wrote most of my posts towards the end of July (pictures). I am open to talk with anyone. If you google Mike Mulligan, Brattleboro-Hinsdale bridge or something similar and Mike Mulligan, Brattleboro Reformer you will see how long I've been involved. I got all of my heart into saving lives. My community and beyond expects a completely accurate and comprehensive representation on the abysmal conditions of the bridge. I better not see you cutting and pasting words and phrases from any past falsified inspection reports because everyone else does it to compete. That is a new beginning!!!       




Inline image
Unbelievably skimpy NHDOT inspection reports and this makes the inspections report horrendously vulnerable to bridge inspection fraud and falsifications. The skimpiness, shallowness and inaccurate framework of the inspection reports was an intentional tool by the NHDOT to create bridge inspection systemic fraud and falsification towards a aim of political corruption.     

Movable Bearing 
NESTED ROLLER 
BEARINGS WITH TRUSS PIN AT EAST ABUTMENT BOTTOM PLATES HOLED AT NORTHEAST ROLLER BEARING, REPAIRED AND PAINTED. PLATES BETWEEN ROLLER BEARING PIN AND TOP CHORD END DIAGONAL RUSTED WITH HEAVY SECTION LOSS AT NORTHEAST, CLEANED AND PAINTED. MODERATE RUST AT BEARINGS.

Fixed Bearing
FIXED PIN BEARINGS AT WEST ABUTMENT MODERATE RUST AND SCALE AT INTERIORS

Michael Mulligan <steamshovel2002@yahoo.com>

To:preston.young@nh.gov

Sincerely,

Mike Mulligan (aka bridge angel) 
5 Wood Lane
Hinsdale, NH 
16032094206 (cell)
Hinsdale, NH

Hoyle Tanner is the company who inspected our bridges. I am a little bit out of the box with contacting the bridge inspection company on a inspection report that hasn't come out yet. One can only imagine how traumatic this note could be for a company and it political ramification.   
Hoyle Tanner is the company who inspected our bridges 

Michael Mulligan <steamshovel2002@yahoo.com>


To:mlow@hoyletanner.com


‎Jul‎ ‎15 at ‎10‎:‎15‎ ‎AM



Dear Sir,

My hobby for years was to replace this bridge(s). I was the spark who created the community rebellion that created the replacement project. I know you guys recently completely the NHDOT five year inspection associates with these bridges. Hopefully it is last. I know NHDOT is one of the most corrupt state agencies in the nation. Their bridge inspection agency is really bad. I have proof of this. These guys have been serially falsifying bridge inspections for years. 

I overheard your employee talking about the conditions under the deck. I got pictures of that too. Basically that area is horrendously rotted out, unsafe and needing maybe a year shutdown for a rehab job. We are facing a shutdown of the bridge even as the new construction project is building up steam. I believe the bridge now is unsafe and needs to be shutdown. It certainly is going to collapse before the new bridge is open. The state has been subtilty gaming bridge inspection for political reasons and favors for decades.

I have specific issues with the moving and stationary barings… the rocker and roller baring. The stationary bearings have way more corrosion damage than admitted in any NHDOT inspection report. I'd seen it close up with my own eyes and camera. Did you know the Brattleboro bridge is grossly out of plumb? It tilts toward the downriver side. Is this in your inspection report? 

There is a really thick plate guiding the gigantic truss into the bearing, then to footing truss bracket, that is terribly bent. With all that corrosion and metal rot, you have no idea of the operability with the stationary bearing. The same happy-land identical inspection wording of basically "heavy rust and leaks" is seen in inspection reports for decades on end. They are gaming inspections reports for a unseen agenda. I hope your company is not going to be involve with a mass causality event in the near future? We got a 1.5 million cars per year going across the bridges. Is this condition going to be accuracy represented in your current inspection report to the state? It never has been accurately represented in any NHDOT inspection reportThe 1920 era bridge in the early years was severely damage in a catastrophic flooding event.    

This is an example of how pathetic and dangerous the NHDOT is. They rehabbed the fragile footing years ago with new concrete. This is the long bridge abutting Brattleboro, east side. They placed the concrete footing touching the roller or rocker bearings. The roller or rocker bearings has been blocked with the footing for decades. The footing made this safety device to non functioning for DECADES. There is nothing relieving the typical bridge stresses including thermal expansion and contraction. The thermal expansion joint seen from the roadway which gives some leeway between the footing and bridge...it is just for show. I actually see damage with the footing from the bride expansion and contraction. It is a disgrace. Are true and actual condition with these bearing going to be accurately represented in your inspection report? The NHDOT has been falsifying their inspections report on these bearings for years. Remember I got pictures of it. 

Believe me, don't bury this email in you system. I am a season whistleblower dealing with hundreds of million dollar cases over many years. Show this to your higher ups. Do not cover your asses. Please do not  be implicated in a coverup. I know federal funding is involved with NHDOT bridge inspections. I know the Governor's office is reluctantly in investigation my allegations. I am going after the NHDOT and its bridge inspection department. I am sure your employees felt the severe bridge vibrations and swaying from their cherry picker inspecting the highest reach of these gigantic truss.      
Here below is my blog. This email is going to be posted on it. I wrote most of my posts towards the end of July (pictures). I am open to talk with anyone. If you google Mike Mulligan, Brattleboro-Hinsdale bridge or something similar and Mike Mulligan, Brattleboro Reformer you will see how long I've been involved. I got all of my heart into saving lives. My community and beyond expects a completely accurate and comprehensive representation on the abysmal conditions of the bridge. I better not see you cutting and pasting words and phrases from any past falsified inspection reports because everyone else does it to compete. That is a new beginning!!!       


Sincerely,

Mike Mulligan (aka bridge angel) 
5 Wood Lane
Hinsdale, NH 
16032094206 (cell)
Hinsdale, NH

Hinsdale-Brattleboro 12210C


Movable Bearing 
NESTED ROLLER BEARINGS WITH TRUSS PIN AT EAST ABUTMENT BOTTOM PLATES HOLED AT NORTHEAST ROLLER BEARING, REPAIRED AND PAINTED. PLATES BETWEEN ROLLER BEARING PIN AND TOP CHORD END DIAGONAL RUSTED WITH HEAVY SECTION LOSS AT NORTHEAST, CLEANED AND PAINTED. MODERATE RUST AT BEARINGS.

Fixed Bearing


FIXED PIN BEARINGS AT WEST ABUTMENT MODERATE RUST AND SCALE AT INTERIORS


An aid to the Gov. Sununu.  

Michael Mulligan <steamshovel2002@yahoo.com>

To:preston.young@nh.gov


‎Jul‎ ‎13 at ‎7‎:‎40‎ ‎AM



Bridge bearing


From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia




An expansion bearing on the Queen Elizabeth II Metro Bridge.
A bridge bearing is a component of a bridge which typically provides a resting surface between bridge piers and the bridge deck. The purpose of a bearing is to allow controlled movement and thereby reduce the stresses involved. Movement could be thermal expansion or contraction, or movement from other sources such as seismic activity. There are several different types of bridge bearings which are used depending on a number of different factors including the bridge span. The oldest form of bridge bearing is simply two plates resting on top of each other. A common form of modern bridge bearing is the elastomeric bridge bearing. Another type of bridge bearing is the mechanical bridge bearing. There are several types of mechanical bridge bearing, such as the pinned bearing, which in turn includes specific types such as the rocker bearing, and the roller bearing. Another type of mechanical bearing is the fixed bearing, which allows rotation, but not other forms of movement...
That report on New bridge designs, where we got the bridge inspection report yesterday, the contractor that did that job was funded by NH, Vt and mostly federal funding. I am certain enormous amounts of federal funding are involved with NH bridge inspections. I doubt actually highly trained and educated federal bridge inspectors ever touched our bridges. Can you even imagine the political controversy developed between contradictory bridge inspections between the Feds and state? These guys protect each other asses by the feds not getting involved with bridge inspections. Like I asked, who oversees the overseers? Basically the feds roll out the bridge inspection codes, rules and funding without ever inspecting if the money was spent wisely and everything is up to federal bridge codes. I doubt it is required that the states followed the US bridge codes and inspection rules. NH bridge inspection rules must be pitiful? I doubt a state inspector falsifying a bridge inspection report is even illegal both in the state and federal laws. More worrisome, I doubt the actual NH bridge inspectors have the intense training and higher education needed for the job other than high school...little bridge inspector professionalism and a intense need to feed their families with their pitiful wages they make . Where do this bridge inspectors come from? Probably heavy equipment operators and essentially highway ditch diggers. I really don't mean to demean these good and loyal employees, I am just trying to make a point about the system.  
What I am certain is these bridges' won't last another five years until the new bridges' are opened, as I wrote to Mr Broodey. What has changed in the last few years is the traffic rate going across the bridges? The "Runnings" store, much like a high end Walmart has recently opened. Traffic (vehicles per day) rate across those bridges has drastically increased, including all the cars who go to the Runnings store. A lot of big tractor trailers loaded to the gills had to go over these bridges with these new consumer and recreational  products. The biggest bridge traffic rate concern of mine, is the unprecedented economic growth we are now seeing throughout the country and my surroundings. Unprecedented! Does anyone anticipate what the traffic (vpd) rate would look like in the near future with the upcoming booming economic growth years? How big will the boom be? Will the burdens of the drastic increase with the "vehicles per day" rate crossing these bridges, be the straw that broke bridges'/camel's back.   
What is really needed is a drastic reform with NHDOT's bridge inspector department. These guys are living in the stone age. The state really has to jack up the professionalism and transparency on this very important NHDOT department.
I giving Gov Sununu the opportunity to get ahead of the trend?               
Mike Mulligan (aka bridge angel)
Hinsdale, NH
16032094206








Keene Sentinal: Hinsdale-Brattleboro bridges land on state's red list after recent inspection

Update

The NHDOT gets a  grade of "A" plus with getting their new inspection report on the internet in quick time. Remember though, I pushed them to do it. It wasn't purely self directed...  


I have zero confidence this inspection was accurate. You can expect a mass causality event and body recovery at any moment.    

Hinsdale-Brattleboro bridges land on state's red list after recent inspection

By Meg McIntyre Sentinel Staff
17 min ago

HINSDALE — With a couple of years left before they’re scheduled to be replaced, the two bridges connecting the town to Brattleboro have been put on the state’s red list.

The downgrade comes after N.H. Department of Transportation
The multi-grade...fair to poor...down grade downgrade is proof they have been falsifying these bridge inspections. Inspections like this can be grossly inaccurate. They can't see everything...some areas are totally covered by layers of rust and other critical areas are not inspectable.    
officials reclassified the bridges from fair to poor condition following a routine inspection last month that identified further deterioration of the nearly 100-year-old spans.

The state’s red list comprises bridges classified as being in poor or worse condition. Bridges on the list are inspected twice yearly to check for any rapid changes.
State highway officials previously classified the narrow bridges as functionally obsolete, which means they’re outdated, don’t meet current design standards or have height and weight restrictions.

The bridges, named after Charles Dana and Anna Hunt Marsh, are Pennsylvania truss-style structures built in the 1920s and rehabilitated in 1988. They link Route 119 from Hinsdale to Brattleboro via Hinsdale Island, and are set to be replaced with a new bridge several hundred feet downstream, with construction scheduled to begin in 2019.

A project to replace the bridges has been included in the state’s 10-year transportation improvement plan since fiscal year 1994, with its start date being delayed several times. However, it was bumped completely from the 2013-22 plan because of lack of funding before being put back in the 2015-24 plan.

Manchester-based engineering firm Hoyle, Tanner and Associates Inc. completed the recent inspection over the
course of five days in late June. Inspectors identified corrosion-related deterioration of both bridges’ trusses and floor system, the resulting report states.
Though both bridges are safe for vehicle and pedestrian traffic, they may require weight limit postings or structural steel repairs in the future, according to an email from the state transportation department’s bridge design team that accompanied the report’s release.

“The ongoing project for the replacement of these two bridges has been largely driven by bridge geometrics and highway obsolescence, however the downgraded condition signifies that the bridges, after nearly 100 years of service, are approaching the end of their expected service lives from a structural standpoint,” the email reads.

Construction on a replacement bridge is scheduled to begin in 2019, according to the state’s most recent 10-year transportation plan. The new bridge will stretch 1,782 feet across the Connecticut River. It will vary in width between 49 feet along the majority of the roadway and 53 feet at the Vermont-side intersection — the slight width increase will accommodate a turning lane where Route 119 intersects Route 142.

That intersection will be controlled with a traffic signal. The plans also call for a 6-foot-wide sidewalk on the bridge’s north side, with a few viewing platforms for pedestrians to take in views of the river.

The state transportation department plans to maintain the existing bridges for bicycle and pedestrian use, officials said at a public hearing in January. The department has applied for a TIGER grant to provide additional funds for the old bridges’ refurbishment, they said.

Michael Darcy, chairman of the Hinsdale Board of Selectmen, said the town is more focused on the construction of the replacement bridge than on the state of the existing bridges.

“It’s concerning in that we have to be aware of the safety of the bridges, but in terms of getting a new bridge or anything, we’ve already done that process,” he said. “So it doesn’t really have any immediate implications.”

After nearly 100 years, the town is excited to finally have a new bridge, he said.

“Maybe the red-listing of the current bridges will goose that ahead a little bit, and maybe there’ll be a little more effort to get the new bridge completed as quickly as they can,” Darcy said.

More information on the bridge replacement project is available at
 
www.nh.gov/dot/projects/hinsdalebrattleboro12210/.