john wrote:

The test came back that the bolt broke at 24 k lbs. The
spec on that size bolt should have been about 60 k lbs. Guess where
they came from. Imagine what would have happened if they were used to
hold a critical part of a bridge together.

Heck, not just bridges, we assume SHCS are made of decent stuff. I wonder
how long before someone gets killed from some chinee cheese steel fastener.

Wes

On Sep 16, 12:34 am, Wes wrote:
john wrote:
The test came back that the bolt broke at 24 k lbs. The
spec on that size bolt should have been about 60 k lbs. Guess where
they came from. Imagine what would have happened if they were used to
hold a critical part of a bridge together.

Heck, not just bridges, we assume SHCS are made of decent stuff. I wonder
how long before someone gets killed from some chinee cheese steel fastener.

Wes

Wonder no longer....

TMT

Next potential threat: Weak steel? Posted by Tim Johnson
Mon Sep 10, 8:55 PM ET



First pet food. Then cough syrup and toothpaste and toys. Now steel?


A specialized news report out of Washington is suggesting that shoddy
steel may be coming out of China. It may not sound that important. But
then imagine skyscrapers and bridges collapsing.


I picked this up from the Kiplinger Letter, a news report that is
behind a pay wall. Here's an excerpt:


Steel imports from China that fall apart easily are making U.S.
manufacturers and constructions firms more than a little nervous.
Reports of failures during initial fabrication and questions about
certification documents will mean closer scrutiny. The American and
Canadian institutes of steel construction have already advised member
companies to be vigilant and report any problems.


The biggest concern is hollow structural sections widely used in
construction of skyscrapers, bridges, pipelines, office, commercial
and school buildings. This high-strength steel is also commonly used
in power lifts, cranes, farm equipment, furniture and car trailer
hitches.


Chinese high-strength steel tubes and pipes are also a potential
problem. They're used extensively in power plants and in large
industrial boilers, and must withstand enormous pressures and hellish
heat around the clock for weeks or months on end. This kind of steel
also is used extensively in scaffolding that's erected on building
exteriors during construction or renovation, as well as for interior
work.


Inferior high-strength steel could cause catastrophic failures of
buildings, pipelines or in power plants' boiler tubing. This is a
large worry for structural engineers who will be working overtime as
states embark on what amounts to a crash program to shore up bridges,
following the collapse of the Minnesota span over the Mississippi
River. China is already seeing problems. A Chinese power plant
exploded recently when high-strength steel tubing blew out, says Roger
Schagrin, general counsel for the Committee on Pipe and Tube Imports,
which represents U.S. manufacturers of these products.


The report notes that steel pipe and tubing exports from China to
North America have skyrocketed from almost nothing two years ago to
102,000 metric tons in the first six months of this year. So some U.S.
companies are conducting tests on the imported steel.


Could this be a ploy by U.S. and Canadian manufacturers to protect
their markets? Sure.


A trade group, the American Institute of Steel Construction, came out
with a statement saying it is "premature to draw any conclusions from
any of the tests..."