A Break



New East Span Bay Bridge (on right)

We departed Emeryville on July 8^th and made our way back across the Bay, this time passing under the east span of the Oakland Bay Bridge.  We were able to see the construction of the new Bay Bridge which is due to open December 2013.  Temporary repairs were made to the old bridge following the fatal Loma Prieta earthquake; later, Bay Area politicians spent ten years agreeing on a design for a new east span bridge.

Old and New Oakland Bay Bridge

The new bridge was scheduled to open on Labor Day in 2012 but was postponed after 32 bolts were found to be fractured.  The fractures were discovered in March after the rods/bolts were tensioned.  These high-strength steel rods or bolts were installed in seventeen different locations on the bridge, adding to the scope of safety concerns.  A metallurgical investigation team found that the rods failed due to hydrogen embrittlement, the process by which metals become brittle and fracture following exposure to hydrogen.  

New Bay Bridge Span

The metallurgical condition of the steel rods was found to differ in hardness from the center to the edge, and at the surface.  High strength steel above 150 ksi (the force in 1,000 pounds per square inch to elongate steel beyond its yield) has an affinity for hydrogen.  Additionally, the steel rods for the new Bay Bridge were hot-dipped galvanized in order to protect the steel from corrosion; this method can also make the steel susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement due to excessive heat, releasing internal hydrogen.  Rods sitting in ducts for five years before they were tensioned may have also been a factor.  Temporary drainage and sealing had not prevented the ingress and collection of rainwater, which may have been a contributing source of hydrogen contamination in the rods.  

Looking Back - We made it past the construction

After hearing about the engineering challenges of the Bay Bridge on the local news, I decided to do some more research on the Internet – it is all very interesting and I’ll probably find myself looking for fractures as we pass under and over the many bridges on our drive home to Seattle this week to visit family and friends.  Yes, it's a short break from boating, but after our return we'll be off exploring more of the San Francisco Bay Area.


Aerial View - Oakland to San Francisco (new bridge on right)

Visit to Berkeley Campus

 

 

 

 




Approaching the Oakland-Bay Bridge (Oracle C72 at practice once again)

It’s been said that boaters could spend an entire summer cruising the greater San Francisco Bay area and still not complete the circuit of places to visit including the reaches of the extensive river delta system.  With several excursions in mind, we crossed the Bay on July 1^st passing under the western span of the Oakland Bay Bridge and headed for Emeryville Marina, located five miles from Berkeley. 





Oakland-Bay Bridge and Tunnel through Yerba Buena Island

Much of San Francisco Bay is quite shallow including the entrance into Emeryville consisting of a narrow dredged channel of only 6 feet!  We carefully followed the marked channel which ends with a hard right turn into the marina, a narrow entrance through the breakwater.  

Emeryville Marina, Hills of Berkeley in distance

The marina at Berkeley is even more challenging to enter so we chose Emeryville Marina instead which offers a lovely waterfront park with views of the Golden Gate and downtown San Francisco; folks come here to walk the pathways, relax on a park bench, or to enjoy a picnic lunch.  

Waterfront Park & Bike Path - Emeryville Marina

A bike path leads to downtown Emeryville or you can follow the pathway along the Bay northward to access downtown Berkeley.  Today, we made the five-mile trek into Berkeley and then up the hillside to visit the campus.  

Bike Ride north to Berkeley

We remember Berkeley from our “hippie” days as being the site of numerous protests during the 1960’s which coincided with the larger national Civil Rights Movement, Free Speech Movement, and the Vietnam War protests.  The campus war protests were often met with police force and at one point the National Guard was called to assist - tear gas was used to control the crowds which left a haze of gas over the campus for days at a time.  Students at Berkeley today are mostly main stream but both liberal and conservative groups are active on campus.  

Berkeley Campus - Library far right

We toured the campus by bike, stopping at the beautiful Bancroft Library built in 1948 and Sather Tower (The Campanile) built in 1914.  Standing 307 feet high, the tower was modeled after the one which stands in Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy.  

Beautiful Wood Ceiling in the Bancroft Library

The Campanile

The Hearst Greek Theatre, owned and operated by the University of California, Berkeley, is an amphitheater designed after the ancient Greek theatre of Epidaurus.  Built in 1903 and financed by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, this 8,500-seat theatre hosts the Berkeley Jazz Festival and other music concerts as well as graduation ceremonies and occasional addresses by notable speakers.  Other interesting buildings include South Hall built in 1873, one of the few original buildings still standing from the early (1868-1903) Berkeley campus.  What is considered the historic campus today began with the 1898 architectural competition for university buildings funded by the mother of William Randolph Hearst.  This unprecedented competition came about from the one-upmanship between the prominent Hearst and Stanford families of the Bay Area.  Of course the universities are still arch rivals to this day; and before the start of a big game, Berkeley holds its traditional bonfire rally in the Greek Theatre.

The Greek Amphitheatre