There are a multitude of skyscrapers out there in China, and maybe no calamity will ever befall any of them. But on days like today, one has to wonder.
This morning’s Shanghai Daily carries a small article, the gist of which is that half the steel sold in the city’s wholesale markets for construction fails quality tests.
Yup. As I type this, I’m on the 14th floor of a building with no sprinkler system. I’ve always worried about fire. Now my overactive imagination is beginning to wonder about the building’s stability.
But first back to the article, which I spotted via the Danwei news site and the Shanghai Scrap blog. It says the Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Administrative Bureau inspected 52 batches of steel material at three markets and 15 construction sites in seven districts, and officials said 27 batches had quality problems.
It says some of the steel is “five times lighter” than China’s minimum standard for building.
“About 22 percent of the tested products failed tension tests. Buildings with such steel would not be able to withstand major earthquakes, the bureau said.
“Forty-eight percent of the tested material had inadequate amounts of carbon. Shortage of carbon can cause steel to break easily, officials explained.
“The bureau would not reveal where the steel was in use.”
That won’t exactly build confidence among those having to work or dwell in Shanghai high-rises.
Makes me think back to the collapse of the bridge in the Twin Cities in Minnesota last year. No one had a clue that there was a serious stability issue. Then Bam! Everyone talks about it. Same goes for steel from China. Go to this blog post of mine about building materials from last year and read the first comment. The guy knows what he’s talking about and is really concerned.
So what we know is: Shoddy steel is rampant in Shanghai. Regulators have detected it. They won’t say where it is in use. So we can’t worry too much about it. In other words, it’s not a big issue. That is until Bam! It’s a really big issue and people are dead.
Since, according to the Chinese government, it is the importers responsibiltiy to ensure that the goods they purchase are of good quality, not the Chinese government. And in this case, it must be the responsibility of the people occupying the high rises - apartments and office buildings - to ensure that the buildings are structurally sound.
All Chinese should test the building they are entering - hopefully before they enter. The problem is, how do you inspect a building before you enter ?
Posted by: Bill | March 13, 2008 at 11:41 AM
Do take note that the US, Europe and the Middle East also import Chinese steel. You can say that inspectors would catch this sort of thing, but the importers' side has continuously turned its back on shoddy Chinese imports for 10 years. We are just now learning about crap heparin, lead toys and poisoned food.
Rotten, evil China.
Posted by: nanheyangrouchuan | March 13, 2008 at 12:38 PM
You got to insist on genuine Kryptonite or you have no one to blame but yourself.
Posted by: A B | March 13, 2008 at 03:15 PM
Constructing a product and selling it for maximum profit (at the expense of quality) is not unique to the Chinese government. That we continue to purchase those products is what I find most puzzling. It makes me think that someone 'closer to home' must be making some cash on the deal... hmmm.
Posted by: kt | March 13, 2008 at 06:49 PM
I personaly know of at least 2 electric powerplants in the U.S. that are being built with the use of Chinese steel components.
Posted by: william jones | March 22, 2008 at 12:50 PM