Don't worry, trust METRO (or not)
KHOU-11's Jason Whitely reports that a private firm hired by the Texas Medical Center has found worrisome stray current levels related to METRO's Main Street light-rail line:
In an eight page executive summary of a report prepared by Corrpro for the Texas Medical Center, and reviewed by 11 News, experts discovered worrisome levels of stray current in the foundation walls of the Meyer Building, part of Texas Children’s Hospital, and the Thermal Energy Corporation’s piping system, which supplies water to the all of the hospitals and medical buildings.
Corrpro said these two facilities “had stray current effects sufficient to warrant continued surveillance to detect and respond to possible increases.”
Electricity can corrode the steel rebar enveloped in concrete which is used in foundations and over time could eventually compromise structures.
Inconsequential effects of the leaking current from the light rail line were found at Methodist Hospital, UT Medical School, St. Luke’s Medical Tower, Memorial Hermann Professional Building, Fannin Holcombe Garage, Ben Taub Hospital and Parking Lot E of the Meyer Building.
No stray current was detected in other areas at Texas Children’s Hospital, Memorial Hermann Hospital and the M.D. Anderson Cancer Prevention Center.
Over time, corrosion experts said, all of these facilities could see stray current levels increase.
“Transit system rail stray currents tend to increase as the system ages,” the report stated. Corrpro said the Texas Medical Center “should expect to continue a monitoring program for the life of the rail system.”
METRO's response, as reported by Whitely, is that only a few testing locations had stray current issues that warranted any concern whatsoever.
Previously, METRO's PR representative had assured that the problem posed no more concern than a nine-volt battery, an assessment apparently not shared by the professional engineers hired by the Medical Center to perform independent testing.
UPDATE: The Chronicle posts a catch-up story by Rad Sallee on the topic. The Froot Loops editor must have departed for the day, letting the actual news staff swing into action.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 07/11/07 12:20 PM | Print |
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