The San Fransisco Oakland Bay Bridge - a mega project that ESAB helped to deliver

Question: What do you do when you want to build a bridge in China, ship it to San Fransisco and you have never built a bridge before ?  

Answer: You ask ESAB China welding engineers based in Shanghai to get involved.  

The recently completed San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge mega project led by the American Bridge–Fluor joint venture and sub-contracted to Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co (ZPMC) has just been successfully completed in Shanghai and shipped to America. The US$ 350 million dollar project was made better, stronger and safer as a consequence of ESAB's technical involvement during the manufacturing process.  

During construction of the Bay Bridge on a small island close to Shanghai called Changxing, the contractor ZPMC experienced some welding related issues that had to be resolved before the completed components could be shipped to America. American Bridge –Fluor JV and ZPMC invited ESAB China to propose a technical solution.  

ESAB China's expert welding engineers worked closely with ESAB global experts to run trials and subsequently help introduce new welding procedures and consumables to China that resolved the welding issues.  ESAB China supplied a  total of 12 40' containers (130 T) of specialised welding wire called ESAB DualShield 70 Ultra Plus.  

ESAB China's new marketing director based in Shanghai, Sarah Robinson, who had a long association with the project says: "This is just the tip of the bridge building ice berg. Our association with the Bay Bridge project is well known and already other Chinese bridge builders have started to work with ESAB China. This is the start of a new manufacturing industry market sector called Remote Bridge Building.   

This successful project has already drawn the interest of several upcoming international & domestic China bridge projects. The technology and location of bridge building has changed and ESAB China is well positioned to take maximum advantage of this new trend.   

With 100 years of experience, a presence in over 80 countries and more than 8,000 employees worldwide, ESAB is the world's most recognised brand in welding and cutting. The ESAB China business was established in1996 and is well recognized as a premium welding solution provider in China.