Materials Matter

1 Corinthians 3:9–15 HCSB

For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building. According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on that foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become obvious, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; yet it will be like an escape through fire.

Crazy but true.

Silver Spring transit center is unsafe; everyone's to blame

by Dan Reed • March 20, 2013

Structural problems make the Silver Spring Transit Center unsafe and all parties involved were responsible, says a report released yesterday. While there are ways to fix the complex, it's unclear how much it'll cost and when it'll be done.

Located next to the Silver Spring Metro station, the transit center is intended as a hub for local, commuter and intercity buses, MARC trains, and the future Purple Line. Construction began in 2008, but stopped over a year ago after workers discovered that the concrete was too thin.

Montgomery County hired KCE Structural Engineers to look at the three-story complex. They found significant construction defects, ranging from improperly-laid concrete to columns that don't meet fire codes. All of this is part of a 100-page report that was posted on the county's website yesterday, two months after its January deadline.

KCE concluded that the situation resulted from a "lack of coordination" between contractor Foulger-Pratt and engineering firm Parsons Brinckerhoff, while the county's independent inspectors from the Robert B. Balter Company failed to report problems or find adequate solutions for them.

The County Council discussed the report in a closed session yesterday afternoon, and County Executive Ike Leggett released a statement expressing dismay at its results. "Unfortunately, the news is not good," he said.

Construction errors, lack of oversight plague the project

According to KCE's report, discrepancies between Parsons Brinckerhoff's design documents and the working plans drafted by Foulger-Pratt's subcontractors led to improperly-installed and treated concrete, which was exposed to harsh winter weather and settled unevenly. The concrete developed cracks and broke away in places, leaving the complex susceptible to water damage and reducing its life expectancy to just 12.5 years when it was supposed to last for 50.

In addition, the transit center's concrete decks, meant to carry buses and other vehicles, aren't as strong as they're supposed to be. In some places, they were built without necessary reinforcing steel.

As previously noted, about 60% of the concrete in the decks were poured too thinly in some places and too thick in others. The slabs were supposed to be roughly 10 inches thick, but in reality, they ranged from 7 to 12 inches. And some columns, while being structurally sound, are thinner than what's allowed by the fire code.

Yet the county's inspectors looked the other way. KCE claims that they "did not raise sufficient concern" about cracks in the concrete and didn't look for a solution. It wasn't until September 2011, when the first reports of deficiencies were made public, that county officials directed Foulger-Pratt to find a fix. When they proposed sealing the cracked concrete with a waterproofing solution, the county said it was insufficient and sought out the help of KCE.

Report recommends solutions, but there's no plan to implement them

While the Transit Center is unsafe, KCE said the building can be saved and strengthened to meet the International Building Code and WMATA's standards. Much of the concrete and reinforcing steel is sound and the structure is strong enough to allow construction to resume.

KCE proposed a variety of "remedial actions" to make the complex stronger and more durable. They include waterproofing the structure, laying new concrete atop areas where it's too thin, replacing concrete slabs that have deteriorated, and strengthening some beams and girders with fiber reinforced polymers.

David Dise, director of the county's Department of General Services, told the Gazettethat the transit center "can be fixed, will be fixed," though no cost for the repairs or date for their completion has been given. Since 1999, the project's costs have tripled to $112 million.

Despite the results of the report, Foulger-Pratt insists that Montgomery County is still responsible for the ongoing delays. Last month, they filed a claim against the county.

"Everyone in this community—including us—has been waiting for more than a year for the County to act," said managing principal Bryant Foulger in a prepared statement. "If only the County had been willing to work cooperatively, the Transit Center would have been open by now for the benefit of everyone in Montgomery County."

The Silver Spring Transit Center has been planned for nearly 20 years. It's already one of the region's largest transportation hubs, with nearly 60,000 users each day, and an important part of the revitalization of downtown Silver Spring.

While it's a relief to finally have some answers about what went wrong, new questions have arisen, namely when the parties involved are going to get this long-awaited project finished.

Throughout the building of the transit center there were opportunities to stop the madness, to fix the situation, to change the materials.

So what can this crazy story teach us about our faith, and how it grows or shrinks and fails?

We choose the materials

1 Corinthians 3:11 HCSB

For no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ.

A disclaimer: Notice vs 11 talks about the importance of the foundation, and not trying to lay down another one. Our relationship with God has at it’s foundation Jesus, the moment we try and incorporate other things into that foundation, the moment we try and add to the birth, death and resurrection of Christ or attempt to take away from that same foundation we have an issue, the foundation will be insecure, the work will fail. Paul knows that people may try and add or take away from the foundation of our faith, but if we want a faith the lasts it has to be built on Christ.

Having said that once we have that foundation we have some choices to make, and those choices are what defines our relationship with God. The depth of my relationship with God is a direct result of the materials I choose to build it with. This choice is one of the coolest things about our faith but also one of the most frightening. How much easier would it be if there were not choices in or faith, if God was mandated behavior, over rode our free will, made us comply. The beauty of a relationship with God is that it’s just that a relationship full of ups and downs, the joy is that the one constant in our relationship with God is God. Always there always ready. We choose the type of relationship with brings us to the materials.

What the Three Little Pigs can teach us about faith

(tell the story briefly)

1. Quick and Easy = Spiritual Malnourishment

Wood, hay, straw

i. Inspirational calendars

When we turn to things other than God’s word for our sole sustenance it’s a problem.

ii. Occasional connection

1. When we join together when we feel like it, or only on the big important days it’s a problem.

iii. Throwing money at it

1. When we prefer to salve our conscious on any number of issues in our world that God wants us to touch by throwing money at it instead of being an active part of the solution it’s a problem.

Lasting Materials = Vibrant Faith

Gold, Silver, precious Stones represent lasting materials but what does that mean for us.

Personal Study

2 Timothy 3:16–17 HCSB

All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Willingness to Serve

Hebrews 10:24 HCSB

And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works,

Corporate Worship

Hebrews 10:25 HCSB

not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

This Week’s Challenge

What materials do you use when you are working on your walk with Christ. List them and if they are leaving you with a shaky faith replace them with the right material.