Cracking on - or cracking up

Body: 

You couldn't make this up, could you?  An article in the Herald reveals the concrete in the tram rail bed is cracking up after early test runs.

The article was flagged up by one of our (unpaid) army of spotters accompanied by this list of extracts and the final comment.

 
"...expansion joints had not been added to the concrete." Come on, you Engineers. Tell me that expansion joints are not mandatory?
 
"...the reinforcement wires will rust and then the concrete will break apart. It's clearly going to be a maintenance problem. " Are these not statements of the blindingly obvious? I sincerely hope that there is a clause in the contract to cover the cost of repair/replacement. 
 
"...but it indicates that this is a bit of a rushed job and they didn't quite get it right." Understatement...
 
"...most likely associated with shrinkage after casting the concrete". Did the contractor forget to keep watering the concrete as it set?
 
"A council spokesman said: "Cracking within concrete is common and the majority of cracks, such as this one, have no structural influence on performance. The contractor and the council have a monitoring process in place."
 
" The statement doesn't fill me with much confidence..."
 

Can't really disagree with that last comment...  

ESPECIALLY

When linked to THIS story in the Scotsman  (brought to our attention by a separate person) on the problems of the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine railtrack where £17M of repairs are needed just 5 years after it was completed.

The original costs had rocketed coming in almost double, while the project was delivered 2 and a half years late.....

And the link between Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine ongoing debacle and the cracks in the tram line?

They were the only two schemes that the grotesquely incapable TIE company was involved  in as project managers.

NOT on time NOT on budget .. and the problems NOT over ---even years after the line opens --- sound familiar?

Can we have our Public Enquiry, now please  - while it can still do some good?