Federal Government Joins Whistleblower’s Lawsuit Over Faulty Concrete in Silver Line Project

The Justice Department and the Virginia attorney general’s office are joining a whistleblower’s lawsuit that accuses a subcontractor of intentionally using defective concrete for the $2.7 billion Silver Line project.

In 2016, Nathan Davidheiser, the whistleblower, filed the lawsuit against Universal Concrete Products Corp., alleging the company urged him to falsify records when concrete failed quality testing. Results showed concrete was prone to cracking and water erosion, according to the lawsuit.

The documents in the case, which include text messages ordering falsification of data, were unsealed Wednesday.

“Make something up and make sure it’s a good number,” one supervisor said, according to the lawsuit.

Davidheiser worked as a lab technician for Universal Concrete, which has a contract for the Silver Line project worth $4 million, according to the lawsuit.

Last month, the Silver Line project came under fire after it was revealed that major concrete issues in thousands of locations. Metro officials said they plan to coat panels every decade to boost their durability, an added cost that would be shouldered by the contractor.

Photo by Fatimah Waseem

Recent Stories

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors faces tough decisions ahead of next week’s budget markup session, following demands from local unions to increase county employees’ wages.Last week, dozens of county…

Reston’s popular community yard sale is temporarily moving down the road. More than 3,000 people are expected to attend the biannual event when it returns this Saturday (April 27), according to Reston Association, the organizer.

Morning Notes

Virginia bluebells bloom in Reston (photo by Marjorie Copson) Clifton Family Mourns Sons Killed in Fire — “When Fairfax County firefighters found two boys inside a fiery Virginia house earlier…

Marc Smith will serve as the new Herndon economic development director starting in May (courtesy Town of Herndon) The Town of Herndon is getting a new director of economic development….

×

Subscribe to our mailing list