Opinion ID: 1468508
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Misconceived issues of law and fact

Text: At trial the Authority contended that the failure of the paint to adhere to the steel was caused by contaminants on the steel prior to painting. The alleged contaminant was mill scale or a residuum thereof. Mill scale is similar to rust in that both are caused by oxidation of the steel, but unlike rust in that it is bluish-black in color. However, whereas rust occurs at normal everyday temperatures, mill scale occurs in the manufacturing process as the steel cools, when temperatures are greater than 1000° F. Mill scale is not, therefore, an unusual condition. The prime component of mill scale is the oxide FeO, but FeO is not always evident because it is an extremely unstable compound, which rapidly deteriorates. If chemical analysis reveals FeO, mill scale is present, but the absence of FeO does not preclude the presence of mill scale. Paint systems most commonly used on bridges contain a linseed oil and red-lead base which is capable of penetrating mill scale, thereby helping the paint to adhere to the steel. Such systems generally have a high pigment volume concentration (PVC) which also helps the paint adhere to the surface. The Newport system was epoxy rather than linseed oil based and had a low PVC. Witnesses at trial agreed that an epoxy system had never been used on a bridge before; however, there was testimony that such systems had been used on ships and other marine structures and were in fact used on bridges subsequent to the painting of the Newport structure. It was recognized that the epoxy system was not able to penetrate mill scale. Therefore, the steel used in the project would have to be free of mill scale, although the residual stain could remain. This required cleaning of the steel to standard specifications (SSPC) 6 level, [3] and this requirement was part of the Specifications under which Bethlehem was to perform. Essentially, the Authority claimed that the SSPC 6 level had not been met, whereas Bethlehem argued that no competent engineer would have ordered a new and untested paint system for this bridge. Bethlehem's first argument, that the trial justice misconceived issues of law and fact, is two-pronged: (1) the trial justice's ultimate finding as to the presence of mill scale or a residuum thereof was based on a purely conjectural preliminary finding, and (2) the trial court overlooked the distinctions between the claim and counterclaim and the burden of proof allocable to each of the parties. In arguing that the findings as to mill scale were speculative, the company points to evidence adduced militating against its presence. Additionally, Bethlehem directs our attention to language in the trial court's decision which noted that the oxide FeO might well disappear in the open air after a period of time. This further breakdown of the oxide would presumably account for its absence from the bridge's superstructure. Bethlehem strenuously maintains that FeO does not disappear into thin air as rapidly as the trial court suggests, but that even assuming the absence of FeO could logically be explained, a finding of might well disappear is insufficient to sustain the Authority's burden of proof. Had the trial justice based his conclusions solely on the instability of FeO, Bethlehem might have cause for complaint, but that simply is not the case. The question of whether the steel had been properly prepared was exhaustively litigated. Numerous witnesses testified for and against the theory that mill scale or another contaminant was responsible for the paint failure. Quite simply, the question had to be resolved by weighing conflicting testimony. The trial justice did precisely this, and there was ample evidence on which he could base a finding concerning the presence of the mill scale. There was testimony that the paint system used on the Newport Bridge required an extremely careful job of surface preparation for the paint to adhere properly and that Bethlehem had encountered considerable difficulty with the blasting equipment it used to clean the steel. Witnesses also testified that examination of paint chip specimens from the bridge revealed the bluish-black substance on the underside of the chips was the oxide Fe3O4, which is usually the end product of corrosion. Moreover, the black substance conformed precisely to the contour of the paint, leading one to conclude that contaminants were on the steel when the paint was applied. There was expert testimony which identified the substance as mill scale. Finally, the trial justice gave great weight to motion pictures taken in 1974, which showed that the remedial work performed by Cannon was holding up extremely well where Bethlehem's had failed. As noted earlier, we will not disturb a trial court's finding unless it is shown to be clearly wrong. In light of the foregoing evidence, we cannot say that the trial justice was engaging in speculation, and accordingly we will not disturb his finding that mill scale or other contaminants were on the steel before Bethlehem began to apply the paint. The second aspect of Bethlehem's argument on this point concerns each party's burden of proof. Essentially, the company contends that the trial `justice rolled into one the Authority's claim and Count II of Bethlehem's counterclaim, found that Bethlehem did not prove Count II, and concluded that, therefore, the Authority's claim was proven. This formulation of the trial justice's findings and conclusions misses the mark. While it is true the trial court spoke in terms of the sole controversy being whether the paint failure was due to faulty steel preparation and paint application or attributable to inherent deficiencies of the paint specifications themselves, it does not necessarily follow that he misperceived the respective burdens of proof. Indeed, quite the opposite is evident in his decision. After summarizing the evidence at length and making numerous findings of fact, the trial justice observed that [a]lthough the plaintiff AUTHORITY has the burden of proving by a fair preponderance of evidence that the paint failure was due to a faulty preparation of the steel by BETHLEHEM in that mill scale and other contaminants were not removed to an SSPC No. 6 level prior to the application of paint, it is not necessary that the plaintiff prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the contaminant in each instance was mill scale. The court then found that the Authority had met its burden, that contaminants were present at the time of painting, and that in most instances the contaminant was mill scale or a residuum thereof. Proceeding to Bethlehem's burden of proof on Count II, the trial justice observed that the company's attempt to show that the Section 7 Specifications were inherently inadequate was a complete failure. He found the overwhelming weight of the testimony showed almost beyond doubt that the paint system designed by the Engineer was adequate for the Newport Bridge. He thus concluded that the massive failure which took place by 1970 was due to faulty surface preparation and/or application on the part of BETHLEHEM, its employees and agents. We are sure that the trial justice would be the first to admit that he treated the paint controversy as an entity. He summarized separately the evidence pertaining to it and made separate findings of facts and conclusions of law. We find no fault, however, with his treatment of the issue. The claim and counterclaim were not tried separately; all parties presented evidence on the steel preparation as well as the paint specifications. To argue, as Bethlehem has, that the trial justice erred because he spoke in terms of the sole controversy is to pay homage to semantics. It is abundantly clear from the findings and conclusions recited above that the trial justice knew the task before him and performed it. We, therefore, reject the contention that the trial justice misconceived issues of law and fact applicable to the Authority's complaint.