The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) estimates that over 9% of short span bridges in America are structurally deficient (requiring yearly inspection and maintenance) and that over 188 million trips take place across these bridges every day. Replacing these problematic bridges has become a national priority for meeting infrastructure goals. The challenge rests in providing a cost-effective structural solution while minimizing traffic diversions by reducing bridge construction times.
Press Brake Formed girder systems allows for rapid erection and minimal traffic diversion. The design utilizes a Press Brake Formed girder with pre-cast concrete decks on top. Because of these pre-cast concrete decks and the modular design, setting a bridge using a Press Brake Formed girder system takes four hours, where alternative bridge solutions could take days to properly set. These bridge structures are already in use in Pennsylvania, where “the four pieces of the Folded Steel Plate Girder superstructure were erected in a half shift,” according to a Project Manager for the PennDOT Rapid Bridge Replacement Project.
Press Brake Formed girder systems have distinct advantages over conventional pre-cast and box bridges. Engineering and design costs are bundled together with the total cost of the bridge, which reduces underlying costs for county budgets. The open bottom design of the girder allows for easy inspection and maintenance, which is an important requirement for many counties.
Rapid installation causes minimal traffic diversion and economical operation. This rapid installation results in short lead times, and a complete bridge structure can have a total lead time of less than 30 days. Shorter lead times allow for higher volume bridge erection and an economic solution to our nation’s bridge problem.
AT&F’s long forming capabilities allow for custom lengths up to 59 feet, offering unmatched solutions for maximizing bridge length. Our unique capabilities allow for different girder designs for various bridge systems, all with the assurance of AT&F quality.
Contact Paul Horbaly at horbalyp@atfco.com for more information about AT&F’s girder forming capabilities.
Robotic Welding At AT&F