Designers, owners, fabricators, and contractors are all invited to enter this year’s Prize Bridge Awards, sponsored by the National Steel Bridge Alliance and the American Institute of Steel Construction. New this year is a special award to celebrate owners who are on the cutting-edge of innovation.
“We’re looking for outstanding bridges that showcase and celebrate the innovative use of structural steel,” said Charles J. Carter, SE, PE, PhD, president of AISC. The entry deadline is September 30, 2023, and there is no fee to enter the competition.
The panel of industry-expert judges will also consider entries in several categories defined by bridge size and function, weighing each project’s innovation, economics, aesthetics, design, and engineering solutions.
“Structural steel is driving bridge innovation across the country, on projects that range from grand suspension bridges to the small but vital county roads that connect communities,” said NSBA Senior Director of Market Development Jeff Carlson, PE. “The Prize Bridge Awards are a showcase of the best bridge engineering and construction in our industry--and the people who make it happen every day.”
This new Owner of the Year award is specifically for the DOTs, counties, cities, tollways, and other owners around the country whose innovative steel project(s) move the industry forward.
The judges will consider innovation, advancement of the industry, economics, design, design/research, engineering solutions, and project delivery methods when evaluating submissions, and they will give higher priority to projects by in-house design and/or research teams.
NSBA will also present the Bridge of the Year award to the most significant recently completed bridge in America. The judges will select three finalists from all bridges entered in the competition. The teams behind those three projects will have the opportunity to present their projects to the industry during the first session of the World Steel Bridge Symposium in San Antonio, Texas (March 20 to 22, 2024) before the audience votes to choose a winner!
Eligibility Requirements
Eligible bridges must be:
- Built of structural steel produced and fabricated in the United States
- Located in the U.S., defined as the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories
- Completed and opened to traffic between September 9, 2021 and August 31, 2023.
Any team member from an eligible bridge project may submit it for award consideration.
History of the Prize Bridge Awards
In 1928, the American Institute of Steel Construction awarded its first Prize Bridge Award to the Sixth Street Bridge in Pittsburgh, which would later be renamed to honor the legendary Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Roberto Clemente.
Since then, AISC and the National Steel Bridge Alliance have recognized more than 600 outstanding steel bridges across the country. View these fabulous bridges by clicking here.