National Steel Bridge Alliance
Inspecting Steel Bridges
Steel bridges have nothing to hide. Visual inspections yield quick, economical results--and an inspector can see and touch the structural elements of a steel bridge.
Steel bridge inspections require no costly equipment and no specialized testing methods. Fast, simple inspections are all you need to keep your inventory up-to-date.
You don’t have time to babysit your bridge inventory. If there’s a problem, you need to know about it fast, so you can fix it fast.
Steel is the ultimate choice for superior inspectability and repairability.
Visual Inspections = Quick, Economical Results
Structural steel components are easily accessible to bridge inspectors, so they can be simply visually inspected.
Inspectors can get up close to touch the steel that carries a bridge’s load, making it easy to obtain measurements and other data they need to accurately load-rate the structure.
That’s the benefit of a bridge with nothing to hide: The structural system is out in the open, where you can see it--and steel bridges are ideally suited for fast, economical repairs.
New cover plates on existing steel girders, like these on the Lincoln Avenue Bridge over
I-71 in Hamilton County, Ohio, increase the load capacity of a bridge to extend its service life.
Repairability
Steel bridges are ideal for fast, economical repairs--even in cases where a bridge in another material would need to be completely replaced. Find out more about extending the in-service life of bridges.
Need more strength for new loadings? Components can be strengthened with additional steel, or simply replace the damaged members--without removing the bridge permanently from service. FHWA design guides make this easy.
Read two case studies about repairing, strengthening, and reusing steel girder bridges.
Quickly Identify and Address the Most Common Types of Steel Highway Bridge Damage
Did you find any bridge issues during routine inspections? A new resource from the AASHTO/NSBA Steel Bridge Collaboration will guide you through the repairs!
G14.2 “Guidelines for Field Repairs and Retrofits of Steel Bridges” includes repair procedures, detailing techniques, maintenance recommendations, inspection recommendations, and preservation actions to repair and retrofit damaged steel bridges.
This guide represents the culmination of years of dedication and hard work by volunteers who include bridge owners, detailers, engineers, fabricators, and many other industry professionals.
What You See Is What You Get
Need a Fix--Fast?
Steel can be procured, fabricated, and installed at lightning speed.
The Brent Spence Bridge between Covington, Ky., and Cincinnati had 16 brand-new steel stringers installed just 18 days after a fire, and the bridge was closed for just over a month.
Damage from an Overheight Vehicle?
Tried-and-true heat-straightening techniques often provide a fast, easy fix.
This simple fix to an existing member gets traffic moving again and saves money. Find more information about steel bridge preservation.