Education

Taking on America’s Infrastructure Challenge, One County at a Time

The Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance (SSSBA) has developed design tools and educational sessions for county engineers, bridge owners and designers to equip them to move forward. Steel is an optimal material for short span bridges, ensuring durability, speed of design and construction, ease of installation, light weight, the use of local crews, cost-effectiveness and time efficiencies.

The SSSBA is now offering customized virtual and in-person workshops for counties, DOTs, and design firms.  If you are interested in obtaining more information, or scheduling a customized workshop for your state/county or organization, please click here for more information.

Additional tools and educational options:

  • eSPAN140 – A free, web-based design tool that provides customized short span steel bridge solutions in less than five minutes. To access this tool, users go to espan140.com; type in the parameters for their projects such as span length, width and the number of striped traffic lanes; and receive customized preliminary designs and the names of suppliers and fabricators who can take the project from concept through completion. Since 2012, thousands of preliminary designs have been generated by eSPAN140.
  • Short Span Steel Bridge Workshops – The SSSBA offers complimentary educational on-site workshops specifically for county engineers, state DOTs, and design firms. The half-day (or full day) workshops provide practical information on the safe and cost-effective design, detail, fabrication and installation of short span steel bridges (under 140 feet)―including information on standardized designs developed by the bridge industry. Learn more.
  • Steel Bridge Forum – The SSSBA supports the National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA) to conduct one-day Forums that cover short-, medium- and long-span steel bridge design, and associate research. The Steel Bridge Forums are conducted throughout the U.S. and are ideal for Departments of Transportation.
  • National/Regional Bridge Conferences – SSSBA representatives and county engineers discuss short span steel bridge design and construction at several conferences throughout the year. Our experts are available to provide presentations on topics specific to bridge design and construction.
  • Webinars – The SSSBA hosts one-hour webinars on short span steel bridge design that are eligible for Professional Development Hours (PDHs), conducted by Dr. Michael Barker at the University of Wyoming, Dr. Karl Barth at West Virginia University, Dr. Greg Michaelson at Marshall University and special guest speakers. Learn more.
  • Project Assistance –The SSSBA offers complimentary design support for questions relating to bridge and buried soil steel structure design. The topics include standard design and details of short span bridges (plate girder and rolled beams, buried bridge, press brake tub girders), prefabricated short span steel solutions, durability solutions, and more.
  • Case Studies and Videos – Efficiencies in design, cost and time on specific projects are documented in case studies on the SSSBA website.

SSSBA Educational Resources

Free Virtual Steel Bridge Plate Girder Design 6-Part Live Lectures Series (Starts Sept. 29)

Free Steel Bridge Plate Girder Design Course: 6-Part Live Webinar Series (Starts Feb. 24)

Take your bridge design skills to the next level in this free six-part webinar series led by Dr. Michael Barker, University of Wyoming. Learn step-by-step how to design a composite plate girder bridge and earn a certificate of completion in this course from the SSSBA.

SSSBA Steel Playbook Webinar Series

Free 4-Part Quarterly Webinar Series: Steel Bridge Playbook (Next Webinar May 7)

This free, four-part quarterly webinar series delivers expert insights on steel bridge design, preservation, and innovation. Explore essential design resources, corrosion protection through galvanizing, accelerated construction methods, and real-world case studies to gain practical guidance for every steel bridge project. Sponsored by SSSBA and AGA.

Mid Atlantic Quality Assurance Workshop

SSSBA to Present on Accelerated Steel Bridge Design at Mid Atlantic Quality Assurance Workshop (Feb. 9-11)

The SSSBA will participate in the 2026 Mid-Atlantic Quality Assurance Workshop in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Don’t miss Dr. Michael Barker’s presentation on Feb. 10, 3:00–3:40 p.m. ET, highlighting practical approaches for cost-efficient, accelerated short span steel bridges.

New Jersey Short Span Steel Bridge Workshop (Feb. 12 - Trenton, NJ)

New Jersey Short Span Steel Bridge Workshop (Feb. 12 – Trenton, NJ)

Sponsored by the SSSBA, the New Jersey workshop offers practical, up-to-date guidance on cost-effective, durable steel bridge solutions to help local agencies address infrastructure needs and make the most of limited resources.

AISC NSBA Student Bridge Competition

Help Provide an Amazing Competition for Student Bridge Engineers!

AISC/NSBA is seeking volunteers to support the Student Steel Bridge Competition, helping teams from more than 200 colleges and universities—no experience required.

Steel Bridge Lecture: Steel Solutions for Local Communities (Ft. Collins, CO – Feb. 19)

Join the SSSBA and Structural Engineers Association of Colorado (SEAC) on February 19 in Fort Collins, Colorado, for “Building Bridges: Steel Solutions for Local Communities” presented by Dr. Michael Barker. Learn how short span steel bridges cut costs, speed construction, and earn 1.0 PDH.

Purdue University Steel Bridge Seminar

NSBA and Purdue Offer Free Steel Bridge Seminar Series (Starts Feb. 4)

Hosted by Purdue University and sponsored by the National Steel Bridge Alliance, this four-part webinar series features leading experts presenting state-of-practice topics across steel bridge fabrication, design, evaluation and inspection.

Minnesota LTPA Webinar 2025 Short Span steel Bridges

Steel Bridges for Smarter, Faster Construction – On-Demand Steel Bridge Video Series

This three-part on-demand video series covers integral abutments, simple for dead continuous for live designs and prefabricated bridge options.

Building Better Bridges 2025 Webinar Series

Building Better Bridges in 2025 – On-Demand Steel Bridge Video Series

In this four-part, on-demand video series, watch leading industry experts share insights on cost-efficient, resilient steel bridge design and installation. Downloadable presentation materials are available.

AASHTO Offers Guardrail Courses On Basics, Installation and Maintenance

AASHTO recently submitted its surface transportation reauthorization recommendations to the U.S. Department of Transportation in response to the agency’s Request for Information.

Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance Meeting

Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance Semi-Annual Meeting – March 5, 2026

SSSBA members are invited to attend the next semi-annual meeting, available virtually or in person in Washington, D.C., to discuss the latest research, technical advancements and educational initiatives in steel bridge design and construction.

Free Virtual Steel Bridge Plate Girder Design 6-Part Live Lectures Series (Starts Sept. 29)

Free Steel Bridge Plate Girder Design Course: 6-Part Live Webinar Series (Starts Dec. 2)

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! Take your bridge design skills to the next level in this free six-part webinar series led by Dr. Michael Barker, University of Wyoming. Learn step-by-step how to design a composite plate girder bridge and earn a certificate of completion in this brand-new course from the SSSBA.

Steel in Action Webinar Series

Steel in Action: On-Demand Steel Bridge Video Series

Watch this four-part, on-demand video series featuring expert-led case studies on cost-effective, resilient short span bridge projects—now available with downloadable presentation materials.

University of Florida AISC Student Bridge Competition

University of Florida Wins 2025 Student Bridge Competition

For a record-breaking fifth consecutive year, student engineers at the University of Florida were crowned the National Champions in the 2025 Student Steel Bridge Competition.

United for Infrastructure Week steel bridge resilience short span galvanizing

Video: United for Infrastructure Webinar – Steel Bridges and Resilience

During Infrastructure Week, Dr. Michael Barker and Jeff Cunningham highlighted the benefits of galvanized steel in resilient bridge design and construction. An on-demand video of the presentation is now available.

Steel Bridges for Local Communities

Video: Steel Bridges for Local Communities

Watch the video and download the presentation from the Webinar, “Steel Bridges for Local Communities,” sponsored by the Minnesota Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP).

National Steel Bridge Alliance Logo

NSBA Releases Steel Bridge Engineering PowerPoint Modules

The National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA) offers a new set of 14 PowerPoint modules covering university-level fundamentals of steel bridge engineering.

Student Bridge Competition 2024

University of Florida Wins 2024 Student Bridge Competition

Student engineers from the University of Florida secured their fourth straight first-place overall win in the Student Steel Bridge Competition National Finals.

Guidelines for Repair and Retrofits

AASHTO/NSBA Steel Bridge Collaboration Releases Guidelines for Field Repairs and Retrofits

The AASHTO/NSBA Steel Bridge Collaboration releases guidelines focused on repair procedures and retrofit for damaged steel bridges.

Steel Bridge Webinar Series

On-Demand Steel Bridge Video Series: Learning By Example

A distinguished panel of 8 industry experts to present case studies that offer innovative and cost-effective examples of steel bridge replacement projects.

Student Bridge Competition

Student Steel Bridge Competition Showcase Ideas for Wildlife Refuge Crossing

Student design teams took on this year’s challenge to design, analyze, fabricate, and construct a conceptual scaled steel bridge to serve as a hypothetical crossing in the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge.

West Virginia Bridge Standards Steel

West Virginia DOT Publishes Standard Bridge Plans for Short Span Bridges

The SSSBA Bridge Technology Center worked with the West Virginia Department of Transportation to developed standard bridges plans for composite rolled beam and plate girders.

Design Standards

SSSBA Provides Bridge Owners With Complimentary Design Details

The complimentary service allows for the production of standard rolled beam and plate girder designs for highway bridge applications.

2022 Summer Webinar Series

12-Part Video Series: Designing Cost-Effective and Resilient Bridges

Free 12-part video series covers topics essential to the design and installation of steel bridges.

Building a Sustainable Infrastructure with Steel Bridges

Building a Sustainable Infrastructure with Steel Bridges

Presentations from a five-part webinar series covering topics essential to the design and installation of steel bridges are now available on-demand.

Modern Corrosion Protection Systems - SSSBA Website

Modern Corrosion Protection Systems

Presentations from a five-part webinar series covering topics essential to the design and installation of steel bridges are now available on-demand.

Steel Bridge Case Studies - SSSBA Website(1)

Steel Bridge Case Studies

Presentations from a five-part webinar series covering topics essential to the design and installation of steel bridges are now available on-demand.

Steel Bridge Design Tools - SSSBA Website

Steel Bridge Design Tools Demonstration

Presentations from a five-part webinar series covering topics essential to the design and installation of steel bridges are now available on-demand.

Steel Bridge Economics

Steel Bridge Economics

Presentations from a five-part webinar series covering topics essential to the design and installation of steel bridges are now available on-demand.

UFL Student Bridge Competition

Student Steel Bridge Competition Showcase Ideas for Wildlife Crossing

Students across the country rose to the challenge and designed a broad array of ideas that would help wildlife safely cross I-90 in Washington state.

New Brunswick Underpass Buried Steel Bridge

Buried Steel Bridges: CSPI 2-Part Video Series

The Corrugated Steel Pipe Institute and the Ontario Good Roads Association present a two-part video series on the use of buried steel bridges.

press brake tub girder

The American Steel Industry: Meeting the Global Demand for a Sustainable Infrastructure and Educated Workforce

With jobs in renewables estimated to reach 42 million globally by 2050., the American steel industry is prepared to meet the challenge of educating a new sustainable workforce.

buried steel bridge

What is a Buried Steel Bridge?

Joel Hahm, Contech Engineered Solutions, provides information on buried steel bridges.

2021 Summer Webinar Series

Steel Bridge Essentials: 6-Part Video Series

A six-part webinar series covering topics essential to the design and installation of steel bridges is now available on-demand.

12-Part Technical Video Bridge Series

12-Part Topic-Based Technical Bridge Video Series

The series reviews basic concepts and ideas pertinent to engineers new to bridge design and those looking for a refresher in fundamental concepts.

United for Infrastructure - Building Sustainable Solutions

Building a Sustainable Infrastructure 3-Part Video Series

Free video lectures featuring industry experts who provide insights on the sustainability of steel bridges.

Live Load Distribution Factors

Video: Live Load Distribution (Part Two)

This video provides an overview live load distribution factors for parameters affecting LLDFs AASHTO Provisions, and some additional topics.

Temporary Steel Bridge

Temporary Steel Bridge Video Series

Collection of 4-videos recorded from a webinar series hosted by the SSSBA on temporary steel bridges.

Contech - Buried Bridge - California

What You Should Know About Buried Bridges

Joel Hahm, Contech Engineered Solutions, provides an expert Q&A on buried bridges.

Live Load Distribution One

Video: Live Load Distribution (Part One)

This video provides an overview of vehicular live loads, structural analysis and live load distribution for bridge design.

Sustainable Steel Bridge

What is a Sustainable Bridge?

Steel bridges can improve our nation’s infrastructure with sustainable solutions that will last well into the next century.

Understanding Construction Loads

Video: Understanding Construction Loads

This video provides a general understanding of construction loads for short span steel bridges.

Options for Short-Span Steel Bridge Solutions

Video: Options for Short Span Steel Bridge Solutions

This video provides a summary of economical short span steel bridge solutions to consider for various lengths of crossings.

steel bridge FAQ

Video: 5 Frequently Asked Steel Bridge Questions

This video discusses the most frequently asked questions about short span steel bridges.

Best Practices for Construction

Video: Best Practices During Construction

This video provides an overview of the best practices during construction for short span steel bridges.

14 Reasons to Use Steel Bridges

14 Reasons to Use Structural Steel For Bridges

Here are 14 reasons why steel provides an economical and sustainable choice for the repair or replacement of bridges.

Steel Bridge Virtual Learning

It’s Back to (Virtual) School Time with Free Steel Bridge Education!

Take advantage of these free steel bridge virtual learning opportunities to advance your resume, academic pursuits, or career.

Truss Steel Bridge

Advantages of Steel Truss Bridge Construction

5 advantages of constructing steel truss bridges for both short and long span crossings.

United for Infrastructure Week

Video: United for Infrastructure Webinar – Accelerated Steel Bridge Showcase

Video presentation highlights several steel bridge projects that featured accelerated bridge design and construction.

SSSBA Steel Bridge Education Workshops

Free Customized Workshops for Counties, DOTs, and Design Firms

The SSSBA now offers free customized in-person or vitual workshops for bridge owners and designers.

Steel Bridge Fabrication

Video: Suggested Fabrication Details, Part 2

This video provides an overview of simple and economical practices specific to girder fabrication.

Steel Bridge Fabrication

Video: Suggested Fabrication Details, Part 1

This video provides an overview of simple and economical fabrication for framing system layouts.

Understanding Fatigue of Steel Bridges

Video: Understanding Fatigue

This video provides a basic overview of fatigue theory and relevant specifications related to short-span steel bridges.

Basics of Limited States

Video: Basics of Limit States and LRFD Bridge Design

This video provides an introduction to the basics of limit state design and how engineers design and detail bridges.

Steel Bridge 7-Part Webinar Series

Collection of 7-videos recorded from a webinar series hosted by the SSSBA on solutions for cost-effective steel bridges.

Myths and Realities of Steel Bridges

Steel Bridge Construction: Myths & Realities

Report dispels the “myths” surrounding the use of steel in bridge construction.

Steel Buried Bridge

Hidden in Plain Sight–the Design, Cost and Maintenance Advantages of Steel Buried Bridges

Steel buried bridges are durable and resilient, with the ability to support very heavy loads.