Short Span Steel Bridges 
Excellence in Hot-Dip Galvanizing Awards Feature SSSBA Member Projects
Article and images provided by the American Galvanizers Association.
On March 29, 2023, the American Galvanizers Association (AGA) announced the winners of the 2023 Excellence in Hot-Dip Galvanizing Awards during their Annual Conference in Coronado, CA. More than 110 projects were submitted, representing a variety of applications of hot-dip galvanizing.
This year’s winners showcased the sustainable and innovative use of the hot-dip galvanized coating. Several members of the Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance received awards for projects, including:
AZZ Galvanizing
Hubbell Galvanizing
Valmont Coatings
- USACE Fort Wingate Bridge Replacement
- South Motors BMW Rooftop Canopy
- Key Crossing Reliability Initiative
- Nevada Gold – Turquoise Ridge Shaft No.3
V&S Galvanizing
- Jackson Generation Power Plant
- Mount Olive Solar
- Vertical Farming Robot Bases
- Newark Liberty Airport Canopy
Steel Bridge Projects Receive Awards
Two members of the SSSBA received awards for steel bridge projects:
USACE Fort Wingate Bridge Replacement
Category: Bridge & Highway
Galvanizer: Valmont Coatings – Valley Galvanizing
The USACE Fort Wingate Bridge in Gallup NM. Photo Credit: American Galvanizers Association
The US Army Corps of Engineers originally specified a three-sided concrete arched culvert. When they learned about press-brake formed steel tub girders, they approached a well-known fabricator to learn more about the alternative option. When they found out the steel tub girder would not only increase hydraulic flow but also come at a lower cost, the decision was simple. By the end of 2020, Weldin Construction was under contract with USACE, and the design process commenced.
The 70’ span x 25’ wide bridge had to be designed to comply with NMDOT Standard Specifications, utilize NMDOT Standard Steel Railing, and accommodate MLC 50 (Military Class) tracked vehicles. After rigorous design review by LBTD Engineering and USACE, the U-BEAM™ press-brake-formed steel tub girder design was approved for fabrication. After fabrication and hot-dip galvanizing, the steel U-BEAMs were sent to Tricon Precast for the precast deck installation. The complete units were shipped to the installation site on April 11th, 2022, and due to the accelerated construction design, they were installed the following day.
Noisette Creek Pedestrian Bridge
Category: Duplex Systems
Galvanizer: Hubbell Galvanizing
Noisette Creek Pedestrian Bridge in North Charleston, SC. Photo Credit: American Galvanizers Association
Designed by Thomas & Hutton, the Noisette Creek bridge in North Charleston, SC has been named by Architectural Digest as one of the 11 most beautiful elevated walkways through nature in the entire world. The meandering bridge was constructed as a place for people to enjoy the natural environment and the expansive water views while providing additional pedestrian access to the Riverfront Park. The curved pedestrian bridge includes a viewing platform at the midpoint across the bridge with a unique curved planter and bench.
The signature Keuka Style curved cable railing system was a natural choice for this bridge project since the curves of the posts complement the curves of the architecture. The posts are made to a 42″ height and are surface mounted to the walkway and viewing platform. The posts were hot-dip galvanized for corrosion protection as Noisette Creek is a tributary to Cooper River, a brackish estuary to the Atlantic Ocean in North Charleston, NC. The were finished with an oil bronze super durable powder coating for aesthetics.
The combination of hot-dip galvanizing and powder coating created a duplex system, combined with stainless steel cabling will provide a beautiful, low (or no) maintenance solution for the cabling system in a temperate marine environment.
Learn More About Hot-Dip Galvanized Steel Projects
To see more hot-dip galvanized steel projects, including other submissions to the 2023 competition and past winners, please visit the American Galvanizers Association website.
Does steel provide a sustainable option for bridges?
Steel is the most recycled material on the planet. Some of the sustainable advantages of steel include:
- Steel from a disassembled bridge can be used again for another project.
- Steel bridges can last 100 years or more, with minimal maintenance over their long service lives.
- The high strength of steel permits longer spans, which minimizes disruption to underlying habitats.
- Steel is highly resistant to extreme natural disasters such as earthquakes.
- The American steel industry has achieved a 31 percent reduction in energy intensity and a 36 percent reduction in greenhouse gas intensity since 1990.
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