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

The Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance (SSSBA) will participate in the 58th Annual Mid Atlantic Quality Assurance Workshop in Hershey, Pennsylvania, February 9-11, 2026.

Dr. Michael Barker (barker@uwyo.edu), SSSBA Director of Education and Professor at the University of Wyoming, will present:

Practical Approaches to Building Cost-Efficient and Accelerated Short Span Steel Bridges

• Date & Time: Tuesday, February 10, 3:00-3:40pm ET
• Location: Hershey Lodge – Hershey, Pennsylvania
• Session: Metals Session, Empire A/B
• Presentation Slides: Download (PDF 6MB)
• Full Conference Agenda

Session Overview

The presentation highlights how common short span steel bridge systems—including rolled beams, plate girders, buried steel structures, modular beams, and press-brake-formed tub girders—can be designed and constructed efficiently while overcoming common cost and constructability misconceptions. Attendees will see step-by-step demonstrations using SSSBA’s eSPAN140 and the new eBEAM140 design tools, showing how engineers can quickly evaluate design options, optimize girder selection, and explore “what-if” scenarios to reduce steel weight, simplify detailing, and accelerate delivery.

The session also features case studies from around the country that showcase prefabricated steel bridge solutions, accelerated bridge construction (ABC), contractor- and county-built bridges, and innovative systems such as Simple for Dead, Continuous for Life (SDCL) and press-brake-formed tub girders. These examples highlight measurable benefits in cost savings, construction time, sustainability, and long-term performance.

Whether you are an owner looking to stretch limited budgets, an engineer seeking practical design tools, or a practitioner interested in innovative steel bridge systems, this session provides actionable insights you can apply immediately on your next short span bridge project.

Presentation Slides: Download (PDF 6MB)

About the Mid-Atlantic Quality Assurance Workshop

The Mid-Atlantic Quality Assurance Workshop (QAW) is a three day annual event that has been held each year since 1967 and is dedicated to highway materials and quality control/assurance of highway materials.

The workshop includes two main sessions covering a wide range of highway topics as well as five all day breakout sessions, devoted to the latest information on highway materials in the areas of asphalt, concrete, metals, maintenance, soils and aggregates.

The states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia make up the Mid-Atlantic QAW. Sponsorship of the Workshop is rotated yearly.