Short Span Steel Bridges 
eSPAN140 Steel Bridge Design Tool Updated with New Features
The Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance’s (SSSBA) eSPAN140 is an interactive web-based tool to design short span steel bridges up to 140 feet in length. The free tool provides bridge professionals with an all in-one resource to design rolled beam, plate girder, press-brake tub girder, and buried soil structures – in 5 minutes or less.
eSPAN140 provides standard designs and details, which expedite the overall design of a steel bridge to ultimately reduce the overall project delivery time.
Thousands of preliminary design solutions have been generated by bridge owners and designers since 2012, and the online tool was recently updated in 2020 to include the following:
- Updated rolled beam solutions to provide recommended sizes based on the most economical section.
Rolled beam sizing example from eSPAN140
- Addition of design standards for press-brake-formed steel tub girder for lengths up to 80 feet and skew angles under 20 degrees.
Press Brake Tub Girder example solution from eSPAN140
- Revised and streamlined buried steel bridge solutions, clarifying inputs and providing users with a more simplified selection process.
eSPAN140 example solution for the standard design and details of a buried soil structure.
- Updated industry contact information to quickly find available suppliers to assist with the design, fabrication, coating, and installation of a short span plate, rolled beam, press brake tub girder, or buried steel bridge.
Example from eSPAN140 showing industry contacts.
eSPAN140 also includes design details such as elastomeric bearings, bearing stiffeners, intermediate, and end diaphragms and connections.
It takes 5-minutes or less to complete your design – get started now!
What is eSPAN140?
eSPAN140 is an innovative, interactive web-based preliminary design tool to assist bridge professionals in the optimal, most cost-effective design of short span steel bridges (those with spans up to 140 feet). It provides bridge professionals with a single resource to find optimized steel solutions for their projects—a “one-stop shop” for steel fabrication and erection details.
To begin to use eSPAN140, simply go to www.eSPAN140.com and create a free account. Then input information about your specific project, including span length, number of striped traffic lanes, skew angle and design speed, among other requirements. eSPAN140 then provides a customized “Steel Bridge Solutions Book” in PDF file format based on the specific input provided.
The Solutions Book includes:
– Standard designs for rolled beam, plate girder, buried bridge, and press brake tub girders.– Contact information to design and build your bridge, as well as to provide pricing information.
-Access to complimentary design support.
eSPAN140
Weight Comparison Chart of Rolled Beams vs. Plater Girders
Tables compare the weight of or rolled beam sections to plate girder sections.
eSPAN140
Evaluation of Short Span Steel Bridge Design Standards
A design evaluation of two 80-foot simple short span steel bridges with cross-sections capable of carrying two traffic lanes.
eSPAN140
eSPAN140 Question and Answers
eSPAN140 is a interactive web-based tool to quickly develop cost-effective preliminary designs for short span steel bridges.