SSSBA To Participate in National Transportation in Indian Country Conference

On September 26, SSSBA Education Director Michael Barker, Ph.D., P.E. will present information on steel bridge solutions at the National Transportation in Indian Country Conference (NTICC) in Anchorage, AK.

The NTICC focuses on professionals who interact with federal officials and their peers regarding tribal transportation issues and challenges.

This conference comes at a great time, when President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which invests more than $13 billion directly into tribal communities across the country and makes them eligible for billions more.

This critical funding will repair roads, bridges and rails, expand access to clean drinking water, and advance environmental justice.

NTICC Steel Bridge Session

Dr. Barker session, Steel Bridges for Tribal Communities, will be provide information on a wide range of topics that directly affect tribal infrastructure including:

• Standardized steel bridge design
• Economy and life cycle costs of steel and concrete bridges
• Prefabricated steel bridges and accelerated bridge construction
• Sustainability for bridge decision-making
• How tribal communities can build their own bridges with local work forces

The session will take place on September 26, from 1:30-3PM AKDT, in room Kahntu 1 at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center.

In the video below, Dr. Michael Barker presents information on the life cycle cost of steel bridges
(SSSBA 2022 Summer Webinar Series)

Short Span Steel Bridge Advantages

Short span steel bridges (under 140 feet) offer many advantages for tribal communities because they are durable, provide speed of design and construction, require minimal maintenance over the life span of the structure and are cost-effective and sustainable.

In addition, steel bridges offer safety advantages, increased constructability, and accelerated bridge construction. These benefits combined with direct funding opportunities offer real-world solutions for tribal communities to significantly improve their aging infrastructure.

Are you a member of a tribal community seeking  to learn more about short span steel bridges? Please contact Dustin Young of the SSSBA at dyoung@steel.org.