Short Span Steel Bridges 
NCSPA Announces 2024 Annual Safety Award Winners
Article provided by the National Corrugated Steel Pipe Association
The Board of Directors established the Safety Awards Program over thirty years ago to recognize achievements in the field of employee safety and health, and to encourage the development of individual company programs in the industry.
In addition to the annual Safety program, NCSPA is also honoring those plants that have achieved extraordinary long-term safety records. Short Span Steel Bride Alliance Members Contech Engineered Solutions (8 plants) and Lane Enterprises (1 plant) have between 1,000-2,999 days without a worktime accident.
The importance of operating a safe workplace becomes more apparent each year. The NCSPA program offers an incentive for developing and continuing to operate safe plants and offices. The membership should continue to strive to join in this outstanding program.
The following members of the Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance received awards:
Contech Engineered Solutions
- 1,000 – 2,999 days without a worktime accident (view locations)
- Category I: No Lost Workdays (view locations)
- Category II: Incident Rate Under 4.2 (view locations)
TrueNorth Steel
- Category I: No Lost Workdays (view locations)
Lane Enterprises
- 3,000 – 4,999 days without a worktime accident (view locations)
- Category I: No Lost Workdays (view locations)
- Category II: Incident Rate Under 4.2 (view locations)
What are buried steel bridges?
Buried steel bridges provide an economical choices for bridge replacement or bridge rehabilitation.
They essentially are a corrugated steel pipe or structural plate pipe systems that is “buried” with backfill to carry loads through soil-structure interaction. This means the bridge structure itself and the backfill soils surrounding the structure interact with each other to support the loads. In effect, the backfill material is part of the bridge.
Because of this interaction, the bridge structure is typically lighter, and there can be significant savings in structure costs.
There are also many cases where buried bridges can carry heavier loads than traditional bridges because of the benefits of spreading vehicle loads through the fill. Buried bridges do not require abutments; and unless foundation soil conditions are poor, do not typically
require deep foundations.An additional benefit with buried bridges is that they can be tailored to site conditions and geometric requirements. The design includes inputs for site soils and backfill, meaning that locally available materials can often be used in construction and the structure can be tailored to fit the needs of the site and the owner’s requirements.
Buried Bridge
Buried Steel Bridge Preserves Streambed While Supporting Heavy Loads
A new galvanized buried steel bridge in Riverside, Iowa, supplied by SSSBA member Lane Enterprises, replaced a weight-restricted structure and restored direct access for local farmers. Its open-bottom steel design preserves the natural streambed, enhances durability, and provides a cost-effective solution for rural infrastructure.
Buried Bridge
Buried Steel Bridge Protects Wildlife and Motorists in New Mexico DOT Project
The New Mexico DOT buried steel bridge project, featuring SSSBA member Contech’s custom structural plate design, was honored as the NCSPA Project of the Year for its innovative wildlife crossing solution on I-25 at Raton Pass.
Case Study
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.
News
NCSPA Announces 2025 Project of the Year Winners
The National Corrugated Steel Pipe Association announced the 2025 project of the year winners, including members of the Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance.
Buried Bridge
Corrugated Steel Animal Overpass Reduces Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions
The corrugated steel Stoney Nakoda Exshaw Wildlife Arch in Western Canada showcases the balance of engineering and environmental stewardship, setting a new standard for wildlife-friendly infrastructure.
Buried Bridge
NCSPA Releases Report to Simplify the Seismic Design for Buried Structures
The National Corrugated Steel Pipe Association (NCSPA) released a groundbreaking report that simplifies the seismic design for buried structures including culverts, tunnels and buried steel bridges.