Short Span Steel Bridges 
Ohio County Finds Creative, Sustainable Steel Solutions for Bridge Replacement
Muskingum County (Ohio) found a creative, sustainable way to replace short span bridges while saving taxpayers money. How? They use recycled steel bridge beams.
In a project near Zanesville, the county repurposed W33x141 beams salvaged from a previous bridge replacement to replace the Green Valley Road Bridge superstructure. The bridge is 52 feet long and 20 feet wide with five beam lines, four feet on center.
Why use recycled steel beams? It was a matter of cost. Muskingum County saved $51,000 in superstructure costs by using the repurposed beams. When the span length, beam size, and hydraulic opening allow, Muskingum County considers the use of previously removed beams or beams that are currently in service as part of structures that are scheduled to be replaced.
The bridge is 52 feet long and 20 feet wide with five beam lines, four feet on center
The Green Valley Road Bridge is the fifth in the county to be replaced with repurposed steel beams. Muskingum County also uses steel beams from local fabricators and an iron recycling/scrap yard.
Using steel also saves costs because short span steel bridges are light in weight and can typically be constructed with on-hand tools and equipment using local work crews.
Significant costs can also be realized in the design phase. The Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance offers a free, web-based tool called eSPAN140 that allows users to design steel bridges of less than 140 feet in fewer than five minutes. Users can access the tool at www.eSPAN140.com and follow three easy steps to receive customized preliminary designs.
Creative, sustainable steel solutions are essential to rebuilding the nation’s short span bridges, and Muskingum County, Ohio is on the cutting edge.
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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