Stainless Steel Use in Bridges

Topics: Durability, Durability & Coatings, Sustainability

Image provided by the International Stainless Steel Forum, Credit Outokumpu (Nynashamn Stainless Steel Bridge, Sweden).
Information within the following post provided by New Castle Stainless Plate.

There are hundreds of thousands of bridges in the world, over 600,000 in the USA alone. More and more are being built. They provide essential links between regions and countries. The costs of maintenance or/and replacement amount to huge figures over time.

Many bridges are in a poor condition.
A lot of them were built after World War II for a projected life of 60 years plus.
Traffic has been heavier than planned.
Cutting maintenance costs has been a frequent practice.

Life Cycle Cost (LCC) evaluations consistently show the benefits of providing operation with as little maintenance as possible over a lifetime exceeding a century.

Duplex Stainless Steels

Stainless steels, especially Duplex stainless steels, offer an extremely attractive way of providing structural integrity over unlimited time, thanks to their high strength and their corrosion resistance that meets all climates and weather conditions. The extra cost over a cheap short-term solution is less than 10% when used in the critical areas.

The International Stainless Steel Forum has developed a brochure and webinar (below) to illustrate the use of stainless steels for road, pedestrian, rail, mixed rail/road/cycles traffic. They are located in hot and cold climates, inland and on the seaside. Various product forms have been used (including tubes, tie rods, rebar, plates, and fasteners) to demonstrate the wide range of options available to architects and civil engineers.

Download Brochure

Webinar

Building Bridges for Generations

Presented by: Tim Collins, Secretary-General, International Stainless Steel Forum, collins@issf.org

Webinar Content:

Introduction to Stainless Steels
Global Challenge: Build Resilient Infrastructure
Building Bridges for Generations
Life Cycle Costing

For more information:

Tony Palermo
Vice President Commercial
tony.palermo@ncestainlessplate.com
New Castle Stainless Plate
Cell: 908-456-5545
Home office: 732-671-3521
549 West State Route 38
New Castle IN 47362

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.
Learn more about Sustainability→