Short Span Steel Bridges 
“Steel Bridge Savant” – Modern Steel Construction
Excerpt and image provided by Modern Steel Construction – Field Notes: Steel Bridge Savant
INTERVIEW BY GEOFF WEISENBERGER
Karl Frank’s initial engineering ambition was to design the wheeled machines that travel over bridges. As a graduate student, though, he took a liking to the bridges themselves. Frank, the son of a fabrication shop owner, fixated on steel bridges and eventually became one of the United States’ top experts in steel bridge behavior.
He built a 50-plus-year career designing, researching, and teaching students about steel bridges before retiring in 2017.
Frank is a professor emeritus at the University of Texas at Austin, where he taught from 1974 to 2010, and a mentor to many in the industry. In 2025, he received the AISC Geerhard Haaijer Award for Excellence in Education for his outstanding and unmatched impact on research, technical service, and education related to steel bridge design and construction. The award is not given out annually and has been presented only 10 times since 1999.
After retiring from teaching, Frank was the chief engineer at Hirschfeld Industries until 2017. He has since served as a consultant for the National Steel Bridge Alliance. He has made significant contributions to steel girder design, durability, connection design, fabrication, stay cable performance, and inspection. Much of his research focused on fatigue and fracture behavior. He earned an AISC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.
Frank spoke with Modern Steel Construction about his career, work, and more.
Field Notes is Modern Steel Construction’s podcast series, featuring interviews with people from across the structural steel industry who have interesting stories to tell. Listen to the Karl Frank interview at modernsteel.com/podcasts.
Karl Frank was also the 2002 recipient of the Richard S. Fountain Award, presented annually by the Steel Bridge Task Force, the National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA) and the American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Steel and Metals Technical Committee to recognize leadership in steel bridge research and outstanding efforts to advance AASHTO specifications. The award was instituted in 2001 to honor Richard S. Fountain, founder of the Steel Bridge Task Force. Richard Fountain passed away on March 14, 2011.
News
Missouri Steel Bridge Bundle Project Wins Prize Bridge Award
The National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA) named Missouri’s FARM Bridges Design/Build Bundle the 2026 Prize Bridge Award winner in the Short Span category. Fabricated by SSSBA member DeLong’s, the project delivered 31 rural bridges across 15 counties using galvanized steel and SDCL design for a 100-year service life.
Design
NSBA Releases Updated Bolted Splice Spreadsheet 4.01
NSBA’s Bolted Splice Spreadsheet 4.01 streamlines connection design with expanded options and updated AASHTO LRFD provisions for faster, more economical solutions.
Case Study
Bridges of Franklin County: Why Missouri is Turning to Steel
Franklin County, Missouri, saved $283,000 by selecting steel over concrete for four short-span bridge projects, demonstrating that simplified designs combined with a competitive bidding process can deliver exceptional value, durability and long-term performance.
Accelerated
“New and Improved” – Modern Steel Construction
In an article from Modern Steel Construction, the emergency replacement of a damaged northwest Pennsylvania bridge resulted in a safer, more efficient steel bridge, with SSSBA member High Steel Structures as the fabricator and detailer for the project.
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.
Case Study
Galvanized Steel Railway Bridge Assembled Off-Site, Installed in 11-Days
The Assonet River Railroad Bridge in Massachusetts was fully assembled off-site using galvanized steel and installed in just 11 days, minimizing environmental impact and ensuring long-term durability for expanded commuter rail service.