Short Span Steel Bridges 
Weight Comparison Chart of Rolled Beams vs. Plater Girders
Standard for short span steel bridge designs were developed to create a design aid for bridge engineers. The standards are available within eSPAN140, a free web-based tool that provides preliminary simple-span and modular designs for steel bridges up to 140 feet, allowing bridge owners and designers to compare steel and concrete structures and make informed choices.
The standard contain designs with spans ranging from 40 feet to 140 feet in 5 foot increments for rolled wide flange beams and homogeneous steel plate girder sections (as well as press brake tub girder and buried bridge options).
The SSSBA Bridge Technology Center developed a document containing tables which compare the weight of or rolled beam sections (limited to W36 sections) to plate girder sections (optional tension flange transitions).
The table is for 6 foot through 11 foot girder spacings (1 foot increments) for spans of 40 foot to 14o foot (5 foot increments).
Please note that this is for general INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. It should also be noted that lower weights from plate girders do always translate to lower costs. Therefore, it is recommended that you contact a steel producer supplier for discussion on the best option and specific weights.
Attached are a series of graphs that compare the weights of rolled beams (the set limited to W36 or below – we have another set that looks at permitting W40s and W44s) against plate girders that permit a possible flange transition in the tension flange only (we have another set that has a uniform tension flange only).
What is eSPAN140?
eSPAN140 is an innovative, interactive web-based preliminary design tool to assist bridge professionals in the optimal, most cost-effective design of short span steel bridges (those with spans up to 140 feet). It provides bridge professionals with a single resource to find optimized steel solutions for their projects—a “one-stop shop” for steel fabrication and erection details.
To begin to use eSPAN140, simply go to www.eSPAN140.com and create a free account. Then input information about your specific project, including span length, number of striped traffic lanes, skew angle and design speed, among other requirements. eSPAN140 then provides a customized “Steel Bridge Solutions Book” in PDF file format based on the specific input provided.
The Solutions Book includes:
– Standard designs for rolled beam, plate girder, buried bridge, and press brake tub girders.– Contact information to design and build your bridge, as well as to provide pricing information.
-Access to complimentary design support.
Education
Steel Bridges for Smarter, Faster Construction – On-Demand Steel Bridge Video Series
This three-part on-demand video series covers integral abutments, simple for dead continuous for live designs and prefabricated bridge options.
News
eSPAN140 Featured in Informed Infrastructure Steel Product Software Guide
eSPAN140 is a free-to-use, interactive web-based design tool for short span steel bridges up to 140 feet in length.
Design
Video: Preliminary Design Using eSPAN140, Part 2
This video provides a complete real-time example for a typical short-span project using eSPAN140.