Short Span Steel Bridges 
Whiteside County (IL) Uses FHWA Funds for Accelerated Steel Bridge Project
Excerpt and Photos courtesy of Valmont Structures. To learn more about this project, please visit this link.
Russ Renner (Whiteside County Engineer) had a decision to make. “We were looking for a precast deck, which this has, because of the way we did it. That provided a good solution for us. Quick construction, quick installation. We’ve been pleased with the results.”
The Whiteside County Engineer (IL) needed to replace a four-lane bridge used by more than 3,000 cars a day. In addition, he needed an accelerated bridge construction (ABC) solution that would last at least a long time with the assistance of TWG Infrastructure Solutions.
Valmont U-BEAM
The PBTG, manufactured by Valmont and called the U-BEAM, is an innovative bridge solution that uses a performance-proven cold bending method. Cold-bent steel tub girders meet all AASHTO LRFD requirements and are approved for both state DOT and FHWA funded projects.
The girders can be hot-dip galvanized to protect from corrosion and vastly reduce maintenance needs.
The bridge will be fabricated within Valmont’s new facility in Jasper, TN, featuring a 60 foot long automated press brake, automated shear stud welding, and cold rolling machinery for camber.
A press-brake tub girder (found above) consists of a steel plate formed by cold bending with a press brake.
Project Features
The project was a complete bridge replacement 4-lanes wide x 3 spans long and was staged to allow the road to remain open to traffic during construction due to high traffic volume.
The 6,175 square foot, three-span bridge required (27) U30 U-BEAMs (supplied by Valmont Structures), including 18 at 30 feet and nine at 45 feet for Accelerated Bridge Construction which was estimated to save approximately 10-12 weeks of lane closures.
Delays in obtaining environmental approval for certain aspects of the construction required separating work into supply and install contracts. Doing so provided additional lead time to begin manufacturing precast deck sections
To view the Whiteside County Plans and Spec Book, please visit this link.
Bridge Construction being performed at the Dixon Avenue Bridge in Whiteside County, IL.
Illinois First PBFTG Project Using FHWA Funds
This was the first project where Federal Highway Administration funds were awarded for separate supply and install contracts, which allowed the County to purchase the U-BEAMs and get production going while legal issues pertaining to the installation were still being resolved to further accelerate completion of the project.
“This was a little bit unique in that we chose to purchase the beams separately from the rest of the contract,” Renner said. “But the state did allow us to buy the U-BEAMs using federal money as well. So, they’re covering 80% of the cost of the beams as well as on the construction project.”
To view a video of the construction of this project, please click on this link.
Contact Information
Steel Fabricator
Melissa Islam
Product Specialist
The Will Group
Email: mislam@thewillgroup.com
Website: https://www.twginfrastructuresolutions.com/bridges
Steel Fabricator
Greg Mitchel
Product Specialist
The Will Group
Email: gmitchel@thewillgroup.com
Website: https://www.twginfrastructuresolutions.com/bridges
Steel Fabricator
Guy Nelson, P.E., S.E.
Business Development Director – North American Structures
Valmont Industries, Inc.
28800 Ida Street
Valley, NE 68064
616.813.8514
Email: Guy.Nelson@valmont.com
Website: https://www.valmontstructures.com/products-solutions/bridge-systems
Bridge Owner
Russ Renner, PE, SE
County Engineer
Whiteside County Illinois
200 East Knox Street
Morrison, IL 61270
(815) 772-7651
Email: WCHighway@Whiteside.org
Website: https://www.whiteside.org/departments/highway.html
What are Press Brake Tub Girders?
Press-brake-formed tub girder (PBTG) is a new technology for short span bridge applications. It consists of modular galvanized shallow trapezoidal boxes fabricated from cold-bent structural steel plate (watch fabrication video). A concrete deck is recommended to be precast on the girder and the modular unit can be shipped by truck to the bridge site.
The system utilizes standard plate widths (based on availability) and is optimized to achieve maximum structural capacity, with most of the steel in the bottom flange and increased torsional stiffness. It is a closed system, since the girder is closed at the bottom. It is versatile for multiple-deck options.
The system utilizes Accelerated Bridge Construction practices, since it:
- Can be installed in one or two days
- Is modular, allowing the use of a precast deck
- Is cost-effective―as much as 1/3 less than a standard concrete girder structure
- Is simple to fabricate, requiring very little welding.
The Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance has developed standardized plans using standard plate sizes (60”, 72” 84”, 96”, 108”, 120”). The designs were developed to achieve maximum structural capacity and are available to use in the free-to-use, web-based design tool eSPAN140.
The press-brake-formed tub girder system is open source.
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.
Press Brake & Folded Plate
New Specs, New Opportunities for Press-Brake Tub Girders
Valmont Structures developed a summary outlining how the new AASHTO 10th Edition Bridge Design Specifications impact the use of press-brake tub girders (U-BEAMS) in bridge construction.
Press Brake & Folded Plate
Press-Brake Tub Girder Delivers Modern Upgrade for Historic Alabama County Bridge
After over 80 years of wear from daily traffic, the Parkwood Road Bridge was upgraded with Valmont’s U-BEAM™ system to enhance safety and streamline construction.