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SHORT SPAN STEEL BRIDGE ALLIANCE AND PARTNERS TO HOST FREE WEBINAR ON MAY 16 FOR INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK 2019

SHORT SPAN STEEL BRIDGE ALLIANCE AND PARTNERS TO HOST FREE WEBINAR ON MAY 16 FOR INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK 2019

WASHINGTON D.C., May 9, 2019 – With congressional leadership and the president talking about $2 trillion infrastructure investment legislation, the steel industry is ready to meet the challenge of solving the national bridge infrastructure crisis with an innovative, cost-effective and time-saving system.

“Rebuilding and expanding America’s roads and bridges is critical to keeping our citizens safe and our economy robust, and the steel industry can provide the solutions. The press-brake-formed shallow steel tub girder (PBTG) system is a key example of how the steel industry is working with key partners to create solutions to national transportation challenges,” said Thomas J. Gibson, president and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). “It is important during Infrastructure Week to call attention to the need for long-term, sustainable funding dedicated to the Highway Trust Fund and other projects aimed at improving our nation’s critical infrastructure.”

As part of Infrastructure Week 2019, a free one-hour webinar on “Experimental and Field Testing of Press-Brake-Formed Shallow Steel Tub Girders” is being offered on Thursday, May 16, 2019 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. EDT. The webinar is being held in cooperation with the Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance (SSSBA), American Iron and Steel Institute(AISI), and American Galvanizers Association (AGA). It awards 1.0 PDH or 1 LU and is being presented by Karl Barth, Ph.D., the Samples Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at West Virginia University, team leader of the group that developed the PBTG system.

The PBTG bridge system utilizes modular components and takes advantage of Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) practices for short span structures, the largest category in the U.S. bridge inventory. The innovative, modular PBTG system is cost-effective, lightweight and easily transported by truck to the project site; can be installed quickly using local crews; and is durable—able to last 100 years or more with proper, minimal maintenance. Today, there are PBTG bridges in service in Iowa, Ohio, Michigan and Texas.

This webinar will provide an overview of the PBTG system and cover its experimental and field testing results.  It is recommended for county engineers, federal and state Departments of Transportation (DOT) employees, bridge owners, and anyone interested in cost-effective and time-saving bridge designs.  It is being presented as a special addition to AGA’s Galvanize It! webinar series. Registration details are available at https://galvanizeit.org/education-and-resources/education/educational-seminars/webinar-series.

Infrastructure Week 2019 is a national outreach being conducted May 13-20 to build awareness of and educate policymakers and citizens about the infrastructure challenges in the United States.  Now in its seventh year, Infrastructure Week highlights the critical importance of investing in and modernizing America’s infrastructure systems and the essential role that infrastructure plays in the economy. AISI is an affiliate member of Infrastructure Week 2019.