The first curved steel tubular flange girder bridge in the United States is under construction along Interstate 95 in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Steel plate flanges have long been the standard for most curved girder bridges as well as most straight bridges. This bridge design uses a tubular flange in place of the standard plate.
Tubular flanges increase structural performance while reducing fabrication and erection material and erection time.
Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., researched the benefits of a bridge designed of curved steel girder bridges with tubular flanges.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is constructing the bridge as part of an interchange project on Interstate 95.
The design was a good fit for the project because the area has rail lines below the bridge and overhead utility lines.
The department submitted its design to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) for consideration as a 2021 focused technologies candidate and for the additionally selected technologies.
The design was one of 41 submitted in that category.
On Oct. 26, the association met at its AASHTO Innovation Initiative annual meeting to evaluate the submission.
The design made the list of 12 finalists but did not win for the focused technologies or additionally selected technologies.