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What Does a Bridge Engineer Do?

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Bridges play a key role in our lives by connecting our communities, promoting commerce travels, and contributing to our country’s economic development. But who designs these bridges and what does a bridge engineer do?

Bridge Engineers

Bridge Engineers are civil engineers responsible for designing and building bridges and other highway-related structures. Typical tasks for bridge engineers include designing and maintaining bridge structures, minimizing environmental impact, and supervising the fabrication process. As well as completing site investigations, data collection, identifying environmental risks, analyzing manufacturing processes, supervising construction, and more.

Although the exact duties of a bridge engineer may differ, it’s safe to say they’ll always play a critical role in any bridge construction project.

Designing and maintaining a bridge is no easy task. That’s why bridge engineers are required to have skills such as analytical thinking, leadership, supervisory skills, organization, and creativity. Not to mention, time management and budgeting skills which are essential for projects with restricted time or resources.

Bridge Engineering: It’s All About The Details

Meetings & Details

Naturally, the first part of any construction project is understanding the full scope. This meeting typically covers topics and details such as bridge series and styles, special enhancements or treatments, railing criteria, etc. This will help the bridge engineer to draw up some preliminary sketches of the bridge’s general framing plan, bridge geometry, and basic construction.

These designs help illustrate the bridge and prepare the project for its next step.

Digital Renderings

One of the most powerful tools for bridge engineers to utilize is technology. Bridge engineers will often use computers to create virtual models to assist in visualizing a project. This helps the team picture the visual impacts of the bridge to any given site as well as the aesthetic qualities. Our bridge engineers are able to model your proposed bridge over a digital terrain model or incorporate it into photos of your existing site.

This aspect is extremely useful, especially if a construction project requires models to help stakeholders buy-in or make a sale.

Final Process

Once a commitment has been made, the design process officially begins and a team is assigned. The project engineer analyzes the proposed bridge including the specified design loads and appropriate load factors, along with applying numerous code checks. Eventually, the bridge engineer begins to sketch the design details and information for the designer. These sketches convey all the information previously discussed and finalized.

The engineer will also markup the general notes and list the design assumptions and pertinent bridge data onto the title sheet.

Part of this process involves reviewing the design calculations and construction plans to verify the scope and specifications. Also checked is the plan content to ensure it reflects the engineer’s design intent and that no conflicts exist and that no omissions have occurred. The final step before submittal is usually the application of the Professional Engineer’s seal and signature.

Designed for Success at U.S. Bridge

At U.S. Bridge, we’ve been engineering and building bridges for over 80 years. Our engineers have the skills and experience to build bridges in many different styles and sizes to fit the needs of your project. Find out more about how U.S. Bridge has everything you need to make your project a success.

Contact us for a free quote or check our exclusive Bridge Scope tool to start building your project today.

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U.S. Bridge Receives ISO 9001:2015 Certification for Quality Management System

ISO 9001:2015 Certification

The scope of U.S. Bridge’s ISO 9001:2015 Certification includes the engineering, Material Procurement, and Fabrication of Steel Bridges, Structural Steel Railing, and Miscellaneous Steel Products.

CAMBRIDGE, Ohio — Jan. 28, 2021 — U.S. Bridge, a leader in the engineering, manufacturing and construction of steel bridges globally, today announced that the Company has earned ISO 9001:2015 certification for its quality management system.

Certified ISO 9001:2015 Company

U.S. Bridge, a leader in the engineering, manufacturing and construction of steel bridges globally, today announced that the company has earned ISO 9001:2015 certification for its quality management system.

ISO 9001:2015 is a globally-recognized quality management standard developed and published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The certification provides a model for companies of all types and sizes to use in building an effective quality management system. The standard is based on several quality management principles, including having a strong customer focus, involvement of high-level company management, an outlined process-based approach, and ongoing improvement of the aforementioned approach.

U.S. Bridge ISO 9001:2015 certificate (#C2021-00162) was issued by Perry Johnson Registrars, an internationally-accredited management systems certification body. The scope of U.S. Bridge’s certification includes the engineering, Material Procurement, and Fabrication of: Steel Bridges, Structural Steel Railing, and Miscellaneous Steel Products. Activities at U.S. Bridge’s corporate headquarters (201 Wheeling Avenue, Cambridge, OH 43725 United States) are included in the scope of certification.

“Every bridge that U.S. Bridge manufactures is designed and built to the highest quality standards,” said U.S. Bridge’s CEO Dan Rogovin. “Our ISO 9001:2015 certification is confirmation of our demonstrated and ongoing commitment to reliability, quality assurance, and safety.”

For more information on the entire product line of U.S. Bridge, visit their website: usbridge.com.

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Bridge Engineering that Makes Bridge Construction Effortless

Bridge Engineering

No one wants to make something twice. That’s why it’s so important to build it to perfection the first time, especially if it’s something time-consuming and expensive such as a bridge. With extensive experience in bridge engineering, bridge construction can be effortless and efficient.

At U.S. Bridge, we’ve been engineering and building bridges for over 80 years. Here’s how our bridge engineering process leads to seamless bridge construction.

The Bridge Engineering Process

Understanding the Problem

There are several different reasons to build a bridge. It could be to connect communities or provide a secure commerce route for heavy trucks. Regardless, the first step for the bridge design team is to understand why the bridge is being built. What problem is it meant to solve?

Once our team of engineers understands this, then they can move forward in designing a bridge that will properly address the reason for the bridge.

Understanding the problem also allows engineers to answer other questions such as where and how. It’s the first step to designing the final product.

Determining the Scope

After knowing more about the problem, our engineers create and compare different solutions to the problem. This includes analyzing what design would work best for the bridge and the pros and cons of each option. Then they also consider other factors like the weight of the materials and how the environment would affect the bridge.

We establish elements like the structural capacity, environmental impact, and constructibility of the bridge. In the final analysis, all of these factors and more are carefully considered to determine the scope of the bridge construction project.

The Actual Design Process

Once the scope of the project has been determined, then our engineers are able to begin the design process. Theories of solutions materialize as we calculate the details on elevation, span lengths, deck widths, vertical clearances, and bridge structure among other logistics.

In addition, we also create virtual models to enable our customers to visualize their project.

This is also the part where we create an initial budget analysis for our clients. These calculations are vital to the bridge design process. Budgets are how we ensure the project is ideal for the bridge owner’s needs before proceeding to the construction phase.

The Bridge Construction Process

Our various manufacturing options provide a solution for various projects and budgets. From timber bridges to prefabricated steel, we design, manufacture, and build them all. Following the decisions finalized during the design phase, we begin the construction process. Our bridge supplies are shipped worldwide and our team is present during construction to guarantee its execution.

With more than 250,000 sq ft of engineering and fabricating facilities including dedicated truss, painting, and post and tube centers, located on a 6-acre campus, we provide the highest level of quality bridge available.

Throughout the entire process, we work directly with our clients and communicate with all members of the project for an effortless process.

Perfect Bridge Engineering with U.S. Bridge

Our bridge engineering expertise makes the bridge construction and design process effortless. Save yourself time and money by partnering with an industry leader in steel bridge design and construction.

U.S. Bridge has completed more than 10,000 bridge projects and has experience working in more than 50 countries. Our team engineers and builds bridges of many different styles and sizes. All of our designs are custom-made to fit the needs of our customers.  Contact us today to receive your free quote!

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Advantages of Steel Truss Bridge Construction

Truss Bridge

There are several timeless designs that have been used in bridge building for decades. However, there are few more iconic than the truss bridge. In the 1800s, America was the leader in truss bridge design, though older constructions used wood. The design is vintage Americana, but it’s become modernized.

Today, truss bridges are used as an effective bridge construction option. Although one thing has changed: steel is the primary component in new truss constructions. U.S. Bridge is a leader in building modern truss bridges that will last for decades to come.

Let’s discuss why we use steel truss bridge design for many of our new constructions.

Advantages of Steel Truss Bridges

  1. Strong load-bearing capacity
  2. Effective use of materials
  3. Affordable to construct
  4. Versatile and adaptable design
  5. Professional bridge engineering

Steel Truss Bridge

First, What is a Truss Bridge?

Truss bridges are formed with a structure of connected elements that form triangular structures to make up the bridge. Trusses are the triangles that connect to the top and bottom cord and two end posts.

The trusses make up reinforcement for the bridge that even the load-bearing across the structure. Furthermore, the truss dissipates the load through the structure so the middle of the beam experiences less compression and tension. As you will see later, there are several variations of the truss, but it starts with a top and bottom cord and a series of trusses.

1. Strong Load-Bearing Capacity

Even the earliest wood truss bridges were built to distribute weight evenly. With this intention in mind, bridges could be built for larger loads. Overall, this makes this bridge design a very strong and dependable option. With steel construction, truss bridges can take on the traffic of today.

2. Effective Use of Materials

What makes truss bridges relevant more today than ever is their effective use of materials. Keep in mind, less materials means easier construction and less money spent. Already, our bridge construction uses recycled steel that is lightweight and has been certified for Bridge Fabrication — Advanced (Major) by the AISC.

In fact, each piece is constructed with a definite purpose for truss bridge construction. This way, the construction and use of each steel piece are perfect for the bridge.

3. Affordable To Construct

Because of the simplicity of truss bridge designs, they are often a great fit for accelerated bridge construction. In order to improve construction time, each steel piece can be quickly pieced together.

If considering the full cost of material and labor, truss bridges save builders thousands of dollars. Not to mention the long-term savings from building a long-lasting, durable bridge from U.S. Bridge.

4. Versatile and Adaptable Design

While truss bridges are great for short spans, what makes them versatile is their ability to go long distances and still support large loads. With the polygonal design of the truss, it’s possible to cover long distances. Even at U.S. Bridge, we have several options to fit the bridge construction you’re looking for.

In particular, truss bridges can be needed in areas with extreme weather. Despite the harsh weather, with great structural engineering, our truss bridges are prepared to last even the worst storms for decades to come. When it comes to crossing a treacherous area, truss bridges can be built to keep communities connected.

5. Professional Bridge Engineering

While a truss bridge may seem simple, they are actually quite intricate and require complex engineering and design. Because the weight must be distributed away from the center beam, each truss must be optimally engineered to distribute the weight. Without attention to detail in the engineering design, the truss design will not be nearly as effective.

Bridges are very dynamic, but at U.S. Bridge, we can guarantee the highest-quality engineering that fits the environmental components of the build location.

The U.S. Bridge Steel Truss Bridge Designs

Several of our U.S. Bridge designs use steel trusses for optimal strength and durability. However, every truss bridge is different. Here are just a few of the truss constructions we’ve done in the past.

Pratt Truss — Liberty, Viking, Seneca, Voyager

Warren Truss — Cambridge, Cambridge Flat

Box Truss — Thru Truss

Experts in Truss Bridge Construction

When you invest in a U.S. Bridge, you can rest assured you’re investing in experts in truss bridges. We’ve been building long-lasting steel bridges for decades. We regard every detail of your bridge with a high level of attention and efficiency to ensure it’s high-quality.

If you’d like to know more about our bridge construction projects and have any questions about a project, please contact us today and get a free quote.

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