MECHANICSBURG, PA | Modjeski and Masters, in collaboration with the National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA), is pleased to announce the release of the “Guide to Uncoated Weathering Steel: The Ultimate, Low-Maintenance, Sustainable, Fast Bridge Material.”
The guide provides much-needed support to bridge owners and designers when using weathering steel to build their structures, specifically focusing on the suitability of the use of weathering steel at a specific bridge site.
Written by Dr. Thomas Murphy, PE, SE, Edward Wasserman, PE, and Travis Hopper, PE of Modjeski and Masters, and Dr. Jennifer McConnell of the University of Delaware, this guide is available as a free download at aisc.org/uwsguide.
About the material and guide
Weathering steel is an efficient, low-maintenance material that speeds up steel bridge construction while reducing long-term costs and environmental impacts. A properly designed and detailed UWS bridge boasts a service life of up to 120 years with minimal maintenance--up to 30% less than the life-cycle cost of a painted system.
Bridge owners across the country have used uncoated weathering steel since the 1960s. Many best practices for its use are well-established and several studies have confirmed successful outcomes of its use on bridges. The Uncoated Weathering Steel Reference Guide marks the first time these key takeaways are in one place, helping ensure owners and designers are taking full advantage of this material from design, detailing, and fabrication, to construction, inspection, and maintenance.
“This guide will provide much-needed support for owners and designers alike on the use of weathering steel, in particular on the suitability of the use of weathering steel at a specific bridge site” said Thomas Murphy, Ph.D., PE, SE, Chief Technical Officer and Director of Modjeski and Masters’ National Bridge Group. “There has been a need for a more rigorous evaluation process which this guide provides.”
The new guide is part of the American Institute of Steel Construction's Need for Speed initiative, which set out to increase the speed at which a steel project (building or bridge) can be designed, fabricated, and erected by 50% by the end of 2025.