Ohio LTAP has created a video about the state’s innovative bridge upcycling program. So far two counties have successfully used upcycled steel beams on several projects. The program helps communities by reusing still-strong beams from Ohio DOT bridge replacement projects.
Mark Eicher, county engineer of Muskingum County, estimates an average cost saving per bridge at a minimum of $50,000. Typical modifications include cutting off the ends and shortening the beams. "It’s of benefit to our county, of benefit to our communities, and we’re not scrapping valuable products,” he says.
Warren Schlatter, county engineer of Defiance County, is confident in the strength and safety of the bridges. “Structurally, these are rock solid bridges,” he says. The beams go from state routes that see hundreds of trucks per day to locations that might see only hundreds per year. Steel beams from two ODOT projects might give the county enough steel for five or six bridges, he says.
Learn more:
- Bridge Upcycling in Ohio video (Sep. 17, 2021, 4:31)
- Bridge Upcycling in Ohio web page