Monday, June 15, 2026
Featured Agency Session
Details coming soon
Bridge Design 1 Session
IBC 26-04: eBEAM140: Precision Beam Calculations, Simplified for Short Span Steel Bridges
Michael Barker, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY
Across the United States, more than 280,000 off-system bridges provide vital local connectivity. Of these, approximately 87,000 require replacement to meet the growing demands of heavier truck loads, including semis, logging, grain, and farm vehicles. The estimated cost of these replacements is $78.4 billion. In response to requests from state and county engineers for a practical solution, the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), through the Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance (SSSBA), has developed eBEAM140 — a free, Excel-based design tool specifically for off-system bridges. The tool enables engineers to design with steel for any vehicle load, delivering cost-effective, resilient, and efficient bridge replacement solutions nationwide. The presentation will demonstrate the use of eBEAM140 that is available at no cost through the Short Span Steel Bridge Alliance.
IBC 26-05: Standardizing Speed: Modular TPGs for Rapid Span Replacement
Jansen Bundrige, HNTB; Manab Medhi, HNTB
Accelerated Bridge Fabrication and Construction plays a vital role in post-emergency recovery efforts, particularly when railroad tracks are out of service. Rapid deployment of bridge infrastructure minimizes service disruptions, restores critical rail connectivity, and supports the timely resumption of freight and passenger operations. The BNSF Modular Through Plate Girder (TPG) Standard addresses a critical gap in emergency railway bridge recovery by introducing a versatile, modular span solution capable of replacing spans ranging from 80 to 152’-6” feet with skew angles up to 60 degrees. Traditional recovery methods rely on shorter spans or reallocation strategies that are often limited by inventory, age, or logistical constraints. This presentation outlines the development of a standardized TPG design that meets clearance requirements, optimizes fabrication and construction efficiency, and supports rapid deployment in emergent situations. Key innovations include prefabricated elements, splice-enabled modularity, elimination of lower lateral bracing, and adaptable detailing for skewed conditions. The presentation will also cover key lessons learned during the fabrication of the spans, as well as the innovative methods used to store the span for rapid mobilization in the event of an emergency. A case study demonstrates the practical application of the standard, showcasing its effectiveness in minimizing service disruptions and enhancing network resilience. The TPG Standard represents a proactive strategy for infrastructure owners to mitigate risk and ensure continuity of service across critical rail corridors.
IBC 26-06: Channel Monitoring Systems – A New Paradigm for Vessel Collision Risk Management
Matt Carter, Arup, New York, NY; Marc Tatarsky, Arup, New York, NY; Travis Rothbloom, Arup, New York, NY; Mingshi Yu, Arup, New York, NY
The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge highlighted the vulnerability of many existing bridges spanning navigation channels. With narrow main spans and structurally vulnerable piers, many of these bridges would require hundreds of millions of dollars in environmentally disruptive in-water protection works to meet modern design standards. Given limited funding, upgrading all such structures is not feasible — a new approach to risk management is urgently needed.
Traditional risk assessments rely on decades-old statistical models, extrapolated from sparse data and layered with engineering judgment to estimate the probability of collapse. Meanwhile, shipping traffic continues to grow in both frequency and vessel size, increasing risk year after year. Yet, no one is actively monitoring for near-misses—the early warning signs of potential disasters.
SpanSight is a channel monitoring system that introduces a new paradigm in risk management. It enables real-time detection of near-miss vessel-bridge incidents, transforming close calls into actionable insights that help prevent future collisions, protect infrastructure, and enhance navigational safety.
While historic Automatic Identification System (AIS) data is routinely used in risk assessments, it is usually down-sampled and stale. SpanSight actively fuses data-rich real-time AIS with other sensors to provide enhanced situational awareness. This allows bridge owners to follow up on incidents with navigational stakeholders and build collaborative partnerships to manage risk and prioritize interventions.
This paper also explores the challenges of extending channel monitoring insights into active collision avoidance and traffic control responses because of the low-probability, high-consequence nature of the problem.
Special Sessions
Young Attendee Special Session
IBC 26-SS01: Engineering at Height: Rope Access and Modern Bridge Inspection
Dillon Winters
Rope access techniques have become an essential solution for safe and efficient bridge inspection, particularly in challenging environments where traditional access methods are impractical. Rope access offers an alternative approach, reducing impacts on the traveling public and offering cost savings compared to conventional methods. This presentation will explore the integration of rope access with structural evaluation techniques and demonstrate innovative applications of these techniques. Attendees will gain insights into best practices, regulatory considerations and real-world applications.
IBC 26-SS02: Bridging the Gap: Lessons from Early Career Bridge Engineers
Alex Murphy and Gary Sciulli
The jump from college to the workforce for early career bridge engineers can feel like a juggling act between on-the-job learning and production. This presentation intends to ease the transition by providing first-hand knowledge, tips, and lessons learned from the experience of fellow young bridge engineers. Topics discussed include setting career expectations, recognizing opportunities, utilizing resources, the importance of practical and constructable design, and opportunities for development.
IBC 26-SS03: Cold-Climate Performance of Polyether Urethane in High Load Multi-Rotational Disc Bearings
Ezra Sarachan
Polyether urethane combines high resilience, abrasion resistance, and stability across a wide temperature range, making it an attractive alternative to conventional elastomers for bridge bearings. In High Load Multi-Rotational Disc Bearings, the confined polyether urethane disc governs both load transfer and rotational capacity. Cold climates pose challenges for elastomeric components, as materials such as neoprene may exhibit stiffening, reduced energy dissipation, or microcracking under sub-zero conditions. Experience to date indicates that polyether urethane retains flexibility, resists freeze–thaw damage, and maintains consistent mechanical performance at lower temperatures. Preliminary comparisons suggest that disc bearings with polyether urethane discs may offer improved durability and service life relative to those using traditional elastomers. These observations support the continued evaluation and use of polyether urethane in disc bearings as part of advancing resilient bridge infrastructure for cold-weather regions.
IBC 26-SS04: Current Approaches to Bridge Deck Joint Closure Analysis with Case Studies
Kevin Anderson, PE, SE
Joint closure is a desirable rehabilitation for existing structures to reduce water leakage and resulting bridge deterioration. However, the closure of a deck joint changes fixity of the structure. A simple and accurate analysis of the changes to substructure loads is needed to determine the feasibility of deck joint closure. This presentation will highlight several examples of joint closure that compares various substructure analysis methods. The review of joint closure analysis methods will be valuable for owners and designers as bridge preservation continues to be a high priority.
Emerging Technologies in the Bridge Industry Special Session
IBC 26-SS05: PennDOT Digital Delivery projects – ECMS 113151, State Route 2008, Section A02 in Mifflin County (D2)
Allen Melley
IBC 26-SS06: From Rebar to Deck: A Vision for Robotic Bridge Construction in the Field
Stephen Muck
As bridge projects face increasing labor constraints, safety demands, and schedule pressure, robotics offers a new path forward for how critical structural elements can be constructed in the field. Advanced Construction Robotics (ACR) has already moved robotics from concept to jobsite reality, with robotic systems actively tying, lifting, carrying, and placing rebar on bridge projects today. In this forward-looking presentation, Founder and CEO Stephen Muck shares a vision for how proven, field-deployed platforms, such as TyBOT and IronBOT, could evolve into a broader ecosystem of robots supporting the full construction of bridge decks, from reinforcement through concrete placement, finishing, and inspection. The session focuses on what is possible when automation augments skilled crews, improving safety, consistency, and productivity without replacing craftsmanship.
IBC 26-SS07: KCI’s OpenBridge Modeling of the SR 22/I‑376 Diverging Diamond Interchange
Josiah Shaver
This session presents how KCI Technologies used a model‑based bridge design workflow in OpenBridge Modeler to keep geometry, staging, and constructability aligned for the SR 22 / I‑376 diverging diamond interchange. In early stages of design, Geotechnical inputs were integrated to estimate the top of rock, which would help to establish bottom of footing elevations of the cantilever abutments and wingwalls. OBM’s functionality was further used to verify deck elevations from the roadway profile grade through various vertical curves, superelevation transitions, camber, and haunch for construction. As the project advanced to final design, KCI used the 3D model to quantify excavation and backfill and to visualize temporary shoring heights, providing visual checks for quantity and cost estimates.
IBC 26-SS08: AI and Civil Engineering: Bridging Infrastructure and Intelligent
Vinod Kumar Enugala
I’m Vinod Kumar Enugala, and I work as a civil engineering professional with the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT). My day-to-day involves managing some pretty substantial projects—billion-dollar bridge rehabilitations, pavement preservation programs, and inspections of complex structures
where getting the details right isn’t optional.
But I’ve also developed a parallel interest that might seem unexpected for someone in my field: artificial intelligence and its applications in construction and sustainability. I’ve been actively researching this intersection and have even published work on real-time embodied carbon tracking—essentially finding ways to measure and reduce the environmental impact of what we build, as we build it.
What I Want to Share With You – In this session, I want to explore something I’ve been thinking about a lot: how the methodologies we use in civil engineering—the structured project management, the inspection protocols, the quality assurance processes—can actually guide how we adopt AI in traditional industries like ours. I’ll draw from both sides of my experience to show how intelligent systems can make our decision-making sharper, our workflows more efficient, and help us meet sustainability goals that once seemed out of reach. Through case studies from actual engineering projects and business applications, I’ll walk you through practical ways to start integrating AI into your work—no technical background needed.
Bridge Preservation and Repair Special Session
IBC 26-SS09: FHWA Bridge Preservation Activities
Raj Ailaney
FHWA Bridge Preservation Expert Task Group that I chair, our new strategic plan, case studies, pocket guides, reports that we’ve published, and a brief introduction to the bridge deck preservation tool that is now part of InfoBridge.
IBC 26-SS10: Advanced Techniques for Bridge Durability Assessment
Pratik Murkute
Advanced durability assessment of concrete bridges integrates electrochemical testing, non-destructive evaluation, and material characterization to quantify deterioration and long-term performance. Techniques such as half-cell potential, chloride profiling, petrography, ground-penetrating radar, and impact-echo help identify corrosion risk, material distress, and hidden defects without invasive demolition. These methods provide more reliable insights than visual inspection alone and support maintenance strategies and life-cycle planning. The results directly inform targeted concrete repair decisions, including selective patching, cathodic protection, corrosion mitigation, and protective coating selection.
IBC 26-SS11: Duquesne-McKeesport Bridge Preservation
Katie Colella, PE
Presentation on the preservation of the 100 year old, 9-span Duquesne–McKeesport truss bridge, a complex rehabilitation effort involving full blast and paint operations, steel repairs, innovative jacking schemes for bearing replacement, and other improvements that will extend the life of the existing bridge up to 50 years. The project posed significant challenges related to traffic and pedestrian phasing, utilities, constructability constraints, and coordination of key work items as the scope continued to evolve. As my first experience serving as a structural task lead, this project provided an opportunity to navigate technical and logistical complexities while managing multidisciplinary collaboration and ensuring adherence to schedule and meeting client needs. Lessons learned from this effort highlight innovative approaches to bridge preservation and the importance of adaptability in leadership roles.
IBC 26-SS12: Emergency inspection and analysis of pier deterioration on I-579 Parkway North
Dan Antoniono and Sam Trehy
On February 28, 2025, PennDOT District 11 officials discovered significant substructure deterioration at a pier on the north approach of the Veterans Bridge prompting an emergency response. District officials reached out to HDR Engineering, Inc. to assemble a team to inspect, analyze and provide repair details on an accelerated schedule for this pier and to evaluate the condition of 34 additional piers on the north shore approaches. HDR immediately mobilized forces and created an aggressive schedule with detailed inspection procedures and traffic control to thoroughly inspect and document deterioration for the 34 substructure units in 27 days, working seven days a week to minimize disruptions to the travelling public, surrounding freeways, sporting events and concerts.
As inspection data was gathered in the field, analysis efforts began simultaneously to keep pace with the accelerated schedule. After traditional sectional design yielded spurious results, strut-and-tie models were used to evaluate the substructure, which included checking the columns and pier caps in their deteriorated condition and tracking the changing load path during repair, with the final goal of allowing normal vehicular traffic over the bridge. Additionally, longitudinal movements in consecutive simple spans resulted in excessively high moments in the bent columns, so a system analysis was conducted to determine more accurate longitudinal movements and column moments.
Bridge Construction – A Perspective for Contractors Special Session
IBC 26-SS13: Successful Agency Approaches to Response to Bridge Emergencies
Jason Hastings
Bridge emergencies—ranging from vehicle impacts and fires to floods and extreme weather—pose increasing challenges to state departments of transportation (DOTs) across the U.S. These events can disrupt transportation networks and divert critical resources from planned infrastructure programs. To address this, Domestic Scan 24-02, through the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Project 20-68, was initiated to identify effective practices for preparing for, responding to, and recovering from bridge emergencies.
The scan team, composed of transportation professionals from multiple states, reviewed agency practices through desktop reviews, participant interviews, and a week-long peer exchange. The findings were organized into four key phases of emergency management: Preparedness, Response, Recovery, and Post-Event. Each phase includes actionable strategies such as pre-positioning resources, establishing emergency contracts, using offline-capable technology, and conducting after-action reviews.
Case studies—such as the I-85 fire and I-16 truck crash in Georgia and New York’s material stockpiling program—demonstrate how proactive planning and coordination can significantly reduce response times and improve outcomes.
IBC 26-SS14: Railroad Coordination for Highway Bridge Engineering and Construction
Michael Llibelt (CSX)
How to navigate pitfalls in coordination with railroads regarding your overhead highway bridge projects. Discussion points include: inspections, engagement in design, construction support, flagging and how to streamline your schedule.
IBC 26-SS15: TBD
IBC 26-SS16: TBD
Workshops
W-01: International Workshop
Nick Burdette, HDR, Pittsburgh, PA
W-02: Advances in Bridge Load Rating, Posting and Overweight Load Permitting
Lubin Gao, USDOT/FHWA, Vienna, VA
Analyzing in-service bridges for vehicular load carrying capacity is challenging. However, appropriate structural analysis that accounts for actual physical and loading condition is critical not only for bridge safety but also for improved traffic mobility. This workshop will discuss recent advances in bridge load rating, posting and overweight load permitting through several highlighted research projects.