Steel plate girder bridges are composed of steel plates welded, bolted or riveted to form solid belly steel beams as the main bearing structure, with cross sections typically in an I-shape configuration.

• By driving mode: Upper bearing plate beam and bottom bearing plate beam
• By connection type: Riveted plate beam, fully welded plate beam and bolted welded plate beam

The economic span of simply supported steel plate girder bridges is generally below 40m, while continuous steel plate girder bridges can reach up to 60m spans.

Key components include:

• Load-bearing structure (main beam)
• Bridge floor
• Connecting system
• Support structure

The bridge deck is located on the upper flange of the main beam. Small spans can use equal section beams while larger spans utilize variable section beams. Vertical and horizontal stiffeners ensure web stability.

Features include:

• Lower building height (from rail bottom to beam bottom)
• Increased material requirements and manufacturing complexity
• Requires segmented transportation due to width constraints

• Highway and roadway bridges
• Railway bridges
• Waterway crossings
• Emergency or temporary bridges

• Industrial manufacturing compatibility
• Easy transportation and rapid site installation
• Simple repair and replacement procedures
• Requires weather protection due to corrosion susceptibility