High Performance Steel Cost Comparison Study

In 1996, the American Iron and Steel Institute, the Office of Naval Research and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) introduced new High Performance Steel (HPS) grades with superior strength, weldability and toughness. Since then, HPS-70W has been used successfully on bridges across the country and is increasingly gaining popularity with bridge design professionals. As HPS-70W steel becomes a more viable alternative, designers are faced with two basic questions: When is HPS-70W steel economical? What are the advantages of its use?