L.B. Foster Awarded $1.1 Million Pittsburgh Bridge Expansion Contract
Homestead Grays Bridge Requires New Steel Grid Decking for Lane Widening

PITTSBURGH, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pittsburgh-based L.B. Foster Company (Nasdaq: FSTR) reported today that its Fabricated Bridge Product's business has been awarded a contract in excess of $1.1 million for the supply of steel grid decking to widen the roadway of the Homestead Grays Bridge. This structure spans the Monongahela River between Homestead and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company will provide approximately 44,000 sq. ft. of fabricated steel to increase the travel width of the roadway across the busy 4 lane bridge.

Balfour Beatty of Canonsburg, PA will be the General Contractor on this project. Per Don Foster, Senior Vice President, Construction Products, "We have successfully worked with Balfour Beatty in the past and are excited to team again with them on this large bridge reconstruction project."

L.B. Foster will expedite production of the project material on a fast track schedule to minimize traffic congestion on the span during this reconstruction project. In addition, because of the use of pre-fabricated steel grid decking and its shorter installation time relative to other competing structures, bridge reconstruction downtime will be reduced.

The steel grid decking for the 516 ft. steel cantilever bridge will be fabricated at the company's Bedford, Pennsylvania facility. The Bedford plant is A.I.S.C. certified and specializes in manufacturing steel bridge decking and steel and aluminum railing for the construction and rehabilitation of bridges, highways and buildings throughout the United States.

The Homestead Grays original bridge design is a successful example of the early adoption of steel grid decking. This widening project is required to better accommodate the 40,000 motor vehicles that use it daily. The well- engineered 1936 span continues to maintain its integrity. According to Mike Riley, Marketing Manager of the company's Bridge Product's business, "This structure has lasted this long because of the use of steel grid decking in its original design."

Riley further adds, "Concrete filled steel grid bridge decking consists of a steel grid surrounding a concrete fill. The two materials act together as a composite in resisting traffic loads. The system is extremely durable, in part, because any rusting of the grid that occurs forces the system to compress and become nearly waterproof, preventing more serious rusting that would cause the decking to crack and break apart, as we have seen with standard rebar reinforced deck. Filled grids have an excellent track record, especially in the Northeast, where deicing agents cause the average rebar reinforced deck to break up after about 30 years. Many concrete filled grid decks like the Homestead Grays Bridge are over 70 years old and still going strong. This difference in durability means that the cost per year of service for the grid deck is very low when compared to other types of bridge decks."

"In light of the recent bridge deck problems and the large number of structurally deficient bridges within the State of Pennsylvania and throughout the United States, in certain situations our steel grid decking system could represent the most viable repair option," comments Mr. Foster. "We will continue to promote our system as an effective solution for both rehabilitation and new bridge designs."