Acrow Bridge and the EPD coverage check

Who Acrow is and what they sell

Acrow, based in New Jersey, engineers and manufactures modular steel bridges for permanent and temporary use across highways, rail, industrial sites and emergency response. Their catalog centers on the Acrow 700XS panel bridge, the Acrow Beam Bridge, and legacy Mabey systems now under the Acrow umbrella, including the Mabey Delta long‑span, the heavy‑duty Mabey Universal, and the Compact 200 panel line (Acrow Products). The company references sustainability and long service life on its site, with galvanized components and U.S. steel sourcing highlighted (Why Acrow).

Breadth of the range, roughly how many SKUs

From short‑span beam solutions to multi‑lane panel and long‑span trusses, Acrow addresses several distinct product families. Count the core systems above, plus military wet and dry gap configurations, and we see about five to seven categories. Configurations multiply fast by span, width, deck type and loading, so the practical SKU count lands in the hundreds once options are considered. That variety lets owners match speed, capacity and access constraints without re‑inventing the design every time.

EPD coverage today

We could not locate product‑specific EPDs for Acrow’s modular bridge systems on major operator libraries as of December 20, 2025. That does not mean sustainable performance is lacking, only that verified declarations are not visible in public registries. Visibility matters in procurement where teams need auditable documentation at submittal time, not just marketing promises.

Why EPDs matter commercially in this niche

Multiple states and public owners now prefer or reward materials with third‑party verified EPDs. Colorado’s Office of the State Architect requires EPDs for eligible materials on new building solicitations dated January 1, 2024 and later, and ties a sales and use tax exemption to verified submissions reviewed monthly since August 2024 (Colorado OSA, 2024) (Colorado OSA, 2024). While that policy excludes road, highway and bridge projects, many campus, healthcare and industrial pedestrian bridges are procured within building scopes where such rules apply. Meanwhile, industry‑wide EPDs for structural steel have been refreshed in 2025, including hot‑rolled sections and the fabrication process, showing more than a 10% embodied‑carbon reduction since 2021. Those EPDs are intended to be used together for cradle‑to‑fabricator‑gate impacts and are valid references in early design and WBLCA work (AISC, 2025) (AISC, 2025; AISC, 2025).

What that means for Acrow’s specability

When owners ask for product‑specific EPDs, a modular bridge with no EPD can trigger extra carbon accounting or substitution. Procurement teams often default to alternatives that tick the paperwork box, even if technical performance is similar. EPD presence shortens back‑and‑forth, protects schedule, and avoids pessimistic default factors that can penalize embodied carbon on scorecards.

Likely best seller without an EPD, and a rival play

The Acrow 700XS panel bridge appears to be a flagship used for detours and permanent installations. We did not see a public EPD for the 700XS. In building‑adjacent pedestrian and short vehicular spans, rivals can assemble solutions whose key steel components are covered by current industry‑wide or manufacturer EPDs. Examples include fabricators leaning on AISC’s 2025 industry‑wide EPDs for sections plus fabrication, or sourcing HSS and plate from mills with published declarations. In a bid package that prefers verified EPDs, those teams start with fewer hurdles and may even unlock tax advantages where applicable to building scopes (Colorado OSA, 2024) (Colorado OSA, 2024).

The competitive set you’ll see on projects

Acrow most often competes with modular and prefabricated steel specialists and with buried structural plate systems for shorter spans. Names that recur in U.S. pursuits include U.S. Bridge, TrueNorth Steel and Contech Engineered Solutions on the steel side, and Janson Bridging internationally for modular panel systems. For certain site conditions, buried structural plate arches can displace a short modular bridge altogether, and those suppliers increasingly point to EPD‑covered steel inputs. Different products, same buyer need: reliable access that clears the paperwork.

A practical EPD roadmap for modular bridges

Teams usually start with the common structural steel PCRs that underpin the new AISC industry‑wide EPDs. A modular system EPD can scope A1 to A3 for the pre‑fabricated components, then cite galvanizing and transport specifics, with declared configurations that reflect real orders rather than a hypothetical part list. The smartest move is to begin with a high‑runner, like a standard two‑lane 700XS configuration, then extend to long‑span kits. Pick a recent reference year, lock data collection across mills, galvanizers and shipping lanes, and publish with a widely recognized operator so specifiers can find it fast. The payoff is felt in fewer substitutions, crisper submittals, and shorter bid cycles.

Bottom line for commercial teams

Acrow’s engineering pedigree is clear, and the product range is broad enough to cover most access problems. The gap is not the bridge, it is the documentation. Where EPDs are preferred or rewarded, a rival with equivalent performance and a clean stack of declarations has the inside lane. Closing that gap on one hero configuration will already move the needle, then scale from there.