Thanks all! It looks like I have plenty of reading and considering to do while I prep my stock. I may still default to a continuous plate given time constraints and not being able to wrap my head around how the interrupted plates can be joined successfully; it seems as though the interrupted plates would still see moment reactions at the posts and mid span similar to those of a continuous system, and that would be a lot to ask of the joints. I do appreciate the input and direction, I was really getting nowhere trying to research this through other means.