Fracture Critical Study of an Historic Wrought Iron Bridge

The Faust Street Bridge crosses the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels, Texas. The Faust Street Bridge is listed on the US National Register of Historic Places because it is one of the few surviving example of this type of bridge which was widely erected in the second half of the 19th century prior to the development of steel bridges. Unlike most historic bridges it has undergone only minor retrofit; the only significant alteration occurred in 1947 when a pedestrian walkway was added and the timber deck was replaced. In comparison to many similar bridges that have suffered extensive corrosion damage, the Faust Street Bridge benefited from the warm, dry environment of Central Texas, particularly the absence of deicing salts. Preliminary engineering also showed that, beside structural repairs, the rehabilitation project should include significant deck repairs as well as re-coating the trusses.