Linz–Urfahr railway and road bridge – a 110-year-old structure severely damaged by corrosion

At the very end of the 1890s, the rural district of Urfahr was connected to the town of Linz, Austria, by means of a seven-span, 393.94 m long steel bridge. Serious problems regarding its durability arose from the use of the bridge for road traffic due to the application of de-icing salt, which began in the mid-1960s and caused severe corrosion damage. In 1981 the bridge was improved by restoring the anti-corrosion protection and by replacing the old deck construction with a new one. Since that time, restoration works and repairs have been carried out continuously. This paper deals with the present reliability of the main spans with a special focus on the structural behaviour under traffic and wind loads, quantified by means of modern standards.