Structural Study of Iron Bowstring Bridges, Iowa Department of Transportation, AMES, Story County, IA

1996Date of publication approximated from information on second page of pdf, (Page 1) of text.PDFResearch PaperHAER No. IA-90Arch bridgesBridge designBridgesHistoric bridgesMetal bridgesStructural analysisBridges and other structuresDesignHighwaysI24: Design of Bridges and Retaining WallsIron bridgesBowstring bridgesIowaUnited StatesLibrary of CongressHistoric American Engineering RecordUS Transportation CollectionLlewellyn N. Edwards spent most of his life studying and designing bridges. In 1952, his wife posthumously published a manuscript which had been his life's work: a catalogue ofhis knowledge, understanding, and experience in the art ofbridge building. In that book, Edwards wrote that "the engineer historian gathers a meed ofsatisfaction and pleasure in tracing the progress made by predecessors in his art; reviewing their accomplishments; analyzing their solutions ofproblems; and examining the monuments oftheir industry and skill."1 His words more than adequately describe the reasons for engineers to study engineering history. The general objective ofthis report is to provide an engineering perspective to HAER's effort to document America's bridges. In particular, this report complements HAER's Iowa Historic Bridge Recording Project II with an engineering analysis ofthree iron bowstring bridges: the Fremont Mill Bridge in Anamosa, Iowa, built by the Massillon Bridge Company of Massillon, Ohio, in 1873 (Figure 1); The Fort Laramie Bridge near Laramie, Wyoming, built by the King Iron Bridge and Manufacturing Company ofCleveland, Ohio, in 1875 (Figure 2); and the Freeport Bridge in Decorah, Iowa, built by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio, in 1878 (Figure 3).75