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This is a list of bridging and trackway equipment used by the Royal Engineers of the British Army. For more equipment in use with the Royal Engineers, see Modern equipment of the British Army.
Air Portable Ferry Bridge GP The Air Portable Ferry Bridge GP is usually transported on 8 x DROPS NATO pallets but it can be changed to allow it to be flown forward underslung beneath a support helicopter. The system has been used on operations in Afghanistan the equipment has 5 versions. [1]
Air Portable Ferry Bridge Over Bridge An APFB (OB) can be constructed by a Royal Engineer Section. If required it can be transported on Trailers. The trailers can then be underslung underneath a helicopter or can be towed by long wheelbase land rovers or other vehicles once on the ground. [1]
Air Portable Ferry Bridge Single Storey The APBF Single Storey (SS) can be constructed by a Royal Engineer Troop. It is generally transported on NATO pallets. [1]
Air Portable Ferry Bridge Single Storey Reinforced (SSR) This version can be constructed with reinforcing link to enable a greater load to be carried. however it does increase the overall weight of the whole bridge. [1]
Air Portable Ferry Bridge Ferry The Air Portable Ferry Bridge (APFB) Ferry (FY) is a self-propelled roll-on, roll-off ferry. It has its own wheels so can be towed by vehicles like land rovers and some other vehicles like APC's. The bridge is constructed on a standard frame and then boomed onto six pontoons then it is bolted on The pontoons have two water propulsion units, which are used to steer the ferry when it is in water. The engines that are used to power the propulsion units are also used to operate the hydraulic rams, which raise and lower the two ramps. [1]
Air Portable Ferry Bridge Safety Line System All APFB systems include a safety line system designed to protect the user in the event of a fall from the bridge. It uses a static line and fall arresters attached to the demolition harness. It is designed for use during ramping, decking and positioning kerbs. [1]
Logistic Support Bridging (LSB) The LSB is usually constructed with the help of a crane, it provides a larger load capacity than Close Support Bridging or General Support Bridging. One standard unit contains all the components needed to build, launch and dismantle a bridge. The modular design of the equipment means it can be constructed in a large number of different configurations, allowing the system to be used for a wide range of load and spans. The LSB can be deployed on main supply routes to provide new bridges, replace damaged bridges or to upgrade smaller bridges for heavier traffic like tanks and heavy equipment.
The LSB overcomes limitations in width, span, capacity and fatigue that is associated with many other systems in the RE use The LSB can be built by hand, but where cranes and other mechanical handling equipment are available, they are used to reduces the time it takes to build and also the number of trained personal needed. Bridge components can be transported using DROPS (NATO) flat racks and ISO shipping containers. The bridge can be constructed by a Royal Engineer Section; when mechanical equipment is used, without it can take up to three sections. Once constructed a LSB tends to remain in situ for far longer periods than either a CSB or a GSB, one bridge in Iraq remained in use for three years. The bridge has a width (roadway) of 4.2m and can be built with sloping or level access ramps depending on the site. [2]
Logistic Support Bridge (LSB) Fixed Pier The pier consists of 2 towers that are constructed from standard bridging panels with the addition of some other key components. Both piers are built separately, the pier caps are then moved into position to form a platform on which rollers are secured to allow the bridge to be boomed across a river. For this it is important to have a crane. It is used when the river banks are too steep to allow the bridge to just be swung across. It has also been used when the bank of the river is not strong enough to support simpler constructions. [2]
BR-90 GSB The BR-90 GSB is the primary general support bridge. It uses the same modular components as the Close Support Bridges. A standard bridge set is carried, launched and recovered from 3 specialist vehicles (1 x Automotive Bridge Launching Equipment (ABLE) and 2 x Bridging Vehicles (BV). Up to 44m of bridge can be built using this system, although only 32m is possible with the 3 vehicle combination. To construct a single bridge the following equipment is used:
One ABLE vehicle carries the launch and recovery equipment as well as some bridge parts. The ABLE places a launch rail over the gap and then booms the bridge across, while the bridge is assembled it slowly launches meaning that the bridge requires no pre planning or surveying. the system that is used to launch the bridge can also retrieve the bridge as well. Two Bridging Vehicles (BV) carry the remainder of the bridge set. Each BV has a large flatbed body with a HIAB crane permanently mounted behind the vehicle cab. Each BV normally carries either the left or the right side (although they are identical). They are then added during the build using the HIAB cranes. To build the bridge, the ABLE builds its launch rail across the gap and the BVs park either side of it, and, simultaneously, pass the bridge panels onto the ABLEs building platform. When the bridge is at the required length, it is lowered onto the ground and disconnected from the launch rail. Finally, centre pieces are fitted and also curbs. [2]
Long Span Equipment (LSE) The Long Span Equipment enables a bridge with a greater load capacity to be constructed. The bridge is constructed using standard BR90 components and then a link reinforcing system is added allowing about 3x the weight to be carried. 2 x extra Bridging Vehicles (BV) are required to transport the long span components. Most bridges built in Iraq and Afghanistan have included the LSE [2]
General Support Bridge 2 Span Pontoon A General Support Bridge (GSB) 2 span pontoon equipment provides the ability to span larger gaps by using the pontoon as a pier. Two DROPS (support) vehicles equipped with a derrick and hydraulic winch are used to transport the pontoons. The 4 close coupled pontoons are powered by 2 inboard engines, which enables construction and positioning with the minimum of support. [2]
The Bridging for the 90's system (BR 90) is a modular system of bridge components that can be used to form both close support bridging and general support bridging bridges. the modular design allows damaged panels to be replaced. [3]
Close Support Bridges These are carried on the TITAN Armoured Vehicle Launching Bridge (AVLB) or the Tank Bridge Transporter (TBT). [3]
The Tank Bridge Transporter This has the same cross-country performance as a tank when loaded. It can carry 1 No 10 bridge or 2 No 12 bridges. It can drop off a load of bridges independently, but it cannot recover them. This is no major limitation because bridges are usually left or destroyed in place. [3]
No 10 Bridge The No 10 bridge is a scissor type bridge that can be quickly launched and deployed by TITAN however it is not very long and can not cross water itself. [3]
No 11 Bridge The No 11 bridge is an 'over and up' bridge. It can be launched very quickly (adopt 15 minutes) and is made up from 2 ramp sections of BR90. [3]
No 12 Bridge The No 12 Bridge is 'up and over' bridge. It is the only CSB that does not use the BR90 components. Two can be carried in by 1 TITAN (AVLB), but are launched and recovered separately. [3]
Combination Bridging An attachment for the No 10 bridge called a trestle can be used to enable greater spans to be achieved. Using a trestle multiple bridges can be used in combination. This has been proven popular in Afghanistan when rivers are often very wide however since 2005 heavier bridges have been used. [3]
Medium Girder Over Bridge The Medium Girder Over Bridge provides an over bridging capability. The bridge set is transported on 1 DROPS pallet and 1 Field Section (Fld Sect) can build it. It is used to reinforce current bridges to allow heavier traffic. It can also be used as a bridge on its own but it does require extensive foundations. [2]
Heavy Girder Over Bridge The Heavy Girder Over Bridge (HGOB) provides a lower profile allowing easier crossing for heavy transporters and tankers on line of communication routes. The bridge is transported on 1 DROPS pallet of a 14 tonne truck. A Royal Engineers Section and a crane is used to construct the bridge. The bridge can be constructed by hand but the components are extremely heavy. Like the Medium Girder Over Bridge it is used to reinforce current bridges to allow heavier traffic also like the Medium Girder Over Bridge it can also be used as a bridge on its own but it does require extensive foundations. [2]
M3 Amphibious Bridging The M3 Amphibious Rigs are vehicles operated by a 3-man crew. The M3 Rigs can drive into the water, open up and join together to create a bridge of varying length. A 100m bridge can be constructed using 8 rigs. [2]
The Royal Engineers use a variety of aluminium and fabric systems that can be joined to form a trackway, enabling rapid deployment and recovery of temporary roads and reinforced surfaces for existing roads, easing the movement of heavy and tracked vehicles, and reducing damage on the ground. Some can be laid by hand or by machine, however, the heavier aluminium versions are laid with specialist mechanical equipment. [4]
Class 30 Trackway The Class 30 Trackway can be laid in 15 minutes either from a 4 tonne truck with Launching and Recovery Equipment or from a Medium Wheeled Tractor with a Hydraulic Dispenser. Recovery is by hand onto the 4 tonne LRE or hydraulically using the "Beach Dispenser". [4]
Class 70 Trackway The Class 70 Trackway is made of heavy aluminium planking, with each roll of trackway weighing 2.4 tonnes. Rolls can be launched mechanically using plant equipment or by hand. Recovery is by hand or using the Medium Wheeled Tractor (MWT) and beam dispenser. [4]
Logistic Trackway (Mammoth Mat) The Logistics Trackway is in rolls 30m long, 4m wide and weigh 1.8 tonnes which can be man handled into position and are only suitable for wheeled vehicles. They also can not be used in sandy conditions. [4]
A military engineering vehicle is a vehicle built for construction work or for the transportation of combat engineers on the battlefield. These vehicles may be modified civilian equipment or purpose-built military vehicles. The first appearance of such vehicles coincided with the appearance of the first tanks, these vehicles were modified Mark V tanks for bridging and mine clearance. Modern military engineering vehicles are expected to fulfill numerous roles such as; bulldozer, crane, grader, excavator, dump truck, breaching vehicle, bridging vehicle, military ferry, amphibious crossing vehicle, and combat engineer section carrier.
A Bailey bridge is a type of portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge. It was developed in 1940–1941 by the British for military use during the Second World War and saw extensive use by British, Canadian and American military engineering units. A Bailey bridge has the advantages of requiring no special tools or heavy equipment to assemble. The wood and steel bridge elements were small and light enough to be carried in trucks and lifted into place by hand, without the use of a crane. These bridges were strong enough to carry tanks. Bailey bridges continue to be used extensively in civil engineering construction projects and to provide temporary crossings for pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
A crane is a machine used to move materials both vertically and horizontally, utilizing a system of a boom, hoist, wire ropes or chains, and sheaves for lifting and relocating heavy objects within the swing of its boom. The device uses one or more simple machines, such as the lever and pulley, to create mechanical advantage to do its work. Cranes are commonly employed in transportation for the loading and unloading of freight, in construction for the movement of materials, and in manufacturing for the assembling of heavy equipment.
A pontoon bridge, also known as a floating bridge, uses floats or shallow-draft boats to support a continuous deck for pedestrian and vehicle travel. The buoyancy of the supports limits the maximum load that they can carry.
A box girder bridge, or box section bridge, is a bridge in which the main beams comprise girders in the shape of a hollow box. The box girder normally comprises prestressed concrete, structural steel, or a composite of steel and reinforced concrete. The box is typically rectangular or trapezoidal in cross-section. Box girder bridges are commonly used for highway flyovers and for modern elevated structures of light rail transport. Although the box girder bridge is normally a form of beam bridge, box girders may also be used on cable-stayed and other bridges.
The EFA or Engin de Franchissement de l'Avant is a field-deployable river crossing vehicle, used by combat engineers in the French Army. Unlike a bridge layer, which transports a bridge that is deployed off of the host vehicle, the EFA itself is a combined pontoon bridge and amphibious vehicle, enabling much more rapid redeployment of the mobile bridge structure and an additional use as a ferry. When needed, multiple EFA's can be combined in a series to create a traditional pontoon bridge. It has been built since 1989 by Chaudronnerie et Forges d'Alsace (CEFA), located in Soultz-sous-Forêts in the Bas-Rhin.
The Nordhordland Bridge is a combined cable-stayed and pontoon bridge which crosses Salhusfjorden between Klauvaneset and the island of Flatøy in Vestland county, Norway. It is 1,614 meters (5,295 ft) long, of which the pontoon section is 1,246 meters (4,088 ft) long. The cable-stayed section consists of a single 99-meter (325 ft) tall H-pylon which has a length of 368 meters (1,207 ft) and a main span of 172 meters (564 ft). This allows for a clearance of 32 meters (105 ft).
The medium girder bridge (MGB) is a lightweight, man-portable bridge that can be assembled without help from heavy equipment. In addition, it is also a deck type, two-girder bridging system capable of carrying loads up to and including main battle tanks (MBT).
The Singapore Combat Engineers (SCE) is a formation of the Singapore Army. Combat Engineers provide mobility by bridging gaps and clearing minefields to facilitate speedy advance of troops into enemy territory, and counter-mobility by constructing obstacles such as anti-tank ditches to impede the enemy's movement. The Combat Engineers also construct trenches, drainage systems and other related infrastructure to enhance the survivability of troops during operations.
The Palletized Load System (PLS) is a truck-based logistics system that entered service in the United States Army in 1993. It performs long and short distance freight transport, unit resupply, and other missions in the tactical environment to support modernized and highly mobile combat units. It provides rapid movement of combat configured loads of ammunition and all classes of supply, shelters and intermodal containers. It is similar to systems such as the British Demountable Rack Offload and Pickup System (DROPS).
An armoured vehicle-launched bridge (AVLB) is a combat support vehicle, sometimes regarded as a subtype of military engineering vehicle, designed to assist militaries in rapidly deploying tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles across gap-type obstacles, such as rivers. The AVLB is usually a tracked vehicle converted from a tank chassis to carry a folding metal bridge instead of weapons. The AVLB's job is to allow armoured or infantry units to cross craters, anti-tank ditches, blown bridges, railroad cuts, canals, rivers and ravines, when a river too deep for vehicles to wade through is reached, and no bridge is conveniently located, or sufficiently sturdy, a substantial concern when moving 60-ton tanks.
Material handling equipment (MHE) is mechanical equipment used for the movement, storage, control, and protection of materials, goods and products throughout the process of manufacturing, distribution, consumption, and disposal. The different types of equipment can be classified into four major categories: transport equipment, positioning equipment, unit load formation equipment, and storage equipment.
The Mabey Logistic Support Bridge is a portable pre-fabricated truss bridge, designed for use by military engineering units to upgrade routes for heavier traffic, replace civilian bridges damaged by enemy action or floods etc., replace assault and general support bridges and to provide a long span floating bridge capability. The bridge is a variant of the Mabey Compact 200 bridge, with alterations made to suit the military user as well as a ramp system to provide ground clearance to civilian and military vehicles.
The M3 Amphibious Rig is a self-propelled, amphibious bridging vehicle and ferrying vehicle that is used for the projection of tanks and other vehicles across water obstacles.
The M1120 HEMTT LHS is a M977 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck with a load handling system in place of a flat bed/cargo body. The HEMTT is an eight-wheel drive, diesel-powered, tactical truck used by the US military and others. The HEMTT is manufactured by Oshkosh Defense and entered Army service in 1982, with the M1120 variant first produced in 1999.
The Callender-Hamilton bridge is a modular portable pre-fabricated truss bridge. It is primarily designed for use as permanent civil bridging as well as for emergency bridge replacement and for construction by military engineering units. Assembling a Callender-Hamilton bridge takes much longer than the more familiar Bailey bridge as it is made up of individual lengths of galvanised steel bolted together with galvanised high-strength steel bolts, all of which require torque settings. It is stronger and simpler in design concept than the Bailey bridge.
The Siebel ferry (Siebelfähre) was a shallow-draft catamaran landing craft operated by Germany's Wehrmacht during World War II. It served a variety of roles in the Mediterranean, Baltic and Black Seas as well as along the English Channel. They were originally developed for Operation Sea Lion in 1940, the cancelled German invasion of England. Siebel ferries continued performing after the war's end in 1945.
The Leyland 4-tonne truck was produced by Leyland Trucks in Lancashire. It was developed for the British Army and won the competition to replace a fleet of older Bedford M-type 4-tonne trucks. It shares some key components with the commercial 45 Series light truck. Deliveries to the British Army started in 1990. The official British Army Out of Service Date for this truck was the end of 2014, but around 650 were retained. Small numbers were exported.
An Engineer Light Ponton Company was a combat engineer company of the United States Army that served with U.S. Army ground forces during World War II. It was primarily a highly mobile pontoon bridge construction unit, though it also provided both M2 assault boats and a selection of infantry support bridging, ferries, and rafts.
The Folding Boat Equipment, abbreviated as FBE, is a light pontoon bridging equipment which was in use by the British and its colonial armies during the 20th century. The equipment was introduced in 1928 and was the standard light bridge used for loads up to class 5, i.e. providing rafts or a bridge capable of transporting loads up to 5 tons of weight. The initial version was followed by a Mk II but without change of capacity. In 1938 the Mk III version of the bridge was introduced with significant changes and an increase of load capacity to 9 tons, i.e. load class 9.