Bailey bridge

The Bailey bridge is a portable pre-fabricated truss bridge, designed for use by military engineering units to bridge up to 60 m (200 foot) gaps. It requires no special tools or heavy equipment for construction, the bridge elements are small enough to be carried in trucks, and the bridge is strong enough to carry tanks. It is considered one of the great examples of military engineering.

History

Donald Bailey was a civil servant in the British War Office who tinkered with model bridges as a hobby. He presented one such model to his chiefs, who saw some merit in the design and had construction started at a slow rate. A number of bridges were available by 1944 for D-Day, when production was ramped up. The US also licensed the design and started rapid construction for their own use. Bailey was later knighted for his invention, which continues to be widely produced and used today.

Related Topics:
Donald Bailey - Civil servant - British - War Office - 1944 - D-Day - US - Knighted

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The original design however, violated a patent on the Hamilton-Callender bridge. The designer of that bridge, A. M. Hamilton successfully applied to the Royal Commission for Awards to Inventors. The Bailey bridge had however several advantages over Hamilton's design.

Related Topics:
Patent - Hamilton-Callender bridge - A. M. Hamilton - Royal Commission for Awards to Inventors

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