The US Army has successfully tested a new bridging system that will help troops and vehicles travel quickly across a wide variety of terrain.
The lightweight modular causeway system (LMCS) is a hybrid fixed bridging system and floating causeway system, which consists of 10ft×20ft modular sections with attached inflatable pontoons pieced together to form the bridge.
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The army tested the system’s ability to be flown by helicopter and its endurance on a fast-flowing river during a two-day simulated 8.5-magnitude earthquake recovery effort at Fort Richardson Alaska.
LMCS development team technical manager Donald Resio said the bridge had been in development for almost six years.
“The bridge is designed to distribute the weight of the vehicles over many flotation devices, not just in one section,” Resio said.
“The system, with a load capacity of over 70t, was originally designed for vessel-to-shore bridging applications, however, as development progressed, we saw more and more potential and possibilities.”
The bridge technology will undergo further tests based on the performance of the prototype before it becomes operational by the armed forces.
