 Bailey bridge over the Meurthe River, France | |
| Related | Callender-Hamilton bridge |
|---|---|
| Descendant | Mabey Logistic Support Bridge, Medium Girder Bridge, Acrow 700XS, Mabey Universal, Mabey Compact 100 and 200. |
| Carries | Pedestrians, Road vehicles, Rail Vehicles |
| Span range | Short |
| Material | Timber, steel |
| Movable | No |
| Design effort | Low |
| Falsework required | None |
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.