Knowledge Of M2 Bailey Frame

During the Second World War, prefabricated steel bridges were used extensively in the battlefields of Europe and the Far East to repair bridges or erect temporary bridges. The United States purchased a patent from the United Kingdom in 1941 to manufacture a prefabricated steel bridge and named it M1; after improvement (the roadway was widened by 12%), it was named M2 Bailey Bridge.

The M2 Bailey beam is based on the British Bailey-style steel bridge and is improved by the US Army Research and Development Laboratory. It was designated as the standard A type in 1958. The bridge can be used as a tactical bridge as well as a fixed bridge for the rear traffic line, and can pass the specified vehicle load. The Bailey Bridge is a bridge between two main trusses connected by a crossbeam. The longitudinal beams and bridge slabs are arranged on the crossbeams, and they are fixed by struts and tie materials to form a bridge. The bridge board is made of wood, and the rest are made of steel materials. The main trusses on both sides can be arranged side by side in single row, double row or three rows, and can also be constructed into double and triple trusses to improve the carrying capacity. This Bailey bridge can also be erected suspension bridges, pontoon bridges and railway bridges. In order to increase the span of the bridge, a steel cable reinforcement device was added to the M2 Bailey Bridge in 1970, which shortened the erection time and reduced the manpower. The M2 Bailey Bridge is being replaced by the MGB Middle Truss Bridge. In fiscal 1975, the U.S. military stopped purchasing Bailey bridges and began purchasing MGB mid-truss bridges.