Modular bridges provide on-demand infrastructure for disaster relief

For areas hit by natural disasters or lacking infrastructure, modular bridges can save lives. The Bailey Bridge consists of a simple steel truss system that can be connected section by section until it's ready for rollers to span hundreds of feet -- an early victory for rapidly deployable modular infrastructure.

For anyone in dire need of a bridge, the key factors are load-carrying capacity, span, durability and aesthetics. Make the connection system of the bridge as simple as possible. Its innovative connection system uses bolts and pins to lock modular components together, simple yet providing excellent safety and structural integrity.

This simplicity helps companies address labor and infrastructure constraints that need bridges most. In underdeveloped regions, where skilled labor is at a premium, complex assembly requirements are impossible. Many models only require a wrench, leveling tool, rollers to transfer the span and a forklift. Using these tools, smaller 130-foot bridges can snap together in two or three days; longer bridges take 8 to 12 weeks.