Dornier folding festival bridge
The Dornier Faltfestbrücke (DoFB) is a makeshift bridge that is used by many armies with their pioneers . In the Bundeswehr it is called Faltfestbrücke (FFB) for short .
history
The DoFB was a development and diversification of the Dornier aviation sector from 1975. The structure department (wing construction) dealt with modern, also non-metallic construction methods and strength calculations ( finite elements ) and developed the innovative idea of a light and quickly mechanized pioneer bridge. A prototype was built, which in 1979 proved its resilience by crossing it with tanks and other vehicle combinations.
In 1984 the Federal Office for Defense Technology and Procurement ordered a system with a 40-meter span for troop testing, which by 1987 had proven its durability and serviceability in 15,000 crossings by Leopard 2 tanks. The folding fixed bridge replaced the pioneers' usual floating bridge system, which had previously involved a great deal of personnel, time and transport expenditure .
After extensive series production, the first of ten FFB systems (40 m) introduced by the Bundeswehr , each consisting of two laying vehicles and two individual bridges, each 27 m long on 6 transport vehicles, was put into service in a festive ceremony near Arnsberg (Altmühltal).
Today's models with a wingspan of up to 46 meters can be set up and ready for operation by six soldiers in one hour. The whole train consists of two laying vehicles with the front girder ramp sections and 6 transport vehicles with other bridge parts. The carriageway is 4.4 m wide and loads of up to 110 tonnes ( MLC 70, 2 Leopard 2 units 2.5 m apart) can be transferred. The Bundeswehr has introduced 10 systems.
The armies of Spain , Austria , Singapore and Slovenia have procured the system, while other countries such as the USA , France and the Netherlands have partly created their own systems based on the Dornier model.
Since 2005, the Dornier-Leicht Bridge (DoLB) has been offered as an air-loadable system (two CH-53 G helicopters ). This bridge has a span of 20 meters, a roadway width of 2.5 meters and can be erected by four men in 90 minutes. The military load class is MLC 12/14, which roughly corresponds to the load capacity in tons.
description
The box-shaped front-end girder is located on a laying vehicle, which is assembled in the so-called laying beam with the help of an attached crane and then pushed over the obstacle to be bridged. The individual unfolded bridge elements are then placed on this front girder with the crane, coupled together and pushed forward. The bridge is ready for use after the ramps belonging to the set have been installed . Possibly. Leveling work on the ramps is still necessary. The front girder as well as the bridge elements form a load-bearing unit and are in the load-bearing structure made of a high-strength and elastic aluminum alloy in lightweight design. Using the finite element calculation method and load simulations, the individual wall thicknesses are precisely adapted to the load case.
The Dornier lightweight bridge is made of aluminum and carbon fiber reinforced plastic . The individual parts are placed on pallets, which can also be transported in airplanes and helicopters.
Dornier turned it into a product and manufacturing area. When Daimler-Benz took over Dornier-Werke in 1985, it became a separate company, Eurobridge Mobile Brücken GmbH, as a subsidiary of Dornier GmbH. In 2006, after the integration of Dornier-Werke into EADS , the company was dissolved again and a product area became part of EADS. The bridges will be built and sold at the former Dornier location in Friedrichshafen .
swell
- Festschrift FFB handover 1998 Arnsberg (BWB / Eurobridge);
- DORNIER the chronicle of the oldest German aircraft factory, ISBN 3-925505-01-6 .
- Sales brochure Dornier DoFB
Web links
- Private homepage with job description
- Description at EADS ( page no longer available , search in web archives )