Acrow and Mabey Temporary Bridges: A New Powerhouse
On May 13, 2019, Acrow Bridge announced the acquisition of UK-based Mabey Bridge. The companies were previously rivals in the pre-engineered modular bridging/temporary bridging market.
Both companies will continue to operate under their respective brands, but Acrow notes that the merger “provides customers with solutions that are based on a more expansive global reach, enhanced manufacturing capabilities, a larger product portfolio,” and more.
In this post, we will discuss the differences between the Acrow and Mabey temporary bridge systems and take a look at the history of pre-engineered modular bridge systems.
Temporary Bridges
Temporary bridges are a type of prefabricated truss bridge, made up different configurations of beams and platforms to create a temporary passageway for foot traffic, vehicular traffic, and heavy equipment traffic. The original Bailey Bridge was designed during World War II and intended for military use. Mabey was one of the original manufacturers of the Bailey Bridge, which was small and light enough that the wood or steel parts could be carried via truck, placed by hand, and still support heavy military equipment such as tanks.
Acrow
Acrow notes that their temporary modular bridges are used on excavation, construction, and drilling sites. The bridging provides access for heavy equipment, workers, or vehicular traffic, if the bridge is used to divert traffic around worksites. Instead of offering multiple types of bridge configurations, Acrow’s modular bridge system is used to create both temporary and permanent bridges (vehicular and railroad), lift bridges, detour bridges, extractive bridges, pedestrian bridges, and more.
Mabey
Today Mabey produces several types of site access bridges (though can all can be made permanent with modifications): the Mabey Compact 200, the Mabey Atlas Bridge, and the Mabey Pedestrian Bridge.
- The Mabey Compact 200, the most popular model, is a modernized version of the original Bailey Bridge. This modular bridge can be installed temporarily or as a permanent solution for up to two lanes of traffic plus external footpaths.
- The Mabey Atlas Bridge is commonly used to create flyovers to ease traffic congestion (up to four lanes), but is also useful in creating access roads to hard-to-reach construction or work zones. The Atlas Light Bridge spans a maximum of two lanes.
- The Mabey Pedestrian Bridge, or the Mabey Footbridge, is used across the globe as both a permanent part of infrastructure and as construction site access bridging. These bridges use the same modular components as the Compact 200, but can be placed in many different widths, with a wide selection of panels, to maximize pedestrian safety.
To read more about the original Bailey Bridge, read How the army’s Amazing Bailey Bridge is Built, written in January 1945, at The War Illustrated’s digital archive.
Buy and Sell Used Temporary Bridges with Eiffel Trading
Eiffel Trading currently has several types of used temporary bridge systems for sale, in addition to many other types of used construction material and used construction equipment for sale.
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Ready to sell your used heavy equipment or construction material? List your products today for free on Eiffel Trading’s online marketplace.
If you have any questions or would like additional information, please call us at 1-800-541-7998 or email sales@eiffeltrading.com.