Improved Ribbon Bridge Structural Response Validation Testing

The Improved Ribbon Bridge IRB is a mobile, modular bridge system designed to provide wet-gap crossing capability to combat vehicles and trucks up to Military Load Capacity 96. The Bridge Supplemental Set BSS includes Bridge Erection Boats and an anchorage system to allow for the positioning and securing of the bridge in moving water. Designed to function as either a floating bridge or a raft, the IRB and BSS give military commanders multiple options with regards to the tactical river crossings. The US Army Engineer Research and Development Center ERDC was contracted by Product Manager Bridging to provide a structural analysis via high-fidelity numerical modeling of various IRB spans and water flow rates. To this end, a finite element model FEM of the IRB was constructed using field measurements of IRB interior bays. To ensure accurate structural response characteristics of the FEM and to build confidence in the simulation results, a validation test series was devised to generate empirical data to correlate against. This report documents the IRB structural response validation testing conducted at ERDC in March 2018. The data contained in this report was used to validate the IRB structural FEM.