General

Compact Panel Bridge is a standard bridge equipment, adopted extensively and the most popular in the world, possessing the features of simple structure, convenient transport, speedy erection and easy disassembling, while having the advantage of heavy loading capacity, great stability and long fatigue life being capable of an alternative span, loading capacity and mixture form to erect all kinds of Temporary Bridges, Emergency Bridges and Fixed Bridges. Using the bridge equipment, the suspension bridges of varied span can be erected. The bridge has the advantages of few components, light weight and low cost. 

Compact Panel Bridge is similarly like compact 100, compact 200 International bridge. It is assembled by each 3m panel, and invented by Donald Bailey. The 321 panel bridge can be easily dissembled and rapidly erected. The whole bridge is made by high-tensile strength steel. Main beam is light weight panels and the panels are connected by panel connection pins. It is easy to assemble or disassemble and transport. It can also be assembled into different forms of panel bridges according to their span length and transportation requirement. So, it has been widely applied as emergency transportation, temprary or permanent bridge.Its suitable load design is such like HS-15, HS-20, HS-25 and pedrail-50 etc.

Product Information

The compact 100 panel bridge is a type of bridge system that can be dissembled and rapidly erected. The whole bridge is welded with high-tensile strength steel. The girder is lightweight composite panels and the panels are connected by panel connection pins. The conversion between the parts is easy and they are lightweight. It is easy to assemble or disassemble and transport them. It can also be assembled into different forms of panel bridges according to their span length and transportation requirement. So, it has been widely applied as a more developed and guaranteed panel bridges for emergency transportation. It is suitable for load designs of HS-15, HS-20, HS-25 and pedrail-50 etc. 

Another type is the compact 321 panel bridge designed by China Program Designing Institution of Transport Ministry according to Chinese codes and local practice. Its design is based on the compact 100 panel bridge. Comparing with the compact 100 panel bridge, the design, except for minor change of some sizes, are conforming to the standard of  compact 100 panel bridges, so this type of bridge can also satisfy all the application standards of the compact 100 panel bridges.

Construction

A wide range of construction methods and sequences are available for steel bridges. They can be lifted, piece-by-piece, by cranes or strand jacks; they can be launched by sliding or rolling from the abutment; or they can be slid or transported into position. In some instances a combination of erection methods are needed; these are called ‘Hybrid schemes’. Steel offers flexibility in terms of erection sequence and certainty in terms of the programme, once erected, the steel girders provide platforms for subsequent deck construction operations. That can reduce the construction time. 

Offsite prefabrication of steel components means that construction time on site often in hostile environments. The speed of bridge construction made possible by steel allows disruption to road and rail users to be kept to a minimum. The relatively low weight of structural steel components permits the erection of large sections; in some circumstances complete bridges can be moved into position overnight. Speed of steel bridge construction also benefits main contractors even on ‘green field’ sites, as it allows them to establish and maintain access for haul roads.