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The Light weight Modular BRidGE (LMBRG): A Gap Crossing Innovation

The Light weight Modular BRidGe ( ) was officially handed over at the Innovation In Defence 2022 networking event by and to key players on Tuesday 20 December.

In less than a year, the lightweight bridge was developed from a rough sketch to a prototype. A consortium consisting of Brightlands, Brightlands Materials Center, Chemelot Innovation and Learning Labs, ZUYD University of Applied Sciences, TSG Group and Lamoral worked incredibly hard on it over the past year. With the modular bridge, spans, ditches, drains and other obstacles up to 2.5 meters can be bridged effortlessly. During the many experiments held with users, several other applications were discovered. The design of the LMBRG has therefore been modified several times through feedback and interaction with users.

The LMBRG consists of three parts that are coupled to form a three-part bridge. The three bridge parts were presented by and to key players during Innovation in Defense. The Corps of Engineers received the Gap part. After all, they did not yet have equipment for a 3-meter span. The Crossing part went to the project facilitator of the Innovation Center FRONT for making this project possible. Finally, theinnovation part went to Chief Innovation Advisor Colonel Ralf Goossens and was handed over by Martijn Dongstra who was able to complete his studies on this project within CHILL and is now working at CHILL as a project manager. During the event many visitors walked over the bridge and the bridge survived this stress test as well. The innovations that are part of this project are not only relevant to the LMBRG but new applications may have been discovered. State Secretary Christophe van der Maat showed great interest in the lightweight bridge.