Medium Girder Bridge (MGB)

The MGB is a two girder bridge that was introduced into service in 1979.  It is the NZ Army's combat support bridge which is used in forward areas, normally in support of mobile operations.

The MGB is kitted with a Link Reinforcement Set (LRS) for increasing the Military Load Class (MLC - the weight capacity), and the Span Junction Set, which enables multi span bridges to be built over any suitable fixed or floating pier support. The MGB is packed and stored on MGB pallets, and transported on either a MGB trailer or on 4T General Service vehicles (see Unimog 1700 series).

This equipment is operated by the Royal New Zealand Engineers (RNZE) who are responsible for providing mobility support to the NZ Army in the theatre of operations. The bridge is 4m wide, and depending upon configuration, can span gaps ranging from 9 - 49m wide, and can have an MLC of 16 - 60 tonnes.

Some of the key details for this bridge are listed below:

MGB Specifications

Bridge	Length	Load Class	Party Size	Construction Time	Pallet Load
Single storey	9 m	60	9	15 min	2
Single storey	22 m	16	17	30 min	5
Double storey	30 m	60	25	45 min	10
Double storey	40 m	16	25	1 hr 20 min	16
Link Reinforcement Kit	49 m	60	32	2 hrs	18

The Bailey Bridge

The Bailey Bridge is a “through” type bridge and was introduced into service in 1972. The timber roadway is carried between two main girders formed from 3.048 m long panels which are pinned together end to end. In it’s most basic configuration the bridge has an MLC of 30 tonnes, and can span gaps of 15.25m, although by combining bridge sets the span can be increased to 45.75m.

As with the MGB, the Bailey Bridge is operated by RNZE to enable them to provide mobility support to the NZ Army.