The Royal Engineers are trained to build bridges over fast flowing rivers and they have the manpower and equipment here in the UK to do it as and when required.
Why have they not been tasked and deployed to build bridges in Cumbria?
The civillian engineers are just talking about future bridge repair/building when the Royal Engineers could be building them in a week.
Modern military bridgeing equipment has moved on a lot since the 'Bailey' bridge and on that point i have driven over many Bailey bridges that were built many years ago and are still going strong.
As for military bridges only good for the weight of Tanks, Well i would ask what was the SWL of the pre flood 'Calva' bridge then?
As a former 'Sapper' i feel the authoritys are talking utter Tosh!
Apparently the local authority in Cumbria have said that any bridges that the Royal Engineers could build would only be suitable for tanks, not civilian traffic ... Yeah! Go figure!
Yeah..... a tank weighs what ten tonnes? A car?
Yes can work that one out.:smitten:
Yeah..... a tank weighs what ten tonnes? A car?
Yes can work that one out.:smitten:
Have we got enough soldiers left in the UK to sort out our own problems? Wondering....
well while people are diverted to the shortage of equiptment of our troops to wage war and not question the war itself, wait for the reasoning from your m.p.'s and the media as to why the army cant be brought back to blighty to wage war against nature to save the "british". you will hear diversion after diversion. oh, and al gore, major share holder in the london based carbon trading derivitives company will say " see, it's global warming"
'elf and safety again.....
Well it seems they are going to get a bridge to walk over within a week.
As a former Royal Engineer my view is that only being allowed to build a foot bridge shows a lack of ambition by the authoritys.
Let the army build a Medium Girder bridge that will take the weight of vehicles.
Building bridges quickly is the stock in trade of the Royal Engineers who have the manpower, equipment, and knowhow. Just let them to do it and they will.
Simples!!