PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-563
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 563
OCTOBER 1999
Armored Vehicle-Launched Bridge . . .
i'd better
find a spot
that's a little
more level
.
?
Look for broken or loose rivets or
bolts, too. A shiny spot or corrosion
around the head of a fastener is a tipoff
that it’s loose. Report ’em.
The center panel hinges and the up-
per and lower connectors on the center
and end panels need special attention.
Missing or corroded rivets in these ar-
eas can lead to bridge collapse.
If you see a broken or missing rivet,
look for a white powder residue in the
rivet hole or on the remaining portion
of the rivet.
If you find any corrosion, your AVLB
is NMC until the entire panel can be
replaced.
Look for broken or missing rivets
Check deck and curbing for damage
Braces or angles cracked or bent?
OCT 99
PS 563
20
OCT 99
t takes a steady eye, slow speeds, and good PM to keep your AVLB crossable.
Here’s the best way to keep that bridge from fallin’ down:
Keep Launchings Level
Choose your launching site care-
fully. Both banks should be level or
at least have the same slope. If they
aren’t, the weight of a tank will twist
the bridge’s braces and angles.
That could leave you with a per-
manently twisted bridge that is no
longer FMC. Not sure what dead-
lines a bridge? Check out the PMCS
guidelines in TM 5-5420-203-14.
Slow Down, Please
Speed is a real bridge bender, too.
Tanks and M88-series recovery ve-
hicles can tear up a bridge in a single
pass if they move too fast.
And, since these vehicles are al-
most as wide as the bridge, going
too fast can lead to accidents.
Drivers, to prevent damage to the
bridge—and your vehicle—keep these details in mind when crossing:
* Keep the vehicle centered on the bridge.
* Go no faster than eight mph for
normal/caution
crossings and three
mph for
risk
crossings.
* Never stop, accelerate or shift
gears while on the bridge.
Before and After Checks
Before and after any vehicles
cross your bridge, check carefully
for damage to the deck or curbing.
Then look for bent, twisted or
cracked bracing and angles.
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