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https://hdl.handle.net/11681/12826| Title: | Evaluation of flexmat as an assault egress surfacing |
| Authors: | Triplett, Shirley D. |
| Keywords: | Access/egress Assault vehicle egress role Expedient surfacing system Military transportation Military operations Stream crossings River crossings Military engineering |
| Publisher: | Geotechnical Laboratory (U.S.) Engineer Research and Development Center (U.S.) |
| Series/Report no.: | Technical report (U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station) ; GL-86-12. |
| Description: | Technical Report Abstract: River-crossing operations are an integral part of land warfare. The lethality of modern weapons and the capability of large enemy formations dictate that crossing forces reduce their vulnerability by maintaining inherent mobility. Conditions that must be overcome are weak soil strengths, especially at or near the waterline, and exit slopes at streams that are steep and prevent tactical assault vehicles from exiting at the most advantageous location. The purpose of this investigation was to develop and evaluate surfacing systems that would satisfy the requirements of the assault vehicle egress role as stated in the Letter of Agreement (LOA) for a tactical bridge access/egress system. Four expedient surfacing (Flexmat) designs were tested and evaluated. Slope-climbing tests were conducted on a typical 25 percent sloped lake bank, and the traffic tests were performed over a heavy clay soil. The Flexmat was then evaluated according to its condition, and the succeeding design was modified to correct any deficiencies that were revealed during the previous test. The final design of the Flexmat sustained 50 egress passes with the Armored Personnel Carrier, which exceeded the minimum requirement of 25 passes. The condition of the mat after the tests were completed was considered to be excellent. As a result of this investigation, the Flexmat IV proved to meet the requirements for trafficking and dispensing, as stated in the LOA. However, several recommendations to further improve the system are included in this report. |
| Rights: | Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/11681/12826 |
| Appears in Collections: | Technical Report |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TR-GL-86-12.pdf | 6.43 MB | Adobe PDF |  View/Open |