Framework of Automated Beam Assembly and Disassembly System for Temporary Bridge Structures

Temporary bridges play an important role in disaster relieving operations. However, available workers and limited time are precious resources during a disaster event. The requirement of not only human resource but also construction safety creates a barrier for completing the temporary bridge construction within expected time, which may result in the delayed subsequent rescue operation. To address these issues of worker safety and the worker shortage during a disaster event, an automated beam assembly approach for temporary bridge segment is proposed in this study. The approach includes a framework for temporary bridge construction to be automated assembled by a crane and a construction process based on the framework. The framework and the construction process are examined with both virtual and small-scale models.