Recent and Future Trends in Deployable Bridges Using Scissor-Like Elements

Within this recent decade, climate change has amplified the effects of natural disasters around the world. It is known that road infrastructure is crucial in post-disaster response operations; however, road infrastructures are also often damaged by the disaster. One of the vital but fragile parts of this infrastructure is bridges; a collapsed or damaged bridge can substantially delay search and rescue operations, as well as delivery of essential humanitarian supplies into the regions affected. This paper provides an overview of the novel use of deployable scissor bridges to rapidly replace functions of affected bridges after a disaster through evaluating the advantages as well as limitations of 6 existing scissor bridge designs compared to existing modular solutions. A particular focus will also be placed on suggesting possible improvements in scissor bridge designs, including the use of composite materials and the implementation of smart bridge health monitoring systems. Most current solutions exist as modular rapid assembly bridges, often designed with a focus on military applications. Deployable scissor bridges offer advantages in civilian applications, including higher portability, shorter construction time and reduced manpower demand. However, current challenges in the design include high deflections and a lower load capacity. Fibre-reinforced polymers (hereafter FRP) can be used in the bridge's main frame to decrease its dead load without sacrificing the structure's strength. At the same time, embedded sensors can feed back to active vibration control systems, damping bridge vibrations