Rapid Container Blocking and Bracing Technology

Shipping and transportation of supplies and ammunition by military means suffers from a combination of operational and technical driven characteristics which often result in a low load packing density. In such situations it is imperative to 'brace out' the loaded volume to minimize load movement during shipment. If this bracing is not comprehensive and secure, then severe damage can occur to the load, and indeed, the transporting vehicle or container, from the large impact forces generated by the load shifting under an acceleration which can get as high as several 'g's' . Currently, the US Army uses timber, sized and cut on site, to block and brace loads. This methodology is, however, fraught with disadvantages. What is required is a system for blocking and bracing which is adaptable to varying load void size, load weights and sizes, container type, is simple and rapid to install and strip, is, ideally, reusable (or at worst, disposable in an environmentally friendly manner) and is cost comparable to the current timber approach. During Phase I of this program Foster-Miller will evaluate Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS), Non-Developmental Items (NDI), and innovative developmental concepts as replacements for the currently used dunnage and blocking and bracing systems. The new dunnage system will replace the labor and resource intensive timber based system now employed for blocking and bracing of loads on military transports. The new technologies can be installed in minutes, are reusable, environmentally friendly and lower cost than the existing approach. They will reduce the manpower and logistics support required at all points on the distribution chain and result in a lower load damage rate than timber dunnage. Both up-front (acquisition) and Operating and Maintenance (O&M) costs will be reduced as compared to the system being replaced.