What Does
Bridge Plank Mean?
A bridge plank (gangplank) is used by horizontal drilling rig personnel to move from the ground to the deck of the rig or between two parts of a rig. It may be as simple as a single wooden plank, it may be two or more planks joined together to form a walkway or wooden frame with multiple planks laid down on it. It may even be as elaborate as a steel frame with a steel walking deck and handrails that's so heavy it must be moved with the rig's crane.
A bridge plank is also part of superstructure truss network in bridge building. The bridge plank is appears to corrugated steel placed between the trusses to support the bridge roadway.
Trenchlesspedia Explains Bridge Plank
A simple plank placed between two points to span the gap in the earth may be an early incarnation of the bridge plank. Where a rig has a temporary gap between two working areas, a bridge plank is a temporary solution. Whether it's a simple plank that allows rig personnel to take a shortcut across the gap between two otherwise adjacent parts of a rig or between a rig, and anywhere else, or massive steel accommodation that is moved by crane, it's still called a bridge plank.