Fascine

A fascine (pronounced ) is a rough bundle of brushwood used for strengthening an earthen structure, or making a path across uneven or wet terrain. Typical uses are protecting the banks of streams from erosion, covering marshy ground and so on.

Military use

Such bundles were used in military defences for revetting (shoring up) trenches or ramparts, especially around artillery batteries, or filling in ditches. Military fascine bridges were used as early as Roman times. First World War tanks such as the Mark I started the practice of carrying fascines on the roof, to be deployed to provide traction and support over rough ground and to fill trenches that would otherwise be an obstacle to the tank. Some modern tanks are still equipped to carry and deploy fascines, although these now consist of large bundles of heavy plastic pipes referred to as pipe fascines. These have an outer layer of pipes with chains running through them and loose pipes inserted in the middle.

Currently, the British army uses the ChAVRE - an engineering vehicle based on the Chieftain tank - to carry and deploy pipe fascines. This is due to be replaced by the Trojan, based on the Challenger 2 tank.

See also

• Billhook
• Fasces
• Fascine knife
• Ferula

References