Construction sites, mining grounds, or oilfields mustn’t just protect their workers but also consider the surroundings. That’s where Access mats come to the rescue.
Access mats help while moving heavy equipment, drilling machines, and excavators. Apart from their use at construction sites, these mats are also used on roadways and sometimes on helipads. The mats can act as your structural roadways on shaky grounds, hence making them significant.
Types of Access Matting
Based on its application, access matting can be categorized into three types:
Construction Mats
These mats help reduce disruptions and increase the efficiency required for the timely completion of work. They help give you smooth access to construction grounds which would have been a challenge.
Construction mats are used in different projects, including:
- Power tower erection
- Oil fields and gas pipelines
- Civil construction as well as residential housing projects
- Access Mats
Based on the designs developed by Joe Penland, access mats give you access to remote work sites. As they provide access to areas like wetlands, swamps or bogs, you may have known them as wetland mats or bog mats.
Wetland mats provide temporary roadways to unreachable work locations and are usually made by mixing different hardwoods. Depending on their availability, they include oak, fir, pine, or spruce.
- Heavy-Equipment Mats
Heavy-equipment mats are extensively used in assembling powerlines, mining sites, and bridge repair and construction work. The materials used in their construction ensure durability and extensive load-bearing, necessary in extensive heavy use.
The most widely used heavy-equipment mat is the crane mat. Depending on your requirements, crane mats can be repurposed into digging mats and lodging mats.
The various types of access mats are made from different materials giving them essential properties depending on the area of their use. Some commonly used materials are:
- Wood
- Fiberglass
- Composite
- Rubber
- High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) (More durable)
- Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) (More durable)
Access matting aids in reducing the impact on the environment that moving heavy machinery can cause, making them crucial when accessing areas near agricultural fields and rural and indigenous lands.
Importance of Access Mats
- Access to grounds made durable
Access matting allows you sturdy ground to transport machinery. Depending on the material of the transport mats, you can use them in different ways. Light-duty mats can help create a safe path for workers and light machinery.
On the other hand, heavy-duty mats allow you to transport heavier vehicles and machinery. Using transportation mats, you can create roadways to inaccessible locations.
- Creates a safe ground
While looking out for your worker’s safety, safety boots and helmets are not always sufficient. At an industrial scale, uneven or unstable grounds can cause injury or even accidents
Thus, access matting allows workers to reach construction sites safely and with ease.
- Impact on the environment
Heavy machinery and vehicles plying over sensitive topography for long periods can harm the terrain. It may lead to soil loosening and changing its microbe constitution.
Therefore, using transportation mats can help you reduce such environmental risks.
- Increase stability
An access mat can give you the stability necessary in construction or other industrial areas. While materials like ply or wood risk degrading and weathering from prolonged use, HDPE mats are long-lasting and ideal for logging heavyweights.
Conclusion
Thus, access mats perform various functions for your workers, equipment, and the environment. They allow durable access and stability in remote sites and help protect the surrounding terrain.
