A huge array of sectors use ground protection mats for protecting employees, visitors, pedestrians, vehicles, machinery and, of course, the ground itself.
They have a role in distributing heavy loads, creating access where it is needed, providing a firm, safe surface underfoot, sectioning safe walking spaces, and keeping the ground, grass and delicate soils pristine, among many other practical functions.
Ground mats play a critical role in many sectors, here are the ones which most frequently require them:
From house-building to major infrastructural projects, ground protection mats are vital in preserving the terrain under the movement of heavy machinery during construction projects. They safeguard fragile surfaces from becoming rutted and muddy, ensuring operations proceed smoothly.
Mats like HDPE ground protection mats and aluminium mats are commonly used, offering durability and ease of deployment.
The alternative is to dig out and build temporary roads. These could be simple dirt tracks, which can become unusable when the weather is wet.
Sometimes more sturdy constructions are implemented, which are dug out and covered with a hard-wearing material. This is a large, expensive and time-consuming job, especially if those routes need to be returned to their natural state after the project is finished.
With temporary heavy-duty mats, contractors and machinery can move around the construction site easily and safely, in all weathers. And once the project is finished, the mats are simply disassembled by the hire company (like us!)
The event sector relies heavily on ground mats to facilitate festivals, shows, concerts, trade fairs and all sorts of mass gatherings. They offer protection and convenience to visitors and staff, diversify events by creating wheelchair access, ensure safety by creating access roads for emergency vehicles and help maintain the surfaces that need to be returned to their normal state once the event is over. Typical applications include:
Nature determines where natural resources are located, and it’s often in inhospitable areas far away from the main transport networks.
Whether doing exploration for oil, gas or minerals, or performing the actual digging and drilling, there’s plenty of heavy machinery and sensitive equipment to move around. Ground mats provide a tough, reusable surface to get people and machinery from place to place safely and quickly over what can be rugged, slippery terrain.
Utilities plants and distribution hubs are often far away from the towns and cities they serve.
Also, their pipes, cables and aqueducts must pass through miles of unpopulated areas to reach homes and industry. When constructing or servicing these distribution networks, the teams will often need to navigate through open countryside or land that’s not ideal for heavy machinery.
When accidents happen or disaster strikes, teams of emergency services need to move into unexpected places and start the process of first-aid, rescue, recovery and rebuilding.
It’s during situations like these that temporary road and foot access is life-saving and non-negotiable. In instances where it has not been added to a terrain that requires it, it can be deployed in hours, helping to speed along a potential recovery process. Transport incidents can often require cranes and other civil engineering machinery to be on site, and with the clock ticking, there’s no better way to make any sort of ground safe and prepared than heavy-duty ground mats.
Filming is a labour-intensive process, with potentially dozens of personnel on location, from catering and technical staff to the actors and extras.
There’s also often a need for long, smooth surfaces for tracks and dollies, which would not be possible on open ground. Ground mats are key here and can be quickly installed on a host of indoor and outdoor surfaces, to aid production.
Logging usually happens in phases, with certain areas of forests being harvested while the rest is growing. Meanwhile, there are delicate plant and wildlife ecosystems coexisting at ground level, where disruption must be minimised.
Temporary ground mats are the perfect solution to both needs. They can follow the loggers around the patch of forest they’re currently working on, providing access to machinery and heavy goods vehicles. Once an area has been cut down and is ready to enter its regrowth stage, the mats are simply lifted and relocated, allowing the work to carry on in another area.
Rather like utilities mentioned above, road and rail networks pass through miles of sparsely populated areas, where transport infrastructure is, ironically, lacking.
So when it’s time to build, repair, upgrade or dismantle road and rail lines, contractors can find themselves on pretty unhelpful ground.
Heavy-duty ground mats can ensure all the machinery and site offices can have a firm footing, and the work can progress smoothly. Once the job is over, away go the mats.
Farming necessarily takes place far away from the urban environment, and that can lead to challenges when it comes to hard surfaces to work on.
Whether it’s constructing agricultural buildings, digging irrigation networks or providing a safe, solid surface for livestock and vehicles, ground mats are crucial to keeping all types of agricultural operations going.
If you are in one of the above industries or operate outside them and need solid, safe and convenient temporary ground surfaces, message our team so we can assess your needs and start getting you moving. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
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