Crane mats are a crucial resource on construction projects, helping to stabilize cranes and other heavy machinery. They distribute the weight of equipment evenly, preventing it from sinking into soft ground and making operations safer and more efficient.
In environmentally sensitive areas, Crane Mats create temporary pathways that protect underlying soil structure and preserve delicate ecosystems from irreversible damage. They also help contain spills and chemical seepage, preventing contamination of the environment.
Bridge Construction
During the bridge construction process, contractors need level pathways and safe work areas. This is why crane mats are so valuable. They provide a solid base that helps stabilize the heaviest equipment, such as massive cranes and excavators. This prevents the equipment from sinking into soft ground or collapsing onto buried pipes, cables, and other utility lines. They also help protect the environment by decreasing soil contamination and reducing the risk of environmental restitution payments.
Crane mats are also useful when working in wetlands, swamps, and other sensitive environments. They create a temporary roadway that allows equipment to travel safely over fragile or environmentally sensitive areas without disturbing them. They are especially effective when navigating over soft soil, wet mud, or frozen ground. This eliminates the need to transport equipment over the terrain by truck, which reduces the risk of environmental damage and increases efficiency.
Many projects in the renewable energy industry require incredibly heavy materials and machinery. These types of projects are ideal for crane mats because they can support such a large amount of weight and create a stable workspace. In addition, the protective layer created by crane mats decreases erosion, contamination, and ground churn. This helps contractors manage the business risks associated with working in sensitive environments and enables them to avoid costly restitution payments.
General construction is another key use for crane mats. They offer a variety of solutions, such as creating protected work areas, clearing pathways for machines, and providing elevated storage space for materials. The dense and durable wood of these mats easily supports the heavy loads of trucks and other equipment. They also make it easier for contractors to access the site, allowing them to get their jobs done in any weather conditions.
In addition to these benefits, owning crane mats gives companies greater flexibility than renting them from a third party. Purchasing them ensures that the correct mat size and quantity are available when needed, eliminating the risk of project delays due to rental availability. This can be particularly important when working on time-critical projects, like building a bridge.
Lumber
The construction of commercial buildings and other large industrial projects often requires cranes and heavy equipment to be navigated over soft or unstable ground. For these projects, timber crane mats are a key tool for stabilizing the work environment and ensuring the safety of workers. When used in combination with proper staking, they help to prevent machinery from sinking or becoming unstable during operations. This reduces the risk of accidents or damage, and it allows companies to operate more efficiently with fewer delays.
In addition to enhancing operational efficiency, crane mats also offer significant environmental benefits. In ecologically sensitive areas, construction sites can cause significant soil erosion and disruption to local wildlife. This is particularly true for wetlands and marshlands, which are at great risk of being damaged by the constant movement of heavy machinery. Crane mats, on the other hand, provide a protective foundation for heavy machinery that minimizes underlying ground disturbance and protects delicate ecosystems.
Another important aspect of environmental responsibility is minimizing the amount of time that heavy equipment spends on site. This translates to lower emissions and less time spent on the job, which can lead to more efficient project completion and faster overall project durations. In addition, the use of crane mats can improve company image and facilitate support from local communities for oil and gas projects in ecologically sensitive areas.
Finally, the use of crane mats can improve crew morale and increase job satisfaction rates by providing a safe and stable working environment. This can have a ripple effect in terms of boosting team morale and encouraging higher performance levels among construction workers. In turn, this can boost the success of a company and contribute to its bottom line.
For these reasons, crane mats are a crucial investment for construction companies that want to maximize cost, efficiency, and safety on their worksite. The versatility of these construction mats makes them a vital tool for many different industrial endeavors, including oil and gas, renewable energy, and utility projects. To find the right crane mats for your project, consult an expert that specializes in this equipment and provides insights into the most suitable options for your specific requirements.
Renewable Energy
Crane mats are crucial for facilitating a safe work environment on construction sites. They help prevent slips, falls, and equipment malfunction by providing a stable foundation for heavy machinery. They also provide a secure base for travelling over soft or unstable ground and crossing streams, ditches, and other obstacles. This helps reduce damage to buried pipes and utilities and protects the integrity of environmentally sensitive terrain. This is particularly important for civil or commercial construction projects that require extensive travel over a variety of different conditions.
The most common material used to make crane mats is timber, mainly oak, spruce, or fir. They’re often painted with wood preservatives to enhance their longevity and ensure durability, as well as improve visual appeal and weather resistance. They’re commonly used under boom cranes, excavators, and other large machinery that relies on outriggers for stability. However, they can be manufactured from other materials, including composite or fiberglass, though these options are typically more expensive and less durable than timber crane mats.
Using crane mats is an effective way to ensure that crews can operate equipment safely and efficiently, regardless of the environmental conditions they’re working in. They’re particularly useful in marshes, wetlands, swamps, and other areas where the ground is soft or uneven. They can also be used to create a temporary roadway for trucks or other vehicles that require access over difficult terrain.
Aside from providing a safer work platform, crane mats can also mitigate the impact of heavy construction on the surrounding environment. When cranes or other machinery operate on unprotected soil, it can cause lasting damage to vegetation and wildlife habitats. By covering the ground with a layer of timber crane mats, this risk is eliminated. The mats allow machinery to operate without contacting the ground directly, which protects it from erosion, disruption of roots and plants, and changes in natural drainage flows.
With the increasing emphasis on sustainability and environmental responsibility, companies are searching for tools to minimize their ecological footprint. While it may seem like an insignificant component of a project, crane mats can play a significant role in helping reduce the negative impacts that many projects have on the natural environment.
General Construction
The construction of commercial buildings often involves the use of cranes. The problem is that many of these projects take place in undeveloped or remote areas, where access roads are not available. This is where crane mats come in, as they provide a stable work platform for equipment and allow construction to take place on a variety of terrain. Crane mats are made of various materials, including wood and timber, composite, fiberglass and plastic. Each material has its pros and cons, so it is important to consult a company that specializes in crane mats and determine which one is best for your particular situation.
One of the key benefits of crane mats is that they distribute weight evenly, thereby reducing the risk of cranes tipping over or sinking into soft or uneven ground. This minimizes the potential for accidents and enhances safety for workers. In addition, crane mats also protect the underlying surface of the ground from damage and erosion, especially in environmentally sensitive or delicate areas.
In addition to providing stability for equipment, crane mats also help create temporary roadways that make it easier and safer to transport trucks, tractors, and other heavy machinery. This is particularly useful for projects that require working on wetlands, swamps or other inaccessible locations. When these roadways are built using crane mats, it helps preserve the underlying natural terrain and reduces soil disruption, which can result in erosion and loss of biodiversity.
In general, crane mats are an essential part of any project that requires the use of large, expensive machinery and can be found in a wide range of projects, from oil and gas exploration to renewable energy construction. These mats can be used to stabilize and support the weight of machinery on any type of terrain, regardless of whether it is muddy, rocky, or even mountainous or hilly. If you are interested in learning more about crane mats or need assistance determining which type is best for your project, please contact Strad. We can provide you with a fully integrated matting solution by offering both rental and purchase options for new and used crane mats as well as first-rate service.
