The average person may not know what ground protection mats are, but they have probably walked on them many times. Various kinds of mats are used at construction sites, outdoor work areas, landscaping projects, parks and museums as well as one-time events like outdoor galas or shows.
In addition, ground protection mats are used the world over at concerts, weddings, sporting events, stadiums and outdoor arenas. They are multi-purpose in that they protect the ground, provide safe roads for cars, and keep guests and event staff clean and dry. Often they are used to provide a safe foundation for seating, staging, lighting and scaffolding.
When winter weather hits, the need for protection mats grow. The ground becomes colder, wetter and icier causing issues for construction sites as well as events. This can create delays, waste money and be a danger to workers or pedestrians. Muddy, rutted, or icy ground can damage heavy machinery. Most of these problems can be solved by utilizing ground protection mats making sites safer and well-functioning despite challenging weather conditions.
Ground protections mats provide many important benefits:
Safeguard Conditions
Ground protection mats can form roadways in order to protect the ground from damage caused by heavy equipment. This allows construction, landscaping and other activities to continue despite difficult ground conditions. Without the protection, the ground becomes impassable as ruts are made, mud forms and the ground is churned up by equipment. Mats make it possible for foot traffic to continue safely in areas where work is being done.
Maintain Schedule
Proper access is critical to any project maintaining a schedule. This is true whether it is crowd flow for an event or a deadline on a worksite. Slowing foot traffic or machinery on any site is going to cause safety issues and delays. With proper mats, whether made of composite or wood, work can continue even in tough weather conditions keeping the site open to machines and workers maintaining the project schedule and planned completion time.
Protect Environment
Ground conditions and the environment are very important on worksites especially to the client and protecting both should be a high priority. Some work is done on acreage that has special environmental safeguards and others are on private property which is expected to be kept as close to its original form as possible. Ground protection mats are key to protecting property and the environment.
Protect Equipment
Equipment is expensive to maintain even in the best of conditions and this can become much more costly when there is damage due to difficult ground conditions. Gravel, mud and other obstruction can cause damage to machinery and end up costing money for repair. This also can cause delays on a project, slow the schedule and send the entire job over budget.
Save Money
Ground protections mats help to keep your projects on schedule, keep workers safe, protect machinery and save you money. When projects stay on time, injuries are avoided, and machinery is in good working order, projects will stay within budget making clients and companies happier as a result. Also, purchasing composite ground protection mats as opposed to wood will save money as they last longer and will not need frequent replacement.
Ultimately ground protection mats make any project or event safer and run in a more timely manner. When using them for heavy equipment or for attendees, they provide a solid foundation for your site or event. Protecting the environment is at an all time high in importance and ground protection mats are key to this effort especially on a construction site.
Whether your priorities are safety, saving money, environment or guest enjoyment, ground protection mats can help you stay on schedule and get the project done.
