MATTING & ACCESS SOLUTIONS

Site preparation is the process of preparing a job site for future construction work. Performance Dirtworks provides a skilled crew of operators and heavy equipment to clear, level, and grade land, and to create or install drainage systems to get your site ready for project mobilization. 

Think of mats as large, sturdy panels made up of wood, steel, or plastic - that are utilized for travel or platforms wherever there are unfavorable ground conditions. A typical access mat is made up of a number of wood planks, sized to 8' x 14'. 

At Performance Dirtworks, we grade our mats based on the condition of each mat using an ABC grade scale (see "How Are Access Mats Graded?" for more info).

There are different types of mats that function best for different uses. Here are some of the most common:

• Access Mats:  Wood access mats are best used for building temporary roads, bridges, and pads for vehicles, heavy equipment, and foot traffic on sites where the ground conditions and environment sensitivity are barriers to site access. 

• Rig Mats: Rig mats are generally made from wood and include a steel frame and are 20' or 40' in length. Rig mats are more heavy duty than access mats and are built to withstand extreme loads such as drilling rigs or cranes. 

• Crane Mats: Crane mats are as tough and durable as they come. These are typically made from large timber beams, reinforced with steel cross beams. Crane mats are made to support immense loads for projects such as bridge or gap spanning, large-scale crane support, or to move heavy equipment through dig sites in muskeg or marshland. 

Call or email our team for more information or to chat about which mats would be best suited to your project!

Mats are pieced together to create temporary structures such as roads, platforms, and bridges to support the movement of personnel, vehicles, and heavy equipment. 

The temporary nature of mats make them an asset to environmental sustainability as they help to preserve and protect the land from damages that could occur with direct wear and tear from a project's traffic. Once mats are removed, the reclamation process becomes an easier process. 

Mats are hauled to site using semi-trucks with flat deck trailers. Once on site, the mats are offloaded and placed using heavy machinery, such as excavators and loaders, to move the mats wherever they need to be. This machinery is outfitted with attachments called mat grapples that are specialized for handling mats with efficiency and precision. 

At Performance Dirtworks Ltd we use the standard ABC mat grading system. Mats are given a letter grade based on their physical condition.

New

New mats are fresh off the production line. It has never been used. New mats are a great option for projects with strict environmental regulations as they do not typically need to be washed before heading to site. 

A-Grade

A-Grade mats are next to brand new. Their structure is completely intact and there is no damage to any boards. They can be cleaned and restored to next-to-new quality. A-Grades are excellent for long-term projects that need longer-lived, reliable mats to help reduce the instance of damage or replacement fees at the end of your project. 

B-Grade

B-Grade mats start to show bits of project wear and tear. You will see more dirt, scratches, gouges, and dents on the surfaces of the boards - but the structure of these mats is still intact. They generally have a shorter life-span than A-Grades, but still work wonders on both long-term and short-term projects. 

C-Grade

C-Grade mats have been through their fair share of bumps and bruises. These mats can be missing 1-4 boards from their structure, and exhibit harsher surface conditions than B-Grades. Due to missing boards, the loads that C-Grade mats can handle is reduced. C-Grade mats make an excellent base layer for roads, pads, and bridges that have multiple layers. 

Pipeline 

Pipeline mats have more than 4 missing boards. They are in rough condition, but are still structurally sound enough to be used as a bottom layer in multi-layer mat structures. They can also be buried just below ground level to help stabilize soft areas where equipment might sit, or where traffic might frequent.

Destroyed

As the name implies a destroyed mat is... destroyed! These mats are no longer suitable for projects and likely would not survive the loading and offloading just to get them to site. The condition of the mat is more likely to damage vehicles and equipment than it is to help on any project.