Product Focus
By Lawrence St. John Ground Protection
Acing Ground Support
Benefits of mats and pads for access and lifting safety
Safety is critical on every construction project, but when heavy cranes are involved, there is no room for errors or shortcuts, especially when it comes to ground support design. Cranes have toppled when they’ ve been walked across areas with inadequate ground support or unstable subgrade and when outriggers have punched through soft ground.
Even when ground stabilization studies indicate the ground is stable enough to operate on, unseen voids may be present, and objects to be lifted, such as trees, may weigh more than estimated, increasing the ground bearing pressure. In addition, soil conditions may change— the ground may soften in wet weather, and cold weather can cause frost heave.
Hardwood and composite mats and pads create much safer environments for crane mobilization and operations, especially in access and lift areas with soft, wet or shifting soil. They help protect crane operators, nearby workers and residents, the cranes and the loads they pick. Properly selected and installed mats provide a crucial safety buffer. They also reduce costly project delays.
Advantages of Mats
Aggregate roads are a common solution to access needs, but they aren’ t perfect. They often require significant excavation and grading prior to installation. They can shift and sink in muddy conditions, becoming unlevel and potentially developing ruts. Removing the stones at the end of a project is laborious and expensive. Disposing of them adds extra cost.
Building up a gravel and dirt road above the water table or installing stone to access swamps, marshes, agricultural fields and other ecologically sensitive areas requires permits, which often take weeks or months to obtain. The permitting process not only
Effective mats create a surface that evenly distributes the weight of the crane. Mat type choices include factors such as required ground bearing pressure, the terrain and the project length.
delays the start of a project but also adds an element of unpredictability to the job, since permits may be denied.
Timber mats, which float over wet ground and streams, are an ideal fast-track solution. Hardwood timber mats:
• Are quick to install.
• Create a solid, level surface that remains in place over time.
• Increase traction.
• Are easy to reposition and remove.
• Are reusable.
• Evenly distribute the weight of the
Crane work is dangerous work, but tip-overs are largely preventable.
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June 2025 • www. cranehotline. com