Comparing Different Types of Construction Matting

Many types of construction mats are available for various projects, developments, and sites. It’s essential to compare ground protection mat materials and the quality of options for your construction site. At first glance, assessing which construction mats are best for your site can be time-consuming, especially if you’re new to managing projects. 

Construction mats are generally made of composite or hardwood. While hardwood mats are less expensive and easy to use for most sites, composite mats are more durable, versatile, and lightweight. They are ideal for large-scale operations and offer excellent support for heavy equipment, vehicles, machinery, and visitors to the site, without wear and tear or erosion from wet areas or weather changes.

Composite Mats for Construction

Composite matting systems offer the most robust, long-lasting construction matting, which provides a clean, stable, and safe job site for workers. These work pads are made of high-density polyethylene. They are available in light, medium, and heavy-duty options for a variety of uses, whether you need to create accessways, temporary roadways, or to cover a smaller surface for a renovation project.

Heavy-Duty Composite Mats 

The heaviest-duty composite mats are designed to support heavy machinery, materials, and equipment loads. These access mats interlock to provide a solid foundation for construction equipment, excellent traction, and maintain structural integrity while preventing slips and falls from area dirt, soil, and debris.

Megadeck HD composite mats are heavy-duty and designed to provide good traction and a stable surface for high traffic, busy work sites, and vehicle access to work platforms. Contractors favor these mats for extreme conditions, such as high heat or cold temperatures, and changing weather conditions. These mats are durable and can withstand years of use.

Medium-Duty Composite Mats

The most common solution for standard construction sites is medium-duty composite mats, which offer strength to accommodate a wide range of equipment, materials, and machinery while providing greater flexibility. 

These mats are ideal for staging areas and renovation sites. They are convenient and easy for assembly and placement, with integrated cable channels and a snap-down system that connects quickly and efficiently for fast installation and worksite set-up.

Light-Duty Composite Mats

Light-duty composite mats are easier to handle and provide secure accessways, roadways, and flexible and portable protection. This matting is ideal for pedestrian use which is safe and accessible for a variety of small-scale projects and temporary construction sites. 

In addition, they are ideal for turf protection, temporary flooring, and supporting light to moderate-duty equipment and machinery. Light-duty composite mats fit together easily, with snap-down connections that interlock for a secure fit.

Timber Mats for Construction

Timber mats are ground protection solutions to support heavy equipment and machinery, such as cranes and forklifts. They can be used as customized structures, including air bridges and temporary bridging over small waterways, such as rivers and creeks. 

Timber mats are constructed of hardwood and feature sturdy hardware, such as bolts that are flush with the wood. This matting is used in the construction, oil, gas, and utilities industries. 

It is worth noting that wood mats are known to have a few downsides:

• Shorter lifespan regarding durability, being made of wood, and will degrade over time. 
• They can transmit contaminants (oil, chemicals, parasites, and more) when being transported from jobsite to jobsite. 
• It can be less stable by not having an interlocking system to keep mats connected securely like composite mats.

Final Thoughts

When you compare various types of timber and composite mats, you’ll find different sizes, materials, and structures to accommodate any construction project. Sunbelt Rentals offers extensive composite matting options for construction and infrastructure projects for environmentally sensitive surfaces. 

Our expert Ground protection team offers expert solutions and rentals of ground protection mats for many applications, including outdoor festivals, stadium events, pedestrian flooring, and more. Contact Sunbelt Rentals to inquire about our different construction matting options for your upcoming project.