Timber mats are generally used to protect the ground and securely transport heavy construction equipment to and from worksites so the natural terrain won’t impede movement or cause any tipping over. The most common projects they’ve been utilized for have included the construction of pipelines, stabilization for oilfields, and to build transmission projects.

Over the last couple years, however, we’ve seen their use expand to projects far beyond what we ever would have imagined. Here’s a look back at some of the more interesting ways timber mats have been used recently:

TESTING AT THE OLYMPIC EXPERIMENTAL FOREST

It was reported in March that timber mats would be utilized at the Olympic Experimental State Forest in Washington state as a means to test how efficiently crews could access sites for harvesting. The forest is experimental in that it serves a dual purpose: One part of it is protected habitat while the other is used for harvesting timber.

USING MATS TO REPAIR A PIPELINE IN NATURE

When it comes to timber mats, nature conservation is a primary use. In March, it was reported that crews used mats in a repair project for a damaged pipeline in Wisconsin’s Jackson Marsh Wildlife Area. The pipeline had previously ruptured in 2012 and the mats helped the crew protect a vital grassland habitat that currently serves as home to a diverse group of birds.

SETTING UP A CHRISTMAS TREE IN NEWPORT BEACH, CA

Timber mats were used this past November in setting up a 100 foot tall white fur Christmas tree in Newport Beach, California. The crew used a crane with outrigger pads set atop timber mats for stabilization.

TRANSPORTING A BOEING 767 BY SEA

What’s the best way to transport a Boeing 767? By car, the trip between Shannon, Co. Clare, Ireland and Enniscrone, Co Sligo, Ireland takes near three hours, and moving the airplane on the roadways would have been quite a daunting task. Instead, crews transported it on a barge off the Irish coast to the new owner who has plans to turn the decommissioned machine into a quirky 8-unit double bedroom hotel. Mats were used to stabilize the plane as it was loaded on and off the barge.

DEMOLISHING A BRIDGE IN ENGLAND

n November, demolition crews utilized timber mats in taking down the Woodlands Lane Bridge in Windlesham, England. Running over the M3 Motorway, the crews used the mats to guard the demolition effort from negatively affecting the carriageway below.

Have a project that you think mats could prove helpful in carrying out? Contact the pros at Viking Mat today.