How to decide which trackmat you should hire for your project?

01 Sep.,2025

 

How to decide which trackmat you should hire for your project?

How to decide which trackmat you should hire for your project?   

Trackmats and temporary access mats come in different materials, with different load-bearing capabilities, so it can be hard to know which one to choose for your project. We offer three types of mats for hire, Aluminium DTH mats, Tuff Trak and HDPE.

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Which ground support mat is best for your project?

Aluminium Trackway Panels 

Our aluminium DTH trackway panels provide 3-metre-wide temporary access. This allows even the heaviest vehicles to travel safely over harsh terrain despite bad conditions.

HDPE ground protection mats 

Our HDPE mats are flexible yet tough, designed for use in industrial environments. This type of medium access ground protection is not easy to damage over time.

TuffTrak     

The TuffTrak is a dual-sided composite road mat that can bear a load of up to 150tn. It is suitable for use as a crane pad or roadway. Made of HDPE, it offers excellent durability and strength.

Questions you should ask yourself before choosing which trackmats to hire

What are the ground conditions likely to be?   

This is probably the most important question to ask, What surface are we working with, soil, mud, rocks, grass, sand or sloped ground? We connect our HDPE and Aluminium mats with pins to prevent trips and slips. Before choosing a mat, you should determine the ground conditions because they affect the load-bearing of the ground support mats.    

What is the intended application?    

What do you need, an access road or a platform? Where are the start and end points of your project? To choose the best ground protection matting for your job, you must consider the route it will take, and where the terrain may change. You should think about the traffic expected as well as the duration of the project.

It’s also important to assess whether you will need heavy, medium or light-duty matting, our experts can help with this, as well as determining where to place the mats.    

What vehicles will you be using?    

What machines or vehicles will use the trackmats? Do you know how heavy the equipment is? Have you checked the limits of each mat?   

Whilst it’s highly important to check load bearing before choosing which mat to go with, do you know the safety specs of the equipment, large cranes and other machinery often have their own specific safety needs. Knowing this will help you to ensure maximum safety for your personnel.

Are there any site regulations or rules?    

It’s common for there to be regulations around both safety and the environment. This could include using HDPE or Aluminium matting to make sure no invasive species or site-related waste reaches the ground. You should research the restrictions and rules in your area to make sure they’re all adhered to.   

All our trackmats for hire can be pressure washed following removal to avoid cross-contamination. Wooden or more porous mats may be much more difficult to clean effectively.    

What do we look at to decide which mat is best for your project?     

Durability

A heavy-duty mat is just that, heavy-duty, with load-bearing capabilities of 150tn. These mats are crucial in protecting the ground from heavy vehicles and even heavy footfall. By using trackmats, your personnel and vehicles are protected from uneven or boggy ground.

Traction

The surface of the mats provides traction for people and machinery, mitigating slips, and falls. The flush interlocking capability allows for a completely seamless surface to prevent trip risk. Traction is important, especially when looking at placing mats in uneven or boggy areas.   

Load bearing

Each type of mat that we offer for hire has a different load-baring capability, for different applications. They help to distribute weight over a larger area when on uneven ground to reduce the risk of your machinery sinking into the ground. This is important to know as the weight you may be loading onto the mats may cause them damage.   

Application 

Ground support mats have many different uses within many different sectors. They’re used at construction, events, rail maintenance, telecoms, portable buildings, film, TV and loads more. The intended application could lead to choosing a specific material or type of ground support mat.   

The company is the world’s best HDPE Mats supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.

Environmental protection 

All our trackmats for hire are eco-friendly in material and function. Each of our products is made from recycled material. They also work to protect the environment.   

What applications are different trackmats used for?

Light Duty Mats   

Typically designed for pedestrian traffic and small machinery, these mats have a lower load capacity. These mats are used for landscaping and pedestrian access.

Medium Duty Mats

A medium-duty mat can handle light to moderately heavy machinery. Medium-duty mats are employed for temporary roadway purposes.   

Heavy Duty Mats   

Heavy-duty mats are made to support heavy machinery and equipment. Their load capacity can be up to 150tn. They are commonly used as crane pads.    

So which mat should you choose?   

Your choice of trackmat depends on several factors and considerations. It’s important to check ground conditions, load-bearing capabilities and specific site regulations. Each type of mat aligns with specific projects, so being certain of what you will need from the trackmats you hire is key. By considering all factors, you can make a properly informed decision, ensuring the safety and success of your project.   

Rubber & PVC Matting A Buyers Guide

Rubber & PVC Matting | A Buyers Guide

Differences Between Rubber & PVC Matting

We manufacture and supply matting for any application, from health and safety to leisure. Each application requires different designs and materials for the mats, in order to ensure that you get the most out of your product. Currently the most versatile and popular materials to manufacture mats are rubber and PVC. In this post we are going explore the strengths and weaknesses of each material to help you determine which product is best for you.

Rubber Compounds

It is important to note that there are many different compounds of rubber available each offering slightly different properties depending on the application. In order to keep this comparison fair we will look mainly at natural rubber (NR) as it is the most popular rubber compound for use in matting applications.

Strengths:

Natural rubber is highly durable and offers resistance to both impact and wear which ensures that the matting lasts. It is also resistant to a variety of chemicals which make it easy to clean without deteriorating the material. In most cases our rubber mats are simply laid loose but you are able to use adhesive for a permanent solution. Depending on the thickness of the rubber, the matting has been shown to absorb and reduce noise which make it highly desirable in multistory or built up areas. Rubber matting also contains good insulation properties which enable it to retain both hot and cold temperatures depending on the time of year.

One of the key features of rubber matting is the materials excellent gripping capabilities even in wet and damp environments. This ensures that rubber mats reduce the risk of slips which make them perfect for use as health and safety mats.

Weaknesses

Rubber matting can be more expensive than a PVC alternative depending on the thickness and hardness of the material. Certain chemicals and detergents can stain or discolour the material, which may be a problem if used in an area which will be seen by potential customers or clients.

PVC Material

PVC, also known as Polyvinyl chloride is the third most widely produced plastic around the world. It is a material which almost everyone will likely come in contact with on a daily basis. PVC is available in two formats, either rigid or flexible depending on the application. Flexible is typically favorable over rigid for matting uses as it enables the mat to follow the contours of the ground and provide a stable walking surface.

Strengths

Much like rubber PVC matting is highly durable, which ensures that you are able to get a lot of use out of a single mat. PVC is also lightweight which makes transporting and installing the mats very easy. PVC offers good weathering resistance which enable you to use it in almost any exterior application without fear of deterioration. The high chlorine content found in PVC matting grants it self extinguishing properties, which makes it fire resistant.

You have greater control over the design, colour and texture of the mats as they are easier to produce compared to the rubber alternative. This is an important feature for anyone looking to make an impact with the mats. Certain applications such as swimming pools tend to favor blue or white mats which are both easier and cheaper to produce out of PVC.

Weaknesses

PVC can be difficult to replace if the product is no longer being produced. In some cases, the mats are made to order which can result in longer production times, however we always try to keep a good stock of our most popular PVC mats.

Ultimately there is no right or wrong product, it always comes down to the application and what you require from the mats. We are always to help customers who are unsure which product is most suitable for their unique requirements.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Construction Mud HDPE Mats.