Jan 19, 2023 | Access Mats, News
Access solutions are needed in challenging or environmentally sensitive terrains to ensure the safe transportation of equipment and material and provide the crew with a smooth, safe surface. As a result, industrial projects in Western Canada of all sizes and scopes are constantly on the lookout for reliable access solutions that can stand up to the most challenging elements while maintaining safe access for equipment and workers.
While purchasing or renting the strongest of mats will offer you the safe access you need, they don’t offer you their full potential without proper planning, delivery, installation and maintenance. At GFI Solutions, we offer partners across Western Canada access to products and services that ensure your project is in scope and within budget. Learn more about our full-service access solutions below.
Expert Installation and Efficient Delivery
Mat installation is often disregarded and seen as a very simple task; however, improper mat installation can cause more harm than good. There are numerous factors that you should consider when installing access mats, such as:
- Terrain
- Load Requirements
- Ecological Characteristics
- Surface
- Subsurface Hardness, etc.
With GFI Solutions, we ensure that all access mats are properly installed to eliminate the possibility of workplace injuries, equipment damage and costly environmental damage. Partnering with GFI Solutions will help you keep your worksite safe for your equipment, crew and environment.
At GFI Solutions, we also offer efficient and speedy delivery to all our customers. Our 24/7 customer service is available to meet your site access needs across Western Canada. With our innovative Cross-Laminated Timber mats, we are able to fit 72 mats per load, saving you up to 60% in transportation costs and increasing your savings by up to 40% in installation costs. We are proud to offer our customers professional delivery and installation services for all projects and ensure that our mats are installed and used correctly.
Environmental Mat Washing
Another factor that will definitely enhance the quality of your access mats is regular washing and bleaching. More often than not, industrial projects are held on environmentally sensitive areas or private lands. If not properly washed, you run the risk of spreading toxic materials and clubroot disease. GFI Solutions’ professional mat washing services help keep your mat bleached and clean to help avoid contamination and premature failures. Our team is ready to inspect and wash your access mats at the worksite to decrease your expenses and increase your savings. During extreme weather conditions, GFI Solutions offers a pick-up and drop-off service where our team is available to collect the access mats, bring them to GFI’s mat washing facility and deliver them when they’re ready. Our mat washers are placed inside our facility to ensure that all our equipment is ready to be used, no matter how cold the weather gets.
Contact GFI Solutions For All Site Access Services
In addition to our mat washing, delivery and installation services, we also provide customers with turnkey, inventory management, planning and consulting services and more! Call our 24/7 services and solutions center today for more information!
Jan 19, 2023 | Access Mats, News
Are you looking for access solutions that can withstand heavy loads? Look no further than GFI Solutions for all of your access solution needs! We have a variety of access matting, rig mats, bridges, and more available. In particular, our Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) mats are an ever-growing popular option for various projects’ access requirements. These mats can save you money and time without compromising quality or safety. Are you interested in learning more about GFI Solutions’ CLT rig mats? Continue reading to find out more!
Built to Last Access Solutions
Sterling Solutions Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) rig mats are expertly engineered to support various heavy loads on any project site. Compared to traditional bolted mats, CLT rig mats are 30% stronger and made with Southern Yellow Pine. This dense and durable wood is bonded with a solid eco-friendly adhesive, which means they don’t require any bolts. That means GFI Solutions’ CLT rig mats can better withstand heavy equipment without getting damaged. The adhesive on CLT rig mats allows the mat to flex under pressure and distribute weight evenly across the mat. GFI Solutions has 300 and 500-series CLT mats, and our team can assist you in figuring out the optimal number of rig mats you’ll need for your project. So when you need a safe access solution that can withstand heavy equipment and machinery, GFI Solutions has CLT rig mats that are up to the challenge.
The Affordable Option
In addition to their incredible engineering, CLT rig mats can save you money on transportation, installation, and more! CLT mats are about two-thirds of the weight of traditional bolted mats. This means you can fit more mats per transportation load, which cuts down on your transportation costs by up to 60%! Lighter rig mats also mean installation and removal are a breeze, so you can also see cost savings of up to 40% on labour during installation and removal. CLT rig mats from GFI Solutions are lightweight and easy to install and take down, so your project can stay on time and within budget. In addition to their weight-related cost savings, CLT rig mats have a longer lifespan than traditional bolted mats. So your overall return on investment is significant when you switch to CLT rig mats from GFI Solutions. Investing in or renting CLT mats from GFI Solutions can save you time and money, so when your project requires rig mats, you know whom to turn to!
Unbeatable Service and Solutions
GFI Solutions is proud to offer the safe access solutions you need to make your project site safe and efficient. Our team prides itself on our ability to provide access solutions for various industries with exceptional customer service. Our customers depend on us for access solutions, so we are available 24/7 to answer your questions. GFI Solutions also offers same-day delivery services, mat washing, installation, and more to ensure your project stays on schedule. Ready to learn more about CLT rig access mats? Contact GFI Solutions today to find out more!
Jan 11, 2023 | Access Mats, News
Many project managers have a common misconception that traditional bolted timber mats are much more durable than CLT mats, as traditional bolted mats have been used on worksites for decades. While bolted mats have been the “go-to” access matting solutions for years, it is slowly losing popularity to CLT mats. Nowadays, CLT mats have become more in demand than ever before and are used in all access solutions, including access mats, crane and rig mats and access bridges!
GFI Solutions is proud to be Western Canada’s leading access mat solutions supplier, including a range of CLT access mats and access bridges. Being based in Whitecourt and having several offices across Alberta, including Calgary, Grand Prairie and Edmonton, we understand the challenges of finding the best rig mat solutions for Alberta’s extreme weather conditions. With the fluctuation of the temperature as we head into winter, heavy industries are on the lookout for durable, long-lasting rig mats that can withstand extreme weather changes while offering superior performance. If you’re looking for dependable rig mat options in Calgary, GFI Solutions has the product for you. Read on to learn more about our CLT rig mats and their benefits in industrial projects.
Heavy-Duty Rig Mats
GFI Solutions is proud to supply reliable matting solutions to many industries, including drilling, refinery, power sector, construction, oil & gas and more! Our team of engineers and experts have decades of combined industry experience that allows us to understand the importance of having safe transport and platform solutions at the worksite. When managing industrial projects, there is absolutely no room for error, especially concerning cranes and rig mats. No matter the application, you can depend on GFI’s CLT rig mats to support their weight. We take pride in offering customers safe site rig mats that can provide the safety and support heavy machinery requires at the worksite.
Outstanding Performance
CLT mats are manufactured using an innovative process called Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) that provides all matting solutions with the reliability and strength needed to support the heavy machinery and transportation of material in all industrial projects. CLT mats are engineered using an environmentally safe adhesive to bond the mats instead of bolting them together, allowing the weight of heavy equipment or materials to be dispersed evenly throughout the entire mat. The adhesive also creates a moisture barrier to protect the mat from rot and decay, as it provides an extra layer of protection.
Additionally, the CLT mats are manufactured from Southern Yellow Pine Wood Fibre which is around 30% harder than Douglas Fir used in most traditional bolted mats. With our CLT rig mats, you can save up to 50% on transportation costs and 40% on equipment and labour costs with faster installation! When purchasing or renting CLT rig mats, you are increasing the overall safety on the job site, avoiding costly accidents while maintaining outstanding performance.
Keep Your Project On Scope with GFI Solutions
At GFI Solutions, we not only offer customers innovative matting solutions, but we also provide them with professional matting services to help keep the project on schedule. Our services include:
- Inventory Management
- Delivery
- Installation
- Turn-key Services
- Mat Washing
- Planning and Consultation
- And more!
Our 24/7 support line will give you access to any of our services throughout the day across Western Canada, including Calgary, Red Deer, Edmonton and more! Contact us today to learn more about our matting services and solutions.
Jan 11, 2023 | Access Mats, News, TerraCross Bridges
Contractors and project managers looking for access mats often refer to them as swamp mats. While swamp mats and access mats share similarities, they are quite different. Ordering the wrong mats for your project can result in frustration and delays, so before putting in your next order of site access mats, read the following blog to learn more about the different types of matting solutions you might need.
Access Mats
Starting with the most common type of matting option available, access mats. If you’re looking for a matting solution that can be used as temporary roads that help equipment move in and out of a job site, then you should be looking for access mats. They are manufactured in many sizes and can handle various weights. Generally, access mats come in either Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) design or the traditional bolted format.
Swamp Mats
While access mats are often referred to as “swamp mats,” they do serve different purposes. Swamp mats are usually installed to support heavy equipment operating on soft ground. In warmer climates where rain and moisture are very common, the ground starts to become very soft and requires swamp mats to stabilize the ground.
Rig Mats
For those looking for site mats to support oil rigs and large-scale equipment such as construction equipment, then you should be looking for rig mats. Projects that require camps, drilling rigs, tanks and helipads would often opt for rig mats as they are engineered to withstand the weight of heavy machinery and provide the support needed.
Crane Mats
Crane mats are similar to rig mats but are designed with a steel frame that can withstand more weight and provide more support to heavy equipment than rig mats. GFI Solutions proudly offers the TerraLam®’s 500 series mats that feature the TerraLam 504 and TerraLam 508. Both crane mats are lighter and stronger than comparative mats and increase your saving!
Access Bridges
Access bridges are very common in the oil & gas, construction, petrochemical and forestry industries. Remote job sites can make it very difficult for heavy machinery to cross the terrain or even to transport material safely. Access bridges become very beneficial in remote work sites where access mats cannot provide the reliability needed. If your worksite is in an area where there are rivers, creeks or any major gaps in the terrain, access bridges can help you bridge the gap.
Get your Durable Site Access Solutions from GFI
Whether you’re looking to rent or purchase your next order of site access solutions, GFI is available 24/7 to help you with all your access matting needs. We also offer mat washing, installation, delivery, planning and consulting services to ensure that all your access matting needs are met. Contact us today!
Jan 4, 2023 | Access Mats, News
Like any asset in your project, you must protect your access mats. Regular maintenance is necessary to extend the life cycle of access mats and maximize your investment. Mat washing is an essential service to ensure that your access mats are clean, uncontaminated and safe for your crew and the site. At GFI Solutions, we understand the risk of cross-contamination and the safety hazards of using unwashed access mats, which is why we provide a dedicated washing and cleaning service for all access mats. Read on to learn more about the importance of mat washing!
Keeping Access Mats Clean
Access mats are installed to create a smooth temporary road for machines and crew to access the site easily. They are built to withstand that weight and provide the necessary support for equipment and workers, and since they’re designed to be used on uneven terrain, they are bound to be covered in mud, dirt and grime. If left uncleaned, your access mats are at a very high risk of premature failure. The longer dirt and mud stay on access mats, the higher the risk of moisture seeping into the wood. This often results in mould and could cause your mats to snap and break under pressure. By maintaining your access mats and ensuring that you are constantly washing and bleaching them after each project, you increase the longevity of your access mats and keep your equipment and crew safe.
Don’t Risk Contamination
As you probably already know, work sites that involve the transportation or the use of chemicals, fuel or other biohazard materials could very well cause harm to the surrounding environment. When using access mats in different locations, you must ensure that you are not carrying over any materials that could cause contamination or damage to the new terrain. With GFI Solutions’ mat washing services, we ensure that all access mats are thoroughly washed and bleached to remove the risk of cross-contamination. Our mat washing service adheres to both Provincial and Federal safety standards to provide our customers with safe site access mats to be used in their upcoming projects.
Gain The Highest Return Of Investment
By maintaining your access mats and ensuring that they are regularly washed and cleaned, you extend their life cycle and therefore maximize your investment. As a contractor or project manager, your aim is to stay within the budget and keep the project in scope. Taking advantage of GFI Solutions’ mat washing service allows you to rely confidently on your access mats and ensure that they are fit for your next project.
Comprehensive Site Access Solutions at GFI Solutions
Our team of experts is happy to offer you mat washing, turnkey, installation, delivery, rental and sales service 24/7. We have proudly partnered with many clients across Western Canada to ensure that all their site access needs are met. Contact our team today for more information about our products and services.
