Enhance Worksite Productivity With CLT Rig Mats
Safety on the job site is one of the most prevalent concerns on any major project, but it becomes especially vital in heavy industries like the power and pipeline sectors where the use of machinery like cranes and the constant transport of significant loads are necessary. Without the proper resources in place, productivity can suffer and your crew, as well as equipment, can be put at risk. CLT Rig mats are a valuable asset that helps protect your worksite and equipment, as well as the environment surrounding your site. Learn more about the benefits of using TerraLam® CLT rig mats below.
Cross Laminated Timber: A Newer, Better Way
While traditional timber and bolted mats were once viewed as the standard for heavy-duty applications, more recent developments have been able to address many of the common issues found in bolted crane mats. One of the main factors that can lead to a short life cycle and less predictable performance, is the fact that timber mats are often made out of a mixture of both hard and softwood, with no specific standard in place to moderate the outcome. Cross Laminated Timber access mats, on the other hand are made of high-grade southern yellow pine fibres that is up to 30% harder than the Douglas Fir wood used for bolted mats. This makes CLT mats well suited for heavy-duty jobs and tough conditions.
Taking a Look Behind The Scenes
The source for the incredible strength and durability of CLT mats is the innovative process that goes into manufacturing. Cross Laminated Timber mats are created by bonding alternating perpendicular layers of wood with an environmentally safe adhesive to create each unit. This process allows the mat to evenly distribute weight throughout the entire surface of the unit as opposed to only the bolted points. This means that heavy loads are less likely to result in sudden breakages, and the mats can be repaired with ease should the need ever arise.
TerraLam® 500 Series Access Mats
As one of the most versatile and dependable solutions on today’s market, TerraLam® mats outperform competitors with ease. Manufactured by Sterling Solutions and distributed by GFI throughout Canada, TerraLam’s 5-layer 500 mats use CLT technology to tackle heavy loads from hauling, rigs, cranes, and more. Able to withstand tough climates and worksite conditions, these matting workhorses just don’t quit. From providing you with a reliable path for transporting good to and from your location to acting as a dependable foundation for vital equipment, CLT crane mats help keep every aspect of your project moving smoothly.
CLT Crane Mats At GFI
GFI is your leading source for access site solutions across Canada. Our inventory features the top products from both the TerraLam® matting line, as well as TerraCross bridges and more. With 24/7 service available for sales, rental, delivery, installation, mat washing and more, we’re proud to be your one-stop provider for all things access related. Contact our team today to learn more!
TerraLam® FAQs: Fast Facts For CLT Access Mats
Wondering what all the buzz is about when it comes to CLT mats as a viable solution for worksite access assistance? As an increasingly preferred alternative to traditional timber mats, cross-laminated timber mats offer superior performance as well as significant savings for project managers throughout Canada. Designed to handle even the toughest of jobs, CLT mats are depended on by professionals in the oil & gas, pipeline, and power industries to create dependable roads in rough conditions, promote safety on the job site, and minimize the damage done to the surrounding environment.
GFI Solutions is Western Canada’s leading source for access mat sales and rental, stocking the highest quality products from Sterling Solutions, including their line of TerraLam® access mats and bridges. Our team of experts partner with industrial businesses across the nation to provide exceptional services and resources, no matter the size and scale of your job. Below are some of the most frequently asked questions regarding TerraLam® access mats.
What Are CLT Mats?
Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) mats are an engineered wood product that is created via bonding alternating perpendicular layers of wood with a special adhesive to create the finished product as opposed to the previously common bolted structure. Because of their construction, CLT mats are incredibly durable in addition to being light-weight and environmentally conscious.
Why Are TerraLam® Mats An Engineered Product?
Engineered products out-perform bolted and traditional timber mats, which are typically made up of a variety a mixed hard and softwood, with little attention being paid to lumber grade. This, in turn, results in inconsistency across mats, whereas engineered mats are reliable and uniform, with every product perform to the highest standards.
Are CLT Mat Resistant To De-lamination/Water Damage/Rot?
TerraLam® CLT mats are constructed with southern yellow pine #2 grade kiln-dried lumber, using a moisture-activated polyurethane adhesive. The wood’s existing water helps cure the adhesive, creating an exceptional bond that is resistant to cracking and peeling, as well as de-lamination. In addition, the seal used on the mats makes them water-resistant and far less likely to rot.
What Kind of Conditions Can TerraLam® Mats Handle?
TerraLam® mats have been tested successfully in temperatures as low as -70°F and as high as 150°F. While all wooden mats can be slippery in wet, muddy, and icy conditions, the solid top of TerraLam mats makes removing precipitation, mud, and dirt easy.
What Makes CLT Mats So Strong?
CLT mat strength can be attributed to the mat’s ability to flex and transfer weight through the entire unit, rather than just the location of the mechanical fasteners.
Can TerraLam® Mats Be Repaired?
Yes. Since TerraLam mats are a solid block of wood, necessary repairs can be done at less expense than with bolted mats. Repairs to bolted mats often require removing rusted or bent bolts and fragmented boards. Damaged TerraLam mats are safer on the job site than a damaged bolted mat, as a damaged CLT mat does not expose crews to puncture risks or equipment damage.
What Sizes Are Available?
TerraLam mats® are available in 3-, 5-, or 7-ply construction as follows:
- TerraLam® 300 – 8’ wide x 14’ or 16’ long
- TerraLam® 504 – 4’ wide x 16’ or 18’ long
- TerraLam® 508 – 8’ wide x 16’ or 18’ long
- TerraLam® 700 – 8’ wide x 16’ or 18’ long
Ready To Learn More?
Contact GFI Solutions today to learn more about TerraLam CLT mats, as well as our comprehensive range of related services! With 24/7 assistance available, we’re always here to help.
Cross Laminated Timber Mats: What You Need To Know
Tired of the cost of procuring traditional bolted mats for your remote worksites as well as dealing with the risk of sudden breakages due to heavy loads? It’s time for a change! While timber mats once were the main player when it came to site access solutions, today’s market features several new and improved options, including the latest frontrunner: Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) mats. Designed to be significantly lighter and to perform better than their predecessors, CLT mats have quickly made a name for themselves as the preferred choice amongst industry leaders, particularly amongst those in the power and pipeline sectors in North America. Learn more about why you should consider making the switch to CLT mats for your next project below.
Why It’s Time For An Update
There’s no denying that, for many years, bolted mats played a key role in helping solve the many site access challenges faced by projects located in remote regions of the Canadian landscape. As technology has progressed, however, advanced methods like those used in the creation of cross-laminated timber have been able to step in and address the areas where traditional mats have been lacking. One of the chief improvements can be found directly in the composition of the mats themselves; while standard timber mats are produced using a mixture of hard and softwoods that can often result in unpredictable results, CLT mats produced by leaders like Sterling Solutions are crafted from high quality southern yellow pine that helps to prevent breaks at stress points and, combined with the design of the mat overall, handle heavy loads with ease.
Due to their unique composition, CLT mats are up to 40% lighter than traditional counterparts, and as a result, allow for the hauling of up to 25% more mats per load. This saves you time, money, and allows you to get up to speed fast!
Go Beneath The Surface
With a process originally discovered in the 1990s, today’s CLT mats are the product of a unique design and build that lends itself to long-lasting performance. Unlike traditional bolted mats which are created using a mix of wood fibres and steel bolts to create fixed points, cross-laminated timber mats are made by bonding alternating perpendicular layers of wood together with an environmentally safe adhesive to help keep the mat strong, as well as protected from outside factors like moisture. The end result is a mat that is flexible and resistant to heavy loads, no matter your application. Core benefits of CLT mats include:
- Life cycle that is 3-5 the length of traditional mats
- Easy installation
- Can haul more mats per transport load
- High impact resistance, and more
CLT Access Mat Solutions At GFI
As Western Canada’s leading source for access mat solutions, GFI is proud to partner with Sterling Solutions‘ as a distributor for their range of TerraLam® products, including the 300 and 500 series access mats, access bridges, and more. Learn more by contacting our team today.
CLT Crane Mats: A New Path To Success
In need of heavy-duty access mat solutions? Whether you’re in the oilfield, pipeline, or power industry, crane and rig mats are a highly valuable resource that can help mitigate accessibility challenges, as well as increase worksite safety and environmental sustainability. For decades, traditional timber mats have been the primary choice by default, but with newer innovations now available on the market, companies stand to benefit from the many advantages CLT benefits offer, including superior performance, increased savings, and more. Learn more about the reasons you should consider making the switch from timber to CLT crane mats below.
Why It’s Time For a Change
While it’s fair to say that timber matting has served its intended purpose over the past few decades, there is a common misconception that timber solutions are the strongest available. In actuality, however, bolted timber mats are made from a mixture of hard and soft woods that are not held to any specified standards. This means they cannot always be counted on to be as durable, and the required bolts can cause breaks at stress points when subjected to heavy pressure by cranes or other heavy machinery. Add in the fact that timber mats take multiple truckloads to transport and require complicated installation to get started, and it becomes apparent that timber mats are not always the most preferable option for the job.
As an innovative new solution, CLT mats address each of these issues, offering superior and long-lasting performance, as well as a significantly lighter weight profile (up to 40% less than bolted mats) that allows for up to 25% more mats to be shipped per load. Designed to perform under even the toughest of circumstances, CLT mats are versatile, long-lasting, and suitable for use in a wide range of industries including oil & gas, petrochemical, power, and more.
What Makes CLT Mats Different?
The secret to success where CLT mats are concerned comes down to their unique build and composition. Unlike traditional bolted mats which are created using a mix of wood fibres and steel bolts to create fixed points, cross-laminated timber mats are made from southern yellow pine and bond alternating perpendicular layers of wood together with an environmentally safe adhesive that helps keep the mat strong, as well as protected from outside factors like moisture and contaminants. Able to flex under the pressure of extreme loads like cranes, CLT mats evenly disperse weight throughout the entire mat as opposed to specific bolt points, reducing your chance of sudden breakages and allowing for exceptional performance in the longterm. Additional benefits of CLT mats include:
- Life cycle that is 3-5 the length of traditional mats
- Easy installation
- Can haul more mats per transport load
- High impact resistance, and more.
Heavy Duty Crane Mat Solutions At GFI
GFI Solutions is proud to carry TerraLam®’s 500 series mats, which feature 2 lengths; 4 feet (TerraLam 504) and 8 feet (TerraLam 508), both of which are lighter and stronger than comparative timber mats. The innovative cross-grain technology allows them to outperform competitors all while saving you money on hauling and installations costs. Learn about our available products and services including sales and rentals, mat washing, installation, and more by contacting GFI today.
Cross Laminated Rig Mats: Where Innovation Meets Unbeatable Performance
Does your team need a heavy-duty, dependable, cost-effective option when it comes to access solutions? As a vital resource for any project in the oil & gas, mining, petrochemical, forestry, and construction industries, rig and crane mats are essential for site management and safety. As a much lighter alternative to traditional fir mats, Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) access mats offer unbeatable strength and lower shippings costs among many other benefits to be explored. Learn more about these innovative products, including TerraLam®’s 500 series mats, below.
A New Path Forward
As one of the new innovations available from the matting industry, CLT solutions are designed using a process that dramatically improves upon the shortcomings commonly encountered with traditional mats.
Cross Laminated Timber is the result of bonding alternating perpendicular layers of wood with an environmentally safe adhesive to create each mat in comparison to the previous mode of creating bolted mats. One of the defining features of CLT mats is there ability to “flex” under pressure and distribute payloads evenly, reducing the chance of breakages and resulting in a much longer lifecycle (typically 3-5 times longer than average mats).
TerraLam® CLT Access Mats as offered by GFI solutions are crafted from high-quality Southern Yellow Pine Wood Fibre, which is 30% harder than Douglas Fir, the most common wood fibre used in the construction of bolted mats. This makes them ideal for heavy-duty jobs, even serving as rig and crane mats when needed.
What Are The Benefits?
CLT access and rig mats offer a wide range of benefits compared to traditional matting solutions. Advantages of choosing CLT mats include:
- Lightweight profile means that you can ship up to 25% more mats per trip, saving money on transport costs.
- Versatile in application and able to withstand the demands of fluctuating climates year-round.
- High impact resistance.
- Resistant to moisture and rot, and more.
TerraLam® CLT Access and Rig Mats
With an industry-wide reputation for exceptional products, it’s no surprise that Sterling Solutions’ line of TerraLam® products are among the best on the market. Crafted using the finest quality Southern Yellow Pine planks, each mat is meticulously tested to ensure optimal performance and longevity, allowing you to keep your project on time, and on budget, with ease. The 500 series is suitable for heavy industry applications, including use as rig and crane mats, and more.
Want to compare CLT mats to timber alternatives? Check out this quick cheat sheet.
Discover Rig Mat Solutions At GFI
GFI Solutions is proud to be an authorized distributor of TerraLam® products, including access and rig mats, TerraCross® bridges, and more. With 24/7 access to our leading inventory, qualified team members and more. GFI is Western Canada’s foremost choice when it comes to heavy-duty rig mat solutions and everything in between. Contact us today to learn more.