Facing difficulties when it comes to navigating harsh terrain and delivering materials, equipment, and other resources to and from your worksite? Canada’s geography and climate can pose challenges to your day to day operations without the proper solutions on hand. Access mats (commonly called swamp mats), help to alleviate the issues caused by uneven terrain by providing a steady, long-lasting foundation for your fleet.
GFI Solutions is proud to be one of Canada’s leading suppliers of site access solutions and is the exclusive Canadian source for Sterling Solutions’ line of TerraLam® CLT Access Mat products. Designed to outperform traditional bolted mats, CLT swamp mats offer a lifecycle that is 3-5 times that of bolted mats, as well as the ability to save up to 40% on labour and equipment, and 60% on shipping costs. Learn more about the benefits of CLT access/swamp mats below!
Clearing Up Confusion: Swamp Mats Vs Access Mats
Before we explore the many perks of CLT mats, let’s take a brief moment to further expand on the difference between “swamp” mats and the other various options you’ll find on the market. As we mentioned above, swamp mats is a term often used to refer to a wide variety of products which can lead to confusion when it comes to finding the right fit for your specific needs.
Generally speaking, “swamp” mats refer to two different solutions: standard access mats, or rig mats. While access mats are can, and are, used for a wide range of applications on worksites across North America, they may not always be able to handle the heavy-duty loads that rig mats are designed to accommodate with ease.
Conversely, rig mats are not always needed, and typically cost slightly more than general access mats. Knowing which kind of matting you need will help to eliminate potential complications and ensure you always have the best resources on hand. When it comes to TerraLam®’s range of products, the 500 series mats are built to perform, and 300 level mats are well suited for a wide variety of other applications.
TERRALAM® ACCESS MATS AT GFI
Have you heard the growing buzz on CLT mats and find yourself curious as to what all the fuss is about? As a newer, more innovative alternative to traditional bolted mats, Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) mats are strong, flexible, and much lighter to haul meaning that your budget goes even farther. CLT mats are made by alternating perpendicular layers of wood and bonding them with a special adhesive that fuses planks together seamlessly for optimal results. This method of bonding means that CLT mats are able to flex to distribute weight evenly, resulting in increased strength and longevity that you can count on, job after job. Key benefits of CLT mats include:
- High impact resistance and durability.
- Able to withstand the Canadian climate, all year-round.
- Lower shipping costs due to the lightweight nature of the mats (up to 60% more load capacity), and more.
CLT Access Mats at GFI
With 24/7 service, rentals, mat washing and more available Canada-wide, GFI is here to support all of your site access needs. Learn more about our products, including TerraLam® CLT mats by contacting our team today!