Feb 14, 2023 | Access Mats, News
Are you preparing to kick off a new project in a remote location? Do you need access solutions that can meet the challenges of extreme weather and heavy machinery? Crane mats from GFI Solutions are here to tackle whatever challenge your project may throw their way. As Edmonton’s industry leader in safe site access products, GFI Solutions is proud to offer Sterling Solutions’ Site Safe Cross Laminated Timber crane mats. Constructed through innovative methods, GFI Solutions’ crane mats are designed to withstand the pressure of remote environments, heavy equipment, and severe weather. With more to offer than just access mats, GFI Solutions is your one-stop shop for all your access needs. Continue reading to learn more about our crane mats!
CLT Crane Mats: Outstanding Performance
A significant challenge many project managers face when working in remote locations is sourcing crane mats that can withstand extreme conditions. Fortunately, GFI Solutions is here to help with your site access requirements! Our Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) crane mats are designed to handle the most demanding conditions, including heavy equipment and machinery. CLT crane mats can withstand the demands of extreme applications without compromise. CLT crane mats are more robust than traditional bolted mats and can stand up to almost any challenge your project may throw their way. Over the past several years, GFI Solutions’ CLT crane mats have steadily grown in popularity, and for a good reason! These incredibly durable yet lightweight crane mats can make your project more efficient and accessible without breaking your project’s budget. When you need dependable crane mats in Edmonton, GFI Solutions is here to assist!
About CLT Mats
GFI Solutions’ Site Safe CLT crane mats outperform traditional bolted mats. CLT crane mats are constructed from sustainably sourced Southern Yellow Pine and an eco-friendly adhesive. The environmentally friendly adhesive allows the crane mats to flex under heavy machinery and equipment pressure and better distribute that weight evenly across the entire mat. The result? An incredibly durable, lightweight, and long-lasting crane mat that can manage almost any challenge. Some additional benefits of CLT crane mats are as follows:
- Impact-resistant and durable
- Increased lifespan (about 3-5 times longer than traditional bolted mats)
- Wax-sealed and glue lamination on all four edges of the crane mat make it significantly less vulnerable to rot, moisture, and cross contamination
- Climate resistant
- Lightweight
- Lower shipping costs due to the reduced weight (about 60% more mats per load)
- And more!
At GFI Solutions, our team is pleased to offer our clients safe and reliable crane matting solutions. In addition to our vast inventory of access solutions, we also provide a variety of turnkey services like mat washing, inventory management, installation and much more! Whatever your safe site access needs are, GFI Solutions is here to support you!
Crane Mats and More at GFI Solutions!
GFI Solutions is proud to be Edmonton’s top choice for crane mats and other access solutions. Our team provides our customers with 24/7 sales and rental support in addition to our vast turnkey services. With decades of experience, GFI Solutions is your access solutions expert! Are you interested in learning more about our CLT crane mats? Contact GFI Solutions today to find out more!
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!
May 11, 2022 | Access Mats, News
A safe worksite and smooth production are the primary focus for all contractors in any project. Traditional bolted timber crane mats have been used for years on end; however, several problems arise that cause a delay in production and, more often than not, casualties on-site. At GFI Solutions, we understand the importance of ensuring a secure worksite for your crew and equipment without interrupting the advancements of your workflow. We are proud to be Canada’s exclusive source for TerraLam access mats, including heavy-duty crane mats that guarantee safe, cost-effective and robust access mats. Learn more about why TerraLam mats are the perfect solution for your matting problems.
1. Top-Notch Quality
TerraLam mats are manufactured using Cross Laminated Timber (CLT). This is the process of using adhesive and wax sealer instead of bolts to bond the wooden planks together. The adhesion enables the board to flex under the pressure of heavy-duty machinery, which allows for even dispersion of pressure of, let’s say, crane mats, for instance, throughout the entire mat as opposed to specific bolt points. The equal distribution of extreme loads reduces the chance of sudden breakage or irreparable damage to the access mats and ensures excellent performance in the long run.
2. Necessary Safety Measures
The adhesion used in our CLT crane mats is environmentally safe and worksite safe. Unlike traditional bolted access mats, CLT mats eliminate the risk of tripping or puncture hazards for your crew and equipment. CLT crane mats also reduce the risk of invasive specimens embedding between the wooden gaps and allowing for water damage pumping throughout the mat. The solid, gap-less surface reduces the possibility of work-related injuries to maintain a smooth production process.
3. Exceptional Customer Support
Supporting our customers is always a priority at GFI Solutions, which is why we offer 24/7 service for rentals and sales to keep your production flow moving. In addition to an extensive inventory of access mats, we offer the following solutions:
- Turnkey services
- Inventory management
- Manufacturing
- Delivery & Installation
- Mat washing
- Planning & consultation, and more.
Become Our Partner Today!
GFI Solutions understand the importance of having accessible, reliable and cost-effective matting solutions in all industries. We are committed to our customers and provide various solutions to ensure the safe and smooth operations of your project. Whether you’re looking for renting or buying TerraLam CLT mats, GFI Solutions is ready to help. Contact our team today to learn more!
Apr 11, 2022 | Access Mats, News
Are you aware of just how versatile crane mats can be when it comes to protecting your job site and ensuring everyone has the right resources to proceed safely and efficiently? If you’re gearing up for a busy spring and summer season, GFI Solutions is here to make sure you have everything you need to succeed when it comes to site safe access solutions. As one of Canada’s leading suppliers of CLT access mats, GFI Solutions is proud to carry some of the highest quality crane and rig mats available on the market. Below, we’ll talk about the many applications of crane mats that you can use to benefit your sites in 2022. Read on to learn more!
Heavy Weight Champions
As many in the industrial sectors will already be aware, sometimes base-level equipment and solutions simply won’t meet the needs of your job. Those who have tried traditional bolted mats are likely already familiar with the frustration (and expense) that comes with constant breakages, and you’re no doubt wondering how you can find an access mat that can actually stand up to the needs of heavy equipment like rigs, cranes, excavators, and more.
Fear not; Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) access mats have you covered! Designed to be stronger, more flexible (and therefore less prone to sudden failures), and able to stand up to the heaviest jobs with minimal strain, CLT mats are your cost-effective perfect solutions. 500 level models are an ideal fit for crane and rig applications and are specifically designed to deal with intense loads, such as equipment and heavy transport.
Versatile Applications
CLT crane mats are one of the most versatile solutions available on the market, offering you a wide range of benefits like reducing cost thanks to the ability to ship more mats per load, a superior life cycle, and more. One of the best aspects of choosing CLT matting, in general, is that the high-level performance allows you to use them for a wide range of applications including:
Temporary Roadways
Canada’s landscape can be tough for heavy machinery to navigate, especially when you factor in constantly changing weather that constantly affects the terrain. Rig mats can be used to form makeshift roadways for your convoys, giving them safe and easy access to your job site when it matters most.
Cranes and Heavy Equipment
We all know that cranes and rig work can be one of the more challenging applications for traditional matting due to the weaknesses present at the standard bolting points on typical mats. CLT mats are able to flex under heavy equipment, making it easy for them to stay in place and act as a steady platform while you operated your rig. Having an extra layer between the ground and your equipment prevents you from sinking into the earth, and helps protect the surrounding environment as well.
The stability and strength offered by crane mats make them extremely useful when it comes to acting as a foundation for other heavy equipment like excavators, drills, and other vital construction assets that may challenge standard access matting.
Pipelines
Crane mats are also a staple when it comes to pipeline construction thanks to their durability. Heavy-duty mats are a frequent feature on job sites as they make it easy for trucks to navigate and equipment to work as needed with minimal disruptions or risk to the landscape in the long term. Crane mats can also be used as an air bridge over exiting lines to prevent traffic from coming into contact with the pipe itself.
Need Access Matting Solutions You Can Trust?
GFI is here to help. With 24/7 service all year round service and a robust inventory of safe access solutions that includes crane mats and more, our team is here to ensure you have the support you need Canada-wide. Contact us today to learn more!
Feb 16, 2022 | Access Mats, News
Spring is just around the corner, and with construction companies gearing up for build season, the time to set up for success is now. From procuring the right equipment to laying the right foundation to operate on, planning ahead is the best way to make sure your project proceeds according to schedule. GFI Solutions is proud to offer clients in the construction, Oil & Gas, and heavy industrial sectors access to leading CLT mat solutions they can count on. Cross Laminated Timber access and crane mats are one of the best ways to get your job site up to speed, comply with environmental protection standards, and avoid hazards that lead to costly delays. Below, we’ll discuss some of the perks of working with crane mats. Read on to learn more.
Taking a Closer Look at Site Safe CLT Access Mats
Access mats are designed to, as their name suggests, facilitate a safer and more efficient worksite. Canadian climate and geography can be rough on equipment and operators, so having a steady base (more on that below) is essential for safety and job site navigation. Access mats are great as temporary roadways, platforms and other needs as the weather changes and can prevent you from getting stuck in the mud—literally. Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) has become the trusted industry standard for access matting and are able to stand up to the tasks typically handled by rig and crane mats thanks to their superior strength.
Benefits to using site safe CLT access mats on your job site include:
Easy Set-Up
We’re all on the go, and during construction season, the last thing you need is to face complication installation for your site solutions. GFI is proud to offer same-day shipping, as well as on-site installation to make sure you have everything you need correctly in place; saving time and reducing the margins for error along the way.
Protects the Ground
Environmental sustainability has risen to the forefront of the build process due to the many federal and provincial standards that are in place. Access and rig mats help to protect the landscape from the damage caused by hauling, chemical usage, etc.
Solid Base for Equipment
Heavy equipment like cranes and rigs can pose a significant risk to the environment, as well as to your crew members without the proper foundation in place to prevent them from sinking into the mud or sliding in adverse conditions.
Durable and Long-lasting
Cross Laminated Timber offers a vastly superior life cycle in comparison to traditional bolted mats, lasting roughly 3-5 times longer. This translates into better value for your company and gives you an important resource you can count on job after job.
Versatility
One of the best aspects of CLT mats is the immense versatility they offer on-site. From serving as a rig or crane platform to makeshift roads, safe storage solutions and more, the right fit can be perfectly customized for almost every application!
Need Access Matting Solutions You Can Trust?
GFI is here to help. With 24/7, 365 service, our team is here to ensure you have the support you need Canada-wide. Contact us today to learn more!
