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!
Mar 30, 2022 | Access Mats, News
GFI Solutions offers various matting products for ground protection and construction mats for customers in the oil & gas industry. We provide you with excellent quality access matting solutions for a safer and more stable worksite in all conditions.
Worksites in the oil & gas industry require heavy-duty resources that not only allow for safe transportation of machinery but can also withstand bulky machinery and heavy loads. Below is a list of matting solutions you will find imperative for your next project.
Battle The Weather
Canadian worksites are exposed to the climate and landscape harsh weather conditions that more often than not, cause a project to halt. Canada experienced an extreme winter in 2021, where the temperature would drop to -30 one day and then rise suddenly to -5 the next. This weather fluctuation caused unstable ground conditions with rugged terrain and uneven surfaces for any worksite. The use of access mats is essential during such circumstances as they alleviate the difficulty of walking through snow, mud and ice. There are several different access mats available to accommodate every aspect of your project.
TerraLam Access Mats
To create a makeshift road for easy transportation of equipment, machinery and crew, you will need to consider Cross Laminated Timber access mats. CLT mats use adhesive to bond the wood together, unlike standard bolted access mats. The adhesion allows for even weight distribution throughout the board, rather than focusing on specific areas, which causes early damage and irreparable breakage.
CLT Rig and Crane Mats
Our inventory includes several options for safe and cost-effective rig and crane mats. Made from Southern Yellow Pine Wood Fibre, our rig/crane mats are 30% stronger than standard bolted mats made from Douglas Fir. This makes our mats ideal for a safe and robust foundation for heavy-duty machinery such as rigs and cranes. The adhesion used in our CLT rig/crane access mats allows our mats to be 40% lighter than the competition, enabling us to transport 72 mats per load, saving you up to 60% in transportation costs.
Terracross™ Bridges
To avoid the possibility of your machinery getting stuck in muddy, uneven terrain or accidentally falling into a nearby ditch, we advise you to build temporary access bridges. Your worksite needs to be hazardous free, and installing a temporary access bridge guarantees just that. The lightweight, portable design is engineered with a steel beam structure that can withstand weights up to 100 tons. We can quickly deliver and install the bridges on-site, helping you stay on track with your project.
Access Matting Solutions All In One Place
Contact us to purchase or rent one of our many matting solutions today.
Dec 7, 2021 | Access Mats, News
Is your heavy industry team in need of site access solutions that conquer difficult terrain, allow you to uphold environmental standards, and safely transport both equipment and resources to and from site? Site access mats make it easy to tackle Canada’s ever-evolving landscape and protect your equipment from the hazards presented by the terrain. GFI Solutions is proud to offer industry-leading safe site products, including heavy-duty Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) access mats. Constructed using game-changing CLT methods, our mats are built to taking a beating without cracking under pressure. When you need matting that can stand up to the demands of the job without faltering under pressure, GFI has you covered. With access mat rentals and sales for the oil & gas industry and everything in between, we’re your go-to source for solutions you can count on.
CLT Rig Mats: Heavy on Performance
It’s no secret that the heavy industry sector faces unique difficulties when handling its operations, especially when dealing with equipment like cranes and rigs. Designed to handle even the toughest of jobs, crane mats are able to stand up to the demands of extreme applications without the risk of stress fractures or even sudden breakages like bolted mats. Instead, when you partner with a CLT supplier, you gain access to solutions that will stand the test of time and help you get the job done right.
How CLT Mats Work
CLT site safe access mats are specifically designed to improve upon the best features of Unlike their bolted counterparts TerraLam® Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) mats are constructed using alternating perpendicular layers of wood that are bonded with a special adhesive for optimal performance. The adhesive allows mats to flex with each load and distribute weight evenly, resulting in increased strength and longevity.
Key benefits of using site safe CLT mats include:
- High impact resistance and durability.
- Increased life span (3-5 times that of traditional mats).
- Glue lamination and wax sealed on all 4 edges of the mat to make it less vulnerable to moisture and rot.
- 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.
Site Safe Access Mats at GFI
GFI is proud to be a full-scale solutions provider for the site access industry across Canada spanning key locations from Calgary all the way to the Maritimes and in between! Our team offers customers access to 24/7 rental and sales service, as well as mat washing, installation, turnkey services, and more. Learn more about our products, including our extra tough rig mats by contacting our team today!
Nov 25, 2021 | Access Mats, News
Let’s talk crane mats. If you’re in the heavy industry or construction sectors, you’re no doubt familiar with how useful these mats can be when it comes to keeping your worksite safe and your progress on track, but you may not know the benefits of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) access mats, which offer you heavy-duty results alongside a lighter frame that allows you to save significantly on shipping.
As one of Canada’s leading suppliers of site safe access mat solutions, 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. Read on to learn more.
Rig Mats vs Access Mats
If you’ve been around the industry long enough, you’ve no doubt heard “rig” and “access” mats used interchangeably. While crane/rig mats are a kind of access mat, it’s important to know that there is a distinct difference between the two. While access mats are the more generalized solution, rig mats are a much heavier option specifically designed to deal with intense loads, such as equipment and heavy transport. While access mats may be able to handle some aspect of this, it’s best to go up to a rig mat for rougher jobs.
Applications
Crane mats have a wide range of applications and are incredibly versatile on the worksite, making them a worthwhile investment for those in the construction, oil & gas, and related industries. Common uses for crane mats include:
Cranes
As the name suggests, one of the most common applications for crane mats are for use with cranes and other heavy machinery. Thanks to their tough makeup, crane mats are able 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.
Temporary Roadways
Need temporary access roads that can handle heavy loads? Rig mats have you covered! Designed to handle the toughest jobs, your fleet can cross safely, all while minimizing your environmental disruption and avoiding costly mishaps.
Excavation Assistance
As we mentioned above, crane mats are particularly useful for stabilizing heavy equipment like cranes, but they also play a vital role in excavation by keeping your machinery stable and allowing your crew to work safely and efficiently.
Pipelines
Finally, crane mats are essential to pipeline construction as they allow pipe trucks and operators to work without disrupting laying or damaging materials. 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, 365 service, our team is here to ensure you have the support you need Canada-wide. Contact us today to learn more!
Nov 5, 2021 | Access Mats, News
Stronger than standard bolted mats and safer, Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) mats are the new addition you need for your worksite. GFI Solutions is proud to bring customers like you a product that improves your worksite’s efficiency and takes the pressure off your shoulders. Our 300 and 500 level CLT mats can withstand heavy cranes and give your crew the reliability they need to finish the job safely. Here are some reasons why you should have smart access solutions like CLT mats on your worksites.
Why CLT?
The benefits of the CLT design lies in its ability to be more efficient than the standard mats without using bolts. CLT is made with southern yellow pine wood fibre, which is 30% tougher than the more commonly used Douglas fir. Since our matting is tougher, it can handle heavier machinery like cranes and can do it without sustaining the same amount of damage.
Our CLT mats are also bound with an environmentally friendly adhesive that keeps the layers of wood sturdy. The binding also saves the wood from dangerous splintering that can help potentially harm the crew or cause a break in your worksite’s productivity.
The standard bolted mats can only transfer weight to the position of the mechanical fastener. CLT mats are great because they distribute the weight of equipment evenly, allowing for better impact. With less damage to your mats, you get to enjoy your product longer. CLT mats give you the peace of mind you need to move from worksite to worksite without having to take a costly break due to damaged mats or unreliable, unsafe access.
In addition to the environmentally friendly adhesive, the bonding agent use in site safe access mats is also great for rot or decay prevention. The bond creates a built-in moisture barrier that keeps your mats looking great and keeping sturdy. Why pay for repairs or replacements when you can invest in mats that keep their high quality longer than the alternative?
CLT mats are not just a purchase; they are an investment that will keep their durability for future projects. You can trust these durable and efficient mats to help you get your work done without any snags.
Contact us to see how our CLT mats can meet your needs today!
