Aug 17, 2022 | Access Mats, News
Are you in the market for new access matting solutions, but you’re tired of plowing through your budget on costly mats that barely last through your project? TerraLam Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) mats are here to take the pressure off your shoulders and budget. As the latest innovation in site access, TerraLam CLT mats have quickly made themselves an industry favourite due to their heavy-duty performance and lengthy lifespan. TerraLam mats provide more than affordability and endurance; they’re also leading the way in environmental consciousness. At GFI Solutions, we are proud to provide our clients with a range of sustainable access solutions for their pocketbooks and the environment. Learn more about some of the environmental benefits of TerraLam access mats below!
Mats Provide Environmental Protection
TerraLam Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) mats are manufactured in such a way that makes them significantly more environmentally friendly than traditional bolted mats. Some of the benefits of CLT mats are as follows:
- CLT mats are made from sustainably sourced Southern Yellow Pine.
- Hugh impact resistance and durability make CLT mats have a 3-5 times longer lifespan than bolted mats.
- The adhesive that’s used to bond the mats together is eco-friendly.
- They’re fast and simple to install or remove.
- Due to the lightweight nature of CLT mats, shipping costs are significantly reduced
- Weather-resistant, and more.
Alongside being manufactured environmentally sustainable, CLT mats can also help prevent organic and chemical cross-contamination. Oils, fluids, and other chemicals that are a part of your operation can have permanent and damaging effects on the land around your project site. Access mats act as a barrier between your equipment and the ground below, significantly reducing the risk of cross-contamination. As long as your mats are thoroughly cleaned regularly and before moving to a new site, they’ll protect your crew, equipment, and the ecosystem.
CLT mats are significantly easier and more affordable to clean as they don’t use bolts that can carry significant amounts of buildup. At GFI, we are proud to offer a range of site access services, including mat washing. We have four mat washers that operate simultaneously to ensure over 2,000 mats a day are fully bleached and sanitized before moving on to their next job.
Recycling CLT Mats
With the extended lifespan of TerraLam CLT access mats, you won’t have to worry about recycling your broken-down mats for some time. However, even the most robust mat will need to be replaced or safely disposed of over time. Luckily CLT mats are more accessible and more environmentally friendly to dispose of than traditional bolted mats. Since CLT mats don’t have any bolts once they’re removed from service, they can be recycled in various ways. Some popular options include livestock bedding, mulching, or becoming a biofuel component.
Site Access Solutions at GFI
GFI Solutions is Western Canada’s leading provider of access mats, and we are proud to be a distributor of Sterling Solutions’ range of TerraLam products. TerraLam access products are designed with quality in mind, so contact our team today if you’re interested in renting or purchasing reliable swamp mats or access bridges.
May 19, 2022 | Access Mats, News
Today there are plenty of environmental standards and practices your project must comply with to move forward with the work at hand. Unfortunately, traditional access mats come with various issues that can make them problematic to work with. After learning about some of the common problems of conventional matting options, GFI Solutions has a better solution: the TerraLam 300 3-ply and TerraLam 500 5-ply Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) access mats. CLT mats are engineered to be stronger and more durable than traditional bolted ones, but they do more than outperform bolted mats. CLT mats also provide significant environmental advantages for your project. Continue reading to learn more about how CLT access mats can make your worksite more environmentally conscious.
Protects the Ground Below
Access mats provide more than just a temporary roadway to your project site; they also provide a crucial layer of protection to the surrounding terrain and ecosystems. They minimize the damage and disruption caused to the area by heavy equipment by shielding the ground from physical and chemical damage. This preventative system allows your site to comply with remediation and environmental standards. Access mats also will enable you to have better movement across bodies of water like creeks, rivers, marshlands, ditches and more without permanently changing the landscape of where you’re working.
At GFI Solutions, we care about the future; that’s why all of our TerraLam mats are built using sustainable forest practices. The wood used in our mats is plantation-grown Southern Yellow Pine. What does that mean for sustainability? Well, Southern Yellow Pine is grown to harvestable maturity within 20 years. Compared to other traditional access mats that use oak wood, oak takes about 100 years to mature for harvest. Also, the adhesive used to bond the pine together is chemically inactive before leaving the manufacturing facility. Therefore CLT mats present no harm to the environment.
Prevents Cross-Contamination
Another significant environmental concern for site operators is cross-contamination. If cross-contamination isn’t managed adequately within the regulated standards, your project could face some substantial fines. GFI Solution’s CLT access mats can help reduce this risk as they act as a barrier between your equipment and the ground. Also, the adhesive used in our CLT mats prevents invasive species from embedding themselves, unlike traditional mats. Additionally, properly cleaning your mats in between jobs further reduces the chance of cross-contamination and further protects the environments where you’re working. Luckily at GFI, we offer mat washing and a range of other services to keep your project safe and on schedule.
Recovery Time is Reduced
Environmental remediation is a significant part of any project nowadays. Using site access solutions can make the recovery process that much easier. They serve as a temporary measure to reduce your project’s environmental impact on the area you’re working. Site access mats can easily be installed or removed from site to site. As long as they’re clean before moving to a new location, you’ll be reducing your environmental impact one mat at a time.
CLT Mats at GFI Solutions
At GFI Solutions, we aim to respect our world’s soil, water, air, and natural habitat; that’s why we conduct our business in an environmentally responsible manner. Our TerraLam mats are one way your project can put the environment first. Contact our team to learn more about the other great benefits of TerraLam access mats.
Jun 8, 2020 | Access Mats, News
When it comes to managing the progress of your projects, there’s no shortage of elements that can cause unfortunate delays and headaches. For remote worksites in particular, difficult terrain can serve as a major hurdle for crews to overcome, especially when factoring in the responsibility to uphold sustainability measures. Western Canada’s landscape is notoriously unforgiving, and with unpredictable weather all year round, failure to procure the right assets can leave your team stranded, as well as pose a risk to your equipment and the area itself.
Built to overcome even the harshest of terrains, CLT access mats are a vital tool for any worksite, giving your hauling crew a reliable path forward while also ensuring you abide by environmental stewardship standards. Below, we’ll explore a few of the ways access mats can help keep your job site environmentally friendly, while also alleviating many of the common issues faced by operators.
A Path You Can Count On
As we mentioned above, one of the most significant challenges faced by projector managers in remote regions is facilitating the safe and dependable transport of materials to and from the site. Uneven terrain, as well as well as weather aggravated conditions such as mud, ice, slush, and other inconvenience can cause major delays when it comes to hauling without the proper solution in place. Access mats create a more stable path for trucks and machinery to navigate, reducing slowdowns, as well as the wear and tear on your equipment without the need to create a permanent road.
Preserve The Ground Beneath and Surrounding Your Site
As access mats act in place of more permanent measures like creating a roadway, they also help to shield the surrounding area from aggressive disturbances throughout the course of your project. Access bridges can be used in addition to mats to help cross ditches, creek beds, and other hazards that may pose difficulty to your crew, all without the need to significantly alter the landscape itself.
Avoid Cross-Contamination
Cross-contamination is a significant concern for any major job site, the risks for which, can be greatly reduced with the appropriate use of matting. As an additional barrier between any chemicals for foreign contaminants and the ground, access mats act as a valuable line of defence that can help keep the local eco-system thriving.
Did you know? GFI Solutions offers thorough mat washing services to help further reduce any safety hazards posed by cross-contamination.
Minimize Recovery Time
Finally, having a plan in place not only expedites your project while it is in action but helps the area itself return to normal much faster upon your completion and removal. Since access mats serve as a temporary measure, they can easily be removed and transported to the next job after being washed down all with reduced damage to the environment itself.
TerraLam® CLT Access Mats: Your Environmentally Sustainable Solution
As Western Canada’s leading source for access mat solutions, GFI is proud to feature Sterling Solutions’ range of TerraLam® CLT Access Mats. TerraLam® mats are crafted with the environment in mind and provide exceptional results under the toughest of conditions. Made from the highest quality Yellow Southern Pine wood fibres, which can be grown much faster than Douglas fir trees, TerraLam® CLT mats are bonded together with an environmentally friendly adhesive and distribute weight through the entire mat for superior strength, no matter the application.
With 24/7 sales and rental support, along with a wide variety of other services, GFI Solutions is here to help your team find the best access matting products available. Contact us today to learn more about our environmentally sustainable products from Sterling Solutions.
