Can bog mats be used as bridges?

Many work sites involve challenging terrain, and where you have a ditch, gulley or river, temporary bridges and permanent bridges can be required – so can bog mats be used for this?

It really depends on how heavy the traffic over the bridge deck will be, the ground it is being constructed on, and the type of bog mats used.

Obviously the more durable the bog mats, the sturdier and longer lasting the bridge will be, and it is common to see Ekki timber mats used on bridge decks and piers alike.

 

How to build a bridge with bog mats

There are several ways to build a bridge with bog mats, depending on a few factors like ground quality, clearance and how even or uneven the floor level is

For most everyday applications bog mats are laid directly on to the ground, but when it is uneven this becomes impractical or even impossible.

The first option is to lay long beams in the direction of the roadway and then lay bog mats across them in an H formation – like the sleepers across railway tracks.

On very soft ground, this formation is reversed, so that the beams are laid across to spread the weight over a larger area, with bog mats laid on top in the direction of the roadway.

 

Spanning gaps with bog mats

If you need to span a substantial gap, bog mats can be used but it is important to ensure they can take the weight of anything that will pass over the bridge.

Again an H formation is typical, with load-bearing beams used to span the trench and then bog mats laid across these.

This can be particularly effective for temporary bridges as bog mats can be placed quickly and are easy to remove once work is completed, with none of the bridge structure left behind.