How to build temporary roadways in marine applications

Marine environments can be some of the most challenging to work in, especially for vehicles that are designed to operate on land.

Wet surfaces, soft ground (ranging from marshy mud to shifting sand) and tidal flows can all put vehicles at risk, as well as introducing additional costs and delays.

Temporary roadways are one way to improve access using highly cost-efficient materials, as well as protecting the land itself while work is carried out.

Hardwood mats offer several benefits for marine applications:

• Create access to remote coastal locations
• Provide stability on sand and other soft ground
• Elevate vehicles above areas of standing water

However, there are also obstacles to constructing temporary roadways in marine applications, such as the need to work within the window of opportunity between high tides.

The solution is to build temporary roadways using timber mats. These can get wet when the tide comes in, without sustaining significant damage. They can be moved quickly into place and anchored firmly.

Where extra height is needed to raise vehicles above the water line, timber roadway mats can serve as their own foundations, just by stacking multiple mats perpendicular to one another.

All of this adds up to a quick, easy and cost-effective way to build temporary roadways in marine applications.

Of course the same is also true for inland bodies of water, whether that’s boggy, swampy or marshy land, the shore around lakes, or work on manmade waterways such as canals.

Timber is a natural material, so the presence of bog mats should not pose an environmental concern in itself, but can help to protect against damage to the ground surface, whether that’s dry land on the shoreline or waterlogged coastal and tidal zones.

And any mats that are no longer needed once work is completed can be fully recycled, again supporting a commitment to environmentally friendly operations.

To find out more about bog mats to hire or for sale, or for case studies of our timber mats used as temporary roadways for marine applications, contact Timbermat today and we will be happy to help you choose the best hardwood mats for your upcoming job.