Often governmental rules and regulations seem at odds with each other, whether it’s daycares or dairies. Yet in construction, it’s just as often that construction safety measures and environmental measures actually overlap in good ways that benefit the contractor who is eager to meet their regulatory obligations without too much expense.
Construction Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) Mats
A good example of this is the use of construction CLT mats. At first glance, these are an environmental measure. A heavy equipment mat acts as a portable roadway for trucks that move back and forth on a large construction site. Likewise, crane mats take the pressure of big machinery and prevent that pressure from damaging the earth below.
For people, access mats are a safer place to drive. Composite mats are made for traction, helping drivers move along construction roads even when it’s wet and slippery. If the dirt is dry, the truck can travel without creating clouds of dust.
As a staging area, you can ask any construction worker rather they’d rather be on dirt or matting. Dry dirt becomes dusty clouds when the wind blows. Muddy or marshy areas slow down construction workers as they try to go about their jobs.
The simple precaution of laying down Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) mats also makes tasks speedier in other ways. For those who drive the tracked machinery, they don’t have to worry if they are doing damage. They just follow the portable roadway, and they know they are in compliance.
Likewise, the truck that drives over CLT mats won’t get stuck. If it doesn’t get stuck, then people aren’t in danger of getting hurt when towing it out becomes a necessity. This, too, saves time, and a lot of it.
Every year as many as 1,000 workers get injured at construction sites due to machinery, and construction road mats can reduce the chances of that while also protecting the environment.
With CLT mats, the surface is flatter. This allows forklifts, bobcats and cranes to work with less danger of turning over. Operators can concentrate on the job and less on maintaining the big rig’s balance.
There are access mats that allow vehicles to go through marshlands with minimal damage. This also allows people to do the same. Each averted accident is one less injury and one less financial loss.
Then there’s the matter of chemical spills. This environmental hazard is more likely when trucks and tracked vehicles ride on uneven terrain. On portable roadways, these machines are less likely to topple over, sending their contents into the vulnerable earth. This decreases the likelihood of chemical contamination from what they are transporting. It reduces the chances that a vehicle will slip into the marsh, leaking gas or oil and contaminating the environment.
Some mats, also known as skids, are used for temporary pipeline construction, keeping the pipes in place until they aren’t needed anymore. Bridge mats are constructed over in-ground cables and other dangers. They are used to traverse trenches and also to hold the sides of the trench in place.
Conclusion:
Just as construction machinery has gotten safer, construction sites can be safer too. This is a win-win for the company as they protect the environment, reduce injuries, avoid slow-downs, and keep costs down.
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