If you’re a contractor tasked with building on swamp, marshland or other waterlogged terrain, you’re probably going to need to make use of quality bog mats. Even many people who are experienced in construction have never used bog mats, are they are used almost exclusively for building on wet terrain (as the name suggests) but they’re crucial for marshland construction sites. Here’s a brief rundown of the purpose of bog mats and the advantages they provide:
What are Bog Mats?
Bog mats are pre-built mats that are laid directly on top of uneven or watery terrain such as marshland, and they are usually constructed from plastic or timber. They are available in a variety of sizes and thicknesses, with the larger bog mats able to withstand heavier loads on their surface. Installing bog mats on a construction site is as simple as placing them down to form a path; no equipment is required for installation, and bog mats can be either purchased or rented during construction.
Why are They Used?
The primary use of bog mats is to create temporary pathways on construction sites where the terrain is uneven or unstable. These pathways are used to transport materials used during building and also serve as ‘roadways’ for construction vehicles. When building on uneven terrain such as swamps or marshland, moving equipment and vehicles to and from the construction site would otherwise be fraught with difficulty. Imagine trying to remove an excavator that’s stuck in the bog!
Bog mats are also used to prevent disruption on the surface of the ground by absorbing the pressure. This is crucial to prevent collapsing or sliding surfaces from wreaking havoc on construction sites, and can also help to prevent damage to below-ground utilities such as pipelines that might be damaged by shifting terrain.
Environmental Protection:
Perhaps most importantly, bog mats also serve the purpose of protecting local ecosystems from being harmed during construction. Placing bog mats before beginning construction limits environmental disturbance to the area where the bog mat pathways are laid down, which helps protect plant life and, by extension, the animals that rely on it for food. Without bog mats, workers and construction vehicles are likely to run all over the place and cause greater, unconfined environmental disturbance.
Overall, bog mats make construction on marshes and other wetlands more convenient and less environmentally disruptive, and because they are available in a wide variety of sizes, there are bog mats for all conditions. Any dependable brand of bog mats, such as the Durabase ground covers sold by distributors such as JWA Oilfield Supply, will be more than up to the task, and the largest sizes are sturdy enough to allow even construction cranes and other massive pieces of equipment to use the temporary pathways. Whether you choose to rent bog mats or purchase them for future use, they are a must-have for construction on swampy or otherwise uneven ground.
