Demolition Heroes: GJ Mats’ Role in the M25 Jct 10 Scheme

Demolition Heroes: GJ Mats’ Role in the M25 Jct 10 Scheme

Unsung Heroes of Infrastructure .. Protecting the M25

GJ Mats’ Bogmats Role in the M25 Jct 10 Scheme

Bogmats were crucial for the M25 Bridge Demolition.  This past weekend marked a significant milestone in the M25 Jct 10 improvement scheme, but it wasn’t just about construction. It was about making way for progress with precision, safety, and efficiency. We’re proud to spotlight GJ Mats’ critical role in this endeavour as we supplied the essential Ekki bog mats for the operation.

The Demolition Operation

As the A3 south of the M25 was closed, a crucial operation took place – the demolition of the reinforced concrete Wisley footbridge and the post-tensioned Cockcrow footbridge. Thanks to the meticulous planning and execution by Clarke Demolition and the protective foundation provided by GJ Mats’ ekki bog mats, the project was carried out flawlessly throughout the night. This preparation ensured the road surface was shielded, allowing for the safe and effective demolition of the bridges.

Client Collaboration

The operation was not just a demonstration of demolition expertise but also a testament to the seamless collaboration between GJ Mats and our partners, including Balfour Beatty Atkins, Chevron, Saferoad, Highway Care, and Clarke Demolition. Our ekki bog mats were at the forefront, ensuring the preservation of the road surface during this intricate process, and showcasing our commitment to providing durable and reliable solutions for critical infrastructure projects.

What’s Next?

Looking ahead, we’re gearing up for an unprecedented mid-March weekend closure of the M25 between junctions 10 and 11. This isn’t just another demolition; we’re also preparing to erect the heaviest gantry yet across the M25 – a monumental structure weighing 128 tonnes and spanning 60 meters. GJ Mats is ready to support this next phase with our high-quality ekki bog mats, ensuring the safety and efficiency of this massive undertaking.

We extend our gratitude to our delivery partner, caterers, and everyone involved in making the weekend’s work a resounding success. As we move forward with the M25 Jct 10 scheme, GJ Mats remains committed to excellence, safety, and innovation in supporting the UK’s infrastructure projects.

#GJMats #InfrastructureExcellence #M25Jct10 #EkkiBogMats #BridgeDemolition #CivilEngineering #SustainableSolutions #UKInfrastructure

Our Managing Director Gareth Jones posted about it on Linked In here

GJ Mats Bog Mats at M25 Bridge Demolition

 

 

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What is the right Bogmat for my Construction Site?

Why Bog Mats Matter

Bog mats play a crucial role in ensuring that your construction site remains accessible and undamaged, especially in adverse weather conditions. These durable timber mats provide temporary access and roadways, facilitating the movement of heavy vehicles, workers, and machinery across various terrains.

Determining Your Bog Mat Needs

When selecting bog mats for your construction site, it’s essential to consider factors such as the type of equipment and vehicles accessing the site, as well as the ground conditions. At GJ Mats, we offer a diverse range of timber mats tailored to meet your specific requirements, including:
  1. European & Tropical Hardwood Mats: Renowned for their exceptional strength and durability, our European oak, beech, and tropical hardwood mats are ideal for withstanding heavy loads and adverse weather conditions.
  2. Ekki Mats: Made from ultra-durable tropical timber, Ekki mats excel in environments where extreme pressure and soft, wet ground pose challenges. These mats offer unparalleled stability and resistance to acids, electricity, and weather elements.

Expert Guidance and Support

Our team of experts is dedicated to helping you find the perfect bog mats for your construction project. Whether you need assistance in selecting the right materials or guidance on load management and timescales, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

Flexible Solutions

At GJ Mats, we understand that every construction project is unique. That’s why we offer flexible solutions, including both sale and hire options for our timber mats. Whether you require bog mats for a short-term project or a long-term investment, we have you covered.

Get in Touch .. we are happy to help

Don’t let your construction project get bogged down by challenging terrain. Contact the GJ Mats team today at 07896 265 981 to learn more about our comprehensive range of timber mats and how we can support your project’s success.

How to use Bog Mats on Construction Sites

How to use Bog Mats on Construction Sites

access roadways bog mat

Do you work on a construction site? Well, construction sites can be messy and full of debris. If you’re working on one and need to protect your vehicles from mud, rain, dirt, salt, oil or anything else that might be on the ground, then you want to use bog mats. At GJ Bog Mats our range of mats come in different sizes for bigger vehicles like trucks and smaller ones like cars. Here is how to use bog mats on construction sites.

Ensure You Know Your Mats

Before using bog mats on your construction site, you need to know what they look like. And which one will work best for this site. You’ll find that there are different kinds of them out there that will help protect your vehicles from just about anything. As you choose, you will find different construction bog mats, such as timber bog mats. While the timber bog mats are pricier than the regular construction bog mats, they always last longer. These mats are big and can be folded up. So you’ll want to know the size of the vehicles that will be parked on this site. It’s best not to get one too big. Because it may become a nuisance, and it won’t fit in the parking spot properly.

 

Understand the Construction Site’s Ground

When you’re putting down any mat for vehicles, you need to know the ground. You don’t want one that will be too small because it won’t protect your vehicle from anything on the ground. Also, you may have a mat that is a little too big and won’t fit into the parking spot properly, so you’ll need to be able to figure out how many mats you might need for the parking area. The best thing about the mats is that they can be lapped and fitted together.

Fit the Mats Together

If you’re using several bog mats for this construction site or using one big one, it’s helpful to line them up side by side and then fit them together like a puzzle. This will keep the dirt and debris from getting under and around your vehicles. While protecting them from anything else on the ground. It’s best to line these mats up. So that they meet together with no gaps or holes anywhere. Meaning that nothing can get in between them.

Cover the Seams

Once you’ve got your bog mats placed down, it’s time to cover all of the seams where they meet together. If you leave a gap where a seam is, you may have a problem with dirt and water getting in, so it’s best to cover the seams. You can do this by using another bog mat or just placing sections of plywood on top of those areas. Rather than covering them over with some other material that will keep the area tight and dry.

Use Some Extra Material

If you want to make sure that your bog mats get the job done it’s a good idea to use some extra materials on top. Like plywood or anything else that will help protect your vehicles from any dirt, water, oil or debris. You don’t want anything building up under or around these mats. So covering them with some material will be good for you.

Clean the Area Up

Once you’ve got these mats in place, you’ll need to clean the area around them. So that nothing is on or near them that can damage your vehicles or possibly scrape off onto the mats. It’s best to keep the worksite cleaned off and do this before you put down your bog mats to protect the vehicles. You can lift them out and rinse them off when they get dirty. Ideally, you’ll want to keep them covered so that they last longer. By taking care of your mats, you prolong their lifespan and get to enjoy them more.

Why Choose Us?

Before you purchase your bog mats, make sure that you get them from reputable brands only. It’s best to go with a known brand that offers some of the best bog mats on the market at excellent prices. That’s why we offer different kinds and sizes of mud runners so that you can find just what you need for your construction site. We have a wide range of timber bog mats available. From tropical hardwood mats, European hardwood mats, crane pads, Ekki mats. We also deliver a service for temporary access roadway solutions and sea defence access roadways for coastal and beach locations where the ground is soft.

Using bog mats on construction sites is easy and simple to do. You only need to know what these mats are. Measurements of the area you’re working with. And the precise environment. You must know how to protect your vehicles from anything on the ground. Because they don’t need any part of them getting messed up. They are always helpful for your car and safe for your construction site.

Why Not Call Us For a Free Quote?

Call our expert team with your questions and we will be happy to help

 

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Crane Mat Bases

Creating a safe and stable base on which to operate is essential. Crane mats, also known as piling rig mats or crane pads, are needed to spread the load evenly and stabilise the crane on what is often uneven or unstable ground. Manufactured from premium grade European and tropical hardwoods with high load-bearing capabilities, heavy-duty crane mats are the bedrock of any high-rise project.

How do I know which crane mats to use?

At GJ Mats we know that finding the right crane mats for your project is critical. With a variety of size and materials to choose from, you need to make sure you make the correct call when it comes to the dimensions and load capabilities of your crane pads. It all depends on the size and weight of the crane you’re using, the unique ground conditions on the construction site itself and the types of loads that need to be lifted.

Our bog mat and crane mat experts have years of experience in assessing your individual requirements. Having been involved in supplying crane mats for large projects undertaken by customers such as Network Rail, we have the know-how to ensure you use the most appropriate crane pads for your project. Only with the right crane mats put in place in the correct way, can you rest assured that you’ve fulfilled your Health & Safety responsibilities in creating a safe foundation for your crane operations.

What’s the most cost-effective option – buying or hiring crane mats?

A G J Bog Mats we like to be flexible in the services we offer our customers, so our bog mats and crane mats are available for sale or hire, depending on which is the most cost-effective option for your project. We can also buy back bog mats and crane pads once you have finished with them and offer a comprehensive lay-down service too. Whatever your crane mat requirements, we’re always happy to discuss the options with you, give you expert advice and help you find the best deal for your circumstances.

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Bog mats are a valuable piece of equipment in many environments but are nothing less than essential when operating in boggy moorland terrain.

Although many marshy, bog areas are protected sites, they still need to be worked and accessed. But water-logged peat bogs and moorland present unique challenges. The mossy ground traps water like a sponge, which makes the surface far more unstable than other types of terrain. Without ensuring you have the firm base of a bog mat for workers and machinery to operate on, getting the job done safely is almost impossible.

Keep employees and equipment safe with the right timber mats

It might be tempting to think you can do the job quickly enough to be in and out in no time. But skimp on the bog mats and you could be in trouble, putting your precious workforce or expensive equipment at risk of sinking into the ground.

Anyone who’s ever tried to winch an expensive and indispensable vehicle or piece of equipment out of the mud knows how tough it is. Anyone who’s ever extracted anything from a bog will tell you it’s 10 times harder! As well as the difficulty factor, the ruined gear, health and safety risks and knock-on effect on your project’s schedule can all have far-reaching consequences.

The irony is that if you get stuck in a marshy bog, you’ll probably need to get a timber mat involved to get you back out if it anyway. By using them from the start of your project, you can save yourself a lot of time, energy and money in the long run. Using timber mats makes financial and practical sense. And with many of our moorland and peat bog landscapes being conservation areas, it offers reliable ground protection for this fragile environment too.

Should I buy or hire bog mats?

For larger companies, or those who regularly operate in this kind of terrain, buying timber mats might be the more cost-effective option in the long term. For smaller operators, or those who have occasional or one-off projects to complete, hiring bog mats may be more economical. At GJ Bog Mats we have a wide range of European and Tropical hardwood timber mats available for sale or hire. We also offer a buy-back scheme.

Don’t know which bog mats you need? Just ask us!

Whatever your needs, our experienced team can advise you on which of our bog and crane mats suit your requirements and which sale or hire options would be the best value for money for your business. We also offer a comprehensive bog mat service in conjunction with our sister company. This includes delivery, off-loading, installing & uplifting across the UK.

To find out more about how GJ Bog Mats can help with your project, get in touch with our team.

Crane mats keep your lifting operations safe!

Using crane mats or crane pads will help ensure a safe system of work on your construction project where lifting equipment is involved.

A construction site can be a dangerous place – vehicles, equipment, unstable ground, uneven surfaces all conspire to make accidents a very real possibility. As any responsible contractor knows, health & safety of both workforce and public is of paramount concern. In our latest blog, we look at how crane mats and crane pads can make a difference to your lifting operations.

When lifting equipment is involved, the stability of the crane is fundamental: crane mats or crane pads to support outriggers will be indispensable. Unstable or uneven ground means that lifting equipment will not have a sufficiently strong foundation for lifting operations to commence. And yet, it seems that many contractors do take the decision to proceed without crane mats or crane pads, leaving outriggers unsecured and cranes or other heavy lifting equipment prone to accidents.

You only need to look at websites such as craneaccidents.com to see the damage that can happen if a crane is set up on soft ground with insufficient support. Crane mats can also help where outriggers are to be positioned on surfaces of different levels. Closer to home than some of the accidents reported on craneaccidents.com, Vertikal.net has reported on ‘death wish’ scenarios at the Trafford Centre in Manchester where a self-drive truck mounted lift was spotted on at least 2 occasions not so long ago being used without crane pads to support unevenly placed outriggers (on one side, the outriggers were on the pavement, the other the road).

The Health & Safety Executive has issued some helpful guidance covering the use of cranes and how to assess and ensure safety of lifting operations. Careful planning will reduce the chance of accidents – and should the worst happen, you will be able to show that you did all that you could have done to prevent accidents by creating a safe system of work. Construction site preparation is a vital element of this – and the proper use of crane mats and crane pads is key.

Crane mats can provide the stability your equipment needs to ensure this part of your operation is safe. Premium crane mats manufactured from top grade timber will enable large scale lifting for heavy loads while providing the support your lifting equipment needs. It is vital to assess ground conditions and the loads to be lifted as well as taking into account the type of crane – or cranes – involved with the project you are working on before sourcing your crane mats. Once these factors have been taken into account, you can work with your crane mat supplier to identify the appropriate crane mats for the job.

We supply a wide range of crane mats to accommodate most scenarios. Available on a hire basis for the life of your project, or to buy, we can also ‘buy back’ crane mats at the end of the project if this is a more cost effective solution for you. Get in touch to see how we can fulfill your crane mat requirements!

Protecting Coastal Areas with Timber Bogmats

Timber Mats Serving A New Purpose

We thought about calling this post “Bogmats at the Beach” but that would imply an element of rest and relaxation. In fact, our timber mats, and the CSCS accredited team that lays them, work extremely hard in coastal areas, estuaries, coastal marshes and the like, protecting habitats and allowing heavy machinery access to hard to reach areas.

Timber mats to protect

Coastal habitats are vitally important to local and global ecosystems. They offer a safe haven for wildlife and plants that aren’t found elsewhere. With storms and erratic weather patterns becoming increasingly common, our coastlines are being battered, and there has been much investment in building (and re-building) sea defences to protect against the battering of the sea. While coastal landscapes might recover from the batterings delivered by Mother Nature, the impact of heavy machinery needed to carry out this vital construction work can be more serious.

Timber mats for access

Providing access to areas that need work on coastal defences – be it groynes that need constructing, revetments to absorb the force of the incoming water, seawalls or dikes – is a critical aspect of this essential work. Sea defences are often required in areas of soft ground, yet the machinery needed to carry out the work is often heavy and difficult to manoeuvre. Timber mats are a vital part of the kit involved in this work, forming temporary roadways to allow heavy machinery to access these areas.

Massive mats for massive machines

Timber mats can also be essential for supporting heavy equipment such as dredgers when working in coastal regions or on the banks of rivers. We’ve recently supplied bespoke timber mats in huge format (we’re talking 10m by 1200 mm by 300 mm) to a prestigious manufacturer of dredging and other subsea equipment. Massive mats for massive machines. The last thing you want is to get stuck in the sand or mud…

If you’re involved in carrying out work on coastal defences – and we predict that this work is only going to increase over time as the impact of the changing climate continues to manifest itself in violent storms and flooding – the chances are you are going to need timber mats. Mats for access and to protect the ecosystems that thrive in these isolated areas. Not only do we stock an extensive range of timber mats specially engineered for use in coastal areas, we can manufacture bespoke mats for your particular circumstances.

Get in touch to see how we can help you and your project!