A guy on the radio said something that flipped my view on crane mats

I was listening to a local construction show last Thursday and a rigger from a big job in Tacoma called in. He said they switched from 12-inch timber mats to 8-inch composite ones and saved over 30 grand on transport for a six-month job. I always thought thicker wood was the only safe bet for soft ground. Hearing the actual cost numbers and the timeline made me look it up. Now I'm wondering if we're overspending on our mat setup. Has anyone else made a switch like that and seen real savings without losing stability?

3 comments

3 Comments

richardr451mo ago

Honestly, that transport saving sounds good but I'd worry about long term wear on the thinner mats.

piper_thompson311mo agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, the long term wear thing is a real concern. What kind of damage are you picturing, like just thinning out or actual tears?

robertb3015d ago

Think actually good mats hold up way longer than people expect.