A piling mat is a temporary working platform on which piling rigs can travel to provide a reliable and stable base to work from. It is also a vital component in ground treatment applications. Piling rigs have a high centre of gravity and can cause significant damage if they heave or degrade the platform on which they are operating.

A conventional piling mat consists of a 1m layer of compacted granular material. Over time this becomes churned up by the rigs, and needs to be regularly replaced. The cost of this, plus the lost programme time, means that piling projects often run over budget.

Maximizing Safety: The Importance of Piling Mats on Construction Sites

Ideally the piling mat design should be carried out by a geotechnical engineer in accordance with BR470, Working Platforms for Tracked Plant. This will involve a detailed site investigation of the likely area of the platform, including plate load tests, CBR tests or vane testing. This data will be used to determine the appropriate thickness of the granular piling mat layer and the loading conditions required from the piling rigs and other trafficking.

The T-value method, developed by Tensar, enables this to be done by an experienced engineer using the free to download Tensar+ software. This enables a more economical piling mat thickness to be determined whilst meeting the critical loading conditions. This also reduces environmental impact, saving both money and carbon. In addition, it enables the use of a geogrid layer, which improves load transfer efficiency and increases heave resistance.

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