Ground Protection: Hardwood Mats vs Plastic Mats

Ground protection mats can be used as a temporary road to protect the ground and reduce the damage to the ground by heavy facilities.
In daily life, most of the ground protection mats we often see are plywood and ground protection mats. Which of these two materials is better? Let’s take a step-by-step comparison of the two protective panels.

Both Use Scenarios
Plywood is a popular and inexpensive form of floor protection on the market and is available in softwood, hardwood, solid or laminated plywood. It is commonly used in many industrial type environments, such as muddy areas or heavy machinery sites.

HDPE ground protection mat is made of 100% HDPE floor protection pad, which is not easy to be damaged over time, and is more and more suitable for daily and industrial environments, such as temporary road slabs, lawn protection pads, temporary parking pads, etc. .

From the application point of view, the two are similar.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Both
As a choice for ground protection, plywood naturally has certain advantages. First, the price is cheap. If it is only for short-term use, plywood is still a better choice. For example, when building a stage on some grounds, use multi-layer plywood at this time. The damage to the ground is also less.
But after such a long time of verification, the problem of plywood has also been exposed:
Poor durability: plywood cannot be used repeatedly, and long-term use of plywood will cause cracking and deformation.
Weight: In most cases, thicker plywood is used to withstand heavy equipment, and such plywood can also be heavy. The problem is worse if it gets wet.
Slippery: Rainy weather can cause the surface of the plywood to become slippery, and machines or equipment may slip on the plywood.

Plywood is no longer the floor protection solution for most projects.

The advantages of composite panels over plywood will be reflected:
Long service life: The  protection mat is made of HDPE material, which can be reused and recycled, and is durable.
High friction: HDPE ground protection mat have raised nubs on which heavy equipment rides to provide better traction, even when the surface is wet.

Connection holes: There are connection holes on each composite board, and the ground protection boards are connected together by single connection or double connection to play a fixed role, making the composite board more stable.
Load bearing: HDPE ground protection mats can bear up to 100 tons of weight.
A variety of colors: Black HDPE ground protection mats are the most used in the market, because black ones may be mixed with recycled materials and the price is lower. But if in some occasions such as tunnels, white or bright colors may be more suitable.

In the long run, HDPE ground protection mats are a better ground protection solution than plywood for most projects, and when you use these mats, clients understand that you are invested in the job and that you truly care about their property.
If you have any questions about HDPE ground protection mats, please feel free to contact us.