Wetlands and habitats play a vital role in maintaining the environment. Not only do the wetlands help to purify local water sources, but these areas also absorb, store and drain rainwater. This helps to prevent flooding and control storm water. Unfortunately, just since 1990 nearly one-half of the wetlands in the world have disappeared. The exact effect this will have on the global environment is yet to be seen, but many steps have been taken over the last few decades to protect the wetlands and important habitats worldwide. One such measure is the use of environmental mats.
Damage to the Wetlands and Habitats
Developers are being encouraged to steer away from doing major construction projects in the wetlands and protected habitats. However, there are many cases when this is not possible, such as installation of communication towers, running power or pipe lines, building or repairing bridges, and agricultural purposes. The problem is that heavy machinery is often needed to complete these projects, but this machinery can damage the surrounding environment. The mere weight of the machines used and the constant need to bring materials to and from the work site put a tremendous strain on the surrounding area. It can destroy habitats, damage root systems and leave a dire impact that will take years to recover, if it recovers at all.
Benefits of Mats
Today, many companies are utilizing specialized mats that are designed to protect the wetlands environment and its surrounding habitats. These mats are thick and very strong and can be placed on top of the ground surface where the work is to be done. The mats are linked together and form temporary roadways to move equipment in and out of the wetlands. They are strong enough to support even the heaviest type of machinery like large crawler cranes, so work can be done right from these mats. It does not require any ground preparation in order to install these mats and they do not disturb the fragile land under the mats. Since no damage is done below the surface, the mats help to protect the plants, root systems, soil and species living in this specific area.
Various Mats available
The type of mats used for each project depends directly on the specific environment being worked in and the type of work being done. There are different types of mats made using different materials including wooden, composite, engineered and steel mats. There are also various kinds of mats, such as digging mats, drilling mats, steel rig mats, crane mats, and bridge kit mats. A professional industrial matting company works with each company on a project-by-project basis to determine what type of matting will work best for their project. Many areas throughout the world, now require the use of industrial mats for any project done within the wetlands or other fragile habitats. The industrial mats are also very affordable and can be either purchased or rented depending on the company’s needs.
Industrial mats have proven to be very beneficial for the protecting the environment, especially the wetlands and habitats. They provide safe working conditions even in the most fragile environments that does not damage anything below the surface. The use of these mats has helped protect the wetlands from further damage and deterioration. These high-quality industrial mats allow the necessary construction to take place within delicate environments without leaving a damaging impact on the surrounding area.
Written by Jeremy Thelin of Industrial Matting, LLC., a company which provides matting solutions to jobsites and industries across the world.