Access Mats

Access Mats

Access mats prevent unnecessary slowdowns or work stoppages caused by challenging ground conditions or changing weather. They are integral to helping crews and heavy equipment move easily, efficiently, and safely throughout any job site. This helps keep projects operating on time and within budget.

At Northern Mat & Bridge (NMB), we carry the largest fleet of access mats and specialized matting equipment across the country. Combined with our experienced delivery and installation teams, we’re able to service customers across any industry and any project stage. We’ll quickly ensure a safer work site and less downtime for your project.

Unlike other access mat products which are often a composite, ours are manufactured with renewable resources like premium grade Douglas fir lumber. This guarantees they’re not only high quality and dependable but also better for the environment.

Our access mat are suitable for a variety of uses, and are also known as:

  • Mud mats
  • Swamp mats
  • Ground protection mats
  • Environmental mats
  • Temporary roads

24/7 Support

Weather and environmental conditions are unpredictable and costly, which is why Northern Mat & Bridge offers round the clock support including: transportation, installation and servicing at a moments notice.

High Stock

We know access demands can be immediate, so we keep vast inventory of well-maintained mats. With a sophisticated inventory and tracking system, we will have the materials available to support you when you need them.

Wood Access Mats

Northern Mat & Bridge offers a variety of different access mat products, each uniquely suited to the environment and workload. These are all available for rental, purchase or our attractive lease-to-own options.

SUPERIOR CRAFTMANSHIP

We have over 20 years of experience manufacturing, supplying, and installing access mats across North America. We know what materials and best practices are required to provide our customers with the highest quality products at the best price.

Each of our access mats are manufactured to a high standard of quality, put through our stringent quality assurance inspections, and then rigorously tested for durability. Through this process, we’ve learned the following features are key to delivering our customers unmatched quality:

  • Premium grade lumber (No. 2 or better)
  • 8’ x 14’ x ~5 1/4″ are the optimal dimensions for each mat
  • 3-ply configuration for maximum strength and flexibility
  • Precise placement of carriage bolts creates structural integrity
  • A 12” finger-joint system interconnects mats from end to end, ensuring consistent weight distribution and easy connectivity

Depending on the job, we have three access mat types to meet your needs:

Fir Access Mats: Lightweight & Durable

Our most popular and lightweight mat, fir access mats are made with No. 2 grade or better Canadian Douglas fir. This softwood has a straight grain which produces a hard and dense mat but is 30-50% lighter than our premium oak mats, meaning lower transportation costs.

Fir access mats have an excellent strength-to-weight ratio, making them durable and lightweight. They’re perfect for almost any project.

FirLite Hybrid: Added strength and Durability

Constructed with a Douglas fir core and four 100% premium oak outer boards, the FirLite hybrid mat design adds handling strength and durability while remaining lightweight. As a result, they have a longer life-span.

100% Oak Mats: Strong and Resilient

Some projects need a heavier-duty mat. For these, we recommend our 100% premium oak and mixed hardwood mats. They’re the strongest and heaviest products we have, meaning they’re built to withstand the heaviest machinery in the harshest conditions.

Access Mats, the Right Choice for All Conditions

Access mats are often referred to as mud mats, swamp mats, environmental mats or temporary roads. No matter the ground conditions, our durable mats are built to keep operations running smoothly and safely through even the harshest conditions in the toughest environments.

Read on to see how our mats tackle these challenging conditions.

Mud Mats

Historically, access mats were commonly known as mud mats. They serve the purpose of preventing heavy machinery and crews from becoming stuck in deep, thick, and impassable mud, which can be challenging to navigate and may result in equipment damage.

Mud mats establish heavy-duty paths over the mud, allowing crews and equipment to move safely and efficiently. Without them, the risk of machines getting stuck increase. This can lead to damage or delays, especially if additional equipment is required to extract machines. 

By laying down mud mats at the start of a project, you keep your machinery clean, dry, and productive—while also showing your team trust and respect for their safety and time. A safer, more efficient job site ensures you get the job done right, on time and on budget.

Job Site Challenge: 

  • Navigating heavy machinery and crews through deep, thick, impassable mud

Risk: 

  • Machinery getting stuck
  • Poor safety conditions for crews
  • Potential for project delays and increased costs

Solution:

  • Mud mats, or access mats, create heavy-duty paths over the mud, allowing equipment and crews to move quickly and safely without the risk of getting stuck

Result:

  • Project runs on time (no delays) and reduces risk of budget overruns

Swamp Mats

  - Preservation and Access

Sometimes critical jobs take place in sensitive and challenging environments like swamps and muskeg. These valuable ecosystems filter air and water, housing countless species. But, they’re also unstable, waterlogged, and extremely challenging for heavy machinery and crews to maneuver through safely and with limited damage to the environment.

This is where swamp mats, also known as access mats, come in. They provide vital protection for sensitive areas by creating a durable path overtop, stabilizing the ground and preventing heavy machinery and equipment from causing irreparable damage.

By integrating access mats at the beginning of a project, you provide critical environmental protections. The land will recover faster following the project, allowing for a swifter reclamation process.

Job Site Challenge: 

  • Job site is located in or over sensitive ecosystems like swamps and muskeg

Risk: 

  • Heavy machinery could cause irreparable damage.
  • Major environmental impacts and extended reclamation process
  • Unsafe operating conditions over unstable, water-logged ground

Solution:

  • Swamp mats, or access mats, stabilize the ground protecting sensitive land, resulting in less damage and safer, faster transport for crews and equipment

Result:

  • Limited environmental damage, less project delays
  • Faster reclamation process as the lands recover quicker

Environmental Mats

  - Treading Lightly

In today's operational landscape, industry and the environment are interconnected. It’s the responsibility of industries to minimize their environmental footprint while undertaking essential projects.

Environmental mats, also known as access mats, play an important role in limiting a job site's environmental footprint by creating a protective barrier over the ground. This is vital in minimizing soil disturbance and reducing the risk of compaction, rutting, and erosion as well as preventing cross-contamination. When access mats are not in place, there’s a major risk of industrial materials contaminating the earth. Even pathogens and invasive species can spread across or between job sites. 

By laying access mats at the beginning of a project, you protect the ground and the area’s natural life cycle. As a non-permanent structure, once the project is complete they’re quickly removed, allowing the land to return to its natural state faster. 

Job Site Challenge: 

  • Reduce environmental ground impacts of heavy machinery and industrial operations

Risk: 

  • Unnecessary damage to soil like compaction, rutting, and erosion
  • Cross-contamination of industrial materials, pathogens, and invasive species across the job site

Solution:

  • Environmental mats, or access mats, create a non-permanent, protective barrier over the ground
  • Quick installation and removal for limited impact

Result:

  • Less ground interference with the protective mat in place
  • Land returns to its original state faster, with fewer long-term impacts

Temporary Roads

  - Get Where You're Going

Certain projects require access to areas where permanent roads aren’t allowed, or land clearing is not an option. Temporary roads built from access mats are the ideal solution for these projects as they provide safe access for crews and heavy equipment while also minimizing the environmental impact of these projects.

Access mats, or temporary roads, create a smaller, less invasive footprint on the environment. They’re fast and easy to set up and take down, meaning projects are not delayed and site reclamation is faster. 

Job Site Challenge: 

  • Require access to areas where permanent roads are not allowed and land clearing is not an option

Risk: 

  • Changing ground conditions or impassable terrain could cause project delays which causes budget overages
  • Sensitive ecosystems may be damaged
  • Extended reclamation period

Solution:

  • Temporary roads, or access mats, laid to create safe access for crews and heavy equipment, as well as a protective barrier for the ground

Result:

  • Safe access for crews and heavy equipment even during changing weather conditions
  • Minimize environmental impact

Our Network

Northern Mat & Bridge is proud to be Canada’s largest, fully integrated, turn-key access solutions company. More locations mean more available products with lower transportation costs!