The Benefits of Using Smart Crane Mats vs. Wood Crane Mats
Authors: Greenfield Products Digital Team, Under the Direction of Gustavo Anzola
Creating a more functional surface for construction equipment when ground conditions are difficult is a common challenge within the construction industry. Leveraging outrigger steel crane mats over traditional wood crane mats provides advantages such as avoiding breakage, insect infestation, and rot, while offering stable ground condition.
Smart Crane Mat Technology
Designed for operator convenience and reduced crane set-up time, the new family of steel crane mats works perfectly with hydraulic truck cranes and all-terrain cranes ranging from 90-ton to 550-ton capacity. Recently patented, our smart mats range in size from 4-foot by 4-foot, up to 8-foot by 16-foot. However, these smart crane mats are made of high-strength steel rather than wood, and they are also 40 percent lighter than typical tubular or I-beam style steel mats on the market.
“Greenfield’s line of smart mats features a two-point pick design that allows the operator to use the same round nylon slings used for the crane counterweights to handle the crane mats,” stated Gustavo Anzola, Sales Manager at Greenfield Products. “The mats are designed so they can be lifted as a stack, four mats at a time, or individually. This translates into a very efficient operation when setting up the mats around the crane.”
One advantage of our smart crane mat technology is that our smart mats have virtually no noticeable deflection when loaded. Greenfield’s mats are designed with a center grid that provides strength in both directions of the mats, longitudinal and across. This also provides a superior load distribution underneath the mat when compared to wood or other steel mats made of tubing or I-beam.
At Greenfield Products, we design, engineer, and manufacture our smart crane mats to provide an efficient and convenient lifting configuration for the crane rental market.
Traditional Wood Crane Mats
Traditionally, crane mats have been constructed using oak or other select hardwood timbers. According to Becht, “In recent years, as supply dwindles, timbers do not measure a full 12-inch cross section. As they are milled, we often see one or more sides are not square, but rounded due to the smaller diameter of the raw cut logs. In some cases, we are seeing timber mats made from mixed wood species, and some with combined hard and soft woods.”
At Greenfield Products, we understand that the demand for crane mats is extremely high, and that the quality of wood crane mats has decreased over the years.
In addition, the lifespan of traditional wood crane mats is much shorter than outrigger steel crane mats, and they do not provide the superior stability that smart crane mats can provide. Leveraging smart crane mats versus wood crane mats can also help prevent job site delays and protect the environment, as the soil can be damaged by heavy, sinking construction equipment.
Features & Benefits of Outrigger Smart Crane Mats
- Engineered: PE stamped drawings are available upon request
- Additional Lifting Hardware Options: Interlocking lifting tubes, D-Rings, and round lifting lugs are also available options
- Two-Point Pick Design: Two embedded lifting stubs at each end of the mats allows for a single sling to be used to pick up all mats as a stack or individually. No shackles or hooks required.
- Lightweight: Our unique design using high-strength steel significantly reduces the tare weight of each mat, offering huge transportation savings. Tare weight up to 40% less than regular steel mats.
- High–Capacity Rating: We ensure our mats’ rating exceeds the maximum outrigger load posted by the crane manufacturer. Each mat comes with a Greenfield serial number plate with the rating stamped.
Final Thoughts
Greenfield Products’ outrigger crane mats and crawler crane mats are made of 100 percent high-strength steel that are lightweight and easier to handle and transport than wood mats. “Our smart crane mats are also thin profile compared to wood or composite mats, so operators won’t have any issues getting the crane outrigger float on top of the mats,” explained Anzola. At Greenfield, we design and manufacture this product in-house at our facility in Union City, TN. Contact us directly for all of your construction mat needs.