Rubber grass mats are used on archaeological sites by Durham University
Grass mats act as grass protection and safety flooring which can be laid on top of an existing surface and secured using cable ties and plastic fixing pegs.
The rubber mats are incredibly versatile, used for a wide range of uses, and are extremely discreet as well as capable of withstanding heavy foot traffic.
Earlier this month we put together a blog post on the many uses for rubber grass mats.
Archaeological Services Durham University needed a ground protection product that could allow their teams to operate despite muddy conditions and the mats provided the perfect solution.
We spoke to Facilitation Lead, Linda Bosveld, to find out more.
Rubber grass protection mats are flexible and make the area safer
“We carry out archaeological excavations in advance of construction,” Linda began, “it means we often spend weeks on a muddy site, climbing in and out of trenches and kneeling down to do detailed excavation work by hand. Slipping in the mud is a real danger to our staff.
“We’d been considering buying something like this for a few years to make our site work safer and more comfortable. This last winter we decided we really must get some and this is the product we found online. We chose: rubber grass mats 1000 x 1500 x 16mm.
“We chose the rubber grass mats mainly for pedestrian use. We compared to one other supplier online but your price was better and the website looked more professional.
“At the same time, we also invested in some Isotrack L Mats from another company, which are designed for heavy duty vehicles. They are not really mats but slightly flexible boards. They are heavy, measure 2410mm x 1200mm x 12mm and expensive so not suitable for our pedestrian problems. We also looked at something that comes on a wide roll, it looks like GCL’s rubber grass mat but is green and intended to be used for temporary car parks on grass. The mat is rolled out but needs to stay in place so is not suitable for moving to different sites.”
A strong and durable surface
Rubber grass mats are made from flexible, yet durable rubber, allowing these mats to follow contours of the ground.
The mats are porous meaning that the whole of the supper surface is covered in wholes and water can soak away quickly. It also protects grass and roots below from erosion by foot traffic.
Plus, with a critical fall height of up to 3.3m it can prevent serious injuries when falling – ensuring a safety feature when using the mats in archaeological trenches.
Make wheelbarrow runs easier
“The nature of our work made us think that it would be good to have a large supply of these rubber mats available to take out on muddy sites when required,” Linda continued. “This was to make walkways (wheelbarrow runs) easier and make the climb in and out of the trenches safer. Originally we also envisaged using them for vehicle access to muddy sites but realised they are not heavy-duty enough which is why we got the Isotrack Mats.
“We have cut all your mats in half to make a more convenient size for carrying. We even ended up nailing your mats to pallets to make a walkway on a particularly muddy site. Just pallets wouldn’t work as they become very slippery. We now keep some of the mats in the back of each works van. That stops our tools from rolling around in the back of the van and staff always have some mats available when needed. We’ve also discovered that they come in very handy when a van gets stuck in the mud or snow. Because they are light, it is very quick to bring some over and put them under spinning tyres!”
Improves safety on site
“The product is great, a good price and GCL provided excellent customer service,” Linda concluded. “Delivery was fast too.
“It has improved our safety on site and saves time spent struggling in muddy conditions.
“I reckon that we will continue to discover other uses for these mats.”
Conclusion
Rubber grass mats are suitable for a wide range of uses and are easy to install.
Read our Complete Guide to Rubber Grass Mats here.
To find out more about Archaeological Services Durham University click here.
Browse our full range of grass protection mats here. For more information call our helpful and friendly customer services team on 01246 418144, contact us on webchat or email us here.