If you are considering working with HDPE sheets — otherwise known as high-density polyethylene sheeting, which is commonly used in many different industries — you are going to want to understand the benefits of working with this material.
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1. Lightweight
First, HDPE is a very lightweight material. That means you can make products solely out of HDPE that won't weigh much. Or you can use it in combination with other products as well and keep the overall weight of the combined products low. This is a good way to manage the overall weight of your products.
2. Highly Malleability
Second, HDPE is a very malleable material. It can be molded in many different ways. That means you can customize the material to fit your specific needs. You can use this material to make just about any item you can think of.
3. Weatherproof
Third, HDPE is a very weatherproof material. It can withstand being exposed to freezing temperatures, as well as really hot temperatures. Additionally, it can be exposed to lots of moisture without rotting or molding, or rusting. That means you can leave the material outside or exposed to the weather without having to worry about the material being damaged in any way.
4. Long-Lasting
Fourth, HDPE is a long-lasting material. Not only can it withstand all types of weather, but it can also withstand exposure to a wide range of chemicals without breaking down or being compromised. It can also withstand high levels of impact without the material's shape being compromised. HDPE can last longer than many traditional materials, so if you want your product to have a longer lifespan, using HDPE is one way to achieve that goal.
5. Sustainable
Finally, HDPE is also a sustainable material, as it can be recycled and turned into other plastic products. If you are trying to create more sustainable products, using HDPE is one material that can help you achieve that goal. When your product reaches the end of its life, it can easily be recycled into something else.
Ground protection and access products don’t just help you protect the ground — they help you be a better, more productive professional.
When you are not worried about getting stuck, leaving ruts in yards, or lugging around plywood sheets, you can get more done in less time. With the right ground protection, you also make a better impression on customers by making fewer impressions on the ground.
Figuring out which ground protection and access products are right for you isn’t always straightforward. Equipment needs vary. Different jobs have different requirements. Ground conditions can change, not only from job to job, but also from day to day.
Still, you need to feel confident that what you buy will check all the boxes and be the right tool for your job.
At DICA, we wanted to create a way to simplify this selection process. We also wanted to make it easier to understand ground protection in general. That’s why we have expanded our product offerings and have established three categories for ground protection and access products — light duty, medium duty, and heavy duty.
Each category offers distinct benefits and can handle different levels of loads and use. The categories also make it easier to narrow down what type of ground protection fits your needs.
Light-duty ground protection supports equipment and loads weighing up to 40 tons.
Typically speaking, light-duty products excel at building temporary roadways for lighter equipment such as vehicles, Skid Steers, mini dump trucks, Dingos, backhoes, and telehandlers.
While the load bearing capacity of light-duty matting is lower, it addresses specific needs and is designed with speed of deployment in mind.
Our SlatTrax ground protection roads are great for building temporary roadways over lawns, turf fields, hardscapes, and sand, they are designed to get you the access you need fast.
These unique temporary roadways are 100’ long, and they can be disconnected every 12.5 feet. Standard Trax widths are 42” and 48”. They require fewer crew members and significantly less effort and time to deploy and retrieve than plywood or ground protection mats.
Crews can deploy SlatTrax in two ways:
Either way, with SlatTrax, you do not have to lift or carry mats. Crews can simply drag or roll these access roads out to create hundreds of feet of roadway in just a few minutes.
When most people think of ground protection mats, they think of medium-duty matting.
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Made to be a more durable, long-lasting option than plywood or lumber, medium-duty matting does not absorb water, delaminate, splinter, or decompose.
Mats in this category have two main characteristics:
Medium-duty mats are ideal for use with equipment such as aerial bucket trucks, boom lifts, man lifts, small cranes, grapple trucks, Merlos, knuckle boom cranes, boom trucks, and smaller truck cranes.
Medium-duty mats are available in various sizes, colors, and traction options. Most mats are made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which gives the mats enough flexibility to conform to the ground while still delivering exceptional strength. Compression molded mats are stiffer than extruded mats, which results in less damage to underlying surfaces.
EnviroMat is the newest addition to our medium-duty ground protection lineup. Quite simply, it’s the lightest, most easy-to-handle medium-duty mat we offer. Featuring molded handles on every side, and weighing about 10 pounds less than our other mats, EnviroMat makes using standard ground protection easier for you and your crews.
EnviroMats are only available in one 4’x8’ standard size and in black. They are well-suited for crews who need to install and remove medium-duty matting frequently and quickly.
AlturnaMATS are the original, most-trusted mats on the market. Featuring a patented diamond-plate tread pattern, the mats are designed to improve your traction while protecting the ground underneath.
Available in six sizes and in both black and clear, these HDPE mats are simple to deploy and link together for either quick roadway access or longer-term installations.
VersaMATS are designed to provide reliable ground protection for both pedestrian and equipment access. These medium-duty HDPE mats have a low-profile, slip-resistant tread designed to be comfortable for crews to walk and work on, yet rugged enough to drive heavy-equipment over.
These mats also come standard with the more aggressive AlternaMATS pattern on the back side of the mat, giving crews extra versatility in messy conditions or on jobs where foot access is less of a priority.
Heavy-duty mats excel in situations where other mats lack the rigidity to reduce damage to the ground and provide the access you need.
Products in this category have a load bearing capacity of at least 120 pounds. Because they also spread loads better than medium-duty products, heavy-duty ground protection is a go-to option for bigger equipment, long-term installations, and swampy ground conditions.
Heavy-duty mats are ideal for use with heavy construction equipment such as crawler cranes, truck cranes, knuckle boom cranes, boom trucks, large dump trucks, loaders, and excavators.
These unique 3’x6’ HDPE mats are game-changers. MaxiTrack has overlapping, interlocking flanges that bolt together and give it significant stiffness, strength, and flexibility.
While each individual mat weighs only 88 pounds, MaxiTrack systems can support equipment weighing up to 140 tons. This lightweight design enables the mats to be deployed and retrieved by hand like medium-duty products. Without needing secondary equipment for installation, companies can rely on MaxiTrack for a wide variety of jobs, equipment types, and ground conditions.
Built to outlast traditional timber mats, XtremeMat ensures equipment and machinery can get to work even in the toughest conditions.
XtremeMat measures 14’x7.5’ and weighs only 848 lbs. Its overlapping flanges bolt together to form a smooth, rigid surface. They are also the only mat that has a true one-piece design. The durable shell is solid HDPE, and the hard inner HDPE foam core makes water absorption impossible and provides buoyancy, allowing for use in swampy conditions.
TuffTrakXL is capable of supporting wheeled and tracked equipment up to 150 tons, making these 13’6”x6’8” mats ideal for creating extra-wide temporary access roadways.
These solid-core HDPE mats are 2” thick and weigh almost 800 pounds, but they are flexible enough to conform to the ground when loaded without cracking, breaking, or failing. TuffTrakXL’s friction-enhancing surface and heavy-duty capabilities mean it can safely handle everything you need to throw at it, from something as light as a wheelbarrow to the heaviest types of equipment.
Understanding the benefits and features of light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty mats will help you make the right call for your company and your jobs.
As you explore these ground protection options, you need to consider your equipment types, your personnel, the requirements of your jobs, and the variety of ground conditions you may encounter.
At DICA, our entire ground protection and access lineup is easy to use, built to last, and safe for everyone. Each product is designed with unique capabilities to get your equipment where it needs to be so you can get your jobs done.
In the process, you’ll reduce costs, eliminate customer complaints, increase your job capacity, minimize repair and reclamation efforts, and grow your business.
That’s the DICA difference.
If you would like to speak with one of our experts about your unique ground protection needs, please contact us.
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