Full-Scale Evaluation Of Matting Systems For Temporary Roads

An evaluation of eleven roadway matting systems was conducted to determine their effectiveness in carrying heavy vehicle traffic over loose sand subgrades. Three of the eleven matting systems were also evaluated over soft fine-grained subgrades. Matting products included high-density polyethylene, aluminum, fiberglass, and polyester. System configurations included continuous rolls of material, segmented rolls, and individual panels. The matting products were assembled on test sections and trafficked with a 7-ton, 6-wheeled truck loaded with a 7-ton payload until 20 percent of the mat section was no longer reusable or 2,000 truck passes were achieved. Earth pressure cells were installed under nine of the sand test sections to monitor load distributions provided by the matting systems. Based on the test results, recommendations are given for selecting the best roadway matting system types for use on temporary roads with sand or soft fine-grained subgrades