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TECHNICAL GUIDE · DELIVERY · INSTALLATION

Ground protection mat installation. Planned before delivery.

A workable matting plan starts before the first vehicle reaches the gate. This guide covers site access, offload, layout, connections, inspections and removal for installed or dry-hire projects.

Reach the siteVehicle type, approach route, gate, timing and induction agreed.
Offload safelyArea, equipment, people, exclusion and responsibility confirmed.
Lay the systemGround, route, orientation, connections and interfaces defined.
Control the hireHandover, checks, change triggers, removal and collection planned.
THE SHORT ANSWER

How are ground protection mats installed? As a connected site system.

The product is only one part of the method. The delivery plan, supporting ground, layout, handling, connections and traffic controls all affect the finished route or working area.

Plan, prepare, lay, check.

Plan: confirm the route, ground, load, traffic, delivery vehicle, offload method, layout and project roles.

Prepare: make the approach, unloading area and supporting surface ready for the agreed method.

Lay: place and connect the selected mat system to the agreed route, compound or working-area layout.

Check: inspect edges, transitions, connections and the surface before use, then monitor it as conditions and traffic change.

Installation does not rescue an unsuitable ground or load decision. Read the CBR guide and working load guidance before treating the layout as ready for use.
TrackMatz ground protection mat installation using compact handling plant
Compact handling plant can support installation where the product, access and project method allow it. The exact handling method is confirmed for the selected system and site.
BEFORE THE VEHICLE LEAVES

Ground protection mat delivery. Six details to settle first.

HSE delivery guidance places emphasis on exchanging site information and agreeing who will do what before a delivery or collection starts. These are the practical details the project team should confirm.

01 · Approach

Route to the gate

Share the site postcode, named entrance, approach directions and known restrictions such as narrow roads, low bridges, weight limits or time controls.

02 · Site access

Gate and internal route

Confirm usable width, height, gradients, turning and reversing constraints, ground condition, traffic segregation and where the driver reports.

03 · Vehicle

Delivery configuration

Agree the expected vehicle type and whether the site can receive it. Quantity, access and handling method may change the delivery configuration.

04 · Offload

Area and equipment

Identify a level, supported and adequately controlled unloading area, the lifting or handling equipment available and who is responsible for offload.

05 · Laydown

Space and sequence

Show where packs can be staged without blocking traffic, people or emergency access, and how following loads will reach the unloading area.

06 · People

Control and contact

Name the site contact, confirm induction and RAMS arrangements, and agree banksman, exclusion and communication requirements before arrival.

INSTALLATION SEQUENCE

From site brief to controlled handover.

The detail changes with product, ground and project, but the control sequence should remain recognisable.

Review

Qualify the ground, loading, traffic, duration, access and evidence.

Set out

Confirm route, edges, transitions, interfaces, working space and exclusions.

Prepare

Address the agreed ground preparation, drainage and local obstructions.

Place

Lay panels in the specified orientation using the agreed handling method.

Connect

Install the specified joints or connectors and complete edges and transitions.

Handover

Check the installed area, record controls and agree inspection and escalation.

LAYOUT BEFORE LOADS

Draw the route before the first pack arrives.

A marked plan helps the client, site team and TrackMatz align delivery, installation and use. It can be a simple annotated photograph or a more developed layout where the project needs it.

Illustrative ground protection mat delivery and installation planA site plan showing the gate, protected entry apron, controlled unloading area, laydown packs, a connected route and a planned direction change.SITE GATECONTROLLEDUNLOADING AREAEXCLUSION AGREEDLAYDOWNPACKSTURNING / WORKINGAREA TO PLANCONNECTED ROUTE · GEOMETRY TO PLANAPPROACH ROAD
Illustrative briefing aid only. Actual geometry, delivery vehicle, lifting operation, dimensions, exclusions and traffic controls must be agreed for the project.
Start at the interface.Gateways, kerbs, existing roads, hardstanding, utilities, drainage and surface changes often govern the first and last panels.
Plan direction changes.Some systems and project layouts can use a controlled overlap or agreed laying pattern to form a curve or change direction. Show the geometry, overlap, connections and traffic path on the project layout.
Show the delivery operation.Mark the unloading position, pack staging, lifting area, exclusion and the route for later deliveries or collection vehicles.
Plan removal as well as installation.The route must remain recoverable, and collection should account for contamination, access changes and the order in which areas come out of use.
Boundary: a TrackMatz layout drawing is a project planning aid. It is not a site survey, lifting plan, temporary works design, engineering approval, traffic management plan or permission to proceed.
METHOD BY PRODUCT

Handling and connections change with the class.

Use the current product sheet and agreed project method. The summaries below explain why the same installation plan cannot simply be copied across all four systems.

TM10 light duty ground protection mats

TM10

Hand installed · tongue and groove

Twenty-kilogram panels are normally installed by two people without lifting plant. Check edges, transitions, trip controls and the pedestrian-first use case.

Product page and current sheet →
TM50 medium duty composite ground protection mats

TM50

Two-person or forklift · matched joiners

Thirty-six-kilogram panels use connector provision matched to the layout. Orientation, overlap, edges, turns and assessed traffic remain part of the plan.

Product page and current sheet →
TM120 heavy duty roadway panels

TM120

Plant required · strap and bolt connections

Heavy panels require suitable lifting plant, competent people, controlled access and the specified connection system. Layout and ground support are project decisions.

Product page and current sheet →
TM200 heavy duty panels during installation

TM200

Plant required · Four3 connections

Large composite panels are installed as a connected system using a project-specific lifting and layout method. Concentrated loads and unsupported features require escalation.

Product page and current sheet →
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Agree who controls each interface.

The final proposal and project documents should record the actual split. These headings show the questions to settle, not a fixed transfer of legal duties.

TrackMatz project scope

  • Confirm the supplied product, quantity and agreed installation or dry-hire service.
  • State the planned delivery configuration and information required from the receiving site.
  • Provide current product guidance and the agreed connection or handling method.
  • Lead installation where included, and state the handover, inspection or maintenance scope.
  • Identify assumptions, exclusions and project details that would trigger review.

Client and site coordination

  • Provide accurate access, ground, route, load, traffic, timing and site-hazard information.
  • Confirm the receiving area, site contact, induction, traffic control and local emergency arrangements.
  • Provide the agreed offload or lifting resources where the proposal allocates them to site.
  • Control use of the installed area, including vehicles, speed, turns and changes to the agreed operation.
  • Report movement, damage, weather deterioration or changing site conditions promptly.
No assumptions at the gate: supplier, carrier and receiving site must exchange relevant information and agree how delivery and unloading risks will be controlled. If the planned arrangements are no longer safe or workable, the activity should pause for review.
RAMS · COMPETENCE · ENVIRONMENT

Safety built into the method. Evidence, not slogans.

Project teams need to know how the work will be controlled before delivery. TrackMatz maintains product-specific RAMS templates for TM10, TM50, TM120 and TM200, then the project documents must reflect the agreed scope, site information, handling method and client rules.

Document control

Project-specific RAMS

The risk assessment and method statement should cover the agreed delivery, offload, installation, use and removal scope, with hazards, controls, PPE, responsibilities and operative sign-off made clear.

People

Ongoing competence

Training and certification are kept appropriate to the role and task, including manual handling and plant certification where required. Crews are briefed on the RAMS or lift plan, complete site induction and follow site rules.

Live controls

Supervision and stop points

Pre-use checks, exclusion zones, banksman control, traffic segregation, equipment inspection and clear communication form part of the method. Work pauses when conditions or arrangements are no longer safe.

Site care

Environmental controls

Follow the agreed route, protect drains and sensitive areas, apply the site's spill and pollution controls, manage contamination, recover connectors and leave debris or fixings out of the ground.

A document is not the control by itself. RAMS must use accurate site information, be understood by the people doing the work and be reviewed when the method, equipment, conditions or hazards change.
INSPECTION AND CHANGE

The installation is not a one-time check.

Frequency should reflect the project and the supplier or site requirements. These visible changes should trigger inspection, control or escalation.

MovementPanel movement, open connections, lifted edges, spreading joints or damaged transitions.
Ground responseRutting, pumping, settlement, voids, local sinking or loss of support beneath the system.
WeatherStanding water, saturation, freeze and thaw, erosion or drainage changes affecting the route.
OperationA different vehicle, heavier load, more traffic, tighter turns, braking, steel tracks or concentrated loading.
REMOVAL AND COLLECTION

Plan the way out before the way in.

Collection is another delivery operation. Confirm that access will remain available, packs can be staged safely and contamination or damage expectations are understood before the off-hire date.

Controlled recovery.

Take areas out of use in the agreed sequence. Disconnect and lift panels using the product method, control the work zone, stack for collection and inspect the exposed surface where required.

Ground or access conditions may be different at collection from those at installation. If the route, handling equipment, traffic plan or receiving area has changed, the collection plan needs review.

Read the damage policy for the commercial position on damage and contamination, and keep the site contact available for the final handover.

Information to send.

Provide the exact collection location, available access, pack position, site contact, permitted time window and any change in surface or route condition.

Flag concrete, fuel, heavy mud, vegetation, fixings or other contamination before collection. The response should be agreed as a project issue, not discovered beside the vehicle.

If safe delivery or collection arrangements cannot be agreed, the operation should not start until the issue is resolved.
START THE PROJECT

Use TrackSpec™. Then confirm delivery.

TrackSpec uses the information supplied to suggest an indicative class and quantity. It does not verify site access, plan an unloading or lifting operation, provide temporary works design or approve installation.

Send the exact locationPostcode, named gate, approach route and any vehicle restrictions.
Show the working areaRoute, dimensions, ground, photographs, laydown and offload position.
Define the operationVehicle or plant, traffic, turning, dates, installation and collection constraints.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Ground protection mat installation. Clear answers to common searches.

How are ground protection mats installed?

The route and supporting ground are reviewed first. Panels are then placed in the specified orientation, connected using the product system, completed at edges and transitions, and checked before controlled use.

Do ground protection mats need ground preparation?

It depends on the surface, ground condition, loading, drainage, product and project. Mats should not be expected to bridge unsupported ground or correct an unsuitable foundation without review and appropriate preparation.

Can ground protection mats be dry hired?

Yes, dry hire can be available where the client has suitable people, equipment and an agreed installation plan. The proposal should state the product method, connections, responsibilities and handover position.

What information is needed before delivery?

Provide the exact entrance, approach restrictions, internal route, gate dimensions, receiving and unloading area, site contact, timing, induction, ground condition, project layout and offload responsibilities.

Who is responsible for unloading ground protection mats?

There is no safe universal assumption. The supplier, carrier and receiving site should agree the unloading method, equipment, exclusion, competent people and who controls the activity before the delivery starts.

Do TrackMatz provide RAMS for delivery and installation?

TrackMatz maintains product-specific RAMS templates and can prepare project-specific documents for the agreed scope using the available client and site information. They should be reviewed before work where required and do not replace accurate site information or the principal contractor's rules.

How often should installed matting be inspected?

The frequency depends on the system, site, traffic, weather and project controls. Inspection should also follow material change such as movement, damage, standing water, rutting or a different vehicle or loading pattern.

SOURCES AND REVIEW

Published guidance. Project limits kept visible.

HSE delivering safely
Primary guidance on exchanging delivery information, agreeing responsibilities, site access, unloading areas and safe delivery plans.
HSE workplace transport inspection checklist
Official checklist covering site layout, vehicle routes, movements and loading or unloading activities.
TM10 current TrackMatz specification
Current product dimensions, weight, material and installation information for the light-duty system.
TM50 current TrackMatz specification
Current product dimensions, weight, connector and handling information for the medium-duty system.
TM120 current TrackMatz specification
Current product dimensions, weight and connection information for the heavy-duty system.
TM200 current TrackMatz specification
Current product dimensions, handling and connection information for the flagship access system.