A dragline mat — also called a track mat, swamp mat or trackway panel — is a large, robust panel of oak, hardwood or steel laid down to spread the ground pressure of heavy machinery over a larger area. The name comes from the dragline excavator, for which these mats were originally used to prevent the machine sinking into soft peat or clay.
Function of a dragline mat
On soft ground — peat, clay, sand — a machine with narrow tracks or outrigger pads would sink straight in. A dragline mat:
- Spreads the load — a flat plane over several square metres
- Protects the ground — pavement, grass or a pipe stays intact
- Enables work on soft ground — without expensive ground improvement
- Forms a temporary haul road — for piling rigs, mobile cranes and concrete trucks
Materials and sizes
| Type | Material | Standard size | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timber dragline mat | Oak, azobé, bongossi | 4 × 1 m, 15 cm thick | 500–700 kg |
| Steel road plate | Structural steel | 4 × 2 m, 20 mm thick | ~1,250 kg |
| Plastic road mat | HDPE with inserts | 2.4 × 1.2 m | 60–80 kg |
Applications
Dragline mats are used for:
- Piling work — under a pile-driving rig on soft ground
- Site roads — temporary haul roads on a construction site
- Landscaping — protecting grass and paving during construction
- Cable and utility work — operating from a mat without damaging the verge
- Events — as a walking or driving surface over grass or sand
How to lay mats
- Survey the ground — on very soft ground first lay geotextile and gravel
- Lay mats perpendicular to the driving direction — for better load spreading
- Butt them tightly together — no gaps for wheels to drop into
- Inspect regularly — spot settlement early
- Keep traffic slow — mats can tip up if vehicles approach too fast
Related terms
- Dragline excavator
- Piling rig
- Site road
- Ground improvement
- Construction site
- Geotextile
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