There may be a necessity for a temporary portable roadway in areas occupied by machinery, in areas inaccessible for constructive works, and areas where there is a need for operations that cannot be avoided. These systems help ameliorate environmental effects from usage, dispersion of weight, and more in a variety of activities, including building operations, playing grounds, desert sand, etc. Power consumptions attain gratest, with another road surface loses much of its relevance to enhanced tortuosity. Using portable surfaces becomes an utmost necessity when it comes to mud, weak grounds, and heavy traffic areas where access is extremely necessary. All the functionality, benefits, and applications for collapsible and durable temporary roadways are enclosed in the usage guide. Coming up next in this write-up are various means through which these realistic designs can be incorporated into practice without affecting performance or raising costs.
Introduction to Temporary Portable Roadways
Definition and Purpose
A temporary portable roadway can be understood as a multi-use and compartmentalized building component that provides the basis of roads where there are either no roads or the carriage of pipes is not feasible. Such roads are made of really tough material like composite mats, steel, or HDPE, which makes them durable as well as applicable to various geographic and climatic environments. Generally speaking, these are ways to provide access to remote areas which are often reserved, water – saturated, construction – heavy etc in an eco-friendly manner.
More and more of the construction, oil, and utilities, together with the events sectors, are adopting most of these, and other changes, as per the latest statistics suggest. The projections of industry experts indicate a rise in the world economy, especially the economy of temporary road use, to nearly 6.1%, even by Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in 2023 through 2028. This is due to more constituents of society being constructed and a shift towards more environmentally friendly practices. Another way is the fact that the roads prevent the movement of sinking vehicles, or protect the axles, such that a road can be used, disallowing the movement of vehicles into pits or helping with the slosh helps with the timetables of activities, with approximately 30% of the downtimes caused by transport being eliminated.
This type of construction system also has an environmental benefit, such as the minimization of soil compaction, erosion, and clearing of vegetation. Quite a few of the portable roadway systems angled in a particular manner and recycled are made up to the needs of the society that requires sustainability. In addition, such temporary portable roadway does provide difficult access ways, keeping them in a perfect state, but without the need to use harsh means or expensive materials.
Overview of Applications
The automotive and mining industries also capitalize on devices of a similar nature, with the inclusion of temporary portable roadway. As an illustration, the construction industry uses these devices since they allow for the work of heavy equipment and machinery on muddy grounds without any obstruction. Global Market Insights anticipates sizable growth in the market for temporary roadway structures across the globe to more than four billion USD by 2030, aided by the increasing number of energy and infrastructure developments.
It is apparent that an apparatus constructed to a pad of a drilling location in this manner is easy it is necessary to use a temporary portable roadway in situations where the majority of Carlason is soft or unlevel. These systems, therefore, promote the operational efficiency of the equipment as a stuck piece is avoided, and also reduce the amount of digging for the purpose of ecological attainments of the southern Saturn Plan. The technological progress allowed the scope of producing roads made of composite substances, which can carry up to 600 tons, so the utility of such a technique compounded even the heaviest machinery.
Another important use case is in the field of events and entertainment. For example, the organizers of certain concerts, trade fairs, or any outdoor events require a costly rental of physical barricades or even providing visitors with a complementary temporary portable roadway for cars and people. As an example, some heavy-hitting events company estimates that this compromise has allowed for a 40% alleviation of tensions related to logistics in one of the themed fests, where assembly of plank roads was possible.
And, of course, ease of mobility with the appropriate equipment allowing for timely — and efficient — delivery of aid following great catastrophes or disasters is greatly aided by the coverage of such emergency temporary tracks. Especially in places thickly waterlogged and where asphalt or another material cannot be paved. Experienced relief agencies also point out that when dealing with mobile road systems, the time required to transport resources is halved in most cases, with even more efficient interventions enabled.
To summarize, because of the mix of innovative, sustainable, and functional values, any temporary portable roadway is useful to a broad range of activities in many fields, as it resolves the issues specific to that time and place quite comfortably.
Importance of Temporary Roadway Mats
Whenever the handling of hazardous operations in unstable grounds or in sensitive environments is unavoidable, there is almost no reason not to use temporary portable roadway mats because of how beneficial they have obviously proven to be in terms of facilitating the movement of goods and people in such situations. Furthermore, they raise the level of soil compaction, enhance the survival of plant and animal life situated underground, and allow for productivity even in such conditions.
For instance, in the construction industry, such temporary roads allow personnel to access all parts of a site. Such roads are also used to avoid damaging the ground in the process of using mechanical construction equipment. Research shows that the use of temporary mats can also help alleviate the number of days required to allow operations to begin due to either moisture conditions or surface stealiness rather significantly by half, thus helping stay well within the allocated time. Likewise, these mats in the energy industry, among others, enable work in hard-to-reach sites or in remote areas and are essential, particularly in trenching and wind turbine installation.
All the available roads become destroyed and unusable during a severe natural disaster, such as a flood or earthquake, so temporary portable roadway mats are a necessity of relief operations. It will become clear in the given case study that areas destroyed by those disasters differed in the level of effective diffusion of BPS irrigation and use of these trails for the purpose of carrying out a rescue operation. The recent paper discussing the interventions aimed at managing sudden events indicates that with the use of these temporary road systems, the delivery of supplies in these contexts could go up by even 60 percent.
These modern mats are constructed out of better materials such as high-density polythene, and are also easy to assemble. High-density polyethylene is a strong plastic, and what is even more friendly about it is that it can be reprocessed to make other products, and in so doing, the carbon footprint of a particular product is minimized in the long run. The interlocking techniques have been improved, meaning deployment is now easy and quick, hence saving time in addition to labor expenses.
In order to address heavy human traffic on soft terrains in a more efficient, environmentally friendly, and penetrating fashion, temporary portable roadways are required. A lower cost helps in maintaining the water balance in roads from the conception of the road or in case of some extension out of a pathway into the road.
Types of Temporary Roadway Mats
Composite Mats vs. Wooden Mats
Both composite mats as well as wooden mats are important when it comes to the provision of temporary roadways because both work well, but the construction material, as well as how long they last, and their effects to the surroundings differ a great deal.
Composite Mats
Composite mats are made of polyethylene with a linear polymer chain or made with structural plastics manufactured by the drawing process. They contain no unwanted, dangerous contaminants or proper nutrients, and thus they are very strong and flexible. Recent information shows that composite mats can endure up to 600 psi, whereas they can withstand even extreme and heavy machinery. They are light in weight, weighing about 50-90 lbs on average per 4×8 ft mat, making them conveniently transportable and also easily manipulable. Most importantly, the service life of these matic surfaces extends well after ten years, which limits the costs long term. Still, with the numerous benefits comes a factor that is even considered weaker in other materials because composite mats are impervious to water, chemical attack, and excessive wear and tear, unlike other surfaces. This renders the lesser-used mats functional even for other changes in the environment.
If we were to look at the composite mats from the point of view of the environment, they are very eco-friendly. The mats are recycled 100%, and there is less waste at the end of their use. There are also manufacturers that make use of recycled materials, which is even more beneficial in terms of their ecological impact.
Wooden Mats
Wooden mats, which are most often made of hardwoods like oak, pine, etc, are cheap and practical for creating temporary roadways. In addition, they are heavy, i.e., for every 4×8 ft mat, normal mats are about 150-300 lbsand hence require some effort in transporting and installing them. Wooden mats perform in much the same manner as composite mats in terms of their load-carrying capability when there is no adverse condition, but after a certain period of time in the presence of moisture or normal duty, that performance depreciates.
One disadvantage of natural mats is the fact that they last for a limited period of time, usually 3-5 years, before they succumb to wear and tear, including rotting and splinters, and fail to withstand the surrounding environment. Even though wooden mats can still find secondary uses away from the equipped areas, they are not as green as composite mats since the process of making wooden mats is largely characterized by trees being cleared.
Performance and Cost Analysis
While it is true that composite mats are usually more expensive, i.e. 15%-40% more costly than wooden mats in practice, composite mats are strong, do not degrade quickly, and require very little maintenance. A case in point is where a recent market research reported that organizations employing composite mats realized about 25% reductions in total operational expenses because replacements were less frequent and installation was quicker.
To sum up, whether to use any of the two-mat solutions is a matter of what the project calls for, the price ceilings, and how much one is eco-conscious. In those projects where sustainability and durability are paramount, composite mats are a better option, whereas wooden mats may be adopted when the operations or function is cheap, and the temporary portable roadway is not for long.
Pros and Cons of Different Materials
Composite Mats
Composite mats are designed to improve efficiency, lower the effects of friction, and last longer, giving them leverage in more and more fields. It has been shown that the life span of wood mats is ten times shorter than that of composite mats, which in turn decreases the future expense by a considerable margin. Moreover, due to their lighter weight, these mats are quicker and easier to transport, set up, and operate, reducing the transportation and labor costs by up to 50%. On top of that, there is a host of other benefits of these mats, for example, they are slip-resistant and cannot absorb water or other chemicals even in the harshest of weathering conditions. Nevertheless, projects may be compelled to go for the serrated type as the additional expenditure on composite mats is far more than that of the wooden ones.
Wooden Mats
Wooden mats still hold a significant presence in several industries as they are inexpensive and readily available. They are normally made of hardwood and are good for short-term activities with tight budgetary limits. Wooden mats, however, have to be replaced often and are susceptible to breaking because of warping, rotting, and the impact of heavy machines. Recent research suggests that the lifespan of wooden mats is generally between 12 and 18 months, depending on use and environment, which makes running a business more expensive in the long run. What is more, wooden mats are not as environmentally friendly because they cause depletion of forests unless certified by a sustainable forest program.
Comparing Both Options
Composite mats are usually more cost-effective in the long term, especially when looking at the life cycle costs, despite the higher costs on the onset, since less replacements and repairs are required on them. An example is the cost-based advantage that was published, where the use of composite mats has enabled some companies in some projects to save nearly 30% of the material costs over five years, this is as opposed to the companies that have used the wood mats. Meanwhile, may not be applicable for all projects because it is only some projects that are longer and more demanding, when timber mats could prove to be cost-effective within the time frame.
Durability and Weight Capacity Considerations
Composite mats are specially designed with unfavorable conditions and the extra weight brought about by the same unfavorable conditions or environments in mind, so they are better developed. Research indicates that superior composite mats have a capacity of holding weight pressures that go beyond 600 psi, while wooden mats are strained at only 200-250 psi maximum. The extra strength also enables the mats to be cut into neat slices, while machinery can be placed on top of the mats with no risk of the wood breaking, bending, or cracking with time.
Moreover, composite covers are environmentally-friendly in the sense that they do not leak any water or chemicals nor react to weather changes. In the field, reports have confirmed that composite inlays shall be used even in the usage of water on each wooden plank, as well as deteriorate and require maintenance do to in no time. Hence, they are applied in many aspects, even in difficult endeavors such as decomposing any greenery plants or weeds or for temporary portable roadway, construction laser leveling, photovoltaic panels, etc.
Key Benefits of Using Temporary Portable Roadways
Enhanced Ground Protection
A temporary portable roadway is a road that is temporarily built to permit passing heavy loads across fragile terrain surfaces without disturbing the ground. Take studies for instance, they conclude that Machinery Noise by Composite matting 40% less on Ecosystems due to Machinery Activity. This proves to be crucial, especially to the industries of construction and energy, where heavy machinery operates in very sensitive ground.
More so, tailored-designed engineering solutions include matting systems that connect and enhance the load-displacement capacity, which in some designs allows up to 60 thousand kg or even more. This way, the nature of the ground that would otherwise succumb to excessive activity is enhanced. There is no doubt that the use of temporary roadways is one of the most economical methods since all such expenditures shrink about as much as 1/3, if not more, the amounts for common restoration costs following such projects.
In addition, the use of portable roads addresses erosion concerns by providing a stable surface even during and after heavy rains or floods. This can be seen in different construction areas, where the use of temporary portable roadway has been of paramount importance in minimizing these negative effects. Such benefits call for the incorporation of improvements in site logistics, especially in developed areas, in order to protect the ground more effectively.
Long-Term Cost-Effectiveness
While the upfront costs of temporary portable roadways could be considered high, these facilities allow for the best possible savings. Recently carried out research so far suggests that the use of temporary roadways is likely to lead to a reduction of maintenance and re-surfacing costs by up to 40% as compared to vehicular pavements made of gravel/ asphalt. Additionally, portable roads are reusable, meaning that if well maintained, they are able to serve a purpose for more than ten years, rather than being bought anew at short intervals, an aspect that greatly enhances returns on investment.
Research shows that construction companies using such a system suffer 25% less suspended designs, and this is because of weak grounds. The lesser the time wasted, the lesser the cost and increased efficiency in tender executions with peace of mind from the clients. However, modern mats have solved this issue since they can be made into lightweight foldable sections that result in easy installation and transport, and are therefore 20% cheaper.
I am fascinated by the notion of carry-along road transport systems because for reasons including operational efficiency and profitability, besides conceptual sustainability. And this has been explicated in the most basic sense to even how such issues are handled in the present. Many people believe that such solutions risk degrading the environment; however, that is not the case. Innovations like these are reasonable since they will help in preventing the degradation of the environment. There is even technology development that makes it possible to bear things such as this anywhere in any climate condition, which is so essential in project management that is practiced at the moment.
Traffic Road Safety and Control
Mitigation of road traffic accidents requires consideration, primarily on the enhancement of road safety and traffic regulations. According to the World Health Organization, around 1.3 million people die every year because of being involved in road traffic accidents, whereas between 20 and 50 million injuries, which do not lead to death, happen every year but have different levels of negative consequences on people’s health and earnings.
Road traffic injury and death described above have been dealt with through multiple means in the form of changes in policies as well as traffic management innovations. Methods like instantaneus vehicle flow planning, automated car sharing, and impartial communication systems found the need in bleeding edge technology efforts such as the current study, Synth Traffic Model, and examining users’ perceptions of Transportable Traffic Lights, also make up the ITS. Many investigations by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that in case new technology like auto brakes, lane departure systems, and any other being introduced, the rate of accidents can be cut down by half and even more.
Moreover, roads under development and construction due to modern traffic control practice, utilization of empirical findings, and a combination of methods of temporary portable roadway campaigns and law-making, thus bring about safer, cleaner, and decongested roads.
Common Applications Across Various Industries
Construction Sites
When it comes to construction sites throughout the world, sites prove to be dangerous at least to some extent—thus there has to be this, and a double quest for safety. 1 in 5 worker fatalities that occur in this country has something to do with construction, at least in its broadest sense, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA. Most, if not all of the above accidents are attributed to what is informally identified as the ‘Fatal Four’. The characterizing features of this category of fatal accidents are falls, and is the most common fatal. Other types of accidents are being struck by objects, electric shock, and casualties occurring when caught between two or more objects.
However, such risks are reduced with the incorporation of new technological advancements and upgrading the infrastructure, which is assisting. For example, there are monitoring devices that can be worn by the workers in question, which have components such as sensors and Global Positioning Systems that collect data on the vital signs of the workers as well as their position at any moment, thus enabling a faster response in case a worker gets into an emergency. Further, automated equipment application and the usage of unmanned aerial vehicles increase the productivity of activities, accuracy, and safety by reducing the presence of workers where the work is dangerous, such as undertaking inspections or any lifting operations.
Furthermore, the strategic placement of adequate and prominent barriers, signage, and traffic management during the construction period reduces the risk of accidents involving vehicular or mechanical movement. The research carried out by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) provided some interesting findings. Accordingly, the authors state that introducing safety management structures in the construction industry helped to reduce the rate of workplace injuries by up to 20 per cent. This, in turn, promotes construction safety, temporary portable roadway, and provides a boost to productivity and efficiency, especially where there are structures such as facilities for work-based education.
Live Events and Stadiums
Live Events and Stadiums play an important role in society as they bring people together, build bridges, and entertain them most exquisitely. It has been projected that over the period ‘23-30’, the global sports stadium market shall grow at a compound growth rate of 7.3 percent due to the increase in the construction of new arenas and the incorporation of new technologies. On top of all, big events have an impact on the different economies of the localities. It was noted, for instance, events such as the Super Bowl are capable of bringing nearly $500 million in economic benefits to the hosting cities.
Also, a lot of development has taken place with respect to the concerns of safety and facility management, which are presently subsumed within the administration or management of stadiums. These elements include appropriate crowd control strategies, using artificial intelligence to control, and efficient evacuation strategies that of course, ensure the safety of the industry players. Additionally, the use of temporary mobile highways and pop-up structures in festivals and fairs has increased immensely in the industry, though other such facilitators exist, leading to cost-cutting.
All these perspectives illustrate how imperative it is to incorporate disruptive technology into ingenious safety strategies, to maximize the fan experience and sustain such performance in an era of Live Events and Stadiums.
Agriculture and Forestry
In the pursuit of enhancing sustainability and productivity in agriculture or forestry, industry players are drawn towards more innovative technologies. The global market for smart agriculture, including precision farming, IoT devices, and AI analytics that optimizes the use of such devices, is expected to be worth $22 billion in 2027, rising at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.8% until then. In the same manner, with better technology such as drones, where forest monitoring is done and geomatics devices which assist in the control over deforestation, many organizations are leaning towards sustainable forestry practices.
A more specific field to consider is the employment of drones and satellites in conducting expansive surveys for agriculture and forestry-related operations. As an illustration, these specific devices provide detailed information that would help the farmers in the effective application of irrigation or fertilizers to immediately cut down costs and at the same time any adverse impacts on the environment. In addition, technology has provided the use of AI to predict weather patterns, pests, and also the crop production levels with a very high level of accuracy for more effective action.
According to the document of the Food and Agriculture of the United Nations (FAO), such technologies are crucial today so as to facilitate effective production of food to a rapidly increasing world population that is predicted to increase at least 50% in 2005. On the other hand, with technology, there has been an improvement in reforestation and safeguarding against fires owing to the use of more advanced methods. The role of this technical know-how in all aspects of agricultural and of course, forestry activities cannot be underestimated since a lot of these innovations seek to change conventional ways of doing things to more improved methods.
Reference Sources
- The Effects of Temporary Portable Rumble Strips on Vehicle Speeds in Road Work Zones
This study evaluates the impact of temporary portable rumble strips on traffic speeds and safety in work zones.
Read more here -
An Overview on Portable Roads and Airfields
This paper discusses the use of matting systems for temporary and semi-permanent roads, including deployment tools for heavy equipment.
Read more here
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When Should Portable Lanes Be Used And For What Purpose?
A portable lane structure consists of panels that are light and easily assembled in any place, such as a sandy seashore or a railway station for a quick pavement, and can also support the parking of equipment. This temporary portable roadway is mostly used in the construction industry, sporting events, oil and gas projects, forestry or logging projects, and life-threatening emergencies. These lanes in equipment roads facilitate the equipment being stuck in the mud, minimize ground effect, and ensure safety in aggressive conditions.
What Is Used to Make Temporary Roads With High Mechanic Load?
Mostly heavy load with requirement of temporary portable roadway plates are made out of polyethylene, composites, and steel – very strong materials known for high durability. However, HDPE mats are not suitable for areas where aisles, fenestrations or ceilings are present under specific conditions. They also do not corrode and are quite lightweight, yet sturdy. Moreover, even steel mats are effective in cases where extra weight and rigidity are required.
How Do Temporary Roadways Improve Worksite Efficiency and Safety?
Temporary portable roadways enable stable tracks for the movements of vehicles and machines, minimising the risk of bogging vehicles or damaging machinery. They also prevent the formation of ground ruts or scours, which is useful in delicate areas as well as in wet seasons. This involves making available roads as far as the roads can be made to reach, thereby enhancing accessibility as well as improving the safety and health of the persons, equipment and vehicles in the work environment.
Can Temporary Roadways Be Reused and Recycled?
Yes, this is achievable in most circumstances by redeploying the temporary roadway, which is portable and intended for repeated purposes. Although HDPE may be used for a longer duration, it has a low environmental impact, if any at all, as it can be recycled when it is no longer in use. Since more than a few projects can make use of a roadway, it is both cheap and encourages its use for these practices that are supportive of environmental responsibility in industries.
How can Temporary Portable Roadways be both laid down and pulled up?
Usually, the installation of a temporary portable roadway, especially in new areas, is often done by joining already pre-prepared interlocked molds and/or slabs on the beach without any additional work on the soils. The joining of the mats is performed from above with clips, screws, or fastenings, which ensures the durability of the platforms. Also, the advantage of such l-tracks for the roadway is that they are lightweight, therefore it is easy to dismantle, rearrange, and redeploy of the structures.
Can every surface type be used with a Temporary Roadway?
There are various types of temporary portable roadway that one can get, depending on the surface. These can be used on muddy, grassy, and sandy, or even rough and steeper surfaces. In the case of very extreme conditions, heavy-duty solutions can even be used to place caterpillar cranes or derricks. However, it should be noted that certain factors, including the topography of the site, the load, the weather, among others, should be considered before deciding on a particular roadway to be installed or used.
