When to Use Rig Mats vs. Access Mats

WHAT A RIG MAT IS BUILT FOR

A rig mat is a steel-framed platform — 3 or 4 I-beams filled with 6x6 timber — built to support heavy, concentrated loads in one spot. Drilling rigs, cranes, and heavy equipment pads all put a lot of weight on a small footprint, and that's exactly what a rig mat's steel frame is designed to spread and hold. That steel frame also performs better on soft, wet ground, and because it's built to stay down, a run of rig mats makes a long-lasting road rather than a temporary fix.

WHAT AN ACCESS MAT IS BUILT FOR

An access mat is a different kind of mat entirely — a bolted, 3-ply timber mat with no steel frame. It performs better on hard, uneven ground, where it can conform to the surface and give crews and equipment a stable, temporary path in. It's not meant to be a permanent road — it's a temporary access solution, built to get you in and out efficiently rather than stay down long-term.

SIDE BY SIDE

A QUICK WAY TO DECIDE

If your ground is soft or wet and you need a road that's going to stay down long-term, you need rig mats. If your ground is hard and uneven and you just need a temporary way in and out, that's an access mat job. Plenty of sites end up using both, depending on how conditions change across the route.