Shackles & Lifting Slots: How Rig Mats Get Lifted

WHAT'S A LIFTING SLOT

A lifting slot is a reinforced cutout built into the top of a rig mat, sized to accept a hook. It's not just an opening in the steel — the area around it is reinforced to actually handle the forces of lifting a mat that weighs a significant amount on its own. If you need to lift the mat from the top, this is the more cost-effective way to do it.

LIFTING LUGS ON THE SIDE

Lifting lugs are standard on every mat we build — a reinforced cutout in the sideplate on each side of the mat, used with a hook. Unlike the lifting slot, which is an added feature, lifting lugs come standard on every mat, giving you an always-included rigging point on both sides without having to special-order anything.

WHERE THE SHACKLE COMES IN

A hook is the default connection at both the lifting slot and the lifting lugs. Shackles aren't standard — they're an option you add to your order. When they're added, they're installed in the cross section of the mat, in the position where a cross I-beam would normally run, and welded permanently into place. Because they're set into the structure this way, a shackle can sit flush with the top of the mat instead of sticking up above the deck. A bow shackle (the U-shaped kind, like the one pictured above) is the standard choice, since its wider opening gives a chain room to move without binding or side-loading against the pin.

INSPECT BEFORE YOU LIFT

• •Check the shackle itself — look for cracks or corrosion.
• •Check the lifting slot and lugs — repeated heavy use can wear or deform the steel around either cutout over time. Worn lifting points should be flagged and the mat pulled from lifting use until it's assessed.
• •Keep the pull as straight as possible — side-loading a shackle reduces how much load it can actually handle safely, even if it's rated well above the mat's weight.
• •Stay clear during the lift — treat every mat lift like the heavy steel-and-timber load it is, not a routine job.