Crane Mats, Load Spreading and Temporary Works Risk – Asking the Right Questions

Whatever you want to call them – crane mats, outrigger mats, or load spreading mats – they’re the bits you really don’t want to get wrong, yet they’re often one of the least technically scrutinised elements of temporary works design. Selection is frequently driven by availability, size, or material type, rather than verified structural performance, stiffness, and proven load behaviour under real site conditions.

For crane hire companies, temporary works engineers, and contractors, this creates a risk gap. Not all crane mats perform in the same way, not all systems are engineered, and not all published load figures reflect real world load distribution. Without proper analysis, certification, and structural understanding, even large crane outrigger mats can fail to deliver effective load spreading into the ground.

In a recent feature for Cranes & Access, our Managing Director, Dan Westgate, examines the engineering principles behind crane mat performance and the key technical questions that should be asked of any supplier. The article focuses on stiffness, safe working loads, structural analysis methods, testing methodologies, and how different materials behave under load, including the limitations of simplified testing and unsupported performance claims.

Turn to page 42 and read the full Cranes & Access article: Cranes & Access, November 2025, Vol. 27, Issue 7 | Vertikal.net

Rather than relying on spurious claims or marketing spin, the article looks at how aluminium crane mats, composite mats, plastic mats, and timber systems perform from an engineering perspective, and what actually matters when designing temporary works mat configurations for cranes, MEWPs, concrete pumps, and heavy plant.

The objective is to support better technical decision making, safer lifting operations, and more reliable ground protection design, particularly where crane outrigger loads, bearing pressure, and structural integrity really matter.

To learn more about our ALIMATS® aluminium crane mat system, visit:
https://brilliantideasltd.co.uk/alimats/