Overlapping Modular Mat Structure for Heavy-Load, Low-Labor Ground Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wooden mats for temporary roadways and equipment support surfaces require significant labor for installation and removal, are prone to rotting due to water and contaminants, and cause environmental issues with seam saturation.
Innovation Solution
A modular mat system comprising interconnected web members and fortifying members made of polymeric materials, with hollow voids and tapered structures for structural support, allowing easy installation and removal, and resistance to rotting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional wooden mats are used for temporary roadways and equipment support surfaces, then the surface can support heavy equipment, but significant labor is required for installation and removal
Solution Approach 1:
The mat system is divided into multiple individual mats that can be independently handled, installed, and removed. Each mat is a discrete unit that can be positioned and connected to others, eliminating the need to handle large assembled structures during installation and removal operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The mat system incorporates movable and adjustable components including lips that can be positioned at different heights and angles, and interconnected features that allow flexible configuration. This dynamic design enables easy assembly and disassembly while maintaining structural integrity for heavy equipment support.
2Productivity
If conventional wooden mats are used for temporary roadways, then the surface can be constructed quickly, but the mats are prone to rotting due to water and contaminants
Solution Approach 1:
The mat system uses composite construction combining wood components with polymeric materials. The polymeric lips and interconnected features provide rot resistance and durability while the wood core maintains structural strength. This composite approach preserves construction speed while eliminating rotting problems associated with pure wooden mats.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameters by replacing traditional wooden construction with polymeric materials for critical components exposed to water and contaminants. This material substitution fundamentally alters the chemical and physical properties to resist degradation from moisture, mud, and environmental contaminants.
3Strength
If conventional wooden mats with seams are used, then the surface can support loads, but mud and contaminants saturate the seams causing environmental issues
Solution Approach 1:
The polymeric lips and interconnected features act as flexible protective shells that seal the connections between mats. These shell-like structures prevent mud and contaminants from penetrating into the internal seams and joints, while still allowing the mat system to bear heavy loads through their structural design.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the problematic seam structure from the design by using interlocking polymeric features that eliminate traditional gaps and joints between mats. By removing the vulnerable seam interfaces, the system prevents contamination saturation while maintaining load-bearing capacity through the solid polymeric connection structures.
4Strength
If multiple layers of conventional mats are installed, then the load support capacity is sufficient, but the installation and removal process requires significant time and effort
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the load-bearing function across multiple independent mats rather than requiring multiple layers. Each individual mat is designed to bear full loads independently, and the interconnected features allow these single-layer mats to be quickly assembled and disconnected, eliminating the time-consuming processes of installing and removing multiple layered structures.
Data Source
AI summary
Mats having a body having a thickness defined between a first side and a second side, a lip extending from the body and having a thickness less than the thickness of the body, the lip having a plurality of ribs and a plurality of channels defined between adjacent ribs of the plurality of ribs, and a plurality of lip stiffeners arranged within the channels of the lip and defining a transverse rib extending in a direction perpendicular to a direction of the plurality of ribs.