Ground Protection Matting Case Study

Mats Allow New Headquarters Build to Move Forward

Temporary access road prevents 65 days of downtime due to muddy conditions.

Faced with severe access issues from muddy conditions, Jones Capital’s headquarters project used United Rentals’ 3-ply timber mats to create a flexible temporary road, preventing 65 days of downtime and keeping construction on schedule despite heavy rain. Both the contractor and owner praised the solution’s effectiveness, quick delivery, and strong support throughout the build.

Heavy rain turned the construction site into mud, making it nearly impossible for vehicles and equipment to access work areas, which threatened to cause significant delays to the project schedule.

“On many construction projects, ground protection mats allow contractors to create cleaner, safer, more functional jobsites. United Rentals brings the experience to help customers identify the optimal mats for the application, and the best-in-the-industry product supply to provide the right mats when and where they are needed.”

Jones Capital, a family-owned private capital investment firm, was building a new 80,000-square-foot headquarters in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The general contractor, Codaray Construction, had just commenced operations in early spring when a major issue emerged: lack of jobsite access.

The site of the building was a dirt lot where homes once stood. After a rainstorm, the lot quickly turned to mud, making it all but impossible for vehicles and equipment to reach work areas.

To prevent further weather-related delays and provide stable access for concrete trucks, pump trucks and tractor trailers, Jones and Codaray turned to YAK ACCESS, now United Rentals Ground Protection Matting Solutions, for ground stabilization.

3-ply mats: The right solution for the application

The matting team conducted a thorough onsite assessment and discussed the requirements with Codaray to determine the best, most cost-effective matting solution.

Based on the ground conditions and the equipment and traffic volume expected, the team recommended 3-ply laminated timber mats. These mats are durable enough to support the trucks and trailers that would traverse the site, yet lighter and shorter than 100% timber mats, and therefore cheaper to transport and easier to maneuver.

The team quickly delivered several truckloads of 3-ply mats, which Codaray installed to create a temporary access road.

“Without these mats, any additional rainfall would have completely shut down operations,” said Steven Bridges, Sr. Project Manager, Codaray Construction.

Flexibility was critical to success

As the project progressed, Codaray needed to shift the road to reach different zones from new access points. The ability to easily reposition the mats was crucial. Codaray was able to change the road layout several times with minimal labor and without incurring additional materials costs. The speed of deployment enabled work to continue with little interruption.

Codaray had originally explored building an access road with stone or another subbase. They quickly came to appreciate the flexibility and scalability of the matting solution.

Preventing 65 days of downtime

The mats proved to be the optimal solution, preventing costly downtime and helping to preserve the aggressive project schedule.

“Once we saw how effective the mats were, especially at maintaining access when conditions were truly challenging, we ended up bringing in five to six truckloads at a time during peak activity,” said Bridges.

Over the course of 18 months, the site experienced 100 days of rain that would have halted progress had the mats not been in place. The road allowed crews to continue working on approximately two-thirds of those days.

“The project might still be ongoing if it weren’t for that solution,” noted Bridges several months later.

An optimal project outcome

Codaray Construction wasn’t the only satisfied customer on the project. The project owner also reported being pleased with the outcome.

"United Rentals played a key role in helping us get our headquarters project off the ground—literally,” said Jonathan Duhon, Managing Partner, Jones Capital. “Their matting solutions gave us the ability to mobilize quickly and work efficiently, even in tough conditions. Thanks to their support, we were able to build a facility we’re truly proud of."

United Rentals: A full partner from start to finish

On many construction projects, ground protection mats allow contractors to create cleaner, safer, more functional jobsites. United Rentals brings the experience to help customers identify the optimal mats for the application, and the best-in-the-industry product supply to provide the right mats when and where they are needed. Exceptional service helps ensure excellent performance.

“From the beginning, the team impressed us with their extensive knowledge of ground protection matting,” said Bridges. “The mats they recommended exceeded our expectations in terms of maintaining access and keeping downtime to a minimum. When we needed a large number of additional mats, they delivered them in a matter of days. Throughout the project, they checked in and offered support. We could not have asked for a better, more responsive partner to help us complete this high-profile build on time.”