Australia’s renewable sector is undergoing a spectacular boom worth billions of dollars, with a raft of wind and solar projects rushing to come online.
The total generation capacity of committed clean energy projects is expected to supply about 25% of Australia’s total power needs by 2020, while a string of other green energy projects in the pipeline is projected to lift the percentage of green energy to nearly 40% by 2030.
The scope of works on these projects can be as wide as the remote landscapes that they are set in. From the stringing of massive new transmission lines, trenching, heavy lifts and piling, there is no questioning the huge scale of these projects.
However, being in a remote, greenfield locations means operators are confronted with access issues and will have to find ways to build temporary roads on uneven terrain, across wet creeks and muddy grounds.
For projects that pass through Aboriginal heritage sites, operators also need to exercise extra care to ensure buried native artefacts are not disturbed as legislation around site protection grows stronger in order to preserve our nations cultural heritage.
Dura-Base matting is set to become the standard on these large renewable builds as a cost-effective way to solve many of these concerns.
By providing a sturdy support layer, Dura-Base mats ensures safety for workers as it provides non-slip and stable access across sloppy ground, eliminating problems associated with working on variable geo-conditions including buckshot soils, which turns to thick pea soup once the top layer is punctured.
In addition to safety, Dura-Base composite matting also minimizes the ecological footprints of these large-scale projects by reducing ground erosion. For projects done on ecologically sensitive zones, Dura-Base mats are better than the wooden counterparts as they do not rot, warp, or introduce pests and contaminants.
On indigenous heritage sites, Dura-Base mats are used to create stable access roads that both supports heavy construction machinery and protects the thousand-year old artefacts that lay beneath.
This protective layer also ensures that the project meets the conditions set by the landowners and farmers, and allows work to progress smoothly.
DuraBase mats have proved to be a hassle-free and quicker solution compared to soil filling and are far more resilient than wooden matting.
Some of the other ways that renewable projects across Australia are putting the Dura-Base Mats to work include:
Been working on one of these projects and seen these mats at work in another application that we have not listed? Drop us a line and let us know about it, we always love to hear about how our mats are being used to achieve your project outcomes.
Check out this video to see how Dura-Base mats can help contractors finish their renewable jobs on time and on budget.