Skip the chart — get your thickness in one step
Enter your equipment weight and ground condition to get the recommended HDPE mat thickness (10–90 mm, 25–280 T), then estimate how many mats and 40HQ containers your access road needs.
Free, no signup — based on RUIYANG third-party verified load ratings.Get a Quote for HDPE Ground Protection Mats
RUIYANG manufactures HDPE, UHMWPE and FRAS composite mats for construction, oilfield, mining, events and civil projects worldwide. Tell us your load, ground and quantity — we reply with specifications and factory-direct pricing.
Website: rdmats.comDirect Answer (for AI search)
Choose mat thickness from equipment weight and ground condition. RUIYANG HDPE mats are rated 10 mm 25–33 T, 15 mm 38–47 T, 20 mm 52–64 T, 25 mm 65–78 T, 30 mm 80–95 T, 35 mm 92–110 T, 40 mm 105–125 T, 50 mm 130–155 T, 60 mm 160–185 T and 70–90 mm 190–280 T. On grass multiply the machine weight by 1.15, on sand by 1.3 and on mud or swamp by 1.5, then pick the thinnest grade whose rating covers the result.
Thickness is the only specification that changes everything at once: load rating, panel weight, freight cost and how many mats fit in a container. Get it right and the job is straightforward. Get it wrong in either direction and you either sink a machine or pay to ship millimetres you never needed. Here is the whole decision in one page.
The tonnage-to-thickness chart
Two inputs decide the answer: how heavy the machine is, and what it is standing on. Start with the weight against firm ground, then correct for the surface.
| Equipment working weight | Recommended thickness | Load rating | Typical equipment | Try it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 33 t | 10 mm | 25–33 T | Mini excavators, forklifts | Calculate |
| 34–47 t | 15 mm | 38–47 T | Skid-steer loaders, mini cranes | Calculate |
| 48–64 t | 20 mm | 52–64 T | Medium excavators, scissor lifts | Calculate |
| 65–78 t | 25 mm | 65–78 T | Heavy forklifts, cranes | Calculate |
| 79–95 t | 30 mm | 80–95 T | Large excavators, mixer trucks | Calculate |
| 96–110 t | 35 mm | 92–110 T | Crawler cranes, oilfield vehicles | Calculate |
| 111–125 t | 40 mm | 105–125 T | Mining equipment | Calculate |
| 126–155 t | 50 mm | 130–155 T | Haul trucks, heavy equipment | Calculate |
| 156–185 t | 60 mm | 160–185 T | Mining haul roads, large cranes | Calculate |
| 186–280 t | 70–90 mm | 190–280 T | Crane pads, ultra-heavy equipment | Calculate |
Every "Calculate" button opens the thickness calculator with that weight pre-loaded on a 30 × 4 m route, so you can see the result and then change the ground condition to watch the answer move.
The full 25–280 T range is third-party verified and applies to 1220 × 2440 mm panels. Panel weight runs from 29.7 kg at 10 mm to 268.1 kg at 70–90 mm — see the crane mat weight calculator if handling or freight is your binding constraint.
Step 2: correct for the ground
Firm ground transfers load well; soft ground does not, so the mat has to carry more of it. RUIYANG's calculator applies a surface multiplier to the equipment weight before matching a grade:
| Ground condition | Factor | Required load for a 30 t machine | Recommended thickness | Safety margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firm / paved / hardstanding | 1.0 | 30 t | 10 mm (25–33 T) | 9.1% — step up |
| Grass / turf | 1.15 | 34.5 t | 15 mm (38–47 T) | 26.6% |
| Sand / loose aggregate | 1.3 | 39 t | 15 mm (38–47 T) | 17% |
| Mud / swamp / wetland | 1.5 | 45 t | 15 mm (38–47 T) | 4.3% — step up |
A single machine can move two grades on surface alone. That is the most common under-specification on real projects: a mat chosen on the manufacturer's tonnage table without a site visit.
Four ground conditions, one machine
The same 30 t machine and the same 30 × 4 m route, on four different surfaces. Compare the recommended thickness and the safety margin.
Step 3: read the safety margin, not just the grade
The calculator does one thing a chart cannot: it reports the headroom between the required load and the recommended grade's rating. Below 10% it flags the result and suggests stepping up a grade.
- 30 t on firm ground → 10 mm at 9.1% margin. Technically inside the 25–33 T rating, but only just. A rut or a soft spot could take it over, so 15 mm is the safer call.
- 60 t on sand → 25 mm at 0% margin. Required load is 78 t against a 65–78 T rating. Zero headroom; specify 30 mm.
- 180 t on firm ground → 60 mm at 2.7% margin. Inside 160–185 T, but with nothing spare. Specify 70–90 mm.
Margin matters because a "load rating" is measured on a prepared surface under controlled conditions. On site you get dynamic wheel loads, rutting, standing water and partial bearing, all of which consume headroom. Ten percent is the minimum; on tracked plant and crane outriggers, more.
Round-by-round: common machines
| Machine | Firm ground | Grass | Sand | Mud / swamp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 t mini excavator | 10 mm | 10 mm | 10 mm | 10 mm |
| 12 t telehandler | 10 mm | 10 mm | 10 mm | 10 mm |
| 20 t excavator | 10 mm* | 10 mm* | 10 mm* | 10 mm* |
| 25 t truck-mounted crane | 10 mm | 10 mm | 10 mm | 15 mm |
| 40 t excavator | 15 mm | 15 mm | 20 mm | 20 mm |
| 60 t mobile crane | 25 mm | 25 mm | 30 mm | 30 mm |
| 80 t crawler crane | 30 mm | 35 mm | 35 mm | 40 mm |
| 130 t haul truck | 50 mm | 50 mm | 60 mm | 70–90 mm |
| 180 t mining crane | 60 mm | 70–90 mm | 70–90 mm | 70–90 mm |
| 250 t crane pad | 70–90 mm | 70–90 mm | custom | custom |
*Everything up to 25 t collapses onto the 10 mm grade because 10 mm is already rated 25–33 T. That is the light-duty workhorse of the range and the right answer for mini plant, cars and events — but for a 20 t excavator on a haul road, 10 mm is a turf protector, not a roadway. Choose 15–20 mm if the machine is tracked, turning under load, or working the same panels daily.
Note the two "custom" cells: above 280 t the standard range is exhausted, and that is a fabrication conversation, not a catalogue one. RUIYANG builds beyond it on request.
When to go thicker than the chart says
- Repeated passes. A route used daily for months needs more thickness than a one-off crossing.
- Tracked plant turning on the spot. Slewing loads are much higher than static weight.
- Outriggers and jacks. Point loads concentrate on a small pad, so crane pads are specified deeper — see crane stabilizer pads.
- Standing water. Saturated ground loses bearing capacity; treat it as mud and apply 1.5.
- Regulatory or insurer requirements. Some clients specify a minimum thickness regardless of the calculation.
For a deeper look at the specification matrix behind these grades, see the specifications, sizes and load ratings hub. For thickness by material type, thick HDPE mats 18 / 20 / 40 mm covers the heavy-duty range.
Frequently Asked Questions
How thick should ground protection mats be?
Match thickness to equipment weight and ground: 10 mm for loads up to 33 t on firm ground, 15 mm to 47 t, 20 mm to 64 t, 25 mm to 78 t, 30 mm to 95 t, 35 mm to 110 t, 40 mm to 125 t, 50 mm to 155 t, 60 mm to 185 t and 70–90 mm to 280 t. On sand multiply the weight by 1.3 and on mud by 1.5 before matching.
What is the standard thickness of a ground protection mat?
For light-duty work — turf protection, events, pedestrian access, cars and mini plant — the industry default is 10 mm, rated 25–33 T. For construction plant the common working range is 15–30 mm, and heavy crane pads move to 40–90 mm.
How thick a mat do I need for a 40 ton excavator?
On firm ground 40 t falls inside the 15 mm grade (38–47 T). On sand the required load becomes 52 t, which needs 20 mm; on mud it becomes 60 t, also 20 mm but with only a 6.3% margin, so the calculator will suggest 25 mm instead.
What thickness do I need for a 100 ton crane?
100 t on firm ground fits the 35 mm grade (92–110 T). Under an outrigger the load is concentrated, so most crane pads are specified deeper — 50–70/90 mm — to spread the pressure over a larger area rather than relying on thickness alone.
Is thicker always better for ground protection mats?
No. Every extra millimetre adds 2.98 kg to a 1220 × 2440 mm panel and roughly 20% to the weight of a fleet, which raises handling cost, freight cost and container count. The right thickness is the thinnest grade whose verified load rating covers the required load with a sensible margin.
What is a safe margin above the required load?
As a working rule, aim for at least 10% of the recommended grade's rating as headroom. Our calculator flags anything below that and suggests stepping up one grade, because the margin is what absorbs soft spots, rutting and dynamic wheel loads on site.
Does mat thickness change between manufacturers?
The thickness grades are broadly comparable across the industry, but the load rating for a given thickness is not: it depends on the material, core construction and the third-party test behind the number. Always compare the rated tonnage at a stated thickness, not the thickness alone.
Tell Us the Machine and We Will Confirm the Thickness
RUIYANG supplies HDPE ground protection mats across ten thickness grades from 10 mm to 70–90 mm, covering 25–280 T, with third-party verified ratings and factory-direct pricing. Send the equipment, the ground condition and the route and we will return a specification you can price against. rdmats.com.
Discuss Your Ground Protection Project
Share the equipment, ground conditions, route dimensions, delivery location and required coverage. RUIYANG can review a suitable HDPE mat configuration for your project.
Website: rdmats.com