Top 5 Uses for Ground Protection Mats - Driveway Protection and More

By Kif Richmann Created: August, 2017 - Modified: January, 2024

Ground protection mats might seem like they have a basic design, but there’s nothing basic about the ways that people put them to use. These versatile mats support heavy equipment or significant foot traffic while offering protection for the ground underneath.

We’ll discuss each of the most common uses for ground protection mats in detail, but the top five use cases include:
  • Protection for the lawn and landscaping
  • Protection for a sidewalk or driveway
  • Creating a space for events
  • Generating support and traction for construction equipment
  • Creating temporary roads and walkways for access to remote areas

Temporary Protection for Grass in Your Yard

When you need to move heavy equipment across your lawn to do work on the property or on the house, plastic ground protection mats make it safe to move an excavator or another piece of equipment across the yard, even if the ground is soft.

clear lawn protection mats in yard over grass protect from skid-steer

These driveway mats for grass and landscaping allow you to drive on the grass without sinking into the ground or without tearing up the turf.

These driveway mats for grass also can support foot traffic when you want to be able to move across your lawn after a heavy rain. If you are selling a new construction home with a brand new lawn, having a temp walkway during showings of the property can keep the area looking pristine.

Our Clear Ground Protection Mats are ideal for use over the top of grass, as they allow some UV light penetration to keep the grass healthy while using the mats.

Protecting a Driveway or Sidewalk From Large Vehicles

As construction professionals work around your property, driving huge vehicles over a driveway or sidewalk could cause the concrete or asphalt to crumble.

4x4 ground mats and panels for walkways and driveways

For driveway protection during construction, our mats make it possible for vehicles to move safely. Our mat products support the weight of the vehicle without damaging the concrete in the driveway. This is the best option for how to protect a driveway from heavy equipment.

A popular product for this use case is our VersaMats Diamond Foot Mat, which can support at least 60 tons of weight from vehicles. This 3-by-8-foot mat has a different cleat design on either side, allowing you to set it up as either a walkway or a driveway.

If you prefer a light-duty mat for walkways or for setting up an outdoor event, we offer the Matrax Light Duty Pedestrian Composite Mat that’s a little easier to handle at 3.89-by-3.89 feet.

Creating Space for Events

When creating a temporary flooring for use for an outdoor event, ground mats are a great choice. They are extremely sturdy, so they can support the weight of tables and chairs.

heavy duty black 4x8 ground protection mats can be used for outdoor events

Our heavy-duty mats serve as temporary ground cover for mud and other soft ground. You do not want people attending your event to sink into the ground and track mud throughout the area, plus our mats make it safer for everyone.

The Liberty Ground Protection Mats are a popular choice for this use case, as they feature a chevron textured surface that prevents people from slipping as they walk across the mats. With hand holes spread around the edges of each mat, you can carry the mats easily to create your desired layout.

Generate Support and Traction for Heavy Truck Traffic

The most common use case for our ground protection mats is to generate a temporary road that construction equipment and large vehicles can use.

4x8 black ground protection truck mat for heavy equipment

When working at a new build site, the construction workers are often working on bare ground. If any rain falls during the construction, which is almost inevitable, the area becomes muddy quickly.

To avoid having vehicles sink into the mud and to prevent huge ruts from forming in the ground around the site that fill with rainwater and cause significant problems over time, these mats create a safe pathway for vehicles to cross.

Our Alturnamats Ground Protection Mats are a cost-effective means of supporting loads up to 120 tons around the site of the new home or commercial building. These mats are far better for moving vehicles than using plywood that splinters or bringing in gravel.

Creating Temp Roads and Walkways

mudtraks 22x8 mat

If you want to give people visiting your acreage a safe way to walk to a remote area, our Mud-Traks Lawn Ground Protection Mats are a popular choice, because they’re so easy to handle.

These mats are smaller sized than average, so some people will choose to lay two rows of the mats side by side to accommodate the wheels of a larger vehicle.

A single row of these smaller mats works nicely for creating a protective walkway on a remote property. They also work for use across the track oval surface at a school, allowing football and soccer players to walk across the track safely and to reach the field in the middle while wearing their cleats.



For help with finding the best ground protection mats for your needs, reach out to the Greatmats customer service team today!

Which Ground Protection Mat Do You Need?

which ground protection mat do you need