Interlocking Aluminium Crane Mats & Outrigger Pads For Hire & Sale
Available to hire online, or call the Brilliant Ideas team on 01335 345111 for more info.
Prefer email? Reach the sales team at alimats@brilliantideasltd.co.uk.
Made from certified extruded aluminium it has a unique patented interlocking design. Lightweight and handleable the system comes in a range of mat sizes for single day, weekly and long-term hire, as well as an option to purchase. Come directly to us to hire and purchase ALIMATS®.
We deliver ALIMATS® across the UK, 24/7. We also ship them internationally.
Available to hire online, or call the Brilliant Ideas team on 01335 345111 for more info.
Available for weekly or single-day hire with delivery and collection included. Configure your requirements below for an instant price.
Select a configuration and enter a postcode to see live pricing.
The clever piece on ALIMATS® is the patented interlock. When the modules are interlocked together they work as one structure to distribute the load, greatly increasing its performance. That’s because the load is spread in multiple directions over the whole mat area – rather than just one direction.
ALIMATS® are manufactured from certified high-grade recycled aluminium with CO2 per-life-cycle stage analysis. One of our biggest challenges in developing ALIMATS® was finding a material that was lightweight, strong – and sustainable. It was also vital to select a material that could be certified after repeated use. Our research steered us in the direction of extruded aluminium in a truss like form.
ALIMATS® come with certification and detailed loading information which temporary works engineers incorporate into their designs. It means that the structural properties of the mat modules are known at the time of use.
Every metallic module in our ‘hire and sale’ range is lightweight and handleable which is why we’ve fitted handles as standard.
Modules range between 13kgs and 48kgs. Non handleable heavier systems made from timber, steel and composites can typically weigh upwards of 200kgs per mat and would need to be short rigged, adding extra cost and time to the project.
ALIMATS® come in five module lengths. When they’re used in conjunction with each other we can create different types of load spread scenarios from 1.34m² up to 8.07m².
We can also create bespoke load spread solutions for powered access.
ALIMATS® Range:
Work directly with the creators and principal global distributor of ALIMATS®.
More than 80% of the UK’s top twenty Tier 1 contractors come straight to us.
Get guidance from the in-house technical team who designed ALIMATS®.
We create tailored mat setups for complex crane and powered access projects.
All safe working loads are verified with a Fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE).
Avoid third-party rehire uplifts by hiring or buying direct.
Direct trading means quicker advice, quoting and project support.
Our Little Eaton depot operates around the clock, delivering anywhere in the UK — or you can collect.
Get in touch to open an account or discuss your next project with the team.
Our Half Loader spreader module is our newest innovation. We’ve designed it to deliver a more even load spread, and higher safe working outrigger loads. We’ve achieved it by moving the load away from the centre of the mat system and spreading it across two locations – reducing the pressure applied to the supporting ground.
It works in conjunction with our ALIMATS® system when high outrigger loads are present and removes the requirement for crane pads.
Our Powered Access Solution uses ALIMATS® to create bespoke load spread systems for MEWPs, scissor lifts, and spider cranes. The interlocking design ensures load is transferred between modules when tracking, significantly enhancing operational safety and ground protection. With handleable modules that can be set up within hours, our system has won the Most Innovative New Product at the Building Innovation Awards 2023.
Whether you need temporary trackways or stable working platforms, our team provides direct supply, delivery and installation services, complete with detailed drawings for Temporary Works approval.
Portakabin
The ALIMATS® system works well – we use them on 9/10 jobs. Our temporary works team look at the ground, do the calculations and there’s never a problem with specifying these mats to spread the load. They interlock and are easy to set-up without heavy plant
ALIMATS® patented interlock offers both structural and operational benefits.
Structural benefits – when the mats are positioned under a crane, you get load spread between modules. And when they are used in powered access in the tracking situation for a single layer, you get load transfer as the machine tracks across.
Operational benefits – with handleable mats, you can set up the configuration below the outrigger. And because the modules interlock, when you pull one mat to align the configuration, it acts as one structure and moves the whole system, ensuring the outrigger load is applied at the centre of the mat – something which is a lot more difficult to achieve with non handleable systems.
Weighing between 13kgs and 48kgs a module, ALIMATS® are handleable for two operatives to offload, position and adjust once assembled under the outrigger – you can see how easy it is by watching our explainer video showcasing our 5.04m2 interlocking mats below. Without handles, this wouldn’t be possible.
Before fitting handles, we put a lot of thought into safety – making sure to position them to prevent fingers and hands becoming trapped.
We deliver ALIMATS® to tight city centre sites or extreme remote regions like wind farms in Scotland on our FORS Bronze vans, using our own delivery drivers. These lightweight modules are quick to offload by hand and set-up. This eliminates the need for short rigging which saves time and money.
Learn more about the cost-efficiency and productivity aspects of Alimats
ALIMATS® is a modular load spread solution for cranes – and powered access.
Examples of our Powered Access drawings, all tracking and operating show:
Operational benefits of ALIMATS® with Dan Westgate and Neil Berry
Crane hire companies choose ALIMATS® for two main reasons.
The key function of load spreader mats is to reduce the applied pressure to the ground to make sure that the machine and the lift remain stable. Ground conditions under a crane outrigger pose the most risk of a crane overturning. It can be difficult to know if the ground beneath a crane will support the weight and pressure under the outriggers, which is why the outrigger load must be evenly spread over a larger area.
Over the past 20-years, crane technology has greatly advanced. Smaller cranes are now lifting more at greater radiuses and exerting heavier loads through their outriggers. What hasn’t advanced at the same rate, if at all, is crane mat technology. There doesn’t appear to be any formal protocol on material selection, certification or testing.
What’s clear from our research is that some manufacturers and distributors of crane mats are promoting the compressive strength of the material – even though all crane mat materials have high compressive strength. We believe a far better question to ask is ‘are they capable of safely spreading the outrigger load horizontally before distribution to the ground’.
With ongoing concerns about climate change and extreme variable weather conditions, ground load bearing test results for any given area can vary from day to day. Various ground conditions would have different allowable ground bearing conditions and pressures – and different machines and lifting environments would have different concentrated outrigger loads. That’s why we believe the material of the outrigger mat should have known structural properties at the time of use.
We’re geared up to offer a rapid delivery service inclusive of free technical support. We’ve received ALIMATS® hire orders for delivery to Scotland at 2.50pm for a next day 8am delivery – which is no problem for us as we employ our own team of delivery drivers.
Key considerations when choosing outrigger crane mats
The weight and material properties utilised in handleable outrigger mats are summarised within the table below.
This table highlights the varying material properties and why they should be known at the time of use.
You can also download our outrigger mats CPD Extracts – Material Selection and Certification.
| Properties | Nylanite | Plastic (UHMWPE) | Ekki / Azobé Timber (D70) | Oak Timber (D40) | ALIMATS® Aluminium (6005A) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mat Density (kg/m³) | 1380 | 960 | 1080 | 660 | 600 |
Material Density (kg/m³) | 1380 | 960 | 1080 | 660 | 2700 |
Compressive Strength (Mpa) | 123 | 21 | 34 | 26 | 280 |
Tensile Strength (MPa) | 78 | 28 | 42 | 24 | 270 |
Modulas of Elasticity (MPa) | 3000 | 1350 | 20000 | 13000 | 69000 |
Properties:
Nylanite:
Plastic (UHMWPE):
Ekki / Azobé Timber (D70):
Oak Timber (D40):
ALIMATS® Aluminium (6005A):
Properties:
Nylanite:
Plastic (UHMWPE):
Ekki / Azobé Timber (D70):
Oak Timber (D40):
ALIMATS® Aluminium (6005A):
Properties:
Nylanite:
Plastic (UHMWPE):
Ekki / Azobé Timber (D70):
Oak Timber (D40):
ALIMATS® Aluminium (6005A):
Properties:
Nylanite:
Plastic (UHMWPE):
Ekki / Azobé Timber (D70):
Oak Timber (D40):
ALIMATS® Aluminium (6005A):
Properties:
Nylanite:
Plastic (UHMWPE):
Ekki / Azobé Timber (D70):
Oak Timber (D40):
ALIMATS® Aluminium (6005A):
Here’s a recap on the systems features and benefits:
If you’d like to trial ALIMATS® for your next load spread or load transfer project, please get in touch with the team today on 01355 345111 or email enquiries@brilliantideasltd.co.uk.