Test load:
1 tonne
UHMW-PE mat deflection:
102mm (1.8m x 0.6m x 50mm, 52kg mat)
ALIMATS aluminium deflection:
2mm (1.74m x 0.58m x 60mm, 38kg mat)
Concrete Pump Outrigger Pads
ALIMATS aluminium mats spread concentrated concrete pump outrigger loads through stiffness, not just compressive strength, and are available from 1.346m2 to 8.073m2 for hire or purchase on 24/7 nationwide delivery.
For concrete pump stabiliser and outrigger legs, ALIMATS® aluminium mats spread load through genuine stiffness rather than compressive strength alone, keeping deflection to single millimetres where a comparable plastic mat can deflect by tens or hundreds of millimetres under the same load. Configurations run from 1.346m2 up to 8.073m2, available for hire or purchase with 24/7 nationwide delivery.
Why concrete pump outriggers need proper load spread
Concrete pumps put concentrated point loads through a small number of outrigger or stabiliser legs, often onto ground that has not been engineered to take them. Without adequate load spread, that concentrated load can punch through surface layers, cause differential settlement, or destabilise the pump mid-pour.
The material under the leg matters as much as its footprint. A pad with high compressive strength but low stiffness can still let load triangulate down towards a single point in the ground rather than spreading it across the full plan area, which is exactly the failure mode a stabiliser pad is meant to prevent.
Stiffness, not just strength, is what stops a leg punching through
Brilliant Ideas Ltd built a purpose-built bending test rig to compare ALIMATS aluminium against a competing UHMW-PE plastic mat, loading each in three-point bending the same way a mobile crane outrigger, or a concrete pump stabiliser leg, loads a mat in service.
Compressive strength and stiffness are different properties. For stiffness, the property that actually spreads load into the ground, steel and aluminium rank highest, ahead of timber, nylon and polyethylene. A rigid test rig sitting on a compressible surface can flatter a plastic mat's headline safe working load in ways that don't hold up once the ground itself is doing the compressing under a real pump leg.
| Test load | UHMW-PE mat deflection | ALIMATS aluminium deflection |
|---|---|---|
1 tonne | 102mm (1.8m x 0.6m x 50mm, 52kg mat) | 2mm (1.74m x 0.58m x 60mm, 38kg mat) |
2.25 tonnes | 328mm (same UHMW-PE mat) | 3mm (same ALIMATS mat) |
3.5 tonnes | 161mm (double layer, 100mm overall) | 8mm (single layer, 60mm) |
Test load:
2.25 tonnes
UHMW-PE mat deflection:
328mm (same UHMW-PE mat)
ALIMATS aluminium deflection:
3mm (same ALIMATS mat)
Test load:
3.5 tonnes
UHMW-PE mat deflection:
161mm (double layer, 100mm overall)
ALIMATS aluminium deflection:
8mm (single layer, 60mm)
The numbers at a glance
- Configuration range
- 1.346m2 to 8.073m2
- Module weight range
- 13kg to 48kg
- Deflection at 1 tonne (bending test)
- ALIMATS 2mm vs UHMW-PE 102mm
- Material
- Certified recycled extruded aluminium, alloy 6005A
- Delivery
- 24/7 nationwide, BIL's own FORS Bronze fleet
- Hire or purchase
- Single day, weekly, long-term hire, or outright buy
Sizing a pad against a full mat configuration
Not every concrete pump leg needs a full mat configuration. Where the outrigger footprint and load are small, generally under about 1.0m2, a single round or square pad is the right solution, and BIL only recommends certified Nylacast Big Foot pads (Nylanite) in that category rather than standard HDPE.
Where the footprint or load is larger, a mat configuration spreads load across a bigger plan area through multiple interlocking modules, built from Mini, Short, Standard, Long and Extra Long modules weighing between 13kg and 48kg each, light enough for two people to lift, interlock and reposition by hand without machine assistance. A Nylacast pad is often placed on top of an ALIMATS configuration to optimise load transfer and protect the mat surface where a leg makes point contact.
Available for hire or purchase, on 24/7 delivery
Single day or weekly hire
Suits a pump operator who just needs pads for one pour.
Long-term hire or purchase
A principal contractor can keep a permanent kit sat in the yard.
Corporate colours on request
ALIMATS can be painted to match your corporate colours.
24/7 nationwide delivery
Through BIL's own FORS Bronze fleet of vans under 3.5 tonnes, with BIL's own CSCS-card-holding drivers, most CPCS certified, and fully automated proof of delivery.
Ainscough Crane Hire
“
When we needed a quick turnaround on mats, the Brilliant Ideas team delivered. The 7.06m² mat configurations we hired were ordered at 2.50pm and arrived on site in Grangemouth at 8.02am – all within 18 hours. The mats are handleable and easier and quicker to set-up than steel mats, which are heavy.
An indicative sizing calculator, with a caveat
BIL is developing an online sizing calculator specifically for concrete pump outrigger and stabiliser leg loads, to sit alongside the existing ALIMATS configurator. At the time of writing this is indicative only, pending BIL engineering sign-off, so treat any online sizing suggestion as a starting point for a conversation with BIL's technical team rather than a substitute for a site-specific check by your own temporary works engineer.
Safe working loads across the ALIMATS range are independently verified with a Fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers, and every mat is fully inspected, cleaned and quality-checked on return from hire before it goes back out, so the configuration you are quoted is the configuration that turns up on site.
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
Proven on the pours that matter
That is the same interlocking, hand-set system a concrete pump crew would set an outrigger leg down on, no heavy plant required.
ALIMATS configurations have been deployed across major UK projects including Manchester's Co-op Live Arena, HS2, Hinkley Point C, Heathrow and Gatwick airports, Euston Station and London Bridge, alongside major Scottish wind farm developments, wherever outrigger or stabiliser loads need spreading onto ground that was never built to take them.
Frequently asked questions
What size ALIMATS configuration do I need for a concrete pump outrigger leg?
It depends on the pump's outrigger load and the bearing capacity of the ground under the leg. ALIMATS core configurations run from 1.346m2 up to 8.073m2, and BIL is developing an indicative online sizing calculator for concrete pump outriggers specifically, pending engineering sign-off. For a firm configuration, get a price through the online configurator or request full specifications and drawings so your temporary works engineer can check the numbers against your ground conditions.
Should I use a crane pad or a crane mat under a concrete pump leg?
If the outrigger footprint and load are small, generally under about 1.0m2, a single Nylacast Big Foot pad is usually the right solution. For larger footprints or loads, an ALIMATS mat configuration spreads the load across a bigger plan area, and a Nylacast pad can sit on top of the mat to protect its surface at the point of contact.
Why does stiffness matter more than compressive strength for outrigger pads?
Compressive strength tells you how much a material resists crushing, but stiffness is what stops a mat flexing and letting load triangulate down to a point in the ground rather than spreading across the pad. BIL's bending tests show ALIMATS aluminium deflecting single millimetres under load where a comparable UHMW-PE plastic mat deflected over 100mm at the same load, because aluminium is significantly stiffer than nylon or polyethylene.
Can I hire ALIMATS for a single pour?
Yes. ALIMATS are available on single day, weekly or long-term hire, or for outright purchase, with 24/7 nationwide delivery through BIL's own FORS Bronze fleet.
Are ALIMATS safe working loads independently verified?
Yes. Safe working load data across the ALIMATS range is independently verified with a Fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers, and every mat is inspected, cleaned and quality-checked before it is redeployed from hire.
Concrete Pump Stabiliser Sizing Calculator
Enter your stabiliser leg load and allowable ground bearing pressure for an indicative pad recommendation.
Indicative only. Uses general bearing-pressure arithmetic (load ÷ area), not BIL proprietary engineering data. Always confirm pad selection with a qualified temporary works engineer, or request full specs from our technical team before specifying for a live project.
Get a price, or get the drawings
Configure a concrete pump outrigger load-spread solution and get an indicative price in minutes through the ALIMATS online configurator. If your temporary works engineer needs full specifications and drawings to check a configuration against your ground conditions, submit a request through the specs and drawings form on the ALIMATS page and BIL's technical team will send them over.
Aluminium Crane Mats
A specifier's guide to aluminium crane mats, covering material properties, the patented modular interlock, module weights and independent safe working load verification, using ALIMATS® as the engineered example.
Crane Mats for Hire
ALIMATS® aluminium crane mats are available for single day, weekly or long-term hire with 24/7 UK delivery, guest quoting, and every mat inspected and cleaned before it goes back out.
Heavy-Lift Crane Mats
ALIMATS® aluminium crane mats, including the Half Loader module for the highest outrigger loads, give heavy lifts a safe working load of up to 80 tonnes under cranes up to 150 tonnes, backed by independent verification and bending test data against plastic and timber mats.
MEWP Outrigger Pads
A guide to choosing the right MEWP outrigger pad or mat, when to use a Nylacast Big Foot pad against an ALIMATS® crane mat configuration, and how the Powered Access Solution protects ground under scissor lifts and spider cranes.
Mobile Crane Outrigger Mats
ALIMATS aluminium mats spread mobile crane outrigger loads through stiffness rather than compressive strength alone, backed by purpose designed bending test data and a proven 18 hour nationwide turnaround.
Piling Rig Mats
A plain-spoken look at how engineered aluminium mats spread high point loads from tracked and outrigger-mounted plant, and why stiffness, not just strength, is what actually protects the ground under a piling rig.
Spider Crane Mats
ALIMATS Powered Access Solution is a modular aluminium mat configuration built specifically for spider cranes, mini cranes and MEWPs, so ground protection keeps working while the machine is tracking, not just standing on outriggers.
Tower Crane Base Mats: Load-Spread Principles and ALIMATS Configurations
How ALIMATS aluminium mat configurations spread concentrated tower crane base and outrigger loads, why stiffness matters more than compressive strength, and where the system is already proven on major UK infrastructure projects.