Test load:
1 tonne
UHMW-PE mat deflection:
102mm (54 tonne rated, 50mm deep mat)
ALIMATS mat deflection:
2mm (60mm deep mat)
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.
ALIMATS® aluminium crane mats deliver a safe working load of up to 80 tonnes and sit comfortably under cranes up to 150 tonnes, spreading heavy outrigger loads far more effectively than timber or plastic mats because of aluminium's stiffness. For the highest outrigger loads, Brilliant Ideas Ltd's Half Loader module works alongside standard ALIMATS to spread load across two bearing locations instead of one. Get a price for your configuration or request full specs and drawings direct from Brilliant Ideas Ltd.
Heavy lift crane mats for higher tonnage outrigger loads
Heavy lifts push concentrated point loads through a mobile crane's outriggers, often onto ground that was never designed to take them. Timber and many plastic crane mats can look adequate on paper but flex and deflect under that kind of load, letting pressure punch through to the ground beneath rather than spreading it out. ALIMATS, the patented modular aluminium crane mat system invented and manufactured by Brilliant Ideas Ltd, was developed specifically to solve that problem on heavier lifts.
Across its configuration range, ALIMATS delivers a safe working load of up to 80 tonnes, and the system sits comfortably under cranes up to 150 tonnes, with the exact figure varying by configuration. Modules interlock to build a plan area to suit the lift, from small 1.34m2 pads up to 8.07m2 configurations, so crews can match the mat footprint to the crane, the outrigger load and the ground conditions on site.
Heavy lift crane mats at a glance
- Safe working load
- Up to 80 tonnes across the configuration range
- Crane compatibility
- Sits comfortably under cranes up to 150 tonnes
- Configuration range
- 1.346m2 up to 8.073m2 plan area
- Module weight range
- 13kg to 48kg per module
- Material
- Certified recycled extruded aluminium, alloy 6005A
- Tier 1 contractor use
- Used by more than 80% of the UK's top twenty Tier 1 contractors
The Half Loader module: built for the heaviest outrigger loads
For the largest lifts and the highest outrigger loads, Brilliant Ideas has added the Half Loader module to the ALIMATS system. It works by moving the load away from the centre of the mat and spreading it across two separate bearing locations instead of concentrating it in one place, which reduces the pressure placed on the supporting ground.
The Half Loader is used alongside standard ALIMATS modules rather than replacing them, and in some configurations it removes the need for a separate crane pad altogether. Because every Half Loader setup is built around the specifics of the crane, the lift and the ground conditions, Brilliant Ideas' engineers configure these installations directly rather than through the standard online tool. For a Half Loader configuration, contact the team on 01335 345111 or enquiries@brilliantideasltd.co.uk.
Strength vs stiffness: why the difference matters
A material's compressive strength tells you how much load it can take before it fails. It does not tell you how well that material spreads load out sideways into the ground, and that distinction matters enormously on a heavy lift. The strength hierarchy for common mat materials, highest to lowest, is steel, aluminium, nylon, polyethylene and timber. The stiffness hierarchy, which the Construction Ground Condition for Plant design guide from October 2014 identifies as the more important property for load spread, runs steel, aluminium, timber, nylon then polyethylene.
Tested on a purpose-built bending rig
That is why plastic mats made from UHMW-PE or HDPE, which can carry high compressive strength ratings, still let load triangulate through to the ground rather than spreading it evenly, because they lack stiffness. A rigid test rig sat on a compressible material such as Ethafoam can even produce misleading safe working load claims for these products. Aluminium's much higher modulus of elasticity is what makes ALIMATS behave differently under load.
Brilliant Ideas tested this directly on a purpose-built bending rig, simulating a mobile crane outrigger with a 500mm by 500mm, 30mm deep steel plate under three-point load.
| Test load | UHMW-PE mat deflection | ALIMATS mat deflection |
|---|---|---|
1 tonne | 102mm (54 tonne rated, 50mm deep mat) | 2mm (60mm deep mat) |
2.25 tonnes | 328mm (same 50mm deep mat) | 3mm (same 60mm deep mat) |
3.5 tonnes | 161mm (doubled up to 100mm overall) | 8mm (single 60mm deep mat) |
Test load:
2.25 tonnes
UHMW-PE mat deflection:
328mm (same 50mm deep mat)
ALIMATS mat deflection:
3mm (same 60mm deep mat)
Test load:
3.5 tonnes
UHMW-PE mat deflection:
161mm (doubled up to 100mm overall)
ALIMATS mat deflection:
8mm (single 60mm deep mat)
| Module | Dimensions | Weight |
|---|---|---|
Mini | 0.58m x 0.58m | 13kg |
Short | 1160mm x 580mm | 25kg |
Standard | 1740mm x 580mm | 38kg |
Long | 2175mm x 580mm | 48kg |
Extra Long | 3480mm x 290mm | 48kg |
Module:
Mini
Dimensions:
0.58m x 0.58m
Weight:
13kg
Module:
Short
Dimensions:
1160mm x 580mm
Weight:
25kg
Module:
Standard
Dimensions:
1740mm x 580mm
Weight:
38kg
Module:
Long
Dimensions:
2175mm x 580mm
Weight:
48kg
Module:
Extra Long
Dimensions:
3480mm x 290mm
Weight:
48kg
Configuration range and crane pad pairing
The patented interlocking design lets these five modules build up into eight core configurations. For heavy lifts, the larger configurations built from Long and Extra Long modules, typically the 5.046m2, 6.055m2, 7.064m2 and 8.073m2 plans, are the usual starting point, with the Half Loader available where outrigger loads or ground conditions call for it.
A Nylacast crane pad is often used alongside an ALIMATS configuration too, to optimise load transfer and protect the mat surface at the outrigger foot. Crane pads on their own are only suitable for smaller outrigger loads up to around 1.0m2, and Brilliant Ideas only recommends certified Nylacast Big Foot pads in that category, not standard HDPE.
Proven on major UK lifts, trusted by Tier 1 contractors
ALIMATS is used by more than 80% of the UK's top twenty Tier 1 contractors, and has been deployed on major projects including Manchester's Co-op Live Arena, HS2, Hinkley Point C, Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, Google's UK headquarters at King's Cross, Euston Station, Grangemouth Refinery, London Bridge and major Scottish wind farm developments.
Crane hire customers include ABA, Ainscough, Atherstone, Bennett, Berry, King Lifting, Kranserv, Marsh Plant, Radius Group and Sparrow, among others.
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
Independently verified, fully inspected, hire or buy
Independently verified
Safe working loads across the ALIMATS range are independently verified with a Fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE).
Fully inspected
Every mat that comes back from hire is inspected, cleaned and quality checked before it goes out again, so hire stock is held to the same standard as new equipment.
Hire or buy
Available to hire by the day, week or on a long term basis, or to buy outright, and can be painted in corporate colours on request.
24/7 nationwide delivery
Delivered around the clock using Brilliant Ideas' own FORS Bronze accredited fleet, with CSCS card holding and largely CPCS certified drivers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the safe working load of ALIMATS heavy lift crane mats?
ALIMATS delivers a safe working load of up to 80 tonnes across its configuration range, with the exact figure depending on the configuration chosen, and the system sits comfortably under cranes up to 150 tonnes.
What does the Half Loader module do?
The Half Loader moves load away from the centre of the mat and spreads it across two separate bearing locations instead of one, reducing pressure on the supporting ground. It is used alongside standard ALIMATS modules for the highest outrigger loads and can remove the need for a separate crane pad in some configurations.
How do aluminium crane mats compare to plastic mats for heavy lifts?
Aluminium is far stiffer than UHMW-PE or HDPE plastic, and stiffness rather than compressive strength alone is what actually spreads load into the ground. In bending tests, an ALIMATS mat deflected 2mm at 1 tonne compared with 102mm for a comparable UHMW-PE mat, and 8mm compared with 161mm at 3.5 tonnes.
Can ALIMATS be used with crane pads for heavy lifts?
Yes. A Nylacast crane pad is often used alongside an ALIMATS configuration to optimise load transfer and protect the mat surface at the outrigger foot. Crane pads alone are only suitable for smaller outrigger loads up to around 1.0m2, and Brilliant Ideas only recommends certified Nylacast Big Foot pads for that role.
How quickly can heavy lift crane mats be delivered?
Brilliant Ideas delivers nationwide, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, using its own FORS Bronze accredited fleet. One recent Scotland order was placed at 2.50pm and was on site in Grangemouth by 8.02am the next morning, within 18 hours.
Can I hire ALIMATS for a single heavy lift or buy them outright?
Both. ALIMATS is available on single day, weekly or long term hire, or for outright purchase, and mats can be painted in corporate colours on request.
Get a price for your heavy lift, or request full specs and drawings
Configure a mat plan and get a price for your heavy lift crane mat setup using the live ALIMATS configurator. Need full technical specifications or drawings for your temporary works engineer, or want to discuss a Half Loader configuration for the heaviest outrigger loads? Use the specification and drawing request form on the ALIMATS page, or call the team direct on 01335 345111, or email enquiries@brilliantideasltd.co.uk.
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.
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Crane Mats for Hire
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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.