Feature:
Typical outrigger footprint
Crane Pad (Nylacast Big Foot):
Up to approx. 1.0m2
ALIMATS Crane Mat:
Above approx. 1.0m2, up to 8.073m2 configurations
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.
MEWP and scissor lift outriggers concentrate a machine's entire working load onto a small footprint, and ground that looks solid can still fail under that point pressure. For outrigger footprints up to around 1.0m2, a Nylacast Big Foot pad, certified Nylanite, is the right size of solution. Above that, ALIMATS® modular aluminium mats interlock into configurations up to 8.073m2 to spread the load properly. Brilliant Ideas Ltd's Powered Access Solution applies the same patented interlocking system to MEWPs, scissor lifts, and spider cranes, and won Most Innovative New Product at the Building Innovation Awards 2023.
The Outrigger Load Problem on MEWP and Scissor Lift Sites
MEWPs, scissor lifts, and spider cranes push their entire working load through a small number of outrigger feet or tracks. Even a modest platform can transmit several tonnes through a footprint measured in centimetres, and that pressure has to go somewhere. On finished floors, podium decks, underground car parks, and soft or made up ground, an unprotected outrigger point load can crack paving, punch through a slab, or sink into ground that looked firm.
The standard response is a load spread pad or mat under each outrigger or track, sized to bring point pressure down to something the surface beneath can safely carry. Getting that sizing and material choice right matters more than it looks, since not every load spread product performs the same way once it is actually loaded, whatever its stated rating.
Crane Pads or Crane Mats: Which Does Your Machine Need
The right product depends on footprint, not just tonnage. For smaller outrigger loads, up to around 1.0m2, a single round or square crane pad is normally the right size of solution. Brilliant Ideas only recommends Nylacast Big Foot pads, certified Nylanite, in this category, not standard HDPE, because the material and certification behind the pad matter as much as its size.
Once the outrigger load or footprint exceeds about 1.0m2, a crane mat configuration is the more appropriate choice. ALIMATS modular mats interlock to build a load spread platform across configurations from 1.346m2 up to 8.073m2, so the mat can be sized to the machine and the ground rather than the other way round. On many sites a Nylacast pad sits on top of an ALIMATS configuration, optimising load transfer at the point of contact and protecting the aluminium surface underneath.
| Feature | Crane Pad (Nylacast Big Foot) | ALIMATS Crane Mat |
|---|---|---|
Typical outrigger footprint | Up to approx. 1.0m2 | Above approx. 1.0m2, up to 8.073m2 configurations |
Format | Single round or square unit | Modular interlocking aluminium panels |
Material | Certified Nylanite | Certified recycled extruded aluminium 6005A |
Handling | Single-person handling | Handleable modules, 13kg to 48kg, no plant needed |
Typical use | Smaller MEWPs, compact scissor lifts | Larger MEWPs, spider cranes, tracked access equipment |
Feature:
Format
Crane Pad (Nylacast Big Foot):
Single round or square unit
ALIMATS Crane Mat:
Modular interlocking aluminium panels
Feature:
Material
Crane Pad (Nylacast Big Foot):
Certified Nylanite
ALIMATS Crane Mat:
Certified recycled extruded aluminium 6005A
Feature:
Handling
Crane Pad (Nylacast Big Foot):
Single-person handling
ALIMATS Crane Mat:
Handleable modules, 13kg to 48kg, no plant needed
Feature:
Typical use
Crane Pad (Nylacast Big Foot):
Smaller MEWPs, compact scissor lifts
ALIMATS Crane Mat:
Larger MEWPs, spider cranes, tracked access equipment
The ALIMATS Powered Access Solution
Brilliant Ideas Ltd, the UK inventor and principal global distributor of ALIMATS, built the Powered Access Solution specifically for MEWPs, scissor lifts, and spider cranes. It uses the same patented interlocking aluminium module system developed for mobile crane outriggers, configured into bespoke load spread layouts for powered access equipment.
The interlocking design matters more on a MEWP or spider crane site than almost anywhere else, because these machines often track across the mats rather than sitting on one static point. Modules transfer load between each other as the machine moves, rather than leaving gaps or trip points at the joins. They are handleable by hand, no heavy plant is needed to lay them, and a bespoke layout can be set up within hours.
Powered Access Solution at a Glance
- Award
- Most Innovative New Product, Building Innovation Awards 2023
- Smallest MEWP module
- Mini, 0.58m x 0.58m, 13kg
- Largest mat configuration
- 8.073m2 (3.480m x 2.320m)
- Setup
- By hand, no heavy plant, within hours
Why Stiffness, Not Just Strength, Protects the Ground
A lot of load spread products are sold on compressive strength alone, but strength and stiffness are not the same property, and stiffness is what actually spreads a point load sideways into a wider bearing area. A material can have high compressive strength and still flex enough under load that the pressure triangulates straight down to the ground beneath it, rather than spreading out, which is exactly the failure mode a load spread pad is supposed to prevent.
On material stiffness, aluminium 6005A measures around 69000 MPa on the modulus of elasticity scale against roughly 3000 MPa for Nylanite, and lower again for UHMW PE and standard plastics. For outrigger loads in the tonnage range typical of MEWPs and scissor lifts, that stiffness difference is the practical reason ALIMATS holds its shape where a plastic mat can flex.
| Load | ALIMATS deflection | UHMW PE plastic mat deflection |
|---|---|---|
1 tonne | 2mm (38kg mat, 1.74m x 0.58m x 60mm) | 102mm (52kg mat, rated by manufacturer to 54 tonnes) |
2.25 tonnes | 3mm | 328mm |
3.5 tonnes | 8mm (single layer, 60mm deep) | 161mm (double layer, 100mm stack) |
Load:
1 tonne
ALIMATS deflection:
2mm (38kg mat, 1.74m x 0.58m x 60mm)
UHMW PE plastic mat deflection:
102mm (52kg mat, rated by manufacturer to 54 tonnes)
Load:
2.25 tonnes
ALIMATS deflection:
3mm
UHMW PE plastic mat deflection:
328mm
Load:
3.5 tonnes
ALIMATS deflection:
8mm (single layer, 60mm deep)
UHMW PE plastic mat deflection:
161mm (double layer, 100mm stack)
Lightweight Modules Built for Repeated Site Handling
13kg to 48kg
ALIMATS modules range from the 13kg Mini (0.58m x 0.58m) up to 48kg for the Long and Extra Long modules, all liftable and repositionable by hand.
No Plant Required
Every module is handleable without a forklift or crane, which matters when pads move several times a shift as a MEWP repositions.
Certified Aluminium
Every configuration is built from certified recycled extruded aluminium alloy 6005A.
Independently Verified
Safe working loads across the range are independently verified with a Fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers, and every mat is fully inspected, cleaned, and quality checked between hires.
Hire or Buy, Delivered When the Programme Needs It
ALIMATS configurations are available for single day, weekly, or long term hire, or for outright purchase, with painting in corporate colours available on request. Delivery runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, nationwide, through Brilliant Ideas' own FORS Bronze fleet of sub 3.5 tonne vans, driven by the company's own CSCS card holding drivers, most of whom are CPCS certified, with fully automated proof of delivery.
Turnaround can be fast. One order for a 7.06m2 configuration was placed at 2.50pm and arrived on site in Grangemouth by 8.02am the next morning, inside 18 hours.
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
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a crane pad and a crane mat for MEWP outriggers?
A crane pad is a single round or square unit sized for smaller outrigger loads, up to around 1.0m2, and Brilliant Ideas only recommends certified Nylanite Nylacast Big Foot pads in that category rather than standard HDPE. A crane mat is a modular, interlocking configuration such as ALIMATS, used once the outrigger load or footprint goes beyond about 1.0m2, and mat configurations can also be paired with a Nylacast pad on top to optimise load transfer.
Can ALIMATS be used under scissor lifts and spider cranes as well as MEWPs?
Yes. The Powered Access Solution applies the same patented interlocking ALIMATS system to MEWPs, scissor lifts, and spider cranes, building bespoke load spread layouts rather than a one size fits all mat. The interlocking design is particularly suited to spider cranes and tracked machines, since it keeps transferring load between modules as the machine moves.
How heavy are ALIMATS modules, and can they be laid without plant?
ALIMATS modules range from 13kg for the smallest Mini module up to 48kg for the Long and Extra Long modules, and all of them are handleable and repositionable by hand. No forklift or crane is needed to lay or move a configuration, which matters on powered access sites where pads are often repositioned several times a shift.
Why does stiffness matter more than compressive strength for an outrigger pad?
Compressive strength tells you how much a material can bear before it fails, but stiffness is what determines whether a load spreads sideways into the ground or punches straight through. In Brilliant Ideas' own bending test rig, ALIMATS aluminium deflected 2mm to 8mm across a 1 to 3.5 tonne range where a competing UHMW PE plastic mat deflected 102mm to 328mm under comparable loads, because aluminium's modulus of elasticity is far higher than plastic's.
Can I hire ALIMATS outrigger mats for a single day, or only long term?
Both. ALIMATS configurations are available for single day, weekly, or long term hire, as well as outright purchase, and delivery runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week nationwide through Brilliant Ideas' own FORS Bronze fleet.
MEWP Outrigger Pad Sizing Calculator
Enter your outrigger 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 for Your MEWP Outrigger Configuration
Tell us the machine, the outrigger footprint, and the ground conditions, and we will confirm whether a Nylacast pad or an ALIMATS configuration is the right fit, priced for hire or purchase.
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.
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.
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.
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.