We need construction in the UK. Without it, and the sites that are created from it, we would have no new housing, no new hospitals, no new schools, or shops, or leisure centres, or anything else that we need to exist and thrive. Yet these construction sites can cause problems. They can upset the delicate balance of the ecosystem around us, and the creatures that live there can perish.
So what can be done? We need the new buildings and facilities as our population grows, yet we can’t ignore the plight of the flora and fauna that we need to build around in order to obtain these new infrastructures. It might just be that piling mats from Timbermats are the answer. Here are some ways in which they can help protect the ecosystem of a construction site.
Erosion
Erosion is a big issue when it comes to working on a construction site, particularly when the ground is unusually wet as it might be in marshy areas which is also where many wet land creatures live.
Using a piling mat can halt erosion, or at least slow its progress. Erosion is a negative thing for three reasons:
- The soil that is washed away will run off into water courses and potentially contaminate them.
- When the soil is eroded, the ground becomes unstable making it dangerous to build on.
- Erosion means that the habitats of wildlife in the area are destroyed.
Therefore, using Timbermats piling mats to prevent erosion makes sense and should be a method that is employed on a construction site.
Vegetation Disruption
If standard matting made from plastic or rubber is used on a construction site, the vegetation upon which those mats are placed is usually killed, meaning a loss of habitat and food for the animals and birds living there.
Piling mats are different. When they are removed after the building work is complete, they won’t have caused any disruption to the ground or vegetation below. The plant life can continue to grow and feed the wildlife in the area so that, although there will be some significant changes due to the new buildings, the food sources that have always been there can, where possible, remain.
Drainage
When heavy construction vehicles and equipment are used on a construction site, large, deep tracks are left behind. This causes a problem when it comes to drainage; water run off from rainfall and overflowing water courses collects in the tracks instead of draining away safely. It can cause the ground to be unstable, impossible to walk through, and it can mean that construction takes longer than it was intended to as machinery will get stuck in the muddy tracks. Deadlines will be missed, costs will rise, and the longer a construction site is operating, the more of a negative impact it will have on the wildlife and area around it.
By placing Timbermats piling mats on the ground before construction starts, the heavy machinery will have something to run across, keeping everything on track when it comes to time frames and budget, allowing the work to be completed efficiently and perhaps even ahead of time.
How Can Timbermats Protect The Ecosystem of a Construction Site?