Composite mat

This article is about reusable engineered panels for temporary ground protection. For mats used for site access, see Access mat. For WWII pierced steel planking, see Marston Mat.

Composite mats (also known as ground protection mats or composite ground support mats) are modular, reusable panels used to create temporary load-bearing surfaces over weak or sensitive ground. They are laid directly on prepared or unprepared ground to spread the loads of vehicles and equipment, and are used in construction, resource extraction, utility work, events, and military air operations.

Construction

Composite mats are typically moulded from high-density polyethylene, sometimes with reinforcement, and are manufactured in various thicknesses suited to different load cases. Panels are joined edge-to-edge with mechanical connection systems to form a continuous surface, which reduces foreign object damage being drawn up from beneath the mat compared with open or pierced designs. Because they can be recovered and re-laid, composite mats are positioned by suppliers and users as a reusable alternative to single-use materials such as crushed rock and plywood.

Military development and testing

Military requirements for rapidly constructed, expeditionary airfield surfaces drove much of the development of matting technology, which was surveyed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in 2003. The Corps' Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory has continued full-scale testing of modern systems, including accelerated testing of AM-2 steel matting and structural-property testing of newer mat types. Composite mats have also been evaluated for expedient repair of damaged runways.

Adoption of composite matting for operational airfields moved from trials to procurement in Australia. In 2024 a Royal Australian Air Force team from 65 Air Base Recovery Squadron built a temporary Dura-Base apron at RAAF Base Tindal and load-tested it with a 75 Squadron F-35A Lightning II, the first known use of the system beneath a fifth-generation fighter. In April 2025 Babcock Australasia announced the accelerated delivery of further composite surface mats to the Australian Defence Force under its Ground Support Equipment contract, with supply-chain partner JWA Composite Matting acting as the Australian distributor; the product was positioned as a modern alternative to the AM-2 aluminium matting that has equipped the RAAF since the 1960s.

Uses

In civil construction, composite matting is used for temporary access roads, crane and rig pads, and work platforms over soft ground, and as trackout control at site entrances to limit the spread of mud and debris onto public roads. In military and humanitarian contexts, portable matting supports disaster-relief mobility and rapid airfield repair. Modern composite surfaces have been validated for aircraft operations: in September 2026 a P-8A Poseidon became the first heavy aircraft to traverse Dura-Base matting under power, on an expedient taxiway built during Exercise Bronze Croc 26.

Military exercises

Bronze Croc is an airfield damage repair exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force's 65 Air Base Recovery Squadron. The inaugural exercise, held in 2025, converted Woolshed Airfield within the Townsville Field Training Area in Queensland into the RAAF's first purpose-built airfield damage repair training site, with construction and training support from United States Pacific Air Forces engineer squadrons and the Royal Canadian Air Force. During Exercise Bronze Croc 26 in September 2026, engineers used composite matting to build a taxiway supporting P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft at RAAF Base Tindal. It was the first edition of the exercise series to involve four services—RAAF, the United States Air Force, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps.

See also

• Access mat
• JWA Composite Matting
• Marston Mat