We’ve highlighted the eco-friendly benefits of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) before, and as the importance of sustainability grows, we will continue to recognize HDPE as a champion of eco-friendly infrastructure. Discover why HDPE is the preferred choice for eco-conscious piping projects and how it’s applied in various industries.
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Why HDPE is the Eco-Friendly Choice
HDPE piping stands out due to its intrinsic qualities that make it environmentally friendly. From the manufacturing process to transport, installation methods, and lifespan, HDPE demonstrates a low environmental impact.
- Manufacturing and Transport: Producing HDPE pipes requires less energy compared to other materials, and their lightweight nature reduces transportation emissions.
- Installation: Low-impact installation methods, such as horizontal directional drilling, minimize disruption to the surrounding environment.
- Durability: HDPE pipes are leak-free and can last up to 100 years, reducing the need for frequent replacements or maintenance.
- Recyclability: HDPE is recyclable, contributing to a circular economy.
The numerous applications of HDPE piping significantly enhance its positive environmental impact.
Applications Expanding HDPE’s Impact
HDPE’s eco-friendly properties are amplified through its multiple applications, each contributing to sustainability in different ways.
1. Geothermal Energy Systems
Many college campuses, universities, and corporations are transitioning to geothermal energy to reduce carbon emissions.
As federal and state incentives continue to assist entities that want to take the geothermal leap, the move in that direction will only increase. HDPE plays a crucial role in these systems:
Ground Source Heat Exchange: Taking center stage, converting HVAC systems to HDPE and geothermal energy; HDPE pipes are used to transfer heat to and from the ground, leveraging stable ground temperatures to provide heating and cooling.
ISCO has worked with multiple colleges, universities, and corporate entities, as well as Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky with geothermal installations.
2. Water Insecurity Solutions
Water security is a growing concern for municipalities, counties, states, and regions, especially in the western United States. HDPE helps address this issue through its leak-proof properties:
Preventing Water Loss: Large-diameter HDPE pipes enclose ditches and canals, reducing water loss from seepage and evaporation. Areas in the western U.S. can lose up to 25 percent of their water due to seepage and evaporation.
Reclaimed Water: HDPE is used in advanced treatment processes to convert wastewater into potable and non-potable water, due to its chemical resistance and cost-effectiveness.
3. Biogas and Methane Capture
HDPE is used extensively in landfills and dairy farms to manage waste and capture biogas:
Leachate Management: HDPE pipes safely collect and transport harmful leachate from landfills to wastewater treatment plants.
Methane Capture: HDPE pipelines collect methane gas, which can be converted into renewable energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
HDPE pipelines installed in landfills collect methane gas, which is then converted into fuel. That fuel is often used to power the landfill’s machinery and vehicles. This method is also used at dairy farms, where HDPE pipes transport manure to digesters that produce renewable natural gas and fertilizer.
The leak-free quality of HDPE is beneficial for containing odors and preventing leaks, making it a superior choice for waste management. Transforming undesirable byproducts into environmentally friendly energy and valuable byproducts like fertilizer highlights HDPE’s role in enhancing sustainability.
4. Power Plant Conversion
As power plants transition from coal to natural gas and green hydrogen, HDPE plays a vital role. “Green” hydrogen is sourced from renewable energy that extracts hydrogen from water rather than fossil fuels.
Cooling and Water Systems: HDPE is increasingly used for re-circulating cooling water loops as well as standard firewater, potable water, and storm sewer pipelines at the power plant.
Hydrogen Storage: HDPE supports the storage of “green” hydrogen in places like natural underground salt domes that can store thousands of tons of hydrogen.
The off-shoot benefits of a power conversion of this magnitude are impactful for decades to come, and are only enhanced by the inherent benefits of HDPE.
5. Conduit for Wind and Solar Farms
For the purposes of this post, HDPE is ideal for use as conduit on wind and solar farms, particularly on agricultural land, wetlands, or near infrastructure such as roadways and railways. The benefits include:
Waterproof and chemically resistant: HDPE pipes protect electrical cables from elements and hot soils, making them ideal for wind and solar farms.
Flexible: The flexibility of HDPE resists effects from shifting soils due to seismic activities. Additionally, some piping systems require cathodic protection—HDPE does not.
Low impact: Horizontal directional drilling allows HDPE conduit installation on agricultural land, wetlands, or near infrastructure with minimal environmental disruption.
Cost-effective: Longer lengths of HDPE pipe or in some cases, smaller diameter piping on a spool, reduce cost by eliminating welds and lowering installation costs.
On Deck: Innovative Projects
The reach of HDPE extends beyond these applications, with innovative projects continuously emerging.
One notable example is the National Aquarium in Baltimore.
At the confluence of the Patapsco River and the Northwest Harbor, an area known as the “Inner Harbor”, docks and bulkheads have replaced the tidal wetland marshes that dominated Chesapeake Bay before population booms and the industrial revolution.
The quality of the water and the accompanying marine life have taken a step back.
With similar efforts in Boston, Chicago, and Australia, the Aquarium began studies in the late s on how to best bring back that wetland habitat on the harbor.
Through some trial and error, a prototype of a “float” stabilized underwater by HDPE piping was developed with ISCO’s help. With moving water on the floats simulating the natural habitat, and oxygen aerating the water, numerous species of marine life gravitated to the prototype.
Over 200 of the floats have been produced, are being installed and planted with natural flora to create a network that mimics the salt marsh habitat that once thrived in Baltimore City.
Conclusion
The versatility and sustainability of HDPE piping make it a key player in creating a greener future. From renewable energy to water management and innovative environmental projects, HDPE solutions pave the way for significant ecological benefits. As state and federal incentives continue to support these initiatives, the adoption of HDPE will likely grow, contributing to a more sustainable world.
Ground protection and access products don’t just help you protect the ground — they help you be a better, more productive professional.
When you are not worried about getting stuck, leaving ruts in yards, or lugging around plywood sheets, you can get more done in less time. With the right ground protection, you also make a better impression on customers by making fewer impressions on the ground.
Figuring out which ground protection and access products are right for you isn’t always straightforward. Equipment needs vary. Different jobs have different requirements. Ground conditions can change, not only from job to job, but also from day to day.
The company is the world’s best hdpe ground mat supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
Still, you need to feel confident that what you buy will check all the boxes and be the right tool for your job.
At DICA, we wanted to create a way to simplify this selection process. We also wanted to make it easier to understand ground protection in general. That’s why we have expanded our product offerings and have established three categories for ground protection and access products — light duty, medium duty, and heavy duty.
Each category offers distinct benefits and can handle different levels of loads and use. The categories also make it easier to narrow down what type of ground protection fits your needs.
Light Duty Matting and Access Roadways
Light-duty ground protection supports equipment and loads weighing up to 40 tons.
Typically speaking, light-duty products excel at building temporary roadways for lighter equipment such as vehicles, Skid Steers, mini dump trucks, Dingos, backhoes, and telehandlers.
While the load bearing capacity of light-duty matting is lower, it addresses specific needs and is designed with speed of deployment in mind.
SlatTrax
Our SlatTrax ground protection roads are great for building temporary roadways over lawns, turf fields, hardscapes, and sand, they are designed to get you the access you need fast.
These unique temporary roadways are 100’ long, and they can be disconnected every 12.5 feet. Standard Trax widths are 42” and 48”. They require fewer crew members and significantly less effort and time to deploy and retrieve than plywood or ground protection mats.
Crews can deploy SlatTrax in two ways:
- Hydraulically powered systems mounted on skid steers or other equipment, or
- By hand, Using our self-contained DIY Pallet system.
Either way, with SlatTrax, you do not have to lift or carry mats. Crews can simply drag or roll these access roads out to create hundreds of feet of roadway in just a few minutes.
Medium Duty Matting
When most people think of ground protection mats, they think of medium-duty matting.
Made to be a more durable, long-lasting option than plywood or lumber, medium-duty matting does not absorb water, delaminate, splinter, or decompose.
Mats in this category have two main characteristics:
- They can support both wheeled and rubber-tracked equipment weighing up to 120 tons
- They are light enough to move by hand.
Medium-duty mats are ideal for use with equipment such as aerial bucket trucks, boom lifts, man lifts, small cranes, grapple trucks, Merlos, knuckle boom cranes, boom trucks, and smaller truck cranes.
Medium-duty mats are available in various sizes, colors, and traction options. Most mats are made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which gives the mats enough flexibility to conform to the ground while still delivering exceptional strength. Compression molded mats are stiffer than extruded mats, which results in less damage to underlying surfaces.
EnviroMat
EnviroMat is the newest addition to our medium-duty ground protection lineup. Quite simply, it’s the lightest, most easy-to-handle medium-duty mat we offer. Featuring molded handles on every side, and weighing about 10 pounds less than our other mats, EnviroMat makes using standard ground protection easier for you and your crews.
EnviroMats are only available in one 4’x8’ standard size and in black. They are well-suited for crews who need to install and remove medium-duty matting frequently and quickly.
AlturnaMATS
AlturnaMATS are the original, most-trusted mats on the market. Featuring a patented diamond-plate tread pattern, the mats are designed to improve your traction while protecting the ground underneath.
Available in six sizes and in both black and clear, these HDPE mats are simple to deploy and link together for either quick roadway access or longer-term installations.
VersaMATS
VersaMATS are designed to provide reliable ground protection for both pedestrian and equipment access. These medium-duty HDPE mats have a low-profile, slip-resistant tread designed to be comfortable for crews to walk and work on, yet rugged enough to drive heavy-equipment over.
These mats also come standard with the more aggressive AlternaMATS pattern on the back side of the mat, giving crews extra versatility in messy conditions or on jobs where foot access is less of a priority.
Heavy-Duty Matting
Heavy-duty mats excel in situations where other mats lack the rigidity to reduce damage to the ground and provide the access you need.
Products in this category have a load bearing capacity of at least 120 pounds. Because they also spread loads better than medium-duty products, heavy-duty ground protection is a go-to option for bigger equipment, long-term installations, and swampy ground conditions.
Heavy-duty mats are ideal for use with heavy construction equipment such as crawler cranes, truck cranes, knuckle boom cranes, boom trucks, large dump trucks, loaders, and excavators.
MaxiTrack Interlocking Mats
These unique 3’x6’ HDPE mats are game-changers. MaxiTrack has overlapping, interlocking flanges that bolt together and give it significant stiffness, strength, and flexibility.
While each individual mat weighs only 88 pounds, MaxiTrack systems can support equipment weighing up to 140 tons. This lightweight design enables the mats to be deployed and retrieved by hand like medium-duty products. Without needing secondary equipment for installation, companies can rely on MaxiTrack for a wide variety of jobs, equipment types, and ground conditions.
XtremeMat
Built to outlast traditional timber mats, XtremeMat ensures equipment and machinery can get to work even in the toughest conditions.
XtremeMat measures 14’x7.5’ and weighs only 848 lbs. Its overlapping flanges bolt together to form a smooth, rigid surface. They are also the only mat that has a true one-piece design. The durable shell is solid HDPE, and the hard inner HDPE foam core makes water absorption impossible and provides buoyancy, allowing for use in swampy conditions.
TuffTrakXL
TuffTrakXL is capable of supporting wheeled and tracked equipment up to 150 tons, making these 13’6”x6’8” mats ideal for creating extra-wide temporary access roadways.
These solid-core HDPE mats are 2” thick and weigh almost 800 pounds, but they are flexible enough to conform to the ground when loaded without cracking, breaking, or failing. TuffTrakXL’s friction-enhancing surface and heavy-duty capabilities mean it can safely handle everything you need to throw at it, from something as light as a wheelbarrow to the heaviest types of equipment.
A Few Closing Thoughts
Understanding the benefits and features of light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty mats will help you make the right call for your company and your jobs.
As you explore these ground protection options, you need to consider your equipment types, your personnel, the requirements of your jobs, and the variety of ground conditions you may encounter.
At DICA, our entire ground protection and access lineup is easy to use, built to last, and safe for everyone. Each product is designed with unique capabilities to get your equipment where it needs to be so you can get your jobs done.
In the process, you’ll reduce costs, eliminate customer complaints, increase your job capacity, minimize repair and reclamation efforts, and grow your business.
That’s the DICA difference.
If you would like to speak with one of our experts about your unique ground protection needs, please contact us.
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