Structural protection mats

Structural protection mats are used as a robust separating layer that is laid against sensitive building materials on buildings or other structures to protect them from mechanical damage. In most cases, the aim is to protect waterproofing layers, which in turn protect the building from penetrating moisture. A structural protection mat is therefore usually placed on waterproofing membranes, insulation materials, cable ducts and pipes to separate and protect them from the adjacent material. The mat is usually made of polyurethane-bonded rubber granules and is available in the form of panels of various sizes or as a sheet. Due to their elastic properties, structural protection mats can also be laid on uneven surfaces.

In addition to providing mechanical protection, structural protection mats and sheets have to have a number of other properties: they are permeable to water and chemically compatible with various construction materials and substances with which they come into contact. However, plasticiser-sensitive plastics must be separated from the structural protection mats by a protective layer. For example, a non-woven fabric is placed between the protection mat and the waterproofing of a flat roof.

Structural protection mats are used in buildings and in civil engineering applications, on flat roofs, parking decks, balconies, patios, in green roof systems and in tunnel construction. They also protect the structure or the waterproofing layer during the construction phase, when construction workers have to walk on the roof waterproofing, for example. The mats also form part of the composite system in green roofs.