Submersible Matting System (SUBMAT)
Sturdy matting technology for traversing austere
coastal environments
SUBMAT is a new lightweight matting system that, when filled with indigenous sandy material at the deployed location, creates a stable roadway capable of supporting the movement of heavy vehicles such as military trucks and tanks in austere coastal environments. The SUBMAT is designed to cross the gap between low- and high-tide at beach/water interface, and can be installed quickly by a small crew without special handling equipment. Scalability can be achieved by joining multiple units to achieve the desired length and width.
Benefits:
- Cost saving: Single-use system, widely disseminated, and frequently employed
- Rapid deployment: Quickly and safely deployable by a single soldier squad
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Portable: Collapsible and can be transported easily, able to be transported on lighter vessels and vehicle convoys; matting is filled on site with readily available indigenous materials such as sand or dirt
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Recoverability: Non-permanent; quick and safe removal
- Prototyped and demonstrated: Supported movement of vehicles from ship to shore during Balikatan’s Combined Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (CJLOTS) exercise that was conducted in Casiguran Bay, Philippines
Applications:
- Military
- Disaster relief
- Humanitarian efforts
- Emergency response
- Shipping/transportation
Patents
- Non-Provisional (Patent Pending)
Resources
- ERDC SUBMAT Balikatan LinkedIn Post
- ERDC Technical Report
- Transportation Research Record Journal Research Article