A deicing system may include one or more walkway cassettes, a temperature control element, and a control unit. Each walkway cassette may include a casing and a heat tracing; cable in good thermal contact with the casing. The temperature control element may include a comparatively smaller casing and a heat tracing cable in good thermal contact with the casing, and may exhibit similar heat loss characteristics to the walkway cassettes. The temperature control element may include a temperature sensor on a top surface of its casing, which may generate temperature data and send the temperature data to the control unit. The control unit may provide power to the temperature control element and the walkway cassette(s) in parallel based on the temperature data. The temperature control element may be placed in proximity to the walkway cassette(s), and may be exposed to substantially the same environmental conditions as the walkway cassettes.

A system for use on a planetary surface includes ridges arranged parallel to each other. The ridges support a weight of an extraterrestrial vehicle rolling over the ridges. The system also includes a base to maintain a relative position of the ridges to each other and a controller to control one or more of the ridges to vibrate.

A road plate moving system and method is disclosed that makes it easier, safer, and more economical to move road plates. A frame detachably attaches to a road plate at the centre of the road plate, and the frame is detachably attached to a vehicle, and the frame is attached to rollers that straddle the road plate and are configured to move in the desired direction of travel. Each roller has a lifting mechanism to adjust the height of the frame relative to the bottom of the rollers. In use, the frame is attached to the road plate, and the road plate is lifted off the ground by the rollers lifting the frame, and the frame and road plate are pulled forward or backwards by the vehicle to move the road plate, which is then lowered to the ground. In a second embodiment, the road plate is lifted by a lifter located above the centre of the road plate.

A road plate moving system and method is disclosed that makes it easier, safer, and more economical to move road plates. A frame detachably attaches to a road plate at the centre of the road plate, and the frame is detachably attached to a vehicle, and the frame is attached to rollers that straddle the road plate and are configured to move in the desired direction of travel. Each roller has a lifting mechanism to adjust the height of the frame relative to the bottom of the rollers. In use, the frame is attached to the road plate, and the road plate is lifted off the ground by the rollers lifting the frame, and the frame and road plate are pulled forward or backwards by the vehicle to move the road plate, which is then lowered to the ground. In a second embodiment, the road plate is lifted by a lifter located above the centre of the road plate.

Apparatus, systems and methods for providing one or more accessories on a support surface include a base releasably engageable with the support surface, a housing configured to carry at least a first accessory and be releasably engaged with the base and an elongated carrier rod configured to carry at least a second accessory and be releasably engaged with the base.

A crane mat having first and second side beams or boards; a core structure made of pine or other softwoods, eucalyptus, solid plastic or elastomeric members, or hollow thermoplastic, thermosetting plastic or elastomeric members that optionally include a filler or internal reinforcing structure; external components including an upper and/or lower layers of one or more elongated members to protect the core structure, and a plurality of joining members that attach the outer side members to the core structure. Another crane mat can be made of just the solid plastic or elastomeric members, or hollow thermoplastic, thermosetting plastic or elastomeric members that each include a plurality of spaced lateral apertures passing therethrough; and joining members that include a rod that passes through the aligned lateral apertures to hold the members together in the mat. These crane mats may also include lifting elements of the types described herein.

A modular floor for providing support to a vehicle and/or a crowd on an uneven or soft subsurface of a supporting terrain is disclosed. The modular floor comprises at least two planks, each plank comprising a top and a bottom plate separated by a plurality of spacing plates. A first plank comprises a male connection element and a second plank a female connection element to interconnect the first and second planks. The connection elements are configured to extend a modular floor of interlocked planks both at an edge comprising a male connection element as well as at an edge comprising a female connection element. Preferably, a plank is a single-piece component, comprising aluminum alloy or plastic.

A device for setting up a level crossing for crossing a track section having two rails, comprising one or more mouldings forming at least one part of a traffic surface of the railway crossing across the rails, and at least one moulding holder fixable to one of the two rails, wherein the moulding(s) is/(are) detachably attachable to at least one of the two rails by means of the moulding holder, wherein the moulding holder comprises two holding clamps fixable to the rail in juxtaposition to each other on both sides of the rail, and wherein the two holding clamps can be braced to each other such as to clamp the rail foot between the two holding clamps.

A flexible mat system, including a plurality of base platforms, each respective base platform having a first pattern of phase transforming columns and voids extending from a respective flat member, and a plurality of plane-engaging runway platforms, each respective plane-engaging runway platform having a second, reversed pattern of phase transforming columns and voids extending from a respective flat member such that each respective plane-engaging runway platform is lockingly engagable to a respective base platform to yield a landing segment with parallel top and bottom flat members. Each respective base platform is an aluminum/steel composite. Each respective phase transforming column is further comprised of a plurality of stacked operationally connected phase transforming cellular members. Each respective cell further comprises six hexagonally spaced support members defining six hexagonally arrayed sides, with two opposing sides define x-shaped struts extending between adjacent support members. Remaining sides define parallel struts extending between adjacent support members. Each respective phase transforming cellular member can shift from a first stable configuration to a second stable configuration in response to an applied load.

A vehicle support structure, which in petroleum wellsite operations is commonly called a rig mat or a ground stabilizing mat, includes: a main body including an upper surface, an underside, a front end and a rear end, the main body defining a planar structuring with a thickness; a front pad coupled to the main body and positioned adjacent the front end; a rear pad coupled to the main body and positioned adjacent the rear end, the front pad and the rear pad each configured to be moveable between a supporting position protruding from the underside of the main body and a retracted position in plane or retracted from the underside; a front pad drive mechanism for the front pad, the front pad drive mechanism configured to drive the front pad to move between the supporting position and the retracted position and to move the front pad forward and backwards and side to side relative to the main body; and a rear pad drive mechanism for the rear pad, the rear pad drive mechanism configured to drive the rear pad to move between the supporting position and the retracted position and to move the rear pad forward and backwards and side to side relative to the main body, the front pad and the rear pad being configured to operate to support the main body in an elevated position relative to a ground surface and configured to move the main body forward and backwards and side to side relative to the front pad and the rear pad and over the ground surface. In use as a rig mat, a method for well site operations includes: placing the rig mat at a position on a first well site; positioning a rig on the rig mat; and adjusting the position of the rig mat while the rig remains supported on the rig mat such that the rig is centered on a wellhead of the well site.