James Wesley,
I’d like to turn the author of the article and others on to Calumet Industries.
I’ve purchased the “PSP” from them in the past and had a good transaction.
I was purchasing them for a slightly different reason – as bridging planks. The PSP is heavier gauge steel dating back to WWII and are a lot stronger than the more modern temporary road bedding. I cut off the connection tabs along the side and welded on some tubing lengthwise on the sides to further strengthen the planks. These are now strong enough to construct a short bridge to broach deep ditches, small deep creeks, etc. They also serve as ramps to climb over lower concrete abutments or steep berms, etc. If you have a vehicle with a very poor approach/departure angle these can allow you to clear obstacles that would otherwise stop you “dead”. They would also serve well as structural elements to set up a temporary barrier or roofing for a dug out position – being strong enough to support sand bags, rock, etc. – Tanker
JWR:
Your reader who wants to build a temporary road may wish to look at landscape fabric as an underlay to his road gravel. He can buy it in 12′ x 300 rolls at wholesale landscape supply yards. This tough fabric will prevent the gravel from being driven into the mud by truck traffic. He will also not need excessive amounts of gravel that he would normally need to replace gravel lost due to truck traffic. 4-to-6 inches of 3/4″[minus] crushed rock should suffice. I would recommend that anyone who wishes to build a gravel or asphalt road use this underlay to stabilize the road bed. It more than pays for itself in reduced maintenance.
Your reader can then scrape up the gravel for use in building drainage or his above grade septic system. Alternatively he can load the building site after freeze up and avoid a lot of expense. It may be cheaper to run propane blowers and tarps to keep new concrete warm than it is to build his removable truck proof road. – LRM