Temporary support surfaces for use on muddy or marshy land areas

A temporary support structure for use on muddy or marshy land areas, said support structure comprising:

• a plurality of panels, each panel including a first row of rigid wooden boards arranged in parallel and side-by-side relationship, and a second row of rigid wooden boards arranged in parallel and side-by-side relationship, said second row of boards being superimposed relative to said first row of boards and rigidly connected thereto, said boards of said second row extending perpendicularly relative to said boards of said first row and at least some of said boards of said second row being spaced apart to define locking gaps therebetween, said boards of said second row spaced apart farther than said boards of said first row, said second row of boards being connected to said first row of boards of solely its respective panel so that said panels define separately movable units,
• a first plurality of said panels positioned to define a lower layer of panels in which said first row of boards thereof rests upon the ground, and said second row of boards thereof faces upwardly to define lower locking boards,
• a second plurality of said panels positioned to define an upper layer of panels resting upon said lower layer of panels, said panels of said upper layer arranged such that said first rows of boards thereof face upwardly to define a working surface, and said second rows of boards thereof face downwardly to define upper locking boards disposed parallel to said lower locking boards, said first rows of boards of successively arranged panels of said upper layer being disposed in substantially end-to-end relationship,
• said upper locking boards oriented parallel to said lower locking boards and disposed loosely in said locking gaps defined between said lower locking boards, said lower locking boards disposed loosely in said locking gaps defined between said upper locking boards, panels of said upper layer arranged in overlapping relationship to panels of said lower layer such that individual panels of said upper layer have locking boards disposed in locking gaps defined by more than one panel of said lower layer to create an interlocked relationship.

A method of forming a temporary support structure to define a working surface on muddy or marshy land areas, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a plurality of panels, each of which panels including a first tier and a second tier disposed in superimposed relation to said first tier, said second tier comprising a row of rigid boards arranged in side-by-side relationship and fixedly connected to said first tier, at least some of said boards spaced apart to define locking gaps therebetween,
• arranging a first plurality of said panels as a lower layer of panels in which said first tier thereof rests upon the ground and said row of boards thereof faces upwardly to define lower locking boards, and
• arranging a second plurality of said panels as an upper layer of upper panels disposed upon said lower layer of lower panels, such that:
• said first tier of said upper panels faces upwardly to define a working surface, and said rows of boards thereof face downwardly to define upper locking boards disposed parallel to said lower locking boards, and said first tiers of successively arranged panels of said upper layer disposed in substantially end-to-end relationship,
• said upper locking boards are disposed loosely in said locking gaps defined between said lower locking boards, said lower locking boards disposed loosely in said locking gaps defined between said upper boards.