Some time ago I was reading about air operations in New Guinea in WW2. There was mention that those small "plugs" holding the mats together were popping out and causing punctures to aircraft tyres.
Must be why the longer ones I have seen were brought in and driven into the ground to stop them popping out.
Many New Guinea. Solomons and Indonesian steel strips were made of crushed coral which often was hard enough by itself after setting like concrete but the steel mats were put on top to stop dust, tyre wear and the corrosive effects of salt-water rolled coral mud in wet weather.
After the war many steel strips were covered with either more coral or gravel on top of the steel then bitumenised.
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