O.K. I'll complete the picture. I started to answer the other day but have been diverted. Yes she is some what right. WE used the process a lot especially in Italy where the roads were so bad or non-existant. WE would cut small saplings about 8-10 feet long and wire them together with three strands of very heavy wire. A strand on each end & one in the middle. A roll would cover about 10 feet in length. It was made away from the site & carried, usually at night, to the road to be repaired or built. When the rolls were laid out gravel & a binder was dumped on top. The Roll kept the rock & gravel from sinking into the mire. It was in effect a "Floating Roadway. WE could transport several rolls on a deuce and a half. We called it "corduroy" We cut the saplings with two man gasoline chain saws. ALAl, thanks so much for jumping in and answering Kay's question. Excellent.
I was familiar with "courdoroy", but was not aware this was one and the same. I'm sure you've answered a lot of people's curiosity about this.
Three cheers for my enterprising engineers. 
Al added this in an email to me:
The word "paling" had me wondering. We just called it corduroy. Some one talked the other day about Saw Mills. WE took over a couple on our way thru France. When we raised the RR bridge at St Julien. The trestles were cut at 20 x 20 inches. None were available from C.E. stock so we cut our own. AL
