Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This problem area is focused on developing models and tools to improve forest decision-making and estimate operational outcomes in the planning states; and on improving business management by evaluating project and bid estimates, forest contractor business structures, workforce development, tax effects, and financial assessments. TARGET AUDIENCES: logging business owners, loggers, equipment manufacturers, forestry consultants, forest managers.
Impacts
The outcome of many of our projects is to provide production-related data to inform business decisions. We collect production data that can aid loggers in determining their bids, or foresters in putting together contracts for bids.
Publications
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Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19
Outputs
OUTPUTS: A chipping project was completed and a spreadsheet was developed to assist loggers, landowners and forest managers with estimating production rates of chippers and grinders. PARTICIPANTS: Auburn University, logging contractors, equipment manufacturers. TARGET AUDIENCES: Forest managers, landowners, forest engineers, and logging contractors.
Impacts
A spreadsheet was developed and tested.
Publications
- Smidt, Mathew, Kristi Logan, Dana Mitchell. 2018. Using safety alerts as hazard surveillance for mechanized logging systems. Technical Release 18-R-28. Rockville, MD: Forest Resources Association. 4p.
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Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This problem area is focused on developing models and tools to improve forest decision-making and estimate operational outcomes in the planning states; and on improving business management by evaluating project and bid estimates, forest contractor business structures, workforce development, tax effects, and financial assessments. TARGET AUDIENCES: Logging business owners, foresters
Impacts
The outcome of many of our projects is to provide production-related data to inform business decisions. In 2017, we collected production data that can aid loggers in determining their bids, or foresters in putting together contracts for bids. We also examined the business impacts of hauling legal weight payloads on state and municipal roads as compared to federal roads.
Publications
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Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Developing a general model of felling productivity is difficult because of the numerous factors affecting a specific machines performance. The influences of the two largest contributors to variability among systems (other than the stand), operator behavior and the machine itself, are difficult to characterize. Instead, specific regression models based on observation are typically developed, which is time-consuming and expensive, and ultimately only truly applicable across a small range of conditions. We have attempted to broaden the scope of applicability of feller productivity models by generalizing some parameters that effectively characterize machine and operator impacts on performance. The model requires stand information to calculate an average stem DBH that is used to predict the maximum carrying capacity of the felling head. This constitutes the portion of the model that is machine-specific, or at least specific to the felling head. Accounting for operator input requires selection of an average percentage of capacity to which the head is filled on each cycle. Predictions based on the proposed model were found as accurate as those based on simple regression of cycle time on number of trees per cycle, but the new model was simpler to apply in a predictive situation. Number of trees per cycle is a useful predictor of felling productivity, but not easy to calculate ahead of time since it depends so much on machine and operator. The new model provides a simple, rational means of estimating those effects for any stand/machine/operator combination and provides reasonable productivity results. PARTICIPANTS: - Auburn University, Department of Biosystems Engineering TARGET AUDIENCES: The model will assist foresters and logging contractors in determining costs of felling small diameter stems. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: None.
Impacts
The outcome of this project is a model to predict felling production. It provides a cost effective alternative to time-consuming and costly field observation studies. Land managers that are planning projects will now have an opportunity to perform sensitivity analyses by changing input variables to determine which ones are the most sensitive to changes. This tool can aid foresters in packaging timber sales and help provide cost data for evaluating contract bids. Contractors may also use the tool to help them prepare estimates for harvesting sites with small diameter stems.
Publications
- McDonald, Timothy; Klepac, John 2015. Modeling the productivity of feller-bunchers in small-diameter pine plantations. In: Proceedings of the 38th Annual COFE Meeting ⿿ Engineering Solutions for Non-Industrial Private Forest Operations, Lexington, Kentucky. July 19 - 22, 2015. pp 20-30. 11 p.
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Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14
Outputs
OUTPUTS: A project to create a chipping decision model to aid in equipment selection and project cost estimation was completed. The finished model allows user inputs for some variables, such as tons and terrain, and provides equipment choices based on those inputs. Published production data populates fields for production rates and cost calculations, with an output of tons/hour and cost/hour for biomass chipping. PARTICIPANTS: - Auburn University, School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences TARGET AUDIENCES: The model will assist land managers and equipment owners in determining chipping costs of potential projects. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: None.
Impacts
The outcome of this project is a web-based spreadsheet model. Users can choose to change input variables, or they can rely on the defaults. Land managers that are planning projects will now have an opportunity to perform sensitivity analyses by changing input variables to determine which ones are the most sensitive to changes. This tool will aid users in designing their projects and help provide cost data for evaluating contract bids. Contractors may also use the tool to help them determine potential costs when bidding on contracts.
Publications
- Smidt, M.; Mitchell, D. 2014. Chipping and Grinding Production Rate Calculator. Technical Release 14-R-7. Forest Operations Review (May 2014): 17-18.
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Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/13
Outputs
OUTPUTS: A new project was begun to create a chipping decision model to aid in equipment selection and project cost estimation. The model will allow user inputs for some variables, such as tons and terrain, and provide equipment choices based on those inputs. Published production data will populate fields for production rates and cost calculations, with an output of tons/hour and cost/hour for biomass chipping. PARTICIPANTS: - Auburn University, School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences TARGET AUDIENCES: The model will assist land managers and equipment owners in determining chipping costs of potential projects. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: None.
Impacts
The outcome of this project will be a web-based spreadsheet model. Users can choose to change input variables, or they can rely on the defaults. Land managers that are planning projects will now have an opportunity to perform sensitivity analyses by changing input variables to determine which ones are the most sensitive to changes. This tool will aid users in designing their projects and help provide cost data for evaluating contract bids. Contractors may also use the tool to help them determine potential costs when bidding on contracts.
Publications
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Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This year a project was initiated to develop an economic model of short rotation woody crop (SRWC) production costs. The model will help users compare alternative management strategies such as coppice vs. non-coppice, species selection, planting design and stocking, rotation length, and harvesting and cultural operations. Each of these variables affect the net return to landowners as well as the delivered feedstock cost for biorefinery operations. PARTICIPANTS: Mississippi State University, College of Forest Resources Center for Bottomland Hardwood Research, SRS-4155 Case New Holland C2I TARGET AUDIENCES: The model will be useful for landowners evaluating options for SRWC, policy makers such as USDA program managers evaluating farm programs like BCAP, biorefinery operators assessing likely feedstock production costs, and equipment manufacturers examining potential for specialized equipment development. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: None.
Impacts
The Billion Ton report update estimates that as many as 18M acres of SRWC plantations could be established. Most of these acres would be in the Southern US and in the Mississippi Valley. The economic model will assist users in choosing optimal management strategies, affecting the financial return from millions of acres. If the model helps define economically viable feedstock production it will also impact the selection of biorefinery sites and the economic development of communities.
Publications
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Progress 10/01/09 to 09/30/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The way that forest operations businesses are managed can affect profitability, total costs, and productivity. Effective management decisions require timely and accurate information about conditions as well as appropriate decision tools to help evaluation of alternative courses of action. Fuel consumption is a significant component of operating costs accounting for perhaps 20 percent of total costs. It is also highly volatile with almost daily price moves. In 2010 diesel fuel price increased 50 percent over a 12-month-period. Most forest operations contractors track fuel costs by monthly totals of bulk purchase from a fuel supplier because machine-specific fuel consumption reporting involves too much effort for data collection. A new fuel tracking system has been deployed for testing that provides automatic machine identification and fuel tracking during fueling eliminating paper records. Data is automatically uploaded through cellular communications to a web server that provides detailed reports by machine and date. Feasibility testing over the next two years will identify variability in individual machine fuel consumption rates, operational issues and the value of the fuel reporting for improved machine management. Decision tools are another important part of making better management decisions. Computer-based methods have been developed to estimate harvesting and transport costs. A spreadsheet tool has been updated to compare alternative methods of transporting forest residues including options for two-stage hauling, different trip routing, transport in various product forms, and transport in different types of trucks. The latest version of this tool provides a wide range of wood species, a larger selection of alternative equipment, and improved truck cycle time estimation algorithms. A second decision tool was developed to convert volume/cost values between green ton and dry ton bases. This was prompted by developments in bioenergy markets that operate on dry ton valuation rather than the more traditional green ton pricing. Shifting between markets and price bases is facilitated by using the new converter. PARTICIPANTS: Corley Land Services, Department of Energy Auburn University, Biosystems Engineering Department TARGET AUDIENCES: The work in this Problem Area will be directly applicable to forest operations contractors, the forest industry, and to agency administrators that monitor timber sales and service work. In the end, the results of successful implementation of better management and decision-making will have an impact on forest owners as well as contractors. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: None.
Impacts
Testing new data collection and equipment management technology in forest applications helps both the forest industry and equipment manufacturers. Results of operational trials lead to improvements in data devices as well as providing critical usability information for forestry users. The fuel consumption monitoring system is designed for large fleet applications rather than forest use. There are clearly implementation issues that will need to be addressed. The data collected will be used by the contractor and also by the Agency to better understand life-cycle inputs in various forest management activities. Ultimately the outcome of work in this problem area leads to improved ability to manage forest operations in a cost-effective manner. While technology to collect vast amounts of operational data is rapidly advancing, new decision tools are being developed to help managers use information to make better strategic and tactical decisions.
Publications
- Thompson, J.; Klepac, J., 2010. Evaluating a web based machine productivity and fuel consumption monitoring system. In: Proceedings of 2010 COFE: 33rd Annual Meeting of the Council on Forest Engineering, June 6-9, 2010, [CD-ROM]. Auburn, AL.
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