A Framework for CTL Method-Based Wood Procurement Logistics

Wood procurement logistics has developed dramatically during the last few decades. The adaptation of general logistics theory, increasing customer orientation, product-based bucking, the externalization of work processes, the expansion of international wood trade and the rapid development of management tools and methods have changed the characteristics of wood procurement tremendously. Consequently, there is a growing need to redefine the concept of wood procurement. This paper attempts to lay down a general framework for CTL (cut-to-length) method-based wood procurement management and to highlight the most important research and development objectives in this area. In wood procurement the main customer service goals are price, dimensional requirements, quality requirements and the ability to react to changes. The price is always important, but the smaller the proportion the wood cost is of the total production costs, the less significant the price becomes. The importance of quality and dimensional requirements increases with the rising value of wood. Due to improved inventory booking systems and transportation optimization systems, wood procurement companies have managed to decrease stock levels, thus decreasing rate costs. The company may aim to decrease the level of stock, but not without possible additional costs. According to logistics theories, an increase in stock levels increases storage costs but, on the other hand, a decrease of stock levels increases transportation costs and the risk of lost profit. Seasonal variation and the ability to react to changes have great significance to logistics costs in wood procurement. Small stumpage reserves inevitably lead to expensive harvesting and transportation activities. But more research should, in the future, also be directed at improving classifications of harvesting and transportation accessibility. In the Nordic countries significant progress both in tree bucking control and transportation allocation has been achieved in practice, but they are still considered as separate processes. It is in most cases undesirable to cut many products from the same stand, since it implies too many loading and transportation operations. Therefore, it is necessary to choose which products in what quantities may be cut from each stand. This means that tree bucking control and wood transportation problems should not be considered as separate tasks, but instead be optimized as a whole. If they are considered as separate processes the gains achieved through better product characteristics are lost in increasing transportation costs. Current wood pricing systems make it difficult to fully exploit the advantage that could be gained through this kind of optimization

Heartwood and Extractive Content of Scots Pine in Southern Finland: Models to Apply at Harvest

The biggest obstacle to better utilization of Scots pine heartwood lumber is the difficulty of separating heartwood in the sawing process. The aim of this study was to analyze the variation in heartwood proportion and extractive content of Scots pine in southern Finland, and to develop a model that could be employed at harvest to predict heartwood taper. In accordance with many previous investigations, the number of rings in heartwood at any tree height is under the control of time and is thus best predicted by cambium age. The results suggest that the heartwood starts to form when the cambium age is roughly 20 years and increases by two-thirds of a year ring annually after it has been initiated. In order to apply this model in practice, we need accurate estimates of the cambium age and the radial growth rate as well. A comprehensive model is presented that enables prediction of heartwood taper for mature Scots pines while handling the tree at harvest if the tree age is known. The results suggest a mean error of roughly 2 cm in predicting the heartwood diameter by using the equations developed

Männyn kuivaoksa- ja latvusrajan silmävaraisen arvioinnin tarkkuus

TiedonantoTutkimuksessa selvitettiin männyn kuivaoksa- ja latvusrajan silmävaraisen arvioinnin tarkkuutta. Tutkimusaineisto koostui kahdesta erillisestä mittauskokeesta. Arvioinnin suoritti kokeessa 1 seitsemän ja kokeessa 2 kymmenen henkilöä. Koehenkilöinä toimivat kummassakin kokeessa Aureskoski Oy:n metsäosaston toimihenkilöt. Arvioitavia puita oli yhteensä 63. Koejärjestelyistä johtuen tutkimuksessa voitiin tarkastella erikseen silmävaraisen arvioinnin tarkkuutta yleisesti, arvioijakohtaista vaihtelua sekä koulutuksen vaikutusta mittaustarkkuuteen. §§ Sekä kuivaoksarajan että latvusrajan arvioinnissa esiintyi selvä systemaattinen yliarvio. Kuivaoksarajan arvioinnin systemaattinen virhe oli kokeessa 1 1,05 m ja kokeessa 2 0,50 m kun vastaavat latvusrajan arvioinnin systemaattiset virheet olivat 0,60 m ja 0,41 m. Mittaajakohtainen vaihtelu oli varsin suuri, etenkin kuivaoksarajan kohdalla. Kuivaoksarajan systemaattisen virheen suuruus vaihteli arvioittain kokeessa 1 välillä 0,5...1,8 m ja kokeessa 2 välillä –0,1...+1,0 m. Koetta 2 edeltänyt lyhyt koulutus vähensi merkittävästi etenkin kuivaoksarajan arvioinnin systemaattisen virheen suuruutta

Virtual Forest Management: Possibilities and Challenges

Scientists and managers are increasingly turning to computer modeling and visualization tools to enable them to evaluate the effects of harvest practices better, depict various characteristics and variation existing in the forest, and communicate the impact of environmental changes. This paper examines the suitability of virtual reality (VR) technology in supporting forest managers or forest owners in their decisions. VR is particularly useful for helping to deal with the following issues in forest management planning: time dependence, irreversibility of decisions, spatial-quantitative variation of features and multiple objectives. It helps managers and stakeholders understand the relationship between underlying data and landscape planning. Some of the key challenges faced in making VR work are: insufficient resolution in forest inventory data, need to re-delineate stands to allow for multiple use planning, adjusting realism of features in the images and linking data currently held by a variety of disparate agencies and owners. Existing mean-based inventories will, for the short to medium term, limit the extent to which VR technologies are used in actual forest management planning

The significance of above-ground biomass, moisture content and mechanical properties of peat layer on the bearing capacity of ditched pine bogs

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Luonnonvalon lisäämisen mahdollisuudet asuntosuunnittelussa – Tapaustutkimus Rantaharju 10

Tässä kandidaatintyössä tarkastellaan asuntosuunnittelua luonnonvalon käytön näkökulmasta kirjallisuus- ja tapaustutkimuksen avulla. Aiheen ajankohtaisuus on tiivistyvässä kaupunkirakenteessa ilmeinen, sillä tiivistymisen myötä katutason asuntoihin on entistä haastavampaa saada riittävästi luonnonvaloa. Ihmisen terveyteen ja hyvinvointiin liittyvissä kysymyksissä luonnonvalon merkitys on suuri, ja sen taidokas hyödyntäminen takaa miellyttäviä asuntoja rakennuskustannuksia nostamatta. Luonnonvalo tukee ihmisen vuorokausirytmiä vaikuttaen positiivisesti muun muassa liikunnallisuuteen, painonhallintaan ja mielenterveyteen. Lisäksi riittävä luonnonvalo mahdollistaa optimaalisen näkemisen. Työssä perehdytään luonnonvaloon valon fysikaalisten ominaisuuksien ja tilan luonnonvaloisuuteen vaikuttavien tekijöiden kautta. Tilan luonnonvaloisuuteen vaikuttavia komponentteja on kolme, joista suurin vaikutus on taivaskomponentilla. Luonnonvalon sopiva määrä tulee valita tilan käyttötarkoituksen mukaisesti: esimerkiksi makuuhuoneessa valaistuksen tulee olla iltaisin riittävän hämärä, kun taas työhuoneessa valaistuksen tulee olla riittävä työskentelyyn. Luonnonvaloisuutta erilaisissa asunnoissa on myös vertailtu erilaisten rakennustypologioiden kautta. Rakennuksen typologinen valinta vaikuttaa siihen, mihin ilmansuuntiin rakennuksessa asunnot on mahdollista avata. Työn tapaustutkimus käsittelee espoolaisen asuinkerrostalon asuntojen valoisuutta. Luonnonvaloisuutta on tarkasteltu taivaskomponentin ja no-sky -linjojen avulla ja lisäksi on esitetty yksinkertaisia ehdotuksia siitä, miten luonnonvaloisuutta voisi asunnoissa parantaa. Työssä selvisi, että taivaskomponentit ovat etelän suuntaan 12-17 astetta ja idän suuntaan 0-11 astetta asuinkerroksesta riippuen. Taivaskomponenttien arvot ovat sitä suurempia, mitä korkeammassa kerroksessa ollaan. Lisäksi tapaustutkimuksesta selvisi, että matalampien kerroksien kerroskorkeuksia suurentamalla taivaskomponentit saataisiin 18 asteeseen kaikissa kerroksissa. Asuntojen luonnonvaloisuus paranisi, jos parvekkeet siirrettäisiin itäsuunnassa pois makuuhuoneen ikkunan edestä. Se kasvattaisi taivaskomponenttia kerroksesta riippuen jopa 12 astetta. Taivaskomponenttien arvot asunnoissa kasvaisivat entisestään, jos ikkunoiden yläreuna nostettaisiin välipohjan alareunaan asti. Nämä pienet muutokset kasvattaisivat luonnonvalon määrää huomattavasti, ja ne olisi mahdollista toteuttaa kustannuksia juurikaan nostamatta

Expansion plan for Swedish gift house type 4 - case study Pirjontie 37

Tässä arkkitehtuurin diplomityössä tutkitaan historianselvityksen avulla, mikä merkitys Pirkkolan jälleenrakennuskauden pientaloalueen lahjataloilla on kulttuurihistoriallisesti ja mitä talot merkitsevät niiden asukkaille. Kyselytutkimuksen avulla selvitetään, mitä lahjatalojen asukkaat tietävät talojen historiasta, mikä on suojelukaavan merkitys talojen ja alueen säilymiseen ja täyttävätkö 80-vuotiaat talot asumisen tarpeet vielä nykypäivänäkin. Edellisten osien tulosten avulla suunnitellaan Pirkkolan lahjatalotyyppiin 4 tonttien rakennusoikeuden täyttävä laajennussuunnitelma, joka sopisi alueen arkkitehtuuriin ja täyttäisi asumisen tarpeet. Pirkkolan alueen ja lahjatalojen historiaa, alueen asemakaavaa, sekä lahjatalojen alkuperäisiä piirustuksia ja suunnitelmia tutkittaessa korostui lahjatalojen merkitys ainutlaatuisena jälleenrakennuskauden pientaloalueena. Alueen tiukka suojelukaava on mahdollistanut talojen ja katunäkymien poikkeuksellisen hyvän säilyneisyyden. Kyselytutkimuksen 10 asukkaille esitetyn kysymyksen vastauksista selvisi, että asukkaat arvostavat talojen historiaa ja tuntevat suojelukaavan hyvin. Vastauksissa tuli esiin myös taloihin tehdyt muutokset ja muutostarpeet, joista selvisi, että asukkaat toivovat avoimempia tiloja ja näkymää sekä sujuvampaa yhteyttä omaan puutarhaan. Laajennussuunnitelma pyrki huomioimaan kyselytutkimuksessa esiin nousseet toiveet. Laajennus suunniteltiin kaavan mukaisesti takapihan puolelle, ja uusi olohuone saatiin keittiön ja ruokailuhuoneen jatkoksi. Laajennusosa ja sen yhteyteen suunniteltu terassi mahdollistavat sisä- ja ulkotilan sujuvan yhteyden, sekä näkymän keittiöstä ruokailuhuoneen ja olohuoneen läpi omaan puutarhaan. Uudet sisäportaat ovat vanhoja turvallisemmat ja käytettävämmät, ja laajennuksen kellarikerros mahdollistaa kellariin paremman oleskelutilan. Laajennus on rakennuksen vanhalle osalle alisteinen ja säilyttää talon alkuperäisille julkisivuille ominaisen tyylin. Suunnitelman maanpäällinen osa toteutettiin aikaa kestävällä hengittävällä massiivipuurakenteella, ja kellarikerros alkuperäisen osan tavoin kivirakenteisena.This Master’s Thesis in Architecture studies the cultural and historical importance of gift houses, i.e., houses donated by Sweden, at the Pirkkola residential area from the Finnish reconstruction era using historical sources, and what is the meaning of the houses to the current residents. With a questionnaire study, this thesis examines the historical knowledge of the residents, how they view the conservation plan and its effect on the preservation of the houses and the area, and whether the 80-year-old houses still today fulfill the needs of living. Based on the results of these investigations, a plan for an extension fulfilling the permitted building volume is constructed for Pirkkola gifthouse type 4 fitting into the architecture of the area and fulfilling the needs of modern living. When studying the Pirkkola residential area and the history of the gift houses, the detailed plan and the original drawings and plans of the gift houses, the value and meaning as a unique residential area from the reconstruction era became evident. The tight conservation plan has preserved the exceptional preservation of the houses and the views from the streets. The questionnare data with its 10 questions revealed that the residents value the history of the buildings highly and know the conservation plan well. The renovations and needs and hopes for renovation revealed a clear consensus that the residents hope for more open spaces and views as well as a smoother connection to their gardents. The expansion plan aims at taking into account the views and hopes of the residents revealed in the questionnaire data. The expansion, planned according to the detailed plan behind the house, features a new living space continuing directly from the kitchen and dining area. The expansion and the terrace allow the smooth connection between the indoor and outdoor spaces as well as a view directly from the kitchen via the living and dining areas towards the garden. New indoor staircase is safer and easier to use than the old one, and the basement of the expansion forms a better living area in the basement. The expansion is clearly subordinate to the old area and preserves the old style of the façade. The aboveground part of the expansion is built in sustainable and durable breathable massive tree structure, and the basement in stone material similarly to the original part

The Effect of Wider Logging Trails on Rut Formations in the Harvesting of Peatland Forests

Peatlands are very problematic from the bearing capacity point of view. Therefore, logging activities on peatlands in Finland are mainly carried out during the coldest weeks in winter time. More intensive utilisation of peatland forests requires logging activities to be increasingly carried out during unfrozen conditions. Multiple passages of a harvester and a loaded forwarder used for the transportation of timber cause deep ruts on the forest floor. Wider logging trails have been presented as an interesting approach to increasing the number of forwarder passages along a single loggingt trail. It might be advantageous not to follow the same ruts on each pass but to choose a new parallel route, so that new ruts are formed alongside the previous ones. The study aimed at investigating whether it is beneficial to use wide trails in reducing rutting in forests growing on drained peatland. Field studies were conducted on a drained peatland in Alkkia experimental forest, located in Karvia in Western Finland. In the driving test, a forwarder was driven in the same forest site on logging trails with widths of 4.5 m, 6 m and 10 m. The results indicate that wider logging trails provide the forwarder driver with opportunities to reduce rutting in peatland forests

Logging Trail Segmentation via a Novel U-Net Convolutional Neural Network and High-Density Laser Scanning Data

Logging trails are one of the main components of modern forestry. However, spotting the accurate locations of old logging trails through common approaches is challenging and time consuming. This study was established to develop an approach, using cutting-edge deep-learning convolutional neural networks and high-density laser scanning data, to detect logging trails in different stages of commercial thinning, in Southern Finland. We constructed a U-Net architecture, consisting of encoder and decoder paths with several convolutional layers, pooling and non-linear operations. The canopy height model (CHM), digital surface model (DSM), and digital elevation models (DEMs) were derived from the laser scanning data and were used as image datasets for training the model. The labeled dataset for the logging trails was generated from different references as well. Three forest areas were selected to test the efficiency of the algorithm that was developed for detecting logging trails. We designed 21 routes, including 390 samples of the logging trails and non-logging trails, covering all logging trails inside the stands. The results indicated that the trained U-Net using DSM (k = 0.846 and IoU = 0.867) shows superior performance over the trained model using CHM (k = 0.734 and IoU = 0.782), DEMavg (k = 0.542 and IoU = 0.667), and DEMmin (k = 0.136 and IoU = 0.155) in distinguishing logging trails from non-logging trails. Although the efficiency of the developed approach in young and mature stands that had undergone the commercial thinning is approximately perfect, it needs to be improved in old stands that have not received the second or third commercial thinning

Logging Trail Segmentation via a Novel U-Net Convolutional Neural Network and High-Density Laser Scanning Data

Logging trails are one of the main components of modern forestry. However, spotting the accurate locations of old logging trails through common approaches is challenging and time consuming. This study was established to develop an approach, using cutting-edge deep-learning convolutional neural networks and high-density laser scanning data, to detect logging trails in different stages of commercial thinning, in Southern Finland. We constructed a U-Net architecture, consisting of encoder and decoder paths with several convolutional layers, pooling and non-linear operations. The canopy height model (CHM), digital surface model (DSM), and digital elevation models (DEMs) were derived from the laser scanning data and were used as image datasets for training the model. The labeled dataset for the logging trails was generated from different references as well. Three forest areas were selected to test the efficiency of the algorithm that was developed for detecting logging trails. We designed 21 routes, including 390 samples of the logging trails and non-logging trails, covering all logging trails inside the stands. The results indicated that the trained U-Net using DSM (k = 0.846 and IoU = 0.867) shows superior performance over the trained model using CHM (k = 0.734 and IoU = 0.782), DEMavg (k = 0.542 and IoU = 0.667), and DEMmin (k = 0.136 and IoU = 0.155) in distinguishing logging trails from non-logging trails. Although the efficiency of the developed approach in young and mature stands that had undergone the commercial thinning is approximately perfect, it needs to be improved in old stands that have not received the second or third commercial thinning