State & Private Forestry
Forest Products Laboratory
The individual items included in the Review reflect the content and tone of the original articles. Inclusion of an item does not imply agreement nor endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of facts or opinions contained in any article. The Review does not evaluate the accuracy of the information reported.
USDA Forest Service
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Notice to Contributors - Please submit announcements of meetings, workshops, short courses, etc. at least 3 months in advance of the event to ensure timely publication in The Forest Products Conservation & Recycling Review.
Reminder!! The SmallWood '98 Conference and Exposition, sponsored by the Blue Mountains Natural Resources Institute, Idaho Rural Partnership, Intermountain Woodnet, Oregon Economic Development Department, and USDA Forest Service, will be held October 14-17 in Lewiston, ID. The ultimate goals of this event are to improve forest health by effective utilization of small-diameter timber and to improve the regional economy by creating new forest product businesses in the Intermountain West. Specific objectives are to demonstrate equipment and products and to encourage adoption of (1) harvesting and manufacturing methods designed for small-diameter timber, (2) forest products made from small-diameter timber, and (3) innovative marketing practices that permit entrepreneurs to expand current operations or begin new businesses that use small-diameter timber.
Visit the Web site at http://www.eou.edu/bmnri/smallwood.html for more information (including full agenda, with speakers and topics, and scheduled mobile workshops/tours). For program and/or registration materials, contact conference coordinators Joanne Parsons or Linda Fratzki at (541) 962-6574; e-mail: dfratzke@grh.org.
The International Value-Added Wood Processing Conference will be held December 3-4 in Toronto, Canada. Themes of the conference include processing technologies, logistics--material supply and finished goods, and marketing and markets. For more information, contact Sandra Schinnerl, Centre for Advanced Wood Processing, 6620 N.W. Marine Dr., Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4. Tel: (604) 822-9627; Fax: (604) 822-8645; e-mail: sandra@unixg.ubc.ca.
The Southern Forest-Based Economic Development Council is an organization
comprised of the 13 Southeastern State Foresters and a representative of the
USDA Forest Service, Region 8. The Council acts as an information source for
landowners, forest industry, economic developers, and other forest interests.
Its primary focus is to improve quality of life in the South by providing jobs
and to strengthen the economy of the region through environmentally responsible
utilization of the forest resource. Goals are to facilitate development of
value-added manufacturing, expansion of industry, and creation of viable new
industry; extend the forest resource through efficient harvesting and processing
and utilization of wood residue and wood for energy and recycling in an
environmentally responsible way; improve industry competitiveness; and educate
citizens in the benefits of wood products and involve them in forest resource
issues. For more information, visit the Council's Web site at
http://www.southernforests.org/.
[Source: Michael Buchart, Director, Forest Products Marketing, Louisiana
Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Baton Rouge, LA]
Steve Shook's Directory of Forest Products, Wood Science, & Marketing is available on the Internet (http://www.forestdirectory.com/) with contact links to the forest products industry, forest products, wood science and technology, wood engineering, forest products marketing, wood industry associations, wood industry consultants, wood industry data sources, and wood products-based research institutions. Currently, this site contains over 1,836 unique links.
New Teaching Tool Available - "Buying and Selling Softwood Lumber," written by Dave
Leckey and published by Random Lengths, is said to be an essential primer on the
business of trading lumber in North America. It's designed to give the novice
trader a solid grounding in how the lumber market really works, as well as
provide a valuable reference for others in the business. All aspects of trading
lumber are covered: 20 key questions on lumber trading, the transportation
function, the futures market, and resolving claims, as well as an overview of
North America's softwood lumber market. For information, contact Random Lengths
at (541) 686-9925 or Fax (541) 686-9629.
[Source: Random Lengths, April 1998]
Plastic Lumber Plant to Open - Landfill Solutions is developing waste commitments
in the Nashville, TN, area for a plant in nearby Fairview. It will use paper,
plastics, and organics as filler for plastic lumber, concrete, particleboard,
and other products. The plant is due on-line in May 1999. For more
information, call (615) 595-8772.
[Source: Resource Recovery Report, June 1998]
Alaska Market for Value-Added Lumber Products - The final report of this study by the McDowell Group of Juneau, AK, has been completed. The report is the result of the Forest Products Manufacturing Project, a joint project of the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation and the Industry Network Corporation, both of Anchorage. Major findings and recommendations dealing with market size, market needs, and market strategies are described in detail.
The current Alaska lumber market is estimated to be between 90 and 100 million board feet (MMBF). [Note: 1 board foot = 0.00236 m³.] Most of this material (80 to 90 million board feet) consists of solid lumber and timbers that are shipped into Alaska, primarily from the Pacific Northwest and Canada. This material encompasses the bulk of import-market substitution opportunities for Alaska lumber producers. The balance of the market consists of laminated beams, I-joists, and other engineered lumber products--also shipped in--together with green or air-dried lumber that has been milled and sold in Alaska. In addition, the Alaska market includes an estimated 90 million ft², 3/8-in. basis (8,370,000 m³, 9.5-mm basis) of engineered panels and veneer and approximately 40,000 short tons (36,288 metric tons) of other manufactured wood products, such as shingles, shakes, door and window frames, pallets, and dunnage. Market needs were summarized as follows:
Marketing strategies with respect to three categories of lumber producers (small local operators, small diversified operators, and large commercial operators) are discussed in the report. For more information, contact Chad Converse, USDA Forest Service, State & Private Forestry, 3301 C St., Suite 522, Anchorage, AK 99503-3056. Tel: (907) 271-2550; Fax: (907) 271-2897; e-mail: cconverse/r10_chugach@fs.fed.us.
Cellulose Insulation Industry Publishes New Installation Guidelines - After working on new installation guidelines for 18 months, the Cellulose Insulation Manufacturers' Association (CIMA) published a 3-page standard entitled "Standard Practice for the Installation of Sprayed Cellulosic Wall Cavity Insulation". This publication is aimed at remedying a marketing problem that the industry experienced because it did not have clear installation specifications.
Up to this point, the only industry-wide installation standard for wet-spray cellulose has been HUD UMB80. However, CIMA describes this standard as both complicated and incomplete. "It's long, detailed, and quite unwieldy," says CIMA Executive Director Mike Lea., "and it doesn't address nuts and bolts issues such as initial moisture content and when you can install drywall."
Installation instructions from manufacturers have ranged from 10 to 30 pages.
CIMA wanted to develop something more to the point that addresses the actual
issues installers face in the field. Lea hopes the CIMA guidelines will put to
rest the most enduring question about wet-blown cellulose: At what moisture
content is it safe to install drywall? The standard states that it's safe to
install drywall once the insulation has reached a moisture level of 25% or less,
based on monitoring with a moisture meter.
[Source: Energy Design Update, December 1997]
Price and Quality Influences Affecting Substitution of Alternatives for Framing Lumber - Recently, Henry Spelter, an economist at the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL), USDA Forest Service, analyzed potential competition for lumber framing, in general, and southern pine framing lumber in particular. In June 1995, price of a standard grade of southern pine lumber touched $300, which did not even cover variable costs for about one-third of the industry. Prices then recovered to the high 300s for the rest of the year and were at $365 in March 1996 when the U.S.-Canada lumber deal went into effect. This effectively raised the marginal cost of lumber by $100; and over the next 6 months, lumber prices in general rose by roughly that amount. For a brief period (in November), the price spiked to $560. At that level, some substitutes became cost competitive outright. Had these prices persisted, the incentives for builders to experiment with alternatives would have been great. As it turned out, the lumber industry adjusted and increased supply in response to the higher incentives. Prices began a year-long descent to around $440 in December 1997. But, in the meantime, milling costs also rose by about $50 due mostly to about a $70 increase in log costs, narrowing the comfort zone.
The implications of this for the lumber industry are clear. To operate in the long run, prices must at least cover direct expenses, but too high a price ($500 or so) runs the risk of losing markets to competing products. Whether by luck or design, the initial effect of the U.S.-Canada lumber deal was to bump prices up, but to levels that generally stopped short of pricing the product out of its markets. With the higher price incentives, the U.S. lumber industry increased its output and prices retreated. But a fallout of the increased activity was higher log prices in the South. For the lumber industry, the latter development represented a move toward the least desirable scenario where rising input costs would push lumber costs to zones requiring prices so high that competing materials would become favored.
At another level, the industry needs to be mindful of the quality of its
products. Meeting grade is of reduced value when others are redefining the
standards. At the least, engineered wood-based products will capture market
share if the industry can't match the value perceived in those products. Some
factors are not completely under a mill's control; e.g., log size and quality,
but other items are (such as wane, kiln drying, and sorting for grade), and the
benefits of historical strategies in these areas need to be weighed against
their potential costs in reduced markets.
[Source: Timber Processing, March 1998]
Pallet Recycling on the Rise - The Forest Service's Southern Research Station has found that increasing quantities of pallets are recovered from the waste stream for recycling. Pallet recyclers received an estimated 171 million pallets for recycling in 1995, more than double the volume of 1993. Landfill managers are also recovering pallets and converting them into mulch, bedding, compost, soils amendment, fuel, and landfill cover.
According to research from the Center for Forest Products Marketing and Management at Virginia Tech, pallets account for only 1.4% of landfill waste by weight and, of the 171 million pallets that were discarded by pallet users, only 1.5 million were landfilled.
Along these lines, the aluminum can claims to be the most recycled container in
the United States, with a 66.5% recycling rate, according to The Aluminum
Association. By comparison, Modern Materials Handling reports wooden pallets
have a recycling/reuse rate of 76%.
[Source: Timber Processing, June 1998]
Research to Use More Recycled Materials and Smaller Logs in Making Structural Components - A goal of the research program at the Forest Products Laboratory is to use smaller logs in the manufacture of larger structural components. John Youngquist, project leader of the Performance-Designed Composites Research Work Unit, recently discussed using 4- or 5-in. (10.16- or 12.7-cm)-diameter thinnings from managed timber stands for this purpose.
At issue here are the different characteristics of juvenile wood compared to mature trees. Youngquist said the fibers are weaker and the greater ratio of bark to wood is less efficient in smaller trees. The Laboratory is in the preliminary process of testing different layering techniques and adhesives in using this material.
The Laboratory is also trying to determine if medium-density fiberboard (MDF) or
particleboard can be manufactured from 100% construction waste, or if it has to
be combined with a percentage of virgin wood, paper, or agricultural fibers.
Currently, most commercial operations are using a 30% mixture of construction
and demolition waste. Youngquist said there is no technical reason why that
can't be increased to 100%. He said the obstacles are largely economic; i.e.,
transportation of the wood and removal of contaminants. "Hauling becomes
prohibitive," he said, noting that most manufacturing plants are located where
trees are grown, not where construction waste is generated.
[Source: Woodshop News, July 1998]
New Patent Could Improve Energy Recovey From Black Liquor - U.S. Patent No.
5,705,032, assigned to Thor Technology Corp., discloses a novel process that
increases the solids content of black liquor in the kraft recovery process. A
process carried out at elevated temperature reduces the viscosity of the black
liquor at least 5%. The process allows further evaporation and increases black
liquor solids, increasing the heat rate of the recovery boiler. The process
also improves processability of the black liquor.
[Source: Tappi Journal, April 1998]
"Riparian Forest Wildlife: Guidelines for Landowners and Loggers" introduces the reader to the riparian forest, a place different from the upland forest. The riparian forest, which is located along streams, rivers, and lakes, attracts countless wildlife species. This publication describes some of the wildlife that use this unique place and offers guidelines for consideration when operating in and around a riparian forest.
Although this publication is being distributed by Montana State University (MSU)
Extension Service, it is designed for forests beyond Montana. The principles
and guidelines apply to riparian forests nationwide. To order this publication
(#EB146), send $5.00 per copy to MSU Extension Publications, P.O. Box 172040,
Bozeman, MT 59717. To order by credit card, call (406) 994-3273.
[Source: Bob Logan, MSU Extension Forester, Missoula, MT]
Forest Certification is a system for identifying forests that are well managed with a goal toward sustainability. Sustainability includes ecological, economic, and social compounds. The Oregon State University Extension recently revised and reprinted "Understanding Forest Certification", by Eric Hansen. This factsheet gives an overview of issues involved in the rapidly evolving field of forest certification. Copies (up to six) are available at no charge from Extension Station and Communications, Oregon State University, 422 Kerr Admin., Corvallis, OR 97331-2119. Fax: (541) 737-0817; e-mail: puborder@ccmail.orst.edu.
Could Wooden Poles Become the Next Endangered Species? According to an article
in the Southern Forest Products Association Newsletter, the National Coalition
Against the Misuse of Pesticides (NCAMP) issued a report suggesting that
electric utilities either bury their lines or use poles made of steel, concrete,
or fiberglass. The report claims that the preservative chemicals used to
protect against decay pose a serious public health risk. The American Wood
Preservers Institute has issued a rebuttal pointing out that the preservatives
use recycled industrial wastes, do not leach into the ground or waterways, and
are safe when handled properly, and that wood is a resource grown under
management on a renewable basis.
[Source: The Timber Producer, July 1998]
New Materials and Technology are expanding the realm of engineered wood products, according to the July issue of Woodshop News. In a discussion with Melanie Winters, staff writer, APA-The Engineered Wood Association has announced a new I-joist compatible (IJC) glulam, manufactured by Willamette Industries, Inc. It is designed to match standard I-joist depths.
New Timber Bridges in Montana and Indiana - In 1997, the Wood In Transportation Program of the USDA Forest Service partially funded the construction of three 40-ft- (12.2-m-) long by 28-ft- (8.5-m-) wide bridges in Yellowstone County, MT. The bridges have treated timber pilings, reinforced concrete caps, glue-laminated beams, backwalls, wingwalls, deck, and curb. The railing systems consist of treated timber posts with glue-laminated rails, faced with galvanized steel W-beams. The final construction cost of each bridge was about $87,500 (including all engineering and survey costs), with a superstructure cost of just under $46.00/ft² (0.09 m²). The heaviest single element in these bridges weighs less than 3,000 lb (1,360.8 kg)--an important construction consideration at remote construction sites.
The Indiana Sustainable Forestry Initiative Committee demonstrated the benefits
of using portable timber bridges for crossing streams during harvesting
operations. At a demonstration in Morgan-Monroe State Forest, participants were
able to view the installation of a portable bridge over a small stream, pose
questions to State, Federal, university, and industry experts, and evaluate the
options of purchasing a similar bridge or leasing the demonstration bridge. As
a followup to the demonstration, the Indiana Division of Forestry successfully
used the portable bridge on a commercial State forest timber sale. The
long-term objectives of the portable timber bridge project are to promote best
management practices, increase productivity in harvesting operations, improve
water quality, and promote increased usage of timber structures across Indiana.
[Source: National Wood In Transportation Program: Fiscal Year 1998 Status
Report, USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area]
Use of Natural Rubber for Tires Increasing - Natural rubber has made a comeback in car tires in the last 10 years due to the increased popularity of the radial tire, which now accounts for more than 90% of U.S. tire sales. Only natural rubber has the strength and adhesive qualities required for the sidewalls and steel belt of radial tires.
About 33% of a typical automobile tire is made from natural rubber. The amount of natural rubber incorporated into a tire goes up as demand on the tire increases. A pickup truck tire, for instance, is approximately 50% natural rubber; tires for industrial machines and large trucks are nearly 90% natural rubber; and every commercial and military aircraft, including the space shuttle, lands on tires made almost entirely of natural rubber.
The reason that such high-demand applications rely on natural rubber is that no synthetic rubber can replicate natural rubber's resilience, tensile strength, and resistance to abrasion, impact, and rapid temperature change. The U.S. tire industry annually consumes 826,000 tons of natural rubber and roughly 1.3 million tons of synthetic rubber.
Excluding tires, the average car contains another 45 lb (20.4 kg) of rubber in
such components as door seals, engine hoses, and decorative moldings. About 15%
of these products consist of natural rubber.
[Source: The Carbohydrate Economy, Summer 1998]
Hemp Planted in Canada - This year in May, a few miles north of Buffalo, NY, 50
Canadian farmers began planting 2,000 acres (809.4 ha) of industrial hemp, the
first commercial hemp crop in that country in 60 years. In the United States,
growing hemp is illegal and existing wild plants may be eradicated to eliminate
possibilities for covering up planting marijuana. In Canada, to obtain a
license for importing, exporting, production, or sale of industrial hemp,
applicants must provide information from a Canadian police force listing any
arrests or convictions with respect to drugs over the previous 10 years.
[Source: The Carbohydrate Economy, Summer 1998]
A Curve Sawing Seminar will be held October 6-7 at Mississippi State University. Information on the mechanics of curve sawing and state-of-the-art sawing information on scanning, optimizing, simulations, economics, and changing timber resources will be presented to help sawmill operators improve utilization of the southern forest resource. Presenters will include saw manufacturers, scanning/optimizing companies, university professors, and third-party engineering firms. In addition to technical presentations, booth space is available for vendors. For more information, contact Rubin Shmulsky at (601) 325-2116 or Fax: (601) 325-8126; or Alan Brown at (601) 325-0100.
"Moisture and Wood", a 32-minute video written and presented by Gene Wengert, Department of Forest Ecology and Management, University of Wisconsin-Madison, in cooperation with the University of Wisconsin-Cooperative Extension and Wood Components Manufacturing Association, deals with minimizing moisture-related problems in wood. Designed to educate manufacturers and users of wood products, the video presents wood as nature's perfect building material and includes information on moisture-related manufacturing problems, correct moisture content levels, measurement of moisture content, storage of components and wood products, and adjustment of moisture content in wood products. Copies of the video are available for $15 (Wisconsin residents add $0.83 tax) from the Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Attn: Pauline Miller, 1630 Linden Dr., 120 Russell Labs, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706.
Lumber Grading Course Scheduled for September 14-18 - TP Training Systems of Conyers, GA, is conducting a course for those who plan to become qualified lumber graders and/or those who want to learn about National Grading Rule for Dimension Lumber (Southern Yellow Pine). Registration is open for all who wish to attend. Cost is $995 per student. For more information, contact Elaine Bullock, Director, TP Training Systems, by phone (770) 922-8000; Fax (770) 922-1290; or e-mail (tpts@mindspring.com).
Contents
Forest Products Laboratory |
Forest Service |
USDA
Please send any questions or comments to
TMU/fpl@fs.fed.us.
Contact-Name: Adele Olstad
Contact-Phone: 608/231-9329
Document-Date: 1998 October 6
Abstract: July 1998 Issue of FPC&R; Review