State & Private Forestry
Forest Products Laboratory
The Forest Products Conservation & Recycling Review is assembled and edited monthly by Adele Olstad and John Zerbe of the FPC&R; Technology Marketing Unit at the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL). Review contributions and correspondence may be sent to either Adele or John at the address below. For copies of FPL or North Central Forest Experiment Station publications,contact FPL Information Services at the same address.
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. The use of trade or firm names in this issue is for reader information and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of any product or service.
USDA Forest Service
Look for items in these categories:
Tanzania, East Africa: Home of Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti, and a Forestry Agreement--In 1999 the USDA Forest Service (FS) signed a Letter of Record with the Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) in Morogoro, Tanzania. The heart of the agreement is that SUA and the FS will encourage specialists and scientists to communicate on subjects of mutual interest. The faculty is extremely well-trained and very interested in establishing contacts with U.S. scientists. The agreement includes the SUA Departments of Forest Biology, Forest Economics, Forest Engineering, Forest Mensuration & Management, and Wood Utilization, as well as the Olmotonjy and Mazumbai Training Forests.
If interested in partnerships and collaboration with this project, send an e-mail message describing your area of interest to Prof. R. C. Ishengoma at forestry@suanet.ac.tz. Prof. Ishengoma will link you to the appropriate faculty member. Send a copy of your message to Gerry Hertel
(ghertel@fs.fed.us).
[Source: Gerry Hertel, USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry]
Dividends From Wood Research, the semiannual listing of publications on wood utilization research at the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL), has been released for the period January 1 to June 30, 2000. To get on the mailing list for Dividends, contact FPL Information Services by phone (608-231-9200), Fax (608-231-9592), or e-mail (mailroom_forest_products_laboratory@fs.fed.us). The current issue lists publications that are available as PDF documents for viewing or printing.
Intensive Forest Management: Science and Policy, a discussion forum for natural resource professionals, interest groups, communities, landowners and managers, and citizens in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Ontario, will be held October 16-17 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. It is sponsored by the Great Lakes Forest Alliance, which was chartered by the Governors of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin in 1987 (expanded in 1997 to include Ontario) to enhance management and sustainable use of public and private forest lands. The forum will explore the role and place for intensive forest management (IFM) in relation to overall societal goals, viability of communities that depend on forests for their livelihood, economic growth and development, forest diversity and sustainable forestry management, forest science and forest ecology (in terms of selecting areas to receive IFM), and silviculture and forest management. For more information or to receive registration materials, call the Alliance at 715-634-2006.
The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) has announced cooperative research grants totaling nearly $1.1 million for projects that promise new or improved energy savings in homebuilding techniques. The recipients, who will receive matching funds, include
New Technology in Forest Products Industry is the topic for the Forest Products Society's Midwest Section Fall Conference on October 9-10 in Rosemont, IL. Papers include the following:
Forestweb (www.forestweb.com) offers free exchange of ideas, information, and business trading to the forestry industry worldwide. This site has recently introduced The Analysts' Corner, an upgrade to its financial news and information services featuring reports and commentary from well-known forest industry analysts. Contributors to The Analysts' Corner represent both large and small firms. Forestweb also includes sections on news (updated daily industry news from major news wires and press releases, news from major companies in the industry); directories searchable by contact or company name, business type, industry, country, and keyword; trading (product registry and auction features); and upcoming events.
Slight Decline Expected in 2000 Lumber Demand--After 3 record years in a row, demand for lumber is expected to decline modestly this year as the red-hot U.S. economy cools, according to a revised lumber forecast issued by the Western Wood Products Association (WWPA). U.S. lumber consumption totaled a record 54.3 billion board feet in 1999, spurred by a 3% rise in housing starts. WWPA expects housing starts to drop by 5.3% this year, to 1.56 million. With nearly two-thirds of lumber use in new residential construction and repair/remodeling, the housing decline should reduce lumber demand by 3.3% for 2000.
[Source: Forest Products Journal 50(7/8): 6, 2000]
The Small Business Advancement National Center (SBANC), located on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas, is a multifaceted small-business counseling and electronic resource information center. The focus of the Center's activities is the promotion of small businesses and entrepreneurship. SBANC publishes a weekly electronic newsletter for small businesses and entrepreneurs, including notices of upcoming conferences and workshops and resource items that can be found on the SBANC website.
The August 22 issue of the SBANC newsletter features an article entitled Do Formal Business Plans Really Matter? This paper summarizes the findings of a survey of small-business owners in Australia, their use of formal business planning, and the relationship of this process to business performance. Statistical analysis was used to examine the relationship between the use of formal business plans and business performance and character. The findings suggest a significant association between the use of a formal business plan, higher gross revenues, and growth in sales.
Do Formal Business Plans Really Matter? was presented by Tim Mazzarol of the Curtin Business School, Curtin University of Technology, at the 45th International Small Business World Conference 2000 in Brisbane, Australia, on June 7-10. The paper is posted in its entirely at www.sbaer.uca.edu/DOCS/2000icsb/034MAZ.PDF.
The August 22 newsletter Tip of the Week is how to write an effective business plan:
To subscribe to the SBANC newsletter, send an e-mail message to webmaster@www.sbaer.uca.edu with the word "add" in the subject line. Issues are also available online via the SBANC website (www.sbaer.uca.edu).
Use of Salvaged Materials in New Construction--In the Greater Vancouver area, waste management is a major problem. Local landfills are nearly full, and some solid waste is trucked to a landfill more than 300 km (186 mi) away. Because construction waste is the largest part of landfill waste, a major effort has been made to use construction waste in new construction. For several years, a type of jobsite recycling program has been in effect-buildings are deconstructed and materials are used in new construction projects.
Old to New: Design Guide to Salvaged Building Materials in New Construction provides practical information on using salvaged building materials in new construction projects. This guidebook provides case studies of recent industrial and institutional projects in the Vancouver area in which extensive quantities of salvaged materials were used. The case studies include a description of the salvaged materials, their source, and the project timeline. Also discussed are issues that must be considered at the design stage and ways for structuring a project. The section on salvaged materials is presented in standard 16-division construction specifications format. Although this guidebook was prepared specifically for the design community in the Greater Vancouver area and contains many local references, the information is appropriate for a wider audience of those interested in reusing salvaged building materials.
Copies are currently available for residents of the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) at no cost. For those outside the GRVD, copies are available for $45 each (includes duplication and handling costs). For information, contact Thomas Mueller, GRVD. Tel: 604-436-6818; Fax: 604-436-6811; e-mail:
Thomas.Mueller@gvrd.bc.ca.
[Source: Solpan Review, July 2000]
Recycling of Office Paper--Office paper is a generic name for a wide variety of paper products used in offices and businesses, including letterhead, computer, and company paper, and file stock. Office paper is a subcategory of the "printing & writing" paper industry, which also includes paper used in books, magazines, and junk mail. Office paper is the most heavily recovered segment of printing & writing paper.
In 1999, office paper accounted for 9.86 million tons of municipal solid waste. Of that, 4.26 million tons were recycled, for a 43.2% recycling rate. Recycled content in office paper can range from 0% to 100%, depending on the ability of a papermill to use the recycled paper as a raw material. Laboratory tests show that recycled copier paper meets the same quality standards as does virgin copier paper. The primary markets for recycled office paper are mills that make tissue paper, printing & writing paper, or paperboard packaging. Export markets are also important, but are subject to major fluctuations depending on the strength of Asian economies.
[Source: Waste Age, July 2000]
Bioenergy 2000, a biennial event hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy's Regional Biomass Energy Program, will be held October 15-19 in Buffalo, NY. The focus of the conference is to bring together leaders in research, business, and policy for bioenergy/bioproducts to network and map out a strategy for the future. As technologies evolve and public funding priorities and agency relationships change, linkages among biopower, biofuels, and bioproducts should be more numerous, significant, and mutually supportive. Special emphasis is being paid to facilitating a dialogue among environmental groups, agribusinesses, and energy organizations. The conference is targeted toward those with an interest in forest health, farmland protection, climate change, the environment, developing and promoting agribusiness, bioproducts, bioenergy, alternative transportation fuels, and rural economic development. A preconference workshop, Community Energy Planning for the Future: An Introduction to Biomass District Energy, and the 2000 Tradeshow will be held October 15. For more information, visit the conference website at www.nrbp.org or contact Leslie Fain, Bioenergy 2000 Conference Coordinator, by phone (301-942-5579), Fax (301-933-5718), or e-mail (lesliefain@aol.com).
Sustaining Southern Forests: The Science of Forest Assessment, a conference sponsored by the Southern Forest Resource Assessment, will be held November 7-8 in Research Triangle Park, NC. Natural and social scientists examining the multiple issues surrounding forest change and sustainability, particularly in the South, are invited to share their approaches, findings, and perspectives with natural resource professionals and other interested individuals. The conference seeks to provide participants with a comprehensive view of forest sustainability issues and the science being employed at various scales to address them. Topics of particular interest include assessing and forecasting peoples' use of land and resources, assessing changes in forest conditions and health, assessing structure and function of forest ecosystems, linking forest conditions and management to water quality, assessing the full range of benefits of forests, and illustrating through case studies the integrated analysis of forest use and effects. For more information, contact David Wear, Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, by phone (919-549-4011) or e-mail (dwear@fs.fed.us). A detailed agenda will be available in late September at the conference website (www.srs.fs.fed.us/sustain/conf).
FLC Environmental E-Mail Newsletter--The Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology (FLC) has developed an environmental newsletter dedicated to information on environmental news, technologies, facilities, and success stories from the Federal laboratory system. Their goal is to provide a wide range of information on pollution prevention, waste reduction, hazardous materials management, remediation, wastewater/groundwater issues, air quality and emissions, environmentally friendly materials, resource and land management, and recycling. Two issues have been published to date (June and August). Plans are to publish the newsletter every 2 to 3 months, or more frequently if conditions and content warrant. Newsletter articles are brief, with a point of contact provided for more information.
To subscribe, send an e-mail to Jennifer Begley (jbegley@utrsmail.com) and type "Subscribe ENV E-mail Newsletter" in the subject line. To suggest topics for upcoming issues, type "Topic for ENV Newsletter" in the subject line and list the topic or topics in the message body.
Converting Waste to Energy--Energy Products of Idaho (EPI), touted as the world's largest supplier of fluidized bed waste-to-energy (WTE) systems, will build its third system in Italy to convert paper sludge and other wood wastes into energy. The facility will produce superheated steam fed to a turbine/generator for electricity production. EPI says the system will meet stringent Italian air emissions requirements, and its proprietary selective noncatalytic reduction technology will produce NOx, SOx, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds at levels under European Union guidelines. For more information, contact Kent Pope, EPI, at 208-765-1611.
[Source: Resource Recovery Report, June 2000]
A Demonstration of New Composite Building Technologies recently conducted in the Dominican Republic could help with disaster preparedness and relief efforts. A 10-person team quickly assembled a building fabricated from composite materials in less than 24 hours without using any special tools or heavy equipment. The outside finish and roofing materials were applied within an additional 36 hours. The composite building materials were developed under the U.S. Navy Manufacturing Technology Center for Excellence for Composites Manufacturing.
"Composites are starting to be used in lieu of traditional building materials such as wood, concrete block, and various metals," said project manager Bruce Brailsford. "They have outstanding characteristics. For instance, the building frame of the demo structure is fire and termite resistant and can withstand hurricane winds up to 196 mi/hr (315 km/hr). The insulation ratings meet or exceed what is found in most house construction, with the roof rated at R-42 and the walls at R-24."
Composites resist corrosion and fatigue, weigh less, and are more cost effective when compared to the life cycles of traditional materials. Composites also allow engineers to create innovative designs that could not be attained with other materials and are the material of choice for modular construction. Emergency operations centers, warehouses for positioning disaster relief or humanitarian assistance, schools, orphanages, and shelters are only a small sampling of the types of buildings that could be constructed from composites. For more information, contact Loretta De Sio by phone at 703-696-5032 or send e-mail to desiol@onr.navy.mil.
[Source: Newslink, July-August, 2000]
Glued-Laminated Timber Bridge Systems: A Manual to Assist in the Design of Glued Laminated Timber Bridges--This document provides design data, examples, and recommendations for the use of preservative-treated glued-laminated timber in the construction of vehicular and pedestrian bridges. It addresses three types of bridges: longitudinal deck bridges, longitudinal stringer with transverse deck bridges, and longitudinal stress-laminated girder bridges. For a copy of this publication, contact the American Institute of Timber Construction, 7012 S. Revere Parkway, Suite 140, Englewood, CO 80112. Tel: 303-792-9669; Fax: 303-792--669; e-mail: info@aitc-glulam.org.
[Source: Crossings, Spring 2000]
Japanese Firms Earn Wood Design Plaudits--Several Japanese architectural and engineering firms have received special citations from APA-The Engineered Wood Association for their creative use of American structural wood panels and engineered wood framing in four Japanese building projects. The special citations were given in connection with the American Wood Design Awards program sponsored by the American forest products industry. Fifteen projects were honored, 8 nonresidential and 7 residential. Entries were required to have been built during the past 5 years and to exhibit the economy and versatility of American wood products.
The awards program is coordinated by the American Forest & Paper Association as a cross-industry cooperative effort. Cosponsors in addition to APA are the Southern Pine Council, Softwood Export Council, and American Hardwood Export Council. For more information, contact Tom Williamson, APA, at 253-565-6600, ext. 412.
[Source: APA-The Engineered Wood Association Management Report, July 2000]
Recycled Soybean Hulls and Nutshells--About 50 million tons of soybean hull and nutshell "trash" are generated each year. Some disposal costs are recouped by grinding up the hulls and shells and selling them as livestock bedding, mulch, or other low-value commodities. A team of chemists, led by Wayne Marshall of the USDA Agricultural Research Service Commodity Utilization Research Unit, is on the verge of delivering an array of techniques to make charcoal-like substances (activated carbons) from pecan, almond, and macadamia nutshells. Working like charcoal "sponges," activated carbons adsorb many types of organic compounds from air or water, such as benzene, toluene, acetonitrile, and lead. Uses for carbon run the gamut from fish tank filters and tapwater purifiers to wastewater treatment and air pollution monitoring and control. In the United States, such applications consume more than 300 million pounds (136 million kilograms) of activated carbons annually. The team recently negotiated a cooperative agreement with a Georgia-based firm to test granular forms of the nutshell carbons. The team's work has also sparked the interest of commercial nut growers and trade groups. Other potential uses for the emerging technology include electroplating companies, mining operations, and jewelry makers. For more information, contact Wayne Marshall at 504-286-4207 or marshall@nola.srrc.usda.gov.
[Source: FLC Environmental E-Mail Newsletter, June 2000]
Lumbermen's Buying Guide, published in the July/August issue of Timber Processing, is a desktop guide to more than 770 forest products industry equipment manufacturers, suppliers, and service businesses and their products. The extensive product list, followed by manufacturers, is listed alphabetically. Also included are lists of chip mill installations and engineered products mills (including glulam, I-joists, laminated veneer lumber, composite lumber, and fingerjointed lumber), as well as the top 300 softwood mills in North America.
[Source: Timber Processing, July/August 2000]
Workshops on Lumber Quality, sponsored by the Forestry Outreach Education Office of Oregon State University and led by Terry Brown, a recognized industry expert in the lumber quality control field, include the following. For more information, contact the Forestry Outreach office at 541-737-2329 or visit their website at www.cof.orst.edu/cof.extended/conferenc/.
Contents
Please send any questions or comments to
aolstad@fs.fed.us.
Contact-Name: Adele Olstad
Contact-Phone: 608/231-9329
Document-Date: 2000 September 7
Abstract: August 2000 Issue of FPC&R; Review