Optimizing Forestry Site Preparation
Operations
A cooperative
effort by Auburn University's Biosystems Engineering Department, the USDA
Forest Service Southern Research Station through its engineering research
work unit in Auburn, AL, the USDA Soild Dynamics Lab, Woodlands Specialists,
International Paper, Mead Corporation - Coated Board Division.
Investigators:
Steven
E. Taylor, PE
Matthew Veal
Robert B. Rummer
Randy Raper
Associate Professor
Graduate Research Assistant
Project Leader
Research Engineer
Auburn University
Auburn University
USDA Forest Service USDA ARS - National
Soil Dynamics Lab
Project Overview
Background
Forestry site preparation
represents a tremendous expense to the forest products industry.
Increased efforts are needed to improve the efficiency and reduce the cost
of mechanical and chemical site preparation operations. Basic research
is needed to quantify energy requirements for traditional site preparation
plows and disks. This basic engineering data can then be used to
design more advanced and efficient site preparation plows. In addition,
new techniques are needed to quickly determine productivity and cost of
site preparation operations. These methods can be used to optimize
site preparation and eventually reduce the cost of these operations.
Research Efforts at
Auburn
Research at Auburn is
been a cooperative effort between Auburn University's Biosystems Engineering
Department, the USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, the USDA
Soil Dynamics Laboratory and several private forest industry cooperators.
These cooperators include Mead Corporation's Coated Board Division, International
Paper, Woodlands Specialists, and Savannah Forestry Equipment.
Our research is focusing
on:
1. Quantifying energy
requirements and tractive efficiency of mechanical site preparation equipment.
2. Developing methods
to quantify productivity of mechanical and chemical site preparation operations.
Send mail to staylor@eng.auburn.edu
with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2001 Steven E.
Taylor
Last modified: May 7, 2001