Original scientific paper

Roadside Chipping in a First Thinning Operation for Radiata Pine in South Australia

Mohammad Reza Ghaffariyan ; University of the Sunshine Coast Private Bag 12 7001 Hobart AUSTRALIA
John Sessions ; Oregon State University Department of Forest Engineering, Resources and Management Peavy Hall 204 OR 97331-5706 Corvallis USA
Mark Brown ; University of the Sunshine Coast Locked Bag 4 4558 Maroochydore, Queensland AUSTRALIA

Abstract

Roadside chipping is a common harvesting system to produce chips in Australian plantations. This study investigated the productivity and cost of road-side chipping operation (chipping logs extracted by forwarder to the road side) using a Morbark chipper with flail delimber in a first thinning of Pinus radiata stands. An elemental time study method was used to collect the time working cycles. The regression approach was used to develop the productivity predicting model based on the log size in different wood piles. The statistical analysis yielded an average productivity of 59.4 GMt/PMH with the corresponding costs of 5.2 AU$/GMt for the Morbark chipper. The details on work time analysis, relocation time and fuel consumption of the machine are documented in this paper. The results provide basic information for planning roadside chipping operations in pine plantations.

Keywords

Morbark chipper; Loader; Truck; Work time; Productivity; Cost; Model

Hrčak ID:

116732

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/116732

Publication date:

3.6.2013.

Visits: 1.135 *