Comparison of Short-Wood Forwarding Systems Used in Iberia

Time studies were conducted to quantify the productivity and the operational cost of mechanized wood extraction in the Iberian Eucalyptus plantations. The key objectives were: to determine the signifi cant variables that infl uence machine productivity and extraction costs in shortwood transport within the forest and to fi nd the basis for optimization of shortwood transport with respect to Eucalyptus forest stands. Three machines were selected for study, each representative of the different log forwarding regimes that are used in Iberia and that could be extended to most of Southern Europe. These were: 1) a modifi ed articulated dumper, 2) a purpose-built forwarder and 3) a farm tractor paired to a twin-axle forestry trailer. It was observed that the productivity and the cost of shortwood extraction may vary from 6 to 15 fresh tonnes/SMH and 3.5 to 6.5 Euro/fresh tonne, respectively. It was estimated that the optimal extraction route network covered approximately 10% of the forest surface. It was also observed that the modifi ed dumper is the most-productive unit, and given its higher speed (> 5 km/h) and larger payload (16 tonnes), it is the economic choice for extraction distances in excess of 1000 m. However, it also generates the most severe rutting, hence it should be used with caution. For extraction distances below 1000 m, the light purpose-built forwarder compares favourably with the modifi ed dumper, while generating less than half the site disturbance. The tractor-trailer combination is economically inferior to the modifi ed dumper and the light forwarder, and should be regarded as a complement to the main extraction fl eet and where short-haul operations are required. Under the assumptions of the study, light forwarders (8-tonne payload) may become competitive with heavier ones when road density is at least 6 m/ha, so that extraction distance does not exceed 1 km. This study provides a model for estimating the productivity and the cost of timber forwarding under varying conditions.


Introduction
The mechanized cut-to-length (CTL) system consists of felling, delimbing and bucking trees into logs of specifi ed lengths at the stump.Logs are then transported to a landing by a forwarder.This system offers several advantages, notably the smaller size of landing area that is required and minimal damage to the logs during handling and transport.Over the years, the system has become increasingly mechanized and it is now based on harvester and forwarder.The mechanized cut-tolength system has gained world-wide acceptance, expanding far beyond the limits of boreal forestry.When the original Nordic product cannot satisfy local needs, specifi c adaptations are developed.This is particularly true with the forwarder, as its design allows for more technical fl exibility than the harvester does.Consequently, forwarders now operate under a variety of working environments, that are often very different from those for which the machine was originally intended.The forwarders used in Iberia handle heavier wood, and they must also cope with the inherent steeper terrain and warmer weather.As a consequence, machine performance, technical availability and the impacts on the environment may be significantly altered.
Furthermore, the socio-economic conditions of Southern European forestry are much different and more diversifi ed than in Fennoscandia, where the harvester-forwarder system has reached a certain standardization in the way it is designed, planned and implemented (Brunberg et al. 2000).For all these reasons, a number of alternative strategies have been developed to cope with the forest and the terrain characteristics of Southern Europe.
Traditionally, Eucalyptus logs are forwarded with all-terrain trucks, often obtained from auctions of military surplus.These units can attain productivity of over 10 tonnes/scheduled machine hour (SMH) for an extraction distance of 250 m, on fl at terrain with a dense network of extraction routes covering approximately 40 m/ha (Verani 2001).When harvesting on rough terrain, the need for better off-road vehicles gets urgent.Modifi ed farm tractors are often used, but their mobility on many forest sites is limiting, hence, purpose-built forwarders are preferred.Forwarders are consid-ered to be reliable and their productivity are in the range of 8 to over 20 tonnes/SMH, depending on the model and the working conditions (UK Forestry Commission 1998, Gullberg 1997, Martin dos Santos et al. 1995, Saunders 1996).Recent tests conducted in the Croatian fl oodplains have indicated that these machines can forward heavy oak logs over comparatively long distances and still obtain a productivity of about 10 m 3 /SMH (Goglia et al. 1999, Horvat et al. 1999).
In Southern Europe, however, the introduction of Scandinavian-made forwarders is progressing slowly.This might be related to both the climate and the socio-economic conditions of the region.At any rate, local manufacturers in Spain have developed their own version of the forwarder, offered on the market at attractive prices.Although these machines are already obtaining the attention of the international press (Burke 2002), no studies are available on their performance.At fi rst sight, the new forwarders produced in Spain resemble the older generations of the Nordic line, as it can be checked by comparing their respective market reviews (Åkerman 1976(Åkerman , Daly 2001).But of course over twenty years have elapsed, and even the same concept is no longer implemented with the same technical solution.
In fact, Iberian forwarders should be regarded as a new, adapted species of the larger forwarder family.
This project was conducted as a further step towards producing an overall simulation model of harvesting options for Eucalyptus plantations.Once assembled, the fi nal model would allow managers to compare the performance of alternative harvesting strategies under their conditions of choice.Forwarding is a key element of the cut-to-length harvesting chain and must be included in any such model.However, limited scientifi c knowledge is presently available on the forwarding of Eucalyptus logs under these conditions and therefore the need arose of determining the signifi cant variables that infl uence the productivity and cost of shortwood transport with alternative forwarders under the conditions of these stands.Attention was also paid to the soil impact consequent to each choice, which may inform machine selection.This was not studied in detail, because that would have required a very complex study: yet an indicator was provided for comparing the relative impact of each machine choice.Rut depth was chosen as a practical indicator of soil impact (Wästerlund 1992, Wronski andHumphreys 1994).

Description of the Study Site
The study was carried in a 54 ha, even-aged Eucalyptus stand at Finca de Villabona, in Northern Spain.The forest on a hillside was planned for clear-cut harvesting at the age of 14.The terrain slope was moderate (avg.23%), with maximum gradients of up to 40% on some areas.The general stand and terrain characteristics are presented in Table 1.
The logs to be extracted had been debarked and cut into 2 m lengths, and stacked within the forest stand.Log processing had been done mechanically, using excavator-base harvesters in 35 m spaced trails.Forwarding operations mainly used the harvester trails, but the main extraction trails were constructed after the harvesting operation.The logs were forwarded to a landing, adjacent to a public road.Each experimented forwarder was allocated a specifi c area for unloading, as the work was performed by contractors paid on a piece-rate basis.

Description of the Forwarders
Three machines were selected for study, each representative of a different technological solution used in Iberia.These were: 1) a modifi ed articulated dumper, 2) a purpose-built forwarder and 3) a farm tractor paired to a twin-axle forestry trailer (Fig. 1).The technical characteristics of these machines are shown in Table 2.
The articulated dumper was modifi ed for forestry applications by removing the tipping bin that is used for quarry work.The rear chassis was extended and fi tted with headboard and bolsters, and a loading crane.The tires were of size 20.5-25 and were re-treaded with tractor lugs.Despite the increasing number of purpose-built forwarders, the modifi ed quarry dumper still makes a popular extraction vehicle in Southern Europe.The reasons are that the dumper is much sturdier than a purpose-built forwarder: its payload is in excess of 20 tonnes and this is suitable to extracting Eucalyptus wood, which is very heavy (density in the range of 1.1 tonnes/m 3 fresh).Dumpers have a higher load index (ratio between load weight and tare weight) than purpose-built forwarders, i.e. 1.4 vs. 0.8 respectively.This limit has not been overcome yet, despite recent developments in forwarder design (Brunberg et al. 2000, Löfgren 1999).The dumper has automatic transmission, which builds up less heat than the hydrostatic type mounted on most purpose-built forwarders, which is a signifi cant advantage in the hot climate of Southern Europe.The automatic transmission also allows for high travel speed: up to 50 km h -1 may be achieved on level road.A modifi ed dumper is cheaper to purchase than a standard Scandinavian forwarder: the specimen in the study was costed at approx.160 000 Euro, which is about 20% less than the cost of a 10tonne purpose-built Scandinavian forwarder.
The purpose-built forwarder used for the test was a Spanish-built light unit, designed as a compromise between the modifi ed dumper and the large purpose-built forwarder.It represented a whole class of machines: purpose-built forwarders in all their characteristics, but simpler and cheaper than the Nordic products.Generally   equipped with mechanical transmissions, Spanish forwarders offer indeed a 'jerkier' ride than Nordic ones, but they are also faster and less likely to develop heating problems.They are certainly worth considering, as they offer a reduced-impact alternative to the modifi ed dumper, for the attractive price of app. 100 000 Euro per unit.In fact, the high investment cost of Scandinavian forwarders represents a problem for many loggers, and not only in Spain (Cuchet 1997).
Forwarding with farm tractors that have been modifi ed for forwarding applications is common practice almost everywhere in Europe, including in Scandinavia, where purpose-built forwarders dominate.While the farm tractor and forestry trailer combination lacks the mobility of a purpose-built forwarder, it is versatile in that it can be used in a variety of tasks, including forwarding, skidding and loading, apart from the associated agricultural work.The unit experimented consisted of a four wheel drive farm tractor with a twin axle trailer.The tractor was fi tted with all appropriate guarding, front blade and ballast.A winch had been installed on the nose of the tractor and a hydraulic loader on its rear end.The trailer had twin axle, which received power from the tractor power take-off shaft.The price of the complete unit is app. 100 000 Euro.
The machine extraction tasks were assigned on the following basis: the dumper was assigned to extracting the wood from approximately 1600 m from the landing; the farm tractor covered the scattered small patches, on easy terrain and near the road; the light forwarder would extract the rest of the wood, at times on steep terrain.The average extraction distances covered by the three units are substantially different (Table 3).All the machines were operated by experienced drivers, who had operated their respective units for a number of years and were very profi cient in their use.They all had a good perspective of the logging operation as a whole, and did their best effort to correctly manage the interface with the other teams.Operators had been chosen from a larger pool for their recognized good-average skill.

Data Collection Routine
The data collection procedure consisted of a set of time studies.Cycle times for each machine were split into time elements, considered to be typical of the wood forwarding process.This was done with the intent of isolating those parts of a routine that are dependent on one or more external factors (viz.load size, travel distance, number of logs), in order to enhance the accuracy of the productivity models (Bergstrand 1991, Gullberg 1997).All time elements data were recorded using a stopwatch.
The distances covered by the machines were measured by pre-marking all the extraction routes and measuring the corresponding distances with a hip-chain.The slope of each trail was measured at 20-m intervals using a clinometer.Load size was estimated by counting the number of logs contained in each load, and applying an average log weight to the total.The average log weight was obtained by counting the number of logs on four trucks and taking each truck to a certifi ed weighbridge.As a further reference, the stacked volume of all forwarder-and truck-loads was also measured using a metric tape.Fresh weights were used all along the study.Rut depth was measured at 20-m intervals on all trails.On each measuring point, a stick was placed on the rut walls and the depth was measured perpendicularly to the stick, with a rigid measuring tape.
The time data collected were analysed, in order to establish the signifi cance of selected independent variables to discrete machine process cycle times.Multiple linear regression and correlation analyses were used to express the machine process time expenditures as functions of the most signifi cant independent variables.The terms in the established relationships were tested for signifi cance at p < 0.01.

Productivity and Cost
Machine productivity is reported both as productive machine hours excluding delays (PMH 0 ), and scheduled machine hours (SMH).The utilization coeffi cient -i.e. the ratio between PMH 0 and SMH -recorded during the study was around 90%, for the duration of 3 to 7 shifts.For longterm machine utilization a 70% coeffi cient was adopted, which is still slightly higher than normal (Brinker et al. 1989), but it was assumed to better refl ect the easier work conditions offered by plantation forestry (Hartsough and Cooper 1999).
Table 3 shows that machine production rates are somewhat even, ranging between 12 and 14 fresh tonnes/PMH 0 (9 to 10 tonnes/SMH).This was the result of a deliberate strategy that assigned the longest hauls to the most productive machines to maintain a constant supply of material to the landings: average extraction distance was approx.170 m for the farm tractor, 700 m for the light forwarder and 1600 m for the dumper.
Comparing the potential of the three machines requires modelling their productivity, which was done through statistical analysis of their respective data sets.Effects of the key factors associated with productivity in forwarding operations (viz.travel distance, route gradient, payload and log size) were tested in a multiple linear regression of the extraction time elements (Table 4).Travel time is closely correlated to the distance covered, and also to the payload, in the case of the loaded part of the trip.As would be expected, both loading time and unloading time are a function of load size.In the case of both the dumper and the light forwarder, unloading time is also infl uenced by log weight.Trends of the evaluated machine productivity are shown in Fig. 2. The graphs were calculated for the average payloads recorded and a mean log mass of 35 kg, fresh weight.The modifi ed dumper outperforms all the other machines i.e., it was able to extract twice their payload and was faster in almost every phase of the working cycle.The farm tractor had the lowest productivity.
Operating costs were calculated using the procedures described by Miyata (Miyata 1980), on an estimated annual utilization of 2000 hours and a depreciation period of 5 years.A machine utilization rate of 70% was assumed, while labour cost was set at 12 Euro/h.Interest rate was estimated at 8% and the insurance and tax rate at 7%.Fuel cost was assumed to be 0.75 Euro/l.The total costs are exclusive of profi t and overheads.The results are operating costs of 57.4,38.6 and 37.9 Euro/h, respectively for the dumper, the forwarder and the tractor-trailer system.
The established unit cost data (Euro/fresh tonne) and the evaluated productivity models were used to calculate the extraction cost depicted in Fig. 2. It is shown that under the conditions of this study, it was economical to use the modifi ed dumper for extraction distances in excess of 500 m.However, the economic gain obtained in using a modifi ed dumper becomes signifi cant (approximately.4%) when forwarding over more than 1 km.Below this distance, it is diffi cult to assess which machine is the more economic.The farm tractor was more expensive for the range of extraction distances tested (150-500 m), which suggests that it should be used only as a support unit and for shorter (< 150 m) extraction distances.

Evaluation of Site Disturbance
Results of the rut depths that were recorded on the respective extraction routes are presented in Table 5.
The rutting data show a difference (signifi cant to t-test), which represents the site impact levels typical of each forwarder.The modifi ed dumper was by far the heaviest machine and it generated the deepest ruts (max.depth 1200 mm).With a full load, it weighted twice as much as the purpose-built forwarder, i.e. 33 tonnes vs. 18 tonnes.The tractor-trailer system was as heavy as the purpose-built forwarder, but it was much more gentle on the soil.This may depend on its inferior mobility, which prevents it from treading wet or steep spots.Of course, soil impact depends on machine ground pressure, which is related to the footprint area.This parameter was not considered in the study, because it is diffi cult to measure it correctly in its dynamic dimension.However, for similar machine confi gurations as those used for the study (i.e.6-wheels, standard tyres, max.infl ation pressure) machine weight may represent the main impact factor and rut depth may prove a good indicator of respective impact levels.
The average extraction trail spacing of 35 m results in a trail density of 285 m/ha.For a 3.5 m trail width, the total ground surface covered by extraction trails is 10% of the forest land.In plantation forestry, the levels of rutting due to the extraction machines and the associated compaction are of concern.An effective strategy may consist in the provision of a permanent extraction trail network, to minimize site impacts with each rotation.Furthermore, one may reduce the severity of rutting by limiting the recourse to modifi ed dumpers.These machines are generally resorted to because of the long extraction distances: therefore, the solution may consist in reducing the extraction distance by increasing the density of the forest roads.If we set an economically acceptable break-even point of choice between a modifi ed dumper and a light forwarder to approx.1000 m, the corresponding road density may be evaluated from (FAO 1974 Considering a terrain factor (k) of 6 as for hilly terrain, the road density that would allow the purpose-built forwarder to remain competitive with respect to the modifi ed dumper is 6 m/ha.Whenever possible, the forest road network should be upgraded accordingly.It is suggested that further cost-benefi t analyses are conducted on this subject, in order to calculate the cost of an eventual upgrade, as well as its multiple benefi ts, including: reduced erosion, reduced deactivation costs, easier surveillance and safer fi re prevention/control.Of course, the break-even extraction distance will change with changing machine cost assumptions: this report gives just one possible distance, but it also provides readers a model for recalculating the break-even distance under their own cost assumptions.The tractor-trailer system was excluded from the comparison because it is not an economical alternative to either the dumper or the light forwarder: it is rather a complement to the main forwarding fl eet, whichever machine this is based on.

Conclusions
Overall, extraction productivity may vary from 6 to 15 fresh tonnes/SMH, which is not much dif- ferent from what is documented by other studies of standard Scandinavian forwarders, if the long extraction distance is taken into account.Under the economical assumptions of the present study, extraction cost ranges from 3.5 to 6.5 Euro/fresh tonne.The modifi ed dumper is the most-productive unit, and given its higher speed and larger payload, it is the economic choice for extraction distances in excess of 1000 m.However, it also generates the most severe rutting, hence it should be used with caution.For extraction distances below 1000 m, the light purpose-built forwarder compares favourably with the modifi ed dumper, while generating less than half the site disturbance.The tractor-trailer combination is economically inferior to the modifi ed dumper and the light forwarder, and should be regarded as a complement to the main extraction fl eet and where short-haul operations are required.
From the operational viewpoint, one should explore the possibility of increasing the road density in order to reduce extraction distance.This would allow the economical use of the light forwarder, which generates less rutting and probably less soil disturbance in general.Further studies should focus on the overall economic balance of such strategy, and evaluate the economical impact of road building on extraction cost.Once a model is available, different scenarios can be simulated in order to select the best overall strategy for each set of conditions.

Fig. 1 .
Fig. 1.Machines selected for the study: modifi ed articulated dumper (top left), a purpose-built forwarder (top right) and a farm tractor paired to a twin-axle forestry trailer (left).
extraction distance (km) RD = road density (m/ha) k = terrain factor = 4 to 5 in fl at terrain 5 to 7 in hilly terrain 7 to 9 mountain > 9 very steep mountain

Table 1 .
Description of the study site.
a) According to UK Forestry Commission 1995

Table 2 .
Specifi cations of the forwarders.
Fig. 2. Variation of forwarder productivity and extraction cost with extraction distance.

Table 4 .
Signifi cant time expenditure models for the forwarders studied (p < 0.01).

Table 5 .
Summary of the rut measurements.