Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Fuel wood is currently the third largest assortment from the forest in Sweden after pulpwood and lumber. Branches and tops i.e. logging residues are one of the assortments of fuel wood which is a common by-product after harvesting nowadays. The way to utilize, disintegrate and transport the logging residues varies between northern and southern Sweden. Branches and tops are collected throughout the year at appropriate stands, but are consumed mainly wintertime. The logging residues are usually stored at roadside along forest roads during the winter season until further transportation to the consumer is executed.

In general, storage at the roadside wintertime results not only in logistical problems but also relatively large costs for road maintenance. This is especially true for logging residues, which have smaller economic margins than timber and pulp. The purpose of this study was to calculate additional costs for a number of logging residue landings in the municipality of Lycksele, located in the northern part of Sweden. Furthermore, the aim was to study how these costs, resulting from road maintenance during the winter season, varied depending on snow depth and landing conditions and to explore the scope of possible cost savings.

A snow depth study was conducted using weather data from SMHI (The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute). The spatial and seasonal variation of snow cover was investigated for the winter seasons from 1999 to 2010. A GIS model was created where the need of plowing was estimated for the logging residue landings within the project area. With data from the snow depth study, in addition with the theoretical plowing costs depending on snow depth and the estimated need of plowing, the total cost caused by plowing was obtained for each landing. That cost was later on compared to the estimated revenue at each landing.

The results showed that the road maintenance costs rose further into the winter season depending on increasing snow depth. Cost savings were made possible if smaller logging residue landings with low income and high harvesting costs were transported earlier during the winter season. For these types of landings a sort of interim storage terminal was also shown to be a cost-saving alternative. A system for transportation priorities between different landings could be based on the relation of the plowing costs and the estimated revenue at each landing.