Forest Products Industry

Effect of wooden floorboards on the vibration of timber floor is a study is aimed at investigating those parameters related to timber flooring that can affect the acceptability of vibration behaviour of a timber floor in a residential building in view of the criteria stated in Eurocode EC5. Source: Timberbiz The timber floor investigated is made of OSB/3 floorboards and timber joists. The parameters that are investigated in this study are thickness of flooring, floor joist span, joist spacing and connection of floorboards to the joists. In this context, two cases are considered. First: the flooring is nailed or screwed to the joists and no composite action or interaction is obtained between joists and floorboards. Second: the flooring is glued sufficiently to the joists and full interaction is obtained. The result suggests that glued floorboards perform much better with respect to natural frequency, static deflection and peak floor velocity than nailed or screwed floorboards. In almost all cases of glued floorboards, the result complies fully with the Eurocode 5 design vibration requirements. However, as floor lengths increase, the static deflection will increase beyond the allowable limit, especially for relatively thin floor panels and relatively widely spread joists. For both cases, increasing floorboards thickness and decreasing the joist span by adding more beams can yield even better results to satisfy the requirement of vibration comfort. You can download the paper here.

The Nokian Tyres Tractor King tyre family is designed for forestry, earthmoving and road construction jobs. A wide range of available sizes ensures the best match with the machine and the job at hand. This is why the Nokian Tyres Tractor King family is expanded with three new sizes, 600/65R28 for front axle as well as 710/70R38 and 800/70R38 for rear axle. Source: Timberbiz When the Nokian Tyres Tractor King Tyre family was released in 2018, it was especially welcomed by the people doing heavy tractor work in harsh terrains. Its all-new tread pattern with more tractive edges provides excellent grip while the fortified carcass and special forestry compound add reliability. With the three new sizes, even more tractors can benefit from these properties. Big machinery, heavy loads and powerful work attachments call for high load-bearing capacity from a tyre. The biggest of the new rear tyre options, 800/70R38, raises the load-bearing capacity to a new level. “The new tyre boasts the highest load carrying capacity in the Nokian Tyres Tractor King product family with a Load Index (LI) of 183,” said Teemu Vainionpää. “The wider rear tyres offer increased traction and durability, particularly beneficial for high horsepower earthmoving pulling tasks.” The Tractor King family has proven its worth in countless sites around the world. In Spain, Juan Vicente, working for Nivelanciones Hnos Cabanillas, is impressed with the tyre’s durability, traction and load capacity. “We have tested countless tyres on the market and without a doubt the hourly performance and high reliability provided by Nokian Tyres Tractor King, makes our work more profitable and safer,” Juan Vicente said. Juan Vicente also welcomes the new sizes. “They give us the opportunity to install Nokian Tyres Tractor King on all machines we have in the company,” he said. The three new sizes of Tractor King – 600/65R28, 710/70R38, and 800/70R38 – are available for order.  

Metsä Board was one of the winners of 2024 WorldStar awards for their ultralight pizza box concept developed together with Adara Pakkaus and other industry experts. A total of 435 entries from 41 countries were included in this year’s competition. Source: Timberbiz An expert panel of international judges compared the entries to similar solutions from around the world and awarded the ones that were superior in their category and market and were better in execution or innovation, in comparison to others. The awarded ultralight pizza box solution, made of Metsä Board Natural WKL Bright, uses considerably less material than traditional solutions without compromising rigidity, function or print quality. The pizza box was about 38% lighter and according to the life cycle analysis the pizza box’s carbon footprint was up to 50% lower than those of traditional solutions made of recycled fibre. The environmental impact comparison was carried out on material and its production. The World Packaging Organisation (WPO) has been organising the WorldStar awards since 1970 to recognise the best of the best in packaging innovations from across the globe. The objective is to bring forth advancements in packaging design and technology especially in responding to new challenges and global trends such as sustainability. Only packaging solutions that have been previously awarded in a recognised national or regional competition are eligible to participate. Previous to the WorldStar recognition, Metsä Board’s pizza box concept was awarded a ScanStar in a competition organised by the Nordic packaging industry associations in late 2023.

Deforestation refers to both the intentional and accidental or natural removal of trees and can occur in any area that is densely populated with trees and other plants. Source: Timberbiz The loss of trees and other vegetation causes desertification, soil erosion, decreased crop yields, flooding and increased greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. It is also one of the factors that negatively affects climate change and leads to many problems for both people, especially indigenous peoples, and biodiversity. Traditional agricultural practices have negative impacts on the environment, including deforestation. The slash-and-burn farming approach plays a significant role in this environmental issue. It involves burning vast swathes of forest to make way for agriculture, with the ash as a natural fertilizer. However, this practice leads to soil infertility in a short time, requiring the farmers to clear more land for cultivation. Food production system in Australia faces enormous challenges due to extreme climate events, including recurring droughts, heat stress, floods, and temperature variations. At the same time, outdated or unsustainable agricultural practices lead the industry in Australia to problems such as ongoing erosion, loss and destruction of soil structure and salinity. These challenges threaten the viability of many rural communities and the country’s food security. Deforestation Problems in Australia Australia’s forests undergo irrevocable changes yearly due to fires, logging and clearings. The nature of this continent is unique. However, at the moment, about 1,900 species of plants and animals are under threat of extinction. As a result of logging, millions of native animals suffer and lose their habitat. Over the past 200 years, about 50% of Australia’s forest cover has been destroyed. Between 2000 and 2017, over 7.7 million hectares of forests and bushes were destroyed due to land clearing. To put that into perspective, it’s an area as large as Ireland. Australia is the only country on the list of developed countries that is also among the global deforestation hotspots. Restoration requires much effort and time, hundreds and even thousands of years. In connection with this fact, it is necessary to emphasize that forests are not such a quickly renewable resource that they can be wasted without regard to the consequences. The main reasons for the crisis in the country are land development, agriculture and forestry. In Queensland alone, over a million hectares of forest and bushland were destroyed in five years as a result of the expansion of the meat industry. Much of the clearing of forest land in Queensland is aimed at creating pasture for grazing livestock, particularly cattle raised for beef. It is also worth noting that deforestation in Queensland is negatively impacting the Great Barrier Reef, leading to degradation and destruction of the ecosystem. Satellite Technologies in Deforestation Problems Satellite remote sensing provides forest ecological environment monitoring today, which is much more profitable than labor-intensive ground-based observations, which are also quite expensive. Information received from orbit ensures transparency and accountability. Thanks to this, scientists, non-governmental organizations and the public can obtain comprehensive information about the events and state of the woodlands. Forest monitoring satellites are being used to slow down deforestation. The availability of Earth observation and forest stands monitoring data enables effective deforestation control. This information includes identifying logging in wild and protected woodlands, changes in commercial logging, and legal violations. Thus, there are more opportunities to ensure safety and improve the management of economic activities in the logging area, as well as an in-depth analysis of the consequences. Several satellite missions have been launched specifically for forest health monitoring and land use changes. Among them is the Landsat program, thanks to which it has been possible to continuously obtain consistent data on the surface of our planet since 1972. This mission is a joint initiative be-tween NASA and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). There is also a European Space Agency (ESA) program in which Sentinel satellites provide valuable information on land cover changes and forest degradation. In addition to deforestation and forest vegetation monitoring, space data can help combat this problem. Real-time satellite data can detect illegal logging and alert law enforcement, so they can take timely action. Satellite early warning systems also help identify high deforestation risks in certain areas. Case Study: Forico, Tasmania’s leader in forest management In June 2020, Forico, Tasmania’s leading private forestry company, introduced monthly automated harvest progress reporting developed by EOSDA Forest Monitoring. The company pays great attention to preserving the environment and strives for the sustainable use of natural resources, relying on expertise and innovation. The timber market, including Forico’s exports, has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. How-ever, this issue was temporal. Demand for wood is growing, and it is expected to quadruple in the next 30 years. Sustainability is crucial in business today. Customers demand 100% plantation-sourced wood, preferring recycled waste and timber from short-growing plantations. Certified producers like Forico are the preferred choice. Thanks to the solution from EOS Data Analytics, Forico has increased the efficiency of logging monitoring. Automated reports provide reliable and accurate information collected in a short period of time. This solution also helps save time and improve crew planning. EOS Data Analytics Forest Monitoring Features and Application EOSDA Forest Monitoring is a solution for sustainable forest management created by EOS Data Analytics. A variety of users, including landowners, logging companies and research institutes, can re-motely gain valuable forest health information, monitor changes and manage forestry lands on a single platform. This sustainable management solution allows you to determine forest cover and deforestation in specified areas and analyse progress in forest restoration. With the Tree Species feature, users can remotely identify and differentiate between different tree species for targeted management. Using the Burned Area solution, the user can assess fire damage and classify the extent of damage. EOSDA Forest Monitoring provides businesses with accurate information on which to base decisions for sustainable forest management. Sustainable Forestry and Practices Poor forest management can lead to a significant reduction in the number of trees or the complete disappearance of forests. Sustainable forestry […]

New house building approvals decreased by 1.9% in November. According to HIA Chief Economist Tim Reardon the fall in this month’s figures sees approvals in the three months to November lower by 8.0% compared with the same period in the previous year. Source: Timberbiz “The low volume of building approvals throughout 2023 will see the volume of homes commencing construction continue to slow this year. “Other leading indicators of activity in the housing market, such as new home sales and housing finance data, are also consistent with their confirmation of this projected slowdown. “The rise in the cash rate is the primary cause of this slowdown in approvals,” he said. “A continued fall in the number of new homes approved indicates a slow start to the Australian government’s ambition to build 1.2 million new homes in five years starting mid-2024.” In seasonally adjusted terms, decreases in house approvals in the three months to November compared with the same period in the previous year were led by New South Wales (-16.0%), Victoria (-7.2%), South Australia (-6.6%) and Queensland (-6.0%). Western Australia saw a 5.4% increase over the same period. In original terms, detached approvals in the same period fell in the Northern Territory (-30.5%) and in Tasmania (-21.9%), while the Australian Capital Territory saw an increase (+3.0%).

In 2023 the FWPA-supported Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life entered an exciting new stage in its evolution with the appointment of its new Director, Professor Tripti Singh. Source: Timberbiz With more than 20 years of experience in managing collaborative, multi-million-dollar research programs, Professor Singh is a leading figure in wood protection research. She also has a long history with the Centre, having served on its international advisory committee since its launch in 2017. Operating out of the University of the Sunshine Coast, the mission of the Centre has always been to return Australia to the forefront of international best practice, underpinning consumer confidence in timber product performance. Since its establishment, it has made important inroads in working with industry to ensure Australia has access to the world’s leading research, building strong links between industry, academia and customers. As well as overseeing vital research projects of significant value to the sector, it continues to educate the next generation of durability scientists, boosting Australian research capacity. In the latest episode of FWPA’s WoodChat podcast series, listeners will hear from Professor Singh as she discusses her plans and vision for the future of the Centre, and how she’s found the first few months in her new role. “Taking over the leadership of such a vital centre for research into timber durability is a privilege, particularly during a time where so many opportunities existed for expanding timber use in Australia,” Prof. Singh said. “Industry collaboration on vital research projects will be key to ensuring the ongoing success of the centre. “At its core, I believe nurturing relationships with industry and strengthening linkages with re-search groups in the domestic and global durability community will help align centre research with industry needs and result in practical solutions ready for implementation in real-world settings.” Listeners will also hear from the lead researchers of two key projects currently being conduct-ed in collaboration with the centre. First up, Scott Kleinschmidt, Director at Australian Timber & Pest Research provides an update on his work in assessing the termite resistance of fast-grown plantation heartwood timber species. Meanwhile, Dr Pene Mitchell of the University of the Sunshine Coast discusses efforts to im-prove the environmental profile of treated timber by identifying appropriate alternative uses at end-of-life. This episode is the latest entry into the WoodChat canon which has evolved into a fascinating library of diverse information on vital forestry-related topics, neatly packaged in an engaging audio format. Other recent WoodChat episodes include a focus on work to protect Australia’s forests from the threat of exotic pests and diseases, and efforts to create a culture of smart manufacturing for wood products in Australia. Another recent entry is a two-part focus on the FWPA-supported ForestLearning education program for school children, covering everything from resources that utilise the latest technologies, to award wins, and outstanding feedback from kids and teachers. WoodChat is an example of FWPA’s ongoing commitment to harnessing a broad range of mod-ern communication methods to ensure the industry and community can easily access details of noteworthy developments in the sector. Each episode contains insights from leading industry experts on timely topics and exciting innovations relevant to the forestry and wood products space. You can listen to WoodChat on Soundcloud, iTunes and Spotify.

The Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) has been ordered to pay a fine and legal costs totalling $104,000 after it illegally took down protected trees in a South Coast state forest. Source: About Regional A logging operation had taken place in March 2020 at Mogo State Forest, which is south of Batemans Bay. In 2022, the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) issued three $15,000 penalty infringement notices to FCNSW for allegedly felling hollow-bearing trees across three areas in the forest. The FCNSW challenged one of these notices in the Bega Local Court last year, before Magistrate Doug Dick handed down his decision in the Batemans Bay Local Court in December. Under the site-specific operating conditions that followed the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires, FCNSW was required to permanently retain all hollow-bearing trees to prevent the loss of habitat for hollow-dependent species, the EPA said. “Following the challenge, FCNSW was found guilty of the offence under the Forestry Act 2012 in Bega Local Court in November 2023,” the EPA said. “The magistrate was satisfied all four trees had visible hollows before they were cut down.” FCNSW was ordered to pay a fine of $20,000 as well as $84,340 to the EPA as legal costs. A spokesperson for the corporation said that during the operation, Forestry undertook searches and identified and preserved hundreds of hollow-bearing trees. “Forestry Corporation and the EPA had differing opinions as to whether the hollows in four trees were visible from the ground before they were felled,” the FCNSW spokesperson said. “Forestry Corporation is committed to complying with the ruleset and ensuring habitat is protected during its operations.” EPA executive director of regulatory operations Jason Gordon said the court’s decision supported the EPA’s position that the visibility of tree hollows must be assessed broadly and requires scrutiny from several angles. “All hollow-bearing trees, living or dead, are important because they provide vital habitat for endangered and native species,” he said. “They can take decades to naturally form and provide a necessary refuge for animals from the weather and predators, as well as safe sites for roosting and breeding. “Any decrease in the availability and variety of tree hollows can lead to a significant loss of species diversity and abundance.” Mr Gordon said the decision was a great result for the EPA and signified the care needed when conducting forestry operations to comply with conditions and ensure homes for wildlife were protected. Magistrate Dick also ordered FCNSW to publicise the orders made against it in media outlets to send a message of deterrence.  

Victorian residents who rely on firewood are being warned to brace for more shortages and higher prices in the coming winter. Source: Timberbiz General Manager for the Australian Forest Contractors Association Tim Lester said firewood users are facing limited supplies due to the closure of the native timber industry in Victoria and flooding in New South Wales. “Firewood supplies in Victoria have been impacted by the closure of commercial native timber harvesting from the state’s forests which officially came into effect on 1 January 2024 but which was restricted due to court-imposed injunctions since November 2022,” Mr Lester said. “And now timber businesses undertaking Community Forestry operations have been told that their activities in Victoria will cease by 5 February 2024, almost five months before the government’s revised deadline of 30 June 2024 and six years before the original deadline in 2030. Community Forestry was a key source of firewood for large parts of the state. “Industry has struggled to adjust in the face of these rapidly amended timelines, whether imposed by the government or through court actions. “But people who are just trying to heat their homes and stay warm, are also impacted here, particularly given the current cost of living crunch. “The Victorian Government’s own Better Health website says that moderate cold kills more Australians every year than extreme heat or extreme cold. The most vulnerable members of our society are the most at risk. “Wood heating is preferenced internationally for the use of renewable fuel, lower operating expenses, high quality heat and, with modern technology and standards, low emissions and al-most no smoke. “Meanwhile, a growing, regenerative and managed forest used as a resource for all its benefits including timber and firewood offers the best mitigation pathway for climate change according to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). “Last year Victoria saw an increase in the illegal collection of wood from parks and reserves, while firewood businesses were bringing in truck loads from as far away as northern NSW. “An approach of relying on someone else and somewhere else to meet our basic needs is inherently risky, as we now see with flooding in the redgum forests which will further disrupt and limit supplies. Victorian firewood users need to be prepared to pay more because the wood will now be coming from much further away if it comes at all.”

Shadow Forestry Minister Jono Duniam stated that the Federal Court decision was another vindication of a science-based and sustainable industry. Source: Timberbiz The Court rejected the claims brought by environmental groups that the North East New South Wales Regional Forest Agreement governing the industry is out of date and doesn’t take into account current environmental issues. These claims were dismissed, confirming this industry is world leading and its practices are conducted to the highest standard Minister Duniam said in a statement. In welcoming this decision, Shadow Forestry Minister Duniam said it provided a clear message from the Court to environmental groups that the facts and science stack up – native forestry is sustainable and should continue. He said that instead of repeated and vexatious attempts to shut down this industry and to interfere with decisions and laws made by the country’s parliaments, environmental groups would be better actually doing on-ground works, and conserving and repairing the environment, than clogging up our courts and wasting taxpayers’ money on green lawfare. This includes Labor’s taxpayer-funded Environmental Defenders Office, who were a party to this case.

  Several Gippsland hardwood timber processors have vowed to continue operating despite being barred from access to the region’s native forest. Source: Philip Hopkins LaTrobe Valley Express The chief executive of the Victorian Forest Products Association, Deb Kerr, said the start of 2024 marked the end of harvesting wood fibre from Victoria’s public forests, but not the end of Victoria’s sustainable native hardwood industry. “The Victorian government’s decision last May created chaos with some businesses across the native hardwood supply chain being forced to either close permanently or diversify their business,” she said. “However, a small number of processors will continue processing the native timbers that consumers love, sourcing this wood from private sources in Victoria, from other states and from overseas. Hardwood timbers are highly valued by consumers where appearance or durability are important purchase considerations, be it stairs, decks, windows, furniture, or external applications.” In Gippsland, Australian Sustainable Hardwoods (ASH) at Heyfield began importing hardwood timber from the US some time ago as the state government began restricting hardwood supplies from Gippsland forests. ASH, which employs more than 200 people, is going to import more US hardwoods to make up some of the shortfall. Radial Timber in Yarram will go into ‘survival mode’, sourcing what local plantation timber it can get until its own plantations grow. The company, which has been growing its own plantation estate for 18 years, had been relying on timber from VicForests for another six years. The Radial mill will run at 25% capacity in the intervening six-year period. The white paper line at Opal’s Maryvale Mill in the Latrobe Valley, which relied on native hardwood residues and woodchips, ceased production last year, throwing 150-200 people out of work, but the company will still require timber for its packaging production. Ms Kerr said she did not have full confirmation of how many mills had closed, but 11 mills in Victoria took compensation payments from the first round of exists before the May 2023 announcement that timber harvesting in native forests would close at the end of 2023. “Some of those closing have drying stocks of timber that will last between one-to-three years. The full effects won’t be realised until probably 2026,” she said. Ms Kerr said while the government had closed native forestry, Victoria’s forests still needed to be managed for the health and resilience of the forest. “The continued decline of Victoria’s native plants and animals is commensurate with the in-crease in the National Park estate – clearly this speaks volumes that the current management approaches do not work,” she said. “The Victorian government should use the start of this new era to radically change the way Victoria’s forests are managed for the next century – after all native forestry can no longer be blamed for the state of Victoria’s forest flora and fauna.” Ms Kerr said a recent CSIRO report showed that feral animals and invasive species were by far the biggest threat to forest fauna and flora. The report, conducted with the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, found that at least 100 unique native species had become extinct since European settlement, with three quarters due wholly or partly to invasive species. These included mammals, frogs, birds, and lizards. “Dozens more species are at high risk of extinction in the next 20 years, including mammals, birds and reptiles threatened by cats and foxes … and plants by pathogens and feral herbivores,” the report said. From 1960 to 2017, invasive species cost Australia at least $390 billion, with the current annual cost conservatively estimated to be about $25 billion. “It has increased up to six-fold every decade. Weeds cost agriculture at least $5 billion a year,” the report said.