House Log Drying Rates In Southeast Alaska For Covered And Uncovered Softwood Logs

Log moisture content has an important impact on many aspects of log home construction, including log processing, transportation costs, and dimensional stability in use. Air-drying times for house logs from freshly harvested trees can depend on numerous factors including initial moisture content, log diameter, bark condition, and environmental conditions during drying. In this study, we evaluated air-drying properties of young-growth Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr) and of western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) from logs harvested in southeast Alaska. For each species, we considered inside storage in a warehouse vs. outside storage, as well as debarked logs vs. logs with bark remaining, resulting in four experimental treatments. We considered moisture losses after 8 and 12 months of air drying. There was considerable moisture loss for Sitka spruce logs, and much of the drying occurred during the first 8 months. Fastest drying rates for both species were for peeled logs with inside storage. Western hemlock logs showed higher moisture content and greater moisture content variation (vs. Sitka spruce), and in most cases would require additional drying beyond the 12-month study period to produce satisfactory house logs. Results of this study are significant because they can help entrepreneurs determine appropriate levels of capital investment (e.g., land, covered storage, debarking equipment), as well as whether to dry and process logs in southeast Alaska vs. some other location. This study found that a leading option for local producers would be to peel Sitka spruce logs, then air dry indoors for between 8 and 12 months. Another effective strategy would be to peel western hemlock logs, then air dry indoors for 12 months.

Log moisture content has an important impact on many aspects of log home construction, including log processing, transportation costs, and dimensional stability in use. Air-drying times for house logs from freshly harvested trees can depend on numerous factors including initial moisture content, log diameter, bark condition, and environmental conditions during drying. In this study, we evaluated air-drying properties of young-growth Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr) and of western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) from logs harvested in southeast Alaska. For each species, we considered inside storage in a warehouse vs. outside storage, as well as debarked logs vs. logs with bark remaining, resulting in four experimental treatments. We considered moisture losses after 8 and 12 months of air drying. There was considerable moisture loss for Sitka spruce logs, and much of the drying occurred during the first 8 months. Fastest drying rates for both species were for peeled logs with inside storage. Western hemlock logs showed higher moisture content and greater moisture content variation (vs. Sitka spruce), and in most cases would require additional drying beyond the 12-month study period to produce satisfactory house logs. Results of this study are significant because they can help entrepreneurs determine appropriate levels of capital investment (e.g., land, covered storage, debarking equipment), as well as whether to dry and process logs in southeast Alaska vs. some other location. This study found that a leading option for local producers would be to peel Sitka spruce logs, then air dry indoors for between 8 and 12 months. Another effective strategy would be to peel western hemlock logs, then air dry indoors for 12 months.

This report is concerned with the existing volumes of renewable wood energy products (RWEP) currently used in Alaska and the potential demand for RWEP for residential and community heating projects in the state. By using peak prices from the fall of 2008, the potential value of a British thermal unit (Btu) from various fuels has been calculated to identify those situations where wood-based fuels are economically competitive or advantageous when compared with alternative fuel sources. If fuel oil prices increase to the levels experienced in 2008, there would be a strong economic incentive to convert heating systems to use solid wood fuels. Charts and tables. This is a print on demand edition of an important, hard-to-find report.

"Building with Logs" by W. Ellis Groben, Clyde P. Fickes. Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.

That is what this book is about. It is a framework for planning, in which habitat is the key to managing wildlife and making forest managers accountable for their actions. This book is based on the collective knowledge of one group of resource professionals and their understanding about how wildlife relate to forest habitats. And it provides a longoverdue system for considering the impacts of changes in forest structure on all resident wildlife.

Biochar is the carbon-rich product when biomass (such as wood, manure or crop residues) is heated in a closed container with little or no available air. It can be used to improve agriculture and the environment in several ways, and its stability in soil and superior nutrient-retention properties make it an ideal soil amendment to increase crop yields. In addition to this, biochar sequestration, in combination with sustainable biomass production, can be carbon-negative and therefore used to actively remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, with major implications for mitigation of climate change. Biochar production can also be combined with bioenergy production through the use of the gases that are given off in the pyrolysis process. This book is the first to synthesize the expanding research literature on this topic. The book's interdisciplinary approach, which covers engineering, environmental sciences, agricultural sciences, economics and policy, is a vital tool at this stage of biochar technology development. This comprehensive overview of current knowledge will be of interest to advanced students, researchers and professionals in a wide range of disciplines.