The logging industry is defined as being comprised of firms
which combine capital and labor resources in a production process
for converting stumpage into industrial roundwood. The industry
occupies an important position in a series of inter-connected markets
and manufacturing processes which links stumpage producers with
wood product manufacturers and...
Heuristics based on Monte-Carlo Integer Programming (MCIP) and Tabu Search
(TS) techniques were developed for generating easily implementable bucking rules that are
applicable to entire stands (as opposed to individual stem classes), and for selecting the
rule-set that provides the best feasible solution (given log prices and market constraints).
A...
A computer program, SAW3DG, was developed to optimize log breakdown
using 3-dimensional log and internal defect shapes. The program was based on
SAW3D, a log breakdown optimization program considering only 3-dimensional log
shape. SAW3D was modified to include internal log defects in 3-dimensional
representation and integrated with SLGRADER, an expert...
In the context of forest products, a cutting order is a list of dimension parts along with demanded quantities. The cutting-order problem is to minimize the total cost of filling the cutting order from a given lumber grade (or grades). Lumber of a given grade is supplied to the production...
Globally the forest harvesting industry is becoming increasingly mechanized. Driving this trend is the desire to increase productivity and reduce cost, as well as to improve labor-related issues. With mechanization comes an in-forest platform for the introduction of state-of-the-art communication and measurement technologies, and powerful on-board computers. These systems have...
The objective of this project was to investigate technical efficiency and productivity growth in the Pacific Northwest sawmilling industry over the period 1968-2002. Productivity growth was decomposed into three components: technical change, efficiency change, and scale efficiency change. In addition, using econometric methods, changes in output elasticities and input substitution...