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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%).