To further the industry's understanding of the relationship between off-road travel and machine operator well-being, FERIC evaluated the motion induced vibration levels generated by wheeled skidders working in a variety of operating conditions. Ride-induced vibration was measured for a sample of grapple and cable skidders, both with and without suspension seats, during actual operations in Ontario and Quebec. The whole-body vibration (WBV) recorded was analysed in terms of RMS, peak, and crest factor levels. The operator's daily vibration exposure was found to equal or exceed the "acceptable" limits as defined by the ISO 2631 standard in all cases. In addition, the report presents a discussion of WBV theory and issues of potential interest.
Weldwood of Canada Limited's William Lake Operations and the B.C. Ministry of Forests and Lands, Cariboo Forest Region, agreed to a field trial on two sites (CP 122 and CP 140) to determine whether small crawler tractors could log steep slopes in the Central interior and satisfy economic and environmental constraints. FERIC monitored the logging trials, measuring log production and soil disturbance for small crawler-tractor and cable-yarding systems from June 1984 to march 1985. For additional comparison, a rubber-tired-skidder operation was also monitored for a six-week period in the summer.
