This research project aims at defining the needs of hardwood users of secondary and third transformation. Information was gathered from twenty-seven businesses that agreed to see us at their plant or to discuss over the phone. We included the following industrial sectors: flooring, kitchen cabinets, furniture, pallet, moulding, turning, coffins, doors and windows. The data covers the three facets of user needs: supply, manufactured component sizes and the quality of manufactured components.
FPInnovations launched a multi-year research project to measure mid- to high-rise wood buildings’ natural frequencies and damping ratios to expand the database and validate or adapt the existing equations to estimate the natural frequencies. Two high-rise wood buildings equipped with an anemometer and accelerometers are also being constantly monitored to study how the wind excites the building.
The report concludes with the recommendation that it would be useful to run an extensive set of cone calorimeter tests on SCL, glue-laminated timber and CLT products. The fundamental data could be most useful for validating models for predicting flame spread ratings of massive timber products and useful as input to comprehensive computer fire models that predict the course of fire in buildings. It is also argued that the cone calorimeter would be a useful tool in assessing fire performance during product development and for quality control purposes.
The ongoing evolution of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPASs) with recent advances in micro-sensors and imaging software has the potential to enhance the delivery of infrared imaging services for wildfire operations. Understanding the capabilities and limitations of these aircraft will aid wildfire managers in selecting appropriate RPAS platforms as another "tool in the toolbox" for hotspot detection missions on wildfires.
Alberta Wildfire Management Aviation and Geomatics Section is interested in researching current infrared (IR) scanner technology and identifying potential next-generation IR scanners. A survey was identified as a tool for understanding the current use of IR scanners among Canadian wildfire agencies, with the intention of leveraging existing expertise. FPInnovations was tasked with conducting this survey.
Nine Canadian wildfire management agencies responded to the survey. The results identified the IR scanners currently in use, their applications, and the pros and cons associated with the respective scanners.
Ce guide propose des graphiques simples d’utilisation afin d’aider les utilisateurs dans la conception de routes non revêtues renforcées avec des géosynthétiques. Il permet d’estimer les principaux paramètres d’entrée à travers des procédures
simples et le recours au jugement découlant de l’expérience. Lorsque possible, le recours à des essais en laboratoire est préconisé pour l’obtention de certaines données d’entrée.
This guide provides users with easy to use charts to assist with the design of geosynthetic-reinforced unpaved roads over weak soils. It permits the estimation of key input parameters through simple procedures and judgment based on experience. Further optimization of designs may however be possible through detailed calculations and lab testing which are encouraged
whenever feasible.
Hemlock can have higher moisture content than most other native trees, causing them to sink. Hemlock lumens have large pits (valves) that allow easy transport of water into the wood.
Bigger rings = bigger lumens. Younger hemlock or hemlock tops are more susceptible to sinking. The bigger the rings the more likely to take on water.
This report is divided into six (6) subsections related to different building performance attributes. It presents a review of current design provisions as well as an investigation and identification of gaps in current knowledge with respect to performance criteria for wood-based building systems.
Lastly, suggestions related to performance criteria are given with respect to, among others, structural, sound, vibration, fire, building enclosure, energy efficiency, durability and environmental performance. The development of such criteria is fundamental for reducing the burden on early adopters and AHJs in demonstrating regulatory acceptance of innovative building systems.
Ce rapport présente brièvement les principales tendances de marché qui caractérisent quatre différents segments de produits de seconde transformation : les recouvrements de plancher, les armoires de cuisine, les patios et terrasses et les revêtements extérieurs. Une attention particulière est apportée aux tendances des produits en bois.
La présente proposition de valeur résume les conclusions des différentes études menées au Canada et aux États-Unis, lesquelles identifient les menaces ou défis ainsi que les différentes occasions qui se présentent pour l’industrie du bois de la deuxième transformation, en particulier pour les quatre secteurs suivants : revêtements de plancher, patios et terrasses, parements extérieurs et armoires de cuisine. Le but ultime de cette proposition est de dresser les pistes de recherche afin de maintenir ou d’accroître les parts de marché des produits du bois existants ou de gagner des marchés avec des produits novateurs. Ce rapport évalue également les priorités d’actions en fonction des menaces ou défis auxquels l’industrie fait face.
Dans le cadre de l’initiative Vivre avec le bois – Dynamique des marchés, un portrait sommaire de l’industrie canadienne du bois a été dressé afin de présenter la répartition ainsi que les capacités de production des différents manufacturiers à l’échelle du pays.
Dans le cadre de l’initiative « Vivre avec le bois », FPInnovations désire identifier les besoins et les dynamiques de marché associés aux différents produits du bois de deuxième transformation afin d’en améliorer la pénétration sur le marché. Dans ce contexte, cette étude documente les préférences des consommateurs et leur processus de décision au moment de l’achat de différents matériaux de construction.
Midply shear wall (hereafter Midply), which was originally developed by researchers at Forintek Canada Corp. (predecessor of FPInnovations) and the University of British Columbia, is a high-capacity shear wall system that is suitable for high wind and seismic loadings. Its superior seismic performance was demonstrated in a full-scale earthquake simulation test of a 6-storey wood-frame building in Japan. In collaboration with APA–The Engineered Wood Association and the American Wood Council (AWC), a new framing arrangement was designed in this study to increase the vertical load resistance of Midply and make it easier to accommodate electrical and plumbing services. In this study, a total of 14 Midply specimens in six wall configurations with different sheathing thicknesses and nail spacing were tested under reversed cyclic loading. Test results showed that Midply has approximately twice the lateral load capacity of a comparable standard shear wall. The drift capacity and energy dissipation capability are also greater than comparable standard shear walls. For Midply to use the same seismic force modification factors as standard shear walls, seismic equivalency to standard shear walls in accordance with ASTM D7989 was also conducted. Although Midply has superior lateral load and drift capacities, it does not seem to be as ductile as the standard shear walls at the same over-strength level. Additional testing and dynamic analysis are recommended to address this issue.
A fuel amendment treatment is proposed as a technique that can allow prescribed burning in hazardous fuels during low to moderate fire hazard conditions to minimize the risk of fire escape. In August 2017, a fuel amendment technique was applied at the Fort Providence Wildfire Experimental Site. In October 2019, a burn trial was conducted in a plot treated with the fuel amendment technique and fire spread to adjacent fuels was documented. Future documentation at this site will include assessing crown mortality to determine the effectiveness of the treatment.
Through the Forestry 4.0 program, FPInnovations seeks to bring Internet access to harvest teams to improve the connectivity of forestry operations. To this end, a local cellular network was set up in forestry operations over a three-week period in order to contextualize the benefits, the constraints to deployment and the costs. FPInnovations and Resolute Forest Products commissioned Ambra Solutions to design a cellular network and the leasing of the equipment.
By using a 30 m. high self-deploying tower in the centre of the cutting area, 53% of the cut blocks were initially connected to the Internet. Combined with a 9 m. mobile tower whose function is to spread the signal around a service truck, the actual coverage is slightly flexible. Moreover, comparative tests show that a commercial amplifier significantly improves signal reception. By optimizing the bandwidth and the signal propagation mode as required, a download speed of 2 Mb/s was recorded at 9 km. from the source. This temporary deployment made it possible to record capital costs and operating expenses such as energy consumption, labour, etc. In an annual supply scenario for a typical sawmill, the cost of connectivity to harvesting teams is estimated between $0.29 and $1.01 per m3 harvested.
Although this technology offers advantages in terms of worker safety and optimizes the harvest, the limitations involved show that this technology is not suitable for all forestry operations in the country. Very isolated or dispersed operations will have to wait for the commercialization of other technologies such as low-orbit satellite constellations in low orbit before implementing a reasonably priced solution
Par le biais du programme de Foresterie 4.0, FPInnovations cherche à amener l’accès Internet aux équipes de récolte afin d’améliorer la connectivité des opérations forestières. Pour ce faire, une mise en place d’un réseau local cellulaire en opérations forestières fut réalisée sur une période de trois semaines afin de contextualiser les avantages, les barrières au déploiement ainsi que les coûts. FPInnovations et Produits forestiers Résolu ont fait appel aux services d’Ambra Solutions pour la conception de ce réseau cellulaire et la location des équipements.
En utilisant une tour autodéployante de 30 m de hauteur au centre du secteur de coupe, 53 % des blocs de coupe étaient initialement connectés à l’Internet. Jumelée avec une tour mobile de 9 m ayant comme fonction d’étendre le signal autour d’un camion de service, la couverture réelle est légèrement flexible. D’ailleurs, les essais comparatifs démontrent qu’un amplificateur commercial améliore significativement la réception du signal. En optimisant la bande passante et le mode de propagation du signal selon les besoins, une vitesse de téléchargement de 2Mb/s a été enregistrée à 9 km de la source. Ce déploiement temporaire a permis de comptabiliser les coûts en capital et les dépenses d’exploitation comme la consommation énergétique, la main-d’œuvre, etc. Dans un scénario d’approvisionnement annuel d’une scierie typique, le coût de la connectivité aux équipes de récolte est estimé entre 0,29 $ et 1,01 $ par m3 récolté.
Même si cette technologie offre des avantages en ce qui concerne la sécurité des travailleurs et optimise la récolte, les limitations encourues démontrent que cette technologie n’est pas adéquate pour toutes les opérations forestières au pays. Les opérations très isolées ou dispersées devront attendre la commercialisation d’autres technologies telles que les constellations de satellites en orbite basse pour mettre en place une solution à prix raisonnable.
Wide-base single tires are receiving renewed interest in the forest transport sector due to their inability to capture rock, as happens with dual tires, which can improve road user safety. Potential fuel efficiency gains are also attractive and, in support of this, the fuel consumption of a 9-axle tridem drive B-train truck was measured relative to a control truck under the following conditions: baseline, wide-base single tires on truck and trailer, and wide-base single tires on trailer only. The fuel consumption differences were insignificant, but the reductions in tare weight were significant. The tare reduction can be best used to carry more payload and increase revenue. Other potential benefits of wide-base tires are related to improvement of vehicle, operator, and public safety. Recommendations for implementation and economics of fitting wide-base single tires are discussed.
