Description

ANNOTATION: This study shows that mechanical removal of slash has not been successfully implemented in many areas due to limited accessibility to sites and the high costs associated with collection and transportation of slash. To address these issues, a roll-off truck paired with a small skid-steer loader was used to collect and transport slash to a centralized processing site where slash was ground as hog fuel for energy production. Financial analysis indicated that contractors can receive high rates of return on their invested capital after accounting for inflation and income taxes, but limited work opportunities are a concern for them. ABSTRACT: Shaded fuelbreak treatments involve removal of understory brush and small-diameter trees to disconnect the continuity of fuels, improve firefighter safety, and confine wildfires to one watershed area. As a result of these treatments, piles of woody biomass (slash) are scattered throughout the treated stand and are typically treated by pile burning. Mechanical removal of slash has not been successfully implemented in many areas due to limited accessibility to sites and the high costs associated with collection and transportation of slash. To address these issues, a roll-off truck paired with a small skid-steer loader was used to collect and transport slash to a centralized processing site where slash was ground as hog fuel for energy production. 'Roll-off' refers to a straight frame truck configuration in which a 40-yd3 container is rolled onto and off the straight frame truck by means of a truck-mounted winch system. This study was to quantify the operational performance and costs of removing slash piles using a roll-off trucking system in mountainous conditions in northern California. The overall cost to collect and haul hand-piled slash was $22.95/green ton (or $230/acre if there were 10 tons of slash per acre). This indicates that mechanical removal of hand-piled slash through this method would be comparable to pile burning costs ($150 to $850/acre in northern California). Furthermore, slash burning options raise concerns related to air quality, risk of escaping fire, and limited burn opportunities. The roll-off trucking system should be used primarily for short hauling distances since trucking costs significantly increase with small increases in hauling distance due to slow traveling speeds (less than 10 miles per hour on gravel roads) and low slash weight being hauled (3.91 ton/trip on average). Financial analysis indicated that contractors can receive high rates of return on their invested capital after accounting for inflation and income taxes, but limited work opportunities are a concern for them.