2003 Council on Forest Engineering (COFE) Conference Proceedings:

“Forest Operations Among Competing Forest Uses”

Bar Harbor, September 7-10, 2003

A COMPUTERIZED METHOD FOR DETERMINING CABLE LOGGING

FEASIBILITY USING A DEM

Woodam Chung1 and John Sessions2

1
Assistant Professor, School of Forestry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812
email: wchung@forestry.umt.edu
2
Professor, Department of Forest Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331
email: john.sessions@orst.edu

ABSTRACT – This paper introduces a computerized method designed to determine cable

logging feasibility by analyzing ground profiles using a digital elevation model (DEM). This
method involves a series of computer algorithms to extract topographic information from a
DEM, analyze payload and ground profiles, find proper intermediate support locations, and
consider the full suspension requirement over the riparian management areas. A computer
program has been developed to implement this method. Providing the users with interactive
functions, the program can be used to identify feasible cable logging areas, find efficient tower
locations, estimate load carrying capacity, and find proper intermediate support locations.

INTRODUCTION

Cable logging systems are often used to harvest timber in mountainous areas where road access
is limited or additional protection to the ground is required. Cable logging involves expensive
equipment and high-risk operations. Well-designed operational plans are crucial for successful
applications of cable logging.

Planning cable logging operations is a challenging task. It requires consideration of the physical
feasibility of the system, economic efficiency, and environmental concerns. The identification of
cable logging feasibility necessitates the consideration of topographic conditions, yarding system
capacity, tower and tailspar locations, intermediate support locations, and other environmental
requirements such as full suspension requirement over the riparian management areas.

Several computerized methods for ground profile analysis have been introduced to assist forest
engineers in planning cable logging operations. LoggerPC (Jarmer and Sessions 1992) is a
widely used computer program that analyzes the load carrying capacity of yarding systems over
specified terrain profiles that are derived from survey data. Interacting with GIS (Geographic
Information System) database, PLANS (Preliminary Logging Analysis System) developed by the
USDA Forest Service (Twito et al. 1987), extracts topographic information from a DEM and
analyze harvest units based on specified landing locations and cable logging systems. However,
neither PLANS nor LoggerPC automatically consider full suspension requirements over the
riparian management areas or search for intermediate support locations along cable corridors for
multiple span skylines. CPLAN (Chung 2002) does have this functionality as a subcomponent of
an overall road and landing location optimization problem, but the planner cannot use the
corridor analysis as a stand alone module. Recently, a cable logging feasibility stand alone
module has been developed as an extension to the work done in CPLAN.
 2003 Council on Forest Engineering (COFE) Conference Proceedings:
“Forest Operations Among Competing Forest Uses”
Bar Harbor, September 7-10, 2003

This paper describes the computerized method designed to determine cable logging feasibility by
analyzing ground conditions while considering yarding systems, intermediate support locations,
load carrying capacity, and full suspension requirements where necessary. GIS produced data
such as a DEM and a stream coverage are used in this method to provide the topographic
information and the riparian management areas (stream buffers). A computer program
developed to implement this method extracts topographic information from a DEM and searches
for the feasible cable corridor configuration which satisfies minimum load carrying capacity and
the full suspension requirement above the riparian management areas. The method and the
computer program are briefly introduced in this paper.

LOGGING FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS

In this method, users specify landing locations and a computer algorithm developed for this
analysis projects 36 cable corridors at 10-degree intervals from each landing. The algorithm then
evaluates each of the projected cable corridors for its logging feasibility and searches for a
feasible cable corridor configuration (Figure 1). Two evaluation criteria are used: 1) the user-
defined minimum payload per yarding cycle and 2) the full suspension requirement over the
riparian management areas. Each of the cable corridors has to meet both requirements in order to
become a physically feasible cable corridor.

Identify an initial tailspar location on a DEM

Identify grid cells located along a cable corridor on a DEM

Set the tailspar at the lowest allowable height

Place intermediate supports where necessary

This cable
corridor is Yes Physically feasible and load capability is greater than
feasible
the design payload
No
Elevate tailspar Yes
height Tailspar height < Upper range?
No
Shorten the skyline No Is the skyline length shorter than
length by moving
the minimum limit?
tailspar location
toward headspar by Yes
one grid cell This cable corridor is not feasible

Figure 1. The algorithm to determine the logging feasibility of an individual cable corridor.

The computer algorithm determines the initial tailspar location of each cable corridor on a DEM
using the maximum external yarding distance of the specified cable logging system with the
 2003 Council on Forest Engineering (COFE) Conference Proceedings:
“Forest Operations Among Competing Forest Uses”
Bar Harbor, September 7-10, 2003

assumption that an adequate tailspar is available. The algorithm then identifies the grid cells that
are located along each cable corridor on the DEM. Each of these cable corridors is evaluated for
its logging feasibility for a specified cable yarding system. Currently the analysis is limited to
standing skyline systems. The algorithm applies the Phase I procedure suggested by Brown and
Sessions (1996) to identify the maximum log load that can be carried along a given ground
profile by a standing skyline system. The algorithm automatically places intermediate supports
on convex terrain in order to ensure the minimum clearance of the skyline from the ground. The
algorithm also allows the planners to input the available range of tailspar heights and searches
for the minimum height satisfying the minimum payload per yarding cycle, which is referred to
as the design payload in this paper.

Locating intermediate supports

Intermediate supports are required to ensure the minimum clearance of the skyline on terrain
with a convex slope or a long constant slope. An automated algorithm to place intermediate
supports developed by Sessions (1992) is implemented in this method with some modifications.
The algorithm begins by placing intermediate supports on all terrain with a convex slope, then
eliminating unnecessary supports using several design criteria. Since identifying intermediate
support locations is mainly associated with consecutive terrain points, which are represented by
grid cells on a DEM, the algorithm may place more intermediate supports than necessary. If the
users limit the allowable number of intermediate supports along a cable corridor, the algorithm
tries to keep the total number under the limit by eliminating the intermediate supports that have
the least effect on payload as long as the user-defined design payload is achieved. The steps in
the algorithm are presented below:

Step 1. Examine ground slopes between three consecutive terrain points along the profile and
place intermediate supports on all terrain points where convex slopes are found (Figure 2a).
Step 2. Examine the slope change of the skyline at each intermediate support and eliminate the
support if the slope is not convex (Figure 2b).
Step 3. Evaluate the deflection at each intermediate support assuming the support does not exist.
If enough clearance is ensured, then eliminate the support. Otherwise, keep the support at the
current terrain point. The allowable percentage deflection of the skyline and minimum
skyline clearance above the ground are provided by the users (Figure 2c).
Step 4. Examine the slope change of the skyline at the intermediate support. If the slope exceeds
the user-defined maximum slope change of skyline required for carriage passage, then this
cable corridor becomes physically infeasible (Figure 2d).
Step 5. If the total number of intermediate supports is greater than the user-defined maximum
number, then temporarily eliminate an intermediate support one at a time and calculate the
payload. Record the payload, restore the intermediate support, and move to the next
intermediate support and repeat this process.
Step 6. By comparing the payloads calculated from Step 5, eliminate the least effective
intermediate support.
Step 7. Repeat Steps 5 and 6 until the total number of intermediate supports meets the user-
defined allowable number. If the maximum load carrying capacity is not greater than the
user-defined design payload, then stop the routine and this cable corridor configuration
becomes infeasible.
 2003 Council on Forest Engineering (COFE) Conference Proceedings:
“Forest Operations Among Competing Forest Uses”
Bar Harbor, September 7-10, 2003

TP1 The slope change of the

TP2 skyline on both sides of
an intermediate support
TP3
Slope change shows Ground profile
TP4
that TP2 is on a
convex slope Intermediate
supports
(a) (b)
Deflection Skyline

Intermediate
support The slope
Intermediate change is too
support large for the
Clearance from the ground carriage to pass
(c) (d)

Figure 2. Design criteria on placing intermediate supports.

Full suspension requirement over the riparian management areas

Full suspension is often required over riparian management areas to protect vegetation and
minimize disturbance to beds and banks of streams (Figure 3a). The algorithm overlays a stream
coverage on a DEM to identify the riparian management areas (Figure 3b) and checks the log
clearance when cable corridors cross any of those areas. If a cable corridor cannot produce
enough payload per yarding cycle while satisfying the full suspension requirement, the current
cable corridor configuration becomes infeasible and the algorithm searches for a new tailspar
location along the corridor that satisfies both the design payload and full suspension
requirements.

Terrain points where full

suspension is required
Riparian
management
area

Stream

Terrain points
along a cable
Riparian management area corridor
(Full suspension required)
(a) (b)
Figure 3. Riparian management areas requiring full suspension.
 2003 Council on Forest Engineering (COFE) Conference Proceedings:
“Forest Operations Among Competing Forest Uses”
Bar Harbor, September 7-10, 2003

APPLICATIONS OF THE LOGGING FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS

This method has been implemented in a Windows based computer program, written in Microsoft
Visual C++. Providing users with interactive functions, the program can be applied to identify
feasible cable logging areas from specified landings (Figure 4a) while considering minimum
design payload and full suspension requirement over the riparian management areas (Figure 4b),
select efficient tower locations (Figure 4c), and find proper intermediate support locations while
providing estimated load carrying capacity (Figure 4d).

Stream
buffers

Forest
roads

DEM
Landing
location A selected tower location (a black dot)
that provides the largest logging feasible
Cable logging feasible areas from the specified area among other alternative locations
landing locations (shown in a white rectangle)
(a) (c)

Selected intermediate
Full suspension over support locations
the riparian areas

(b) (d)
Figure 4. A computer program developed to conduct ground profile analysis and determine cable
logging feasibility using GIS produced data.

CONCLUSIONS

An automated method to efficiently analyze ground profiles and determine cable logging
feasibility is introduced. Incorporating modern computer programming languages and GIS
technologies, a computer program has been developed to implement the method. Hopefully, the
program can help forest planners efficiently analyze timber harvest areas and develop better
cable logging plans that reduce the costs and environmental impacts of timber harvesting.
 2003 Council on Forest Engineering (COFE) Conference Proceedings:
“Forest Operations Among Competing Forest Uses”
Bar Harbor, September 7-10, 2003

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This study was supported in part by funds provided by The University of Montana.

REFERENCES
Brown, C. and J. Sessions. 1996. The standing skyline: a maximum log load solution procedure.
Forest Science. 42(2): 220-227.
Chung, W. 2002. Optimization of cable logging layout using a heuristic algorithm for network
programming. PhD dissertation, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR. 209 p.
Jarmer, C. and J. Sessions. 1992. Logger-PC for improved logging planning. In Proceedings of
Planning and Implementing Future Forest Operations, International Mountain Logging and 8th
Pacific Northwest Skyline Symposium, December 14-16, 1992. Bellevue, WA.
Sessions, J. 1992. Unpublished software developed for educational use. Oregon State University,
Corvallis, OR.
Twito, R.H., S.E. Reutebuch, E. Stephen, R.J. McGaughey, and C.N. Mann. 1987. Preliminary
logging analysis system (PLANS): overview. Gen.Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-199. Portland, OR:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 24p.