in the shafaroud forest, logging operation is generally performed by using selective cutting methods. chainsaw and cable skidder are two main forest machines for harvesting of this forest. however, forest harvesting operations result in serious residual stand damage during felling, winching and skidding operations in this forest. residual stand damage resulting from selective cutting was assess...

air cooled blast furnace slag is a by product made of gradually air cooled molten blast furnace slag, and is often stored in stockpiles near the iron mills and usually occupy a wide area around the iron mills. from this perspective the further use of these materials can have its own merits. air cooled blast furnace slag can be used in asphalt mixtures because of their proper frictional properti...

BACKGROUND There is limited empirical knowledge about the effect of ski geometry, particularly in the context of injury prevention in alpine ski racing. We investigated the effect of sidecut radius on biomechanical variables related to the mechanics of turning. METHODS During a field experiment, six European Cup level athletes skied on three different pairs of giant slalom (GS) skis varying i...

Temporary skid trail stream crossings have repeatedly been identified as having considerable potential to introduce sediment to streams. Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) have proven to be effective for controlling erosion and subsequent sedimentation, yet few studies have quantified sedimentation associated with various levels of BMPs for skidder stream crossings. Three skid trail stre...

To date, most field robots use wheels as their means of locomotion (especially true of planetary exploration robots). In many cases these robots are required to travel significant distances, with limited power, and over rough terrain. All of which make wheels a major component contributing to their performance. It is through experimentation and iteration that effective wheel design, for a given...

A lightweight aggregate was produced by sintering the mixture of gold mine tailings, red mud, and limestone at 1150 ◦C. The physical (i.e., skid resistance, abrasion resistance, and bond strength) and environmental (i.e., leachability) feasibility of this aggregate was assessed to consider its potential use as a construction material for bicycle lanes. The skid resistance (British pendulum numb...

An enhanced odometry method coupled with an inertial navigation sensor is introduced for skid-steered vehicle positioning in outdoor environments. In the proposed scheme, robot positioning and attitude is estimated based on an experimentally derived kinematic model. Besides, a low-cost INS unit is used to improve the quality of the rotational velocity of the robot as it is obtained by different...