Research carried out in New Zealand radiata plantations answered these questions.
The researchers examined the duration and technique of storage. Two different sites were investigated. The first was summer storage in a warm and dry location, and the second winter storage in a cold and wet location. Some of the aspects considered by the researchers included small diameter logs, large diameter logs, large diameter logs split and the effect of covering the logs. The logs were weighed regularly over time to monitor their weight loss trends.
After 24 weeks, the moisture content of logs in summer storage (on a wet basis) decreased from an initial 53% to between 33 and 21%. The decrease was the greatest for small uncovered logs, and the least for larger covered logs. After 17 weeks, the moisture content of logs in winter storage decreased very little. These logs had an initial moisture content of 58%, and this decreased slightly to between 51 and 49%, with little difference between log sizes and covering. The research showed that lowest moisture contents were obtained from uncovered piles of small logs during summer conditions. Covering was only beneficial for preventing dry logs from being rewetted, but did not improve the drying of wet logs. The research, titled “Determining the effect of storage conditions on the natural drying of radiata pine logs for energy us”, was published in the New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science, Vol 44(3), 2014. The authors were R Visser, H Berkett and R Spinelli. Source: http://www.nzjforestryscience.com/content/44/1/3
The researchers examined the duration and technique of storage. Two different sites were investigated. The first was summer storage in a warm and dry location, and the second winter storage in a cold and wet location. Some of the aspects considered by the researchers included small diameter logs, large diameter logs, large diameter logs split and the effect of covering the logs. The logs were weighed regularly over time to monitor their weight loss trends.
After 24 weeks, the moisture content of logs in summer storage (on a wet basis) decreased from an initial 53% to between 33 and 21%. The decrease was the greatest for small uncovered logs, and the least for larger covered logs. After 17 weeks, the moisture content of logs in winter storage decreased very little. These logs had an initial moisture content of 58%, and this decreased slightly to between 51 and 49%, with little difference between log sizes and covering. The research showed that lowest moisture contents were obtained from uncovered piles of small logs during summer conditions. Covering was only beneficial for preventing dry logs from being rewetted, but did not improve the drying of wet logs. The research, titled “Determining the effect of storage conditions on the natural drying of radiata pine logs for energy us”, was published in the New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science, Vol 44(3), 2014. The authors were R Visser, H Berkett and R Spinelli. Source: http://www.nzjforestryscience.com/content/44/1/3