Convert Sq. Ft. to Tons (Flake & Particle Board)

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AARR
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Convert Sq. Ft. to Tons (Flake & Particle Board)

Unread post by AARR »

Hi guys,

I'd appreciate anyone's assistance. I'd like to convert Weyerhaeuser's Grayling Plant's Oriented Strand Board annual production of 450 million sq. ft. (1/4" basis) into tons.

I've found several formula's on the internet that require some conversions (ex. converting 3/8" to 1/4", converting short tons to tons, etc.). Each formula calculates a different answer and the variance with each is significant. The assumed weight of the OSB is not the factor, my lack of understanding on the data is why there is significant variance.

Here is some data:
Structural panels - OSB Thousand square feet, 3/8 inch basis
Weight of Wood per Standard Unit - 0.866 short tons

I'd also appreciate if you post the formula you used.

I've got to go but I'll post some more of what I've found later. In the meantime you're assistance is appreciated!

Thanks guys!
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Raildudes dad
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Re: Convert Sq. Ft. to Tons (Flake & Particle Board)

Unread post by Raildudes dad »

Approximately 165,000 tons :mrgreen:
OSB weighs 23.5 lbs / sheet on a 1/4 inch basis
http://theplywood.com/weight
Any other questions this morning :lol:

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Re: Convert Sq. Ft. to Tons (Flake & Particle Board)

Unread post by AARR »

RDD, Thanks for responded! :D

I'll post some of my answers and formula's later. Maybe you can show me where I was going wrong.
Raildudes dad wrote:Approximately 165,000 tons :mrgreen:
OSB weighs 23.5 lbs / sheet on a 1/4 inch basis
http://theplywood.com/weight
Any other questions this morning :lol:
Edit: Now I see what I've been doing wrong. I was using the weight on 1/2" basis instead of 1/4". :oops:
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Re: Convert Sq. Ft. to Tons (Flake & Particle Board)

Unread post by AARR »

Thanks for the offer :). I'd appreciate it if you can figure out how many gallons/tons of resin Weyerhaeuser would use. I've Googled for the calculations/information but haven't found anything I understand (I'm still looking).
Raildudes dad wrote:Any other questions this morning :lol:
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Re: Convert Sq. Ft. to Tons (Flake & Particle Board)

Unread post by Raildudes dad »

My research / calcs show 2.3 lbs of resin per 8x4 sheet. 1 gallon of water = 8.33 lbs

If I do the math, each board uses 0.28 gallons, if it weighed the same as water. It will be heavier but I'm no chemist so for approximate purposes I would use 0.2 - 0.25 gallon per sheet.

0.20 gal / sheet = 2.8 million gallons approx. 94 - 30,000 gallon tank cars
0.25 gal/ sheet = 3.5 million gallons approx 117 - 30,000 gallon tank cars

Anything else :wink: :mrgreen:
Last edited by Raildudes dad on Sat Jan 14, 2017 4:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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AARR
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Re: Convert Sq. Ft. to Tons (Flake & Particle Board)

Unread post by AARR »

Thanks again, RDD. I really appreciate it! :D I've looked on the internet for months and it hit me this morning that you (or someone) would probably know.
Raildudes dad wrote:My calcs so 2.3 lbs of resin per 8x4 sheet. 1 gallon of water = 8.33 lbs

If I do the math, each board uses 0.28 gallons, if it weighed the same as water. It will be heavier but I'm no chemist so for approximate purposes I would use 0.2 - 0.25 gallon per sheet.

0.20 gal / sheet = 2.8 million gallons approx. 94 - 30,000 gallon tank cars
0.25 gal/ sheet = 3.5 million gallons approx 117 - 30,000 gallon tank cars

Anything else :wink: :mrgreen:
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Re: Convert Sq. Ft. to Tons (Flake & Particle Board)

Unread post by Doktor No »

Don't forget vegetable oil. Abitibi used it by the tanker full up at Alpena. Something to do with the presses/roller system in the manufacturing process. We got them on 337 to Flint and I questioned what Abitibi used it for...and that's the answer I received.
I assume you're trying to come up with an approximate car usage based on tonnage??? Or some such thing?
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AARR
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Re: Convert Sq. Ft. to Tons (Flake & Particle Board)

Unread post by AARR »

Dok, you are correct. I'm trying to calculate approximate carloads by rail.

The mill in Alpena received caustic soda, linseed oil and tempering oil by rail. Their spur was removed around 2007. Very recently a transload was established near the Alpena roundhouse for tank cars. The speculation is its liquid animal feed but I suspect it could be for the Alpena hardboard plant traffic. The Alpena mill also produces a wood ethanol (by-product of the hard board process) and could use tank cars for that.

The mills in Gaylord and Grayling receive/d wood resin. Gaylord might have received something else (fuel oil?). The reason I suspect Gaylord might have received something else is because they were a much smaller mill than Weyerhaeuser but received significantly more tank car traffic.
Doktor No wrote:Don't forget vegetable oil. Abitibi used it by the tanker full up at Alpena. Something to do with the presses/roller system in the manufacturing process. We got them on 337 to Flint and I questioned what Abitibi used it for...and that's the answer I received.
I assume you're trying to come up with an approximate car usage based on tonnage??? Or some such thing?
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Re: Convert Sq. Ft. to Tons (Flake & Particle Board)

Unread post by Saturnalia »

The tank transload in Alpena is animal feed. It's Quality Liquid Feeds who owns it.
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Re: Convert Sq. Ft. to Tons (Flake & Particle Board)

Unread post by AARR »

Thanks, Saturn. It looks like they get quite a few cars. In a satellite view it shows 3 cars on the spur and another 8 in the yard.
Saturnalia wrote:The tank transload in Alpena is animal feed. It's Quality Liquid Feeds who owns it.
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Re: Convert Sq. Ft. to Tons (Flake & Particle Board)

Unread post by Saturnalia »

AARR wrote:Thanks, Saturn. It looks like they get quite a few cars. In a satellite view it shows 3 cars on the spur and another 8 in the yard.
Saturnalia wrote:The tank transload in Alpena is animal feed. It's Quality Liquid Feeds who owns it.
Yeah, it was an excellent pickup for the Lake State.
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Re: Convert Sq. Ft. to Tons (Flake & Particle Board)

Unread post by hoborich »

Funny you should mention the Grayling OSB plant. They are decimating our forests in Northern Michigan, and the new "worlds largest particle board plant in Gaylord will finish whatever is left of our forests! :twisted:

Image
This used to be a peaceful, scenic forest! Now it looks like a moonscape!

Image
This used to be an RV trail. Notice the trail marker!

Image
Another RV trail gone forever!

Image
Nothing spoils your day, like a semi speeding through the forest, throwing up clouds of dust and sand in your face! :twisted:

Image

Not to mention how they destroy the forest roads with their heavy equipment. Notice the dual wheel tracks in the soft sand.

And this one isn't even built yet! This will consume whatever is left of Michigans forests in a very short time!

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-mich ... ard_m.html
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Re: Convert Sq. Ft. to Tons (Flake & Particle Board)

Unread post by AARR »

I'd appreciate someone double checking my math. ARAUCO North America announced plans to build a new particleboard mill located in Grayling, Michigan, to produce 424 million ft2 (750,000m3) on 3/4" basis: 424 million ft2 / 32 (4x8) x 60.8 lbs. (taken from chart) / 2000 = 402,800 tons per year.

Estimating the resin is tricky for me: 424 million ft2 (3/4" basis) / 32 (4x8) x .58 gal. (.20 gal-.25 gal for 23.5 lbs. so 60.8 lbs. is 2.59 more so .225 x 2.59 = .58 gal) = 7,685,000 gal. per year.
Last edited by AARR on Sun Jan 15, 2017 9:06 am, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: Convert Sq. Ft. to Tons (Flake & Particle Board)

Unread post by AARR »

I'd appreciate someone double checking my math. This is the old G-P plant in Gaylord:
270 million ft2 (1/4" basis): 270 million ft2 / 32 (4x8) x 23.5 lbs. (taken from chart) / 2000 = 99,140 tons per year.

Resin: 270 million ft2 (1/4" basis) / 32 (4x8) x .225 gal. (avg. of .20-.25) = 1,898,437.5 gal. per year.
Last edited by AARR on Sun Jan 15, 2017 9:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Convert Sq. Ft. to Tons (Flake & Particle Board)

Unread post by AARR »

I'd appreciate someone double checking my math. This is L-P's Sagola mill:
410 million ft2 on 3/8" basis: 410 million ft2 x 28.5 lbs. (taken from chart) / 32 (4x8) / 2000 = 182,578 tons per year.

Estimating the resin is tricky for me: 410 million ft2 (3/8" basis) / 32 (4x8) x .27 gal. (.20 gal-.25 gal for 23.5 lbs. so 28.5 lbs. is 1.21 more so .225 x 1.21 = .27 gal) = 3,459,375 gal. per year.
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Re: Convert Sq. Ft. to Tons (Flake & Particle Board)

Unread post by AARR »

I'd appreciate someone double checking my math. This is L-P's Newberry mill:
150 million ft2 on 3/8" basis: 150 million ft2 x 28.5 lbs. (taken from chart) / 32 (4x8) / 2000 = 66,800 tons per year.

Estimating the resin is tricky for me: 150 million ft2 (3/8" basis) / 32 (4x8) x .27 gal. (.20 gal-.25 gal for 23.5 lbs. so 28.5 lbs. is 1.21 more so .225 x 1.21 = .27 gal) = 1,265,625 gal. per year.
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Re: Convert Sq. Ft. to Tons (Flake & Particle Board)

Unread post by Raildudes dad »

My resin calc is a swag. As I said, I'm not a chemist, I'm not sure if my lbs of solid resin to liquid is technically correct. I think it is for the AARR's RR Trivia :lol:

As for the forest disappearing, the companies replant the areas cut. My family vacationed in Northem MI for over over 40 years and I've made many trips to Houghton since 1968 :). Areas that have been clearcut get replanted and the forest reappears and in 10-15 years one cannot tell it was clearcut. Timber is a renewable resource.

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Re: Convert Sq. Ft. to Tons (Flake & Particle Board)

Unread post by AARR »

Your guess is better than mine and based on the number of tank cars I see at these mills you're in the ballpark if not pretty darn near spot on.
Raildudes dad wrote:My resin calc is a swag. As I said, I'm not a chemist, I'm not sure if my lbs of solid resin to liquid is technically correct. I think it is for the AARR's RR Trivia :lol:.
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Re: Convert Sq. Ft. to Tons (Flake & Particle Board)

Unread post by hoborich »

Areas that have been clearcut get replanted and the forest reappears and in 10-15 years one cannot tell it was clearcut. Timber is a renewable resource.
Ummm, some of us don't have 10 to 15 years! Timber may be a renewable resource, but unfortunately for many of us, not in our lifetimes.
People come up north and find their favorite hunting spot is now a moonscape. The snowmobile and RV trails are gone. Tourism is taking a big hit in northern Michigan. A year or so ago, a meeting was held between county and township officials, tourism and chamber of commerce folks, and the DNR, regarding the excessive logging in Roscommon county. At the beginning of the meeting, the DNR guy stood up and flatly stated, "We do not manage the forests for recreation". So, why are they pissing away our tax money on those "Pure Michigan" commercials?
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Re: Convert Sq. Ft. to Tons (Flake & Particle Board)

Unread post by Saturnalia »

hoborich wrote:
Areas that have been clearcut get replanted and the forest reappears and in 10-15 years one cannot tell it was clearcut. Timber is a renewable resource.
Ummm, some of us don't have 10 to 15 years! Timber may be a renewable resource, but unfortunately for many of us, not in our lifetimes.
People come up north and find their favorite hunting spot is now a moonscape. The snowmobile and RV trails are gone. Tourism is taking a big hit in northern Michigan. A year or so ago, a meeting was held between county and township officials, tourism and chamber of commerce folks, and the DNR, regarding the excessive logging in Roscommon county. At the beginning of the meeting, the DNR guy stood up and flatly stated, "We do not manage the forests for recreation". So, why are they pissing away our tax money on those "Pure Michigan" commercials?
Nice propaganda. Michigan does a world-class job at managing our forests. Tourism in the UP is NOT taking a "big hit" at all. The DNR strategically logs state-owned land, which actually helps the forest.
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