Productivity and safety concerns of traditional cable harvesting systems have been the key drivers for increasing levels of mechanisation in New Zealand. The use of grapples in cable yarding could eliminate the need for motor-manual tree fallers and breaker-outs in most situations. A comparative time study was carried out on two mechanised cable harvesting systems utilising grapple carriages in an attempt to better understand the benefits and limitations of each system in different harvest settings. These systems include the Mechanical system which involved a swing yarder operating a mechanical grapple carriage and the Motorised system, which used a tower yarder with a motorised grapple carriage. The Mechanical system took less time to accumulate felled trees but took longer to unhook trees on the landing than the Motorised system. The Mechanical system had a shorter cycle time (2.07 minutes) than the Motorised system (2.32 minutes) and extracted 1.3 tonnes more than the Motorised system per cycle. The Motorised system had shorter cycle times when in horizontal haul distances of less than 90 metres, but had the longest times when the distance exceeded this. Utilisation rates were similar between the two systems, although the main difference in delays between the two systems was the use of surgepiles on the landing by the Motorised system. Both systems were effective, although on average the Mechanical system was more productive, with a productivity of 45 t/SMH, compared to 40 t/SMH for the Motorised system. The Mechanical system was the most productive when extracting mechanically felled and pre-bunched or trees while the Motorised system was the most productive when extracting motor-manually felled trees. Pre-bunching with an excavator was a more cost effective method than handing stems directly to the grapple carriage. Further research of the Mechanical system under more adverse conditions would allow a better overall comparison.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 1983. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: no abstract available / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: geen opsomming

The present thesis deals with the legal regulation on the carriage of goods. This issue occupies an important role in everyday economic reality. Legal regulation in this field is highly stratified among legal regulations concerning private law, international agreements and partly among legal regulations concerning public law. This thesis mainly covers the regulation contained in the Czech Civil Code and in international conventions. In addition to the introduction and conclusion, this thesis is divided into five chapters, which are further divided, with the exception of the first chapter, into subchapters. The first chapter, which focuses on historical development and mainly on Roman law, is followed by chapters dealing with particular types of contracts which can be the legal cause for the carriage of goods. These include the following: contract for the carriage of goods, forwarding contract and contract for the operation of a means of transport. Firstly, these contracts are characterized and then the elements of such contracts are described, as well as the duties and rights of the contracting parties and questions regarding compensation for damage. The thesis also points out the interpretative problems that occur in the regulation of these contracts. The differences between these types of...

Trade between Britain and China is rapidly expanding, and shipping law plays an important role in facilitating economic activity. This thesis provides an exemplification on the measure of damages in the carriage of goods by sea in both countries. It will help practitioners as well as scholars from both countries to understand the peculiar features and dynamics of the topic in the other’s shipping laws. The Chinese law of damages and shipping law are not as detailed or as well-structured as its English counterpart. Over the years, some articles in the Chinese Maritime Code (CMC) have been interpreted inconsistently, e.g., art.55, and there is contradiction among different laws on the said topic, resulting in considerable confusion about the law. Bizarre and arguably unjust applications of legal rules continue to surface in claims for damages. A large number of contradictory decisions have been produced in Chinese shipping cases. Similar heads of damages are accepted or rejected in a process which at times seems alarmingly random. It is time to revisit the CMC and the law of damages and to urge their reform. England is a well-established centre of shipping litigation and arbitration in the world and its shipping laws are more influential on Chinese maritime courts than those of any other country. Several senior Chinese scholars suggest that English law is the model on which the reformed CMC should be based. This thesis is written with a view to encouraging a revision of the defects in the CMC and to changing aspects of the current Chinese law of damages. It expounds on the English law part, provides a principled explanation for legal rules in cargo claims, reviews relevant Chinese law, makes comparisons between English and Chinese law at length, addresses the problems in Chinese shipping law and seeks a solution. It is hoped that this thesis can provide instructive recommendations to Chinese lawmakers and clarify the chaos inherent in interpreting the relevant law. In a few aspects, Chinese law seems fairer than the English position, which English scholars may find refreshing and enlightening. This thesis also proposes to increase the awareness of national decision-makers, especially the Chinese, of the international tenor of existing and proposed international maritime laws, as well as the concomitant duty to interpret and implement them as such.

It is expected that the massive expansion of carriage of goods that went on in past couple of decades will soon resume after the worldwide recession. Due to its flexibility, speed, ability to deliver "door to door", low price and other positive qualities the most popular type of carriage is carriage of goods by road, which is also the type of carriage of goods that this thesis is mainly focused on. The goal of the thesis is to describe and explain legal aspects of international carriage of goods by road with a special focus on the liability of the carrier. The most important legal regulation that governs the area of international carriage of goods by road is the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (hereinafter the CMR Convention) that has been signed on May 19, 1956. It is an exceptional piece of legislation, which is in effect for more then fifty years with only two minor changes since its adoption.

The purpose of this thesis is to offer an overview of current legislative situation in international carriage of goods. Special attention is dedicated to carrier's liability in international transport of goods. In a global world, it is vital to keep balance between the rights and duties of both the carrier and the shipper. Otherwise, international trade would become next to impossible to perform. Therefore, dealing with the topic of carrier's liability might clarify certain aspects and possibly bring benefits to both contracting parties. This thesis consists of nine chapters. The three initial chapters present private international law and its methods. Next, the question of liability is briefly introduced. Finally, basic terms such as the carrier and the shipper are defined. In one of its subdivisions, the third chapter also mentions national regulations relevant to the topic discussed. On the contrary, the thesis as a whole addresses rules contained in international treaties. The following chapters are targeted on individual modes of transport, in order of appearance: carriage by rail, carriage by road, carriage by air, carriage by sea, carriage by inland waterways. However, not all of them are granted equal attention. The chapters covering carriage by road and by sea are essential. The reason for...

The purpose of this thesis was to analyse and compare isseu of carrier's liability in international carriage of goods. Thesis is devided in seven parts, which offers outline of carrier's liability in particular modes of carriage. First part deals with term contract for the carriage according civil code, parts of this contract as well as another contracts which aim is carriage. Furthermore deals with term liability and put outline of distinction among strict liability and liability for fault. Last subchapter of first part describes term carriage. Second part describes legal framework of contract for the international carriage of goods and specifies distinction among choice of law and direct method. Remaining parts refer to carrier's liability according international treaties concerned with particular modes of carriage, i. e. international carriage of goods by road, by rail, by air, by sea and by inland waterways. Bigger attention is dedicated to third part which deals with carrier's liability in international carriage of goods by road. Emphasis to this part is given, because international carriage of goods by road is the most frequently one - especially from Czech point of view. International carriage of goods by road is for sixty years ruled by CMR Convention which was amended only twice. This mode...

Carpooling in the light of private and public law Abstract The thesis deals with legal aspects of carpooling across the spectrum of the law of the Czech Republic. Due to carpooling not being a legal term, the thesis itself defines it as a phenomenon when multiple people are traveling simultaneously by one road transport vehicle, under the assumption that the transport is not being provided on a commercial basis. The thesis also describes the differences between carpooling and commercial transport of persons. As far as public law is concerned, the thesis discovers which areas of administrative law apply to carpooling and what consequences arise for the subjects concerned. This involves the regulation of road transport and road traffic in particular. The description of tax implications is also included. Furthermore, the thesis deals with criminal and administrative liability. The focus, however, is on private law. After an exploration of the legal history of transport of persons, the thesis answers the question whether or not contractual obligations arise from carpooling and inspects the elements of the contract along with the rights and duties of the parties. International aspects are taken into account - the thesis studies direct legal norms as well as rules governing conflicting laws. The centrepiece of...

Modern ballistic armor can protect soldiers against gunfire and shrapnel. The added weight and movement restriction of armor on the extremities may negatively impact soldier performance. Loading the limbs with weight has been found to increase metabolic cost in locomotion and alter gait kinematics. It was hypothesized that increases in metabolic cost and alterations in gait kinematics would result from the use of extremity armor. Fifteen healthy U.S. Army men walked (1.34 m/s) and ran (2.46 m/s) on a level treadmill with three different levels of extremity armor configuration: a no armor condition (4.3 lbs) that consisted of minimal clothing, combat boots, and a helmet; a partial extremity armor configuration (27.2 lbs) that consisted of an armor vest and extremity armor on the upper arms and thighs plus the minimal clothing; and a full extremity armor configuration (29.2 lbs) that consisted of forearm and shank armor in addition to the partial extremity armor configuration. In walking and running on the treadmill, metabolic cost normalized to body mass increased significantly when extremity armor was worn, as compared to the no armor condition. No difference was found in metabolic cost scaled to total mass (body mass + mass of armor), indicating no effect of mass placement. When walking on the treadmill, double support time was the only temporal variable found to increase with use of extremity armor; no differences between partial and full armor configurations were found. Range of motion (ROM) of the ankle decreased in walking with extremity armor, while hip and knee ROMs increased with the use of extremity armor. In running, only hip ROM and trunk lean increased significantly with the use of extremity armor, while no difference was found between the two extremity armor configurations. In conclusion, use of extremity armor on soldiers walking and running on a level treadmill resulted in a metabolic cost increase as the mass of the armor increased and did affect gait kinematics. The distal placement of the armor on the extremities at the low mass tested did not significantly affect metabolic cost or gait kinematics.

Thoracic loads (i.e., a heavy backpack) commonly used in occupational and recreational settings significantly challenge human physiological systems and increase the work of breathing, which may promote respiratory muscle fatigue and negatively impacts whole body performance during physical tasks. Accordingly this thesis: (Chapter number: II) designed a laboratory based protocol that closely reflects occupational demands and (III) assessed the effect that load carriage (LC) has upon physiological and respiratory muscle function. Consequently the thesis addressed (IV) acute, (V) chronic and (VI) functional inspiratory muscle loading strategies to assess the limitations and trainability of the respiratory muscles to load carriage performance. The novel laboratory protocol, performed wearing a 25 kg backpack load, combined submaximal load carriage (LC; 60 min treadmill march at 6.5 km·h-1) and self-paced time trial exercise (LCTT; 2.4 km) to better reflect the physiological demands of occupational performance (between trials mean difference -0.34 ± 0.89 min, coefficient of variation 10.5%). Following LC, maximal inspiratory muscle pressure (PImax) and maximal expiratory muscle pressure (P¬Emax) were reduced by 11% and 13% respectively (P<0.05), and further by 5% and 6%, respectively (P< 0.05), after LCTT. Acute inspiratory loading (2 × 30 forced inspiratory efforts 40% PImax) following an active warm-up (10 min lactate turnpoint) failed to improve LCTT despite a transient increase in PImax of ~7% (P<0.05). Chronic inspiratory loading (6 wk, 50% PImax, 30 breaths twice daily) increased PImax (31%, p<0.05) reduced HR and perceptual responses post-LC, and improved LCTT (8%, P< 0.05) with no change in a placebo control. Combining IMT with functional core muscle exercises improved PImax and LCTT by 7% and 4% respectively (P< 0.05), which was greater than traditional IMT alone. Acute, chronic and functional inspiratory muscle loading strategies did not protect against respiratory muscle or locomotor muscle fatigue during LC and LCTT.