0305_TE
3
T OOLS& EQUIPMEN T T OOLS & E Q UI PME NT LARGE TREE REMOVALS TEST A C LIMBER’ S ABI LITY TO ENDURE EXTREME phy s ical de mandsa swe ll a screa tiveproblem -s olvinga bilities.I faced s uch acha lleng e whe n I wa sca lled up on to remov e ala rge lightning- s truck tulip tree on the groundsof Pri nce ton Univers ity in New Jersey . Beca us e of the unique conditi on of the tree , it wasa ppa rent that a grea t dea l of effort would be re qui red to prepa re for itsrem ova l. Assess ing The Damage The t r e e h a d adouble-trunk an d w as t wice s truck b y li g h t nin g . Th esec o n d s t rik ere s ult e d in f ir e ,cr ea t in g an advanc e d a r e ao f d eca y in the lowe r third of the tree . Loca ted on the s ide of as ma ll, winding two-laneroa d,thetree wa smoretha n130fee ttall .Moreov er,thelarg- er of the double- trunks ha d a diameter of 56 inches a nd its s ma l l er counterpart me a s ured 48 inches .Asi f thiswa s n’t cha llenging enoug h, electrica l conductorsrana longsidethetree a ndwerewithinthreefee t of the trunk. Planning The Work Our first course of ac tion wa sto res ea rch the s tatusof the e lectri- ca l conductorsa nddis cus sa va i lableoptionswiththepowercompa ny . Occupa tiona l Sa fety and Hea lth Adminis tration (OSHA) requirestha t tree rem ova ls pe rforme d within ten fee t of electri ca l conductorsbe a pprove d b y q ua l i fied li ne- cleara nce pers onal. Enginee rs dete rmined tha t the e lectrica l li nesfed adorm a reaon unive rsity grounds .To a void powe r i nterruptions ,we deci de d tha t a n eight-hour window duri ng s tu- dent bre a kswould be s uffici ent to tend to the tree. T o f u rt h e r c o m p li c a t e t h e p r o je c t ,asecon d t u li p t reew h ic h s t o o d only 150 fee t from the dec a ye d, lightning-struck, double -trunk tree , a nd would need to be remove d within the sa me time fram e due to a l arge holl ow that de ca yed 30 percent of the tree’sbas e. After care ful cons idera tion of the s ite res traints,tree ha za rds ,a nd Above: T h e 1 3 0 -f oo t-t a ll li g h tn in g -s tr u c k tu lip tr e e s u ff e r e d an a d v a nce d a r ea o f d e ca y . AboveR i ght: An 80-ton capacity cran e w as utilized to rem ove the double-trunk tree, while a second cra ne secu red M ark C hisholmto reduce the risk of inj ury. Photos courtesy o f Steve C hisholm 26 Arbor Age / March 2005 www.greenm e diaonline.com Case S tudy In S trateg i c Tree Remov al By Mark Chi sholm Pri n c et o n’s D o u b l e Lightning-struck T u l i p T ree AA 0305 26-27 T&E Proof 2/15/05 9:03 AM Page 26
-
Upload
kevin-lacroix -
Category
Documents
-
view
217 -
download
0
Transcript of 0305_TE
7/28/2019 0305_TE
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/0305te 1/2
TOOLS &EQUIPMENT TOOLS&EQUIPMENT
LARGE TREE REMOVALS TEST A CLIMBER’S ABILITY TO ENDURE EXTREME
physical demandsaswell ascreative problem-solving abilities.I faced
such achallenge when I wascalled upon to remove alarge lightning-
struck tulip tree on the groundsof Princeton University in New Jersey.
Because of the unique condition of the tree,it was apparent that a
great deal of effort would be required to prepare for itsremoval.
Assessing The Damage
The tree had a double-trunk and was twice struck by lightning.
The second strike resulted in fire,creating an advanced areaof decay
in the lower third of the tree.Located on the side of asmall,winding
two-lane road,the tree wasmore than 130 feet tall.Moreover,the larg-
er of the double-trunks had a diameter of 56 inches and its smaller
counterpart measured 48 inches.Asif thiswasn’t challenging enough,
electrical conductorsran alongside the tree and were within three feet
of the trunk.
Planning The Work
Our first course of action wasto research the statusof the electri-
cal conductorsand discussavailable optionswith the power company.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requiresthat
tree removalsperformed within ten feet of electrical conductorsbeapproved by qualified line-clearance personal.Engineersdetermined
that the electrical linesfed adorm areaon university grounds.To avoid
power interruptions,we decided that an eight-hour window during stu-
dent breakswould be sufficient to tend to the tree.
To further complicate the project,asecond tulip tree which stood
only 150 feet from the decayed,lightning-struck,double-trunk tree,
and would need to be removed within the same timeframe due to a
large hollow that decayed 30 percent of the tree’sbase.
After careful consideration of the site restraints,tree hazards,and
Above: The 130-foot-tall lightning-struck tulip tree suffered an advanced area of decay.
Above Right:An 80-ton capacity crane was utilized to remove the double-trunk tree, while a
second crane secured Mark Chisholmto reduce the risk of injury.
Photos courtesy of Steve Chisholm
26 Arbor Age / March 2005 www.greenmediaonline.com
Case Study In Strategic Tree RemovalBy Mark Ch i sho lm
Princeton’s DoubleLightning-struck Tulip Tree
AA 0305 26-27 T&E Proof 2/15/05 9:03 AM Page 26
7/28/2019 0305_TE
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/0305te 2/2
www.greenmediaonline.com Arbor Age / March 2005 27
size,it wasevident that an 80-ton capacity crane with a150-foot hook height
would be the best choice for removal of the double-trunk tree.Since the tree
wasdeemed high risk,asecond crane wasutilized to minimize the risk in
the event of tree failure.A separate crew would perform the second removal
with a30-ton crane.Thistree would be removed more conventionally asit
wasevaluated asbeing suitable for climbing.
With thismuch equipment operating in very
tight quarters,smart coordination and set-up
were essential.
Executing The Project
When removal day arrived,two crews,three
cranes,agrapple-skid machine,one log truck,
two log trailers,traffic control and alineman’s
crew gathered to do the job.When the power
company gave usthe “go-ahead”the job was
approached head-on.After three hoursof coor-
dinated effort, the aerial work in both trees
was completed.The next three hours were
spent loading logsand returning the site to a
suitable condition.Wood wassent to the recy-
clersand the two trailersheaded to the sawmill.
When ajob of thismagnitude presentsitself,
proper planning,communication and askillful,
experienced team are the key ingredientsforsuccess.Though thismay not be your “average”
job,thisrecipe can provide you with the plan-
ning toolsfor any sized project.
Mark Chisholm, celebrated ISA-certified arborist and two-time international tree climb-
ing champion,works in his family’s business,Aspen Tree Expert Company in Jackson,
N.J. When not in the trees, Chisholm serves as a spokesperson for Stihl Inc.
**Proof copy only, not for redistribution
Any other use of these Materials is prohibited.
AA 0305 26-27 T&E Proof 2/15/05 9:03 AM Page 27
