A HAzard Tree

[arborvor]

Have a situation with a Pine tree. I will post pictures next week but heres the low down.
It's a 24 Dbh Loblolly Pine, 65 ft tall,with a 20-25degree lean. Crown of the tree has major asymerty. Base has bottle butt (compensating for the decay), longitutal cracks starting at the base up to about 6 feet. Cracks are 2-3 inches in width and there are 2-3 of them on the tension side of the lean, compression side of the lean is your normal bark buckleing nothing to horrific. The tension side are showing no signs of soil heaving,soil cracking or roots cracking. I found no evidence of soil buckeling on the compression side of the tree. As I look at the tree on the tension side so it is leaning away from me there is also a crack/ trunk blowout at about 10 o'clock on the trunk. So the tree had a torsion load (clockwise twisting of the trunk)and the tree cracked there approx. 2ft long sliver pop out. There are a couple of horizontal cracks that is showing only bark seperation
Decay (Brown Rot): measured 15" in on the tension side through the longitutal crack drilled the oppisite side reading showed 4" sound wood. Right and left drilling also showed both 4" sound wood on either side. My open cavity calulation came up 51% decayed.


So the client knows this is a hazardous tree but wants to do everything possible to avoid(mitigate) possible failure.


What I did was installed three cable to 3 trees behind it. There is a tree next to it about 15 feet away. Cable? I did not think it needed it there.I thought it would do no good because of how the tree would fail.
Also 3 truck load binding straps on the trunk and root crown.
And It was suggested to me to put two throught rods in solid wood above the cracks.

Wow that was long for someone that does not type fast.
Give me some ideas.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Are there any targets? Can traffic be keep out of the fall zone? Are the straps around the tree meant to be permenent?

 

[arborvor]

The target area is moderate and in frequent use. Can not restrict potential targets. My recommendations were just to get the tree by for a couple months and then it could be removed. So the straps were temporary. The cables were also temporary until removal date.

They had a second consult, he/she said the tree could stand for 5-10 years++??? Recommendations were the straps should be taken off and 12 7/8" rods should be installed into the tree throughout the root crown to approximately 12 feet along all the cracks. And permanently install 4 cables to all the trees 3 behind and one to the left (as looking at it on the tension side)

I think she/he is crazy to recommend that we should install 12 through rods into a tree that is showing clear signs of torsion cracking, brown rot and 4" of sound wood. The tree needs to be removed and the straps need to stay on either by making permanent metal straps or leave the trucking straps on and replace as necessary. We both agree that cables should be installed in the 3 back trees I don't think the cable placed on the tree to the left at 90 degrees is going to do much good. But right now I guess he/she wants overkill.

What are your thoughts? I'll get pics


:greenchainsaw:

 

[clearance]

It is a hazard, you think it should go, saw it down. WTF is the holdup?

 

[Kate Butler]

hazard tree

It might be time to walk away and let the giver of the second opinion become the target of the inevitible lawsuit.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

It seems you may have opened your self up to liability, especially now that the straps have been criticized by another arborist, and because those straps are not an industry standard.
Once you worked on that tree, it became your problem.
Get those straps off and recommend immediate removal, in writing, and have them sign the recommendation. Then if they decide to keep the tree, it's their choice, and they're following the other arborist's management plan.

 

[Dadatwins]

The target area is moderate and in frequent use. Can not restrict potential targets. My recommendations were just to get the tree by for a couple months and then it could be removed. So the straps were temporary. The cables were also temporary until removal date.

Agree with the others you have set yourself up for potential liability claim. I have strapped split trees overnight to prevent them from further splitting, but to strap and cable for MONTHS knowing the tree is a hazard is dangerous. Especially that you know the tree has potential targets. Have the owner agree to remove the tree in writing and get the straps off and walk away if they insist on going with the other recomendation. Good luck

 

[arborvor]

Thanks every one for your input I'll post the pics soon.

 

[xtremetrees]

I'd like to take a look at it. It is in my area.
Why did you put the straps on? To charge them twice?
Remove that crap and crane it out. Be tied into adjecent tree and use a breakaway safety.

 

[jmack]

yikes

Have a situation with a Pine tree. I will post pictures next week but heres the low down.
It's a 24 Dbh Loblolly Pine, 65 ft tall,with a 20-25degree lean. Crown of the tree has major asymerty. Base has bottle butt (compensating for the decay), longitutal cracks starting at the base up to about 6 feet. Cracks are 2-3 inches in width and there are 2-3 of them on the tension side of the lean, compression side of the lean is your normal bark buckleing nothing to horrific. The tension side are showing no signs of soil heaving,soil cracking or roots cracking. I found no evidence of soil buckeling on the compression side of the tree. As I look at the tree on the tension side so it is leaning away from me there is also a crack/ trunk blowout at about 10 o'clock on the trunk. So the tree had a torsion load (clockwise twisting of the trunk)and the tree cracked there approx. 2ft long sliver pop out. There are a couple of horizontal cracks that is showing only bark seperation
Decay (Brown Rot): measured 15" in on the tension side through the longitutal crack drilled the oppisite side reading showed 4" sound wood. Right and left drilling also showed both 4" sound wood on either side. My open cavity calulation came up 51% decayed.


So the client knows this is a hazardous tree but wants to do everything possible to avoid(mitigate) possible failure.


What I did was installed three cable to 3 trees behind it. There is a tree next to it about 15 feet away. Cable? I did not think it needed it there.I thought it would do no good because of how the tree would fail.
Also 3 truck load binding straps on the trunk and root crown.
And It was suggested to me to put two throught rods in solid wood above the cracks.

Wow that was long for someone that does not type fast.
Give me some ideas.

get it down ! later removal date.... a lawyer will eat that up. forget the other opinions stress in writing that you need to remove immediatly and will not be responsible for any delay get pics and contractors alerted now cranes etc etc document the timeline of events in pen including your calls and meetings with contractors tell them its a hazard emergency and cut tommorow monday oh yea and post da pics

 

[antigrassguy]

remove

 

[scottbaker]

I agree with the others that you should document the situation and recomend removal ASAP.

The recomendation for bolting is very strange...you have it right on that.

Was this person a practicing consultant? Are they going to do the work that they proposed?

This sounds like yet another example of folks that are so attached to a tree that they will do something foolish to try and delay the inevitable.

I am always willing to go the extra mile to keep a cool tree going but I have learned to be very conservative in what I recommend.

Post us a picture if you can.