Tree Lopping, Removal, Pruning and Mulching in the Dandenong Ranges
The tree climbing and arboricultural conference is finished until next year! The “Trivect “and “Planning for Maintenance, not removals” presentations were well received.
Graeme will be heading up to World Arbor Camp tomorrow to do some additional talks.
Did another job in Kinglake earlier today, removing fire killed and damaged trees from a block.
Hazard trees still posing a threat to the rebuilding effort in Kinglake and Marysville are carefully monitored for defects and future failures.
We removed a number of Blackwoods and Mountain Ash which hadn’t survived the fire, and pruned two Mountain Grey Gums.
Joe Harris from ‘into trees‘ assisted in the tree works. The photos were taking from Kinglake Central with the backdrop of Melbourne (DSE had a big burn on today, so it was a bit smokey around the state).
I was contract climbing for a Yarra Ranges based tree company a few months ago, and this photo was taken as I took the top of the tree out and caught it on rope.
This meant we could preserve the owners precious garden below, but still remain efficient in the tree removal process.
Angus takes the top of the tree out, and catches it on rope; allowing it to be safely lowered to the ground without damage to the garden below.
Had a job last week where a 70 feet tall dead tree had fallen into another tree over the top of a shed. I snapped a photo with my phone I descended onto it to work.
Looking down onto the uprooted tree over the shed.
After setting a large lowering line in another tree, I abseiled onto the tree below and tied it slightly back from the lowering centre point. This would ensure that as the tree is lowered the attachment point doesn’t shift too far ahead.
I then sent another line opposing the direction the tree will move as it loads up on the top line. This allows me to avoid shock loading the system, and complete control over where the tree goes. Another risk in shock loading the tree was the entire tree could possible snap in half as all its weight is put on one part. Gentle is best.
I then cut and lowered on branches that would affect the tree being lowered. After putting significant pre-load on the lowering device I positioning myself above the tree I was lowering, used a pinch-bar to lever it off the tree it was sitting on.
Then working the two ropes simultaneously lower the tree down.
Looking between the tree's and the corner of the shed: The tree was lowered in between with absolute control.
The photo above is looking down from the top of the trunk, showing the tight squeeze where the tree was lowered.
By using efficient rigging techniques, this job was done in just over an hour. Achieving the same outcome using a travel tower would have taken significantly longer and in this situation been more expensive.
We provide advanced tree climbing and tree rigging services to other tree companies and work throughout Cardinia Shire, including Cockatoo, Emerald, Avonsleigh, Macclesfield and Gembrook.
Similar to Grants Picnic Ground removal, Graeme hangs the tree upside down and then uses a crane from Campbell Cranes to lift the long limbs off.
Ace Tree and Ace Tower were there on the day helping us out with their chipper and 60m Tower. Once the limbs were removed, the heads were felled and the log sections lifted.
On Sherbrooke Tree Services second visit to the Tahune Airwalk in Tasmania’s south-west, we removed a large dead Eucalyptus regnans from alongside the airwalk. There were a number of difficulties in climbing this tree, as it was so dead there was very little holding the tree up. The whole stem was oscillating as Graeme spur climbed it, and since there were no high points anywhere near the tree, access was very slow.
In the first video, the location of Tahune and some of the access difficulties are shown. Even with the top of the tree gone the stem still stood approximately 30m over the top of the 30m high platform.
Graeme lead climbed the trunk using ratchet straps. These provided a dual purpose; they held the tree from falling apart, and allowed Graeme to clip his climbing through.
In the second video, the tree is being blocked down. Scott Sharpe uses a pulley system to rig the trunk sections over as Graeme cut them. During this video, the stabilising lines can be clearly seen. These stabilising lines were pre tensioned to 1000kg, and were offset 90 degrees from each other.
The large dead Mountain Ash seen in this video was hanging precariously over the newly built Olinda Falls viewing platform. In particularly, three large limbs were pulling a lot of the trees weight.
At the base of the tree, the stump was so severely burnt out that only a small semi-circle shell around 80mm thick held the tree. This was extremely brittle and extended nearly 40′ above, where it formed back into a chimney.
Around 120′ from ground level was a large bee’s nest. The risk that was facing Parks Victoria meant something needed to be done to mitigate the hazard so as to allow visitors to use the platform as expected.
In this situation Graeme elected to pre-rig the three limbs, and then cut them with explosives. This had a number of safety advantages;
- No-one needed to be under the tree as it was shock loaded with the limb being cut-off
- Graeme didn’t need to be in the tree as it could potentially pull out of the ground, or snap off above him as the tree was loaded up by the branches
- The limbs were so long that traversing out and lopping was not an option given the tree’s condition
- Long term exposure at 80′ was likely to attract unwanted attention from the Bee’s nest
The video shows one limb being severed with explosives, and then being caught on rope.
Took a few happy snaps of the recent Tahune Airwalk work. Enjoy!
