Very difficult to access cherry...

[treeguy347]

Haven't posted in a while here, but I figure I should get back into it as I'm recently single and there's nobody to yell at me for being on the board all the time I am in the process of bidding an extremely difficult to access cherry tree in a critical dune area. There are three codominant trunks approximately 80 feet tall. Two are leaning heavily toward the neighbor's home and garage. The other is a wildcard depending on which way the wind is coming from. There was a fourth that was removed about 20 years ago that was left as a big stub. This has all decayed to the point that the three trunks are splitting apart very rapidly. Climbing is definitely not an option, I don't feel like riding one of the trunks into the house The trouble with this whole job is there is no access to the site for a conventional bucket truck or aerial lift due to buildings and septic systems, The only way to get a machine wider than about 6 feet is to cut a road through the neighbor's hillside. The neighbors do not want to do this despite the imminent danger to their home. The DEQ is also not cooperating with the idea of cutting a road through this area, even with a full restoration. We've looked into renting a spider lift, but at $2,500-$3,000 per day, we're looking for other options. I will post pictures and diagrams if that would help get some ideas. Any help is much appreciated.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

You tree guys get to solve interesting problems.


Any way to cable the trunks together long enough to climb them?

 

[rebelman]

I usually use a tear away lanyard for such jobs. That way if I'm tied in to say, the center stem, I can top and piece the other stems knowing that if a failure occurs, I won't get pulled down. I leave one as tall as feasible to secure my safety line when topping and piecing the center. Also you can use multiple crotches to spread the forces like spyder says sometimes. My tearaway lanyards are either homemade with normal stitching or factory rated 150 pound test slings that will hold me to the stem I'm topping under normal conditions.

 

[Grace Tree]

Can you get in with a 55' towable? The Bil-Jax is less than 6 ft. wide with the outriggers stowed. I can move my 4319 by hand on hard flat ground. The bigger ones are a little tougher but you could still move it with a small tractor or 4x4. Just a thought.
Phil

 

[boo]

anything to rig to?
could mean lots of rope..... don't forget to look at stretch.
even making everything solid/steady, only goes so far.
sounds like it's going to take some absolute math.
anyway to get a crane close enough to work?
be safe

 

[tophopper]

 

[John464]

i could probably do it with my spider lift and if you were in NJ approx $2,500 a day with operator and full crew, full clean up. if that wasn't possible id climb it and rent a crane, again full crew and cleanup $2500-$3,000. If the customer isnt willing to pay the price for what it takes then what more can you do? Add your expense to your bill and bid the job. Worst they can say is no. Make money or let the next guy have the problem or leave the homeowner with a hazard that could cost them 10's of thousands in construction damage. They either pay now or pay later, later will hurt more. Tell them that and get it sold for what it's worth. Good luck.

 

[jkrueger]

You tree guys get to solve interesting problems.


Any way to cable the trunks together long enough to climb them?

good idea! To rig the tree for stuctual advantage could do it. This is you can think that way to solve the 'no climb' problem.

Jack

 

[jkrueger]

You tree guys get to solve interesting problems.


Any way to cable the trunks together long enough to climb them?

Good idea! To rig the tree for stuctual advantage could do it. That is if you can think that way to solve the 'no climb' problem.

Jack

 

[treeguy347]

So far, bracing the trunks together for a climb seems to be the best option. I thought about one of the towables. There's a company that rents a Genie TMZ 50/30 locally. The ground is pretty soft being a sand dune. Moving it by hand would be out of the question, and with the quad, doubtful. Perhaps we could winch it in and out? A crane could be a viable option, but with no climbing, someone would have to ride the ball, which I'm nervous about. The nearest crane access wtihout buying a new driveway is 80 feet away. I'm guessing a good 35 ton with a jib could reach it. I'll have to check load charts. That would leave a nice way to get the sawlogs out too :biggrinbounce2: I'll post some pics tomorrow when I'm back in town.

 

[jkrueger]

Look, if you can not lace the leads together and climb it cut it down. Any wood worth saving is climbable. Dah.

 

[jimmykupko]

use a mobile craine

good thinking tophopper, i would have to say that would do the job,if he could get it close to where he needed it.

 

[beowulf343]

So far, bracing the trunks together for a climb seems to be the best option. I thought about one of the towables. There's a company that rents a Genie TMZ 50/30 locally. The ground is pretty soft being a sand dune. Moving it by hand would be out of the question, and with the quad, doubtful. Perhaps we could winch it in and out? A crane could be a viable option, but with no climbing, someone would have to ride the ball, which I'm nervous about. The nearest crane access wtihout buying a new driveway is 80 feet away. I'm guessing a good 35 ton with a jib could reach it. I'll have to check load charts. That would leave a nice way to get the sawlogs out too :biggrinbounce2: I'll post some pics tomorrow when I'm back in town.

I hate to say this because I know somebody will jump all over me for not being safe. But I have taken down over a dozen tree while using the crane's hook as a TIP. It's a little unorthodox but it works well. If I have a tree that needs to come down, is to dangerous to climb, can't get a bucket to, and there is nothing close enough to tie into, we use a crane. We have a 125 foot boom so I can often ride right over whatever is in the way and be suspended right over the tree. Then simply descend on my rope and cut away. I do use breakaway lanyards (have broken away twice in 17 trees I've done this way.) Also, I suspend a block underneath the hook and use it to rope down the tree (yeah, I know, why not just lift it out with the crane, but remember, I am just using the crane as a TIP. May seem like a waste but you have to factor it into your bid and sometimes there is no better way.) You don't necessarily even have to get directly over the tree. As long as you are close you can run ropes from the hook to tie it down and thus keep it somewhat stationary. As long as you are close enough that if you were to swing out of the tree on your rope you won't hit the obstruction you're working over. (Common sense.) Just think of the hook as another tree you are tied into and are using to swing into the one you are working in.

 

[treeguy347]

I found some info on OSHA's website about hoisting personnel with a crane:

"The employer may use a boatswains' chair instead of a personnel platform in two circumstances. First, if the employer can demonstrate that use of a personnel platform is infeasible due to circumstances at the worksite, a boatswains' chair may be used if it is the safest feasible alternative. Second, if the employer can demonstrate that use of a personnel platform would be unsafe, the employer may use the chair if the employer demonstrates that use of the boatswains' chair is the safest feasible alternative. In that event the employer must either apply to OSHA for a variance or be able to show that a variance would be inappropriate. "

Complete article: http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=22589

So it seems we're ok with OSHA for that type of operation. I'm going to the site tomorrow morning to take some measurments to see how I am doing on load radius as well as get some pictures for everyone.

 

[Jim1NZ]

good idea! To rig the tree for stuctual advantage could do it. This is you can think that way to solve the 'no climb' problem.

Jack

Yea this is a possibility but you wouldnt want to use cable because there is NO stretch, trees some more than others flex so what you would do by using cable is change the dynamics of tree which may cause the tree to fail in another area.

Take multiple raps with a high strength rigging rope.

 

[ASD]

28 ton 80' off center @ 50* with a 21' jib @ 25* should have a pick of 1540lb.

 

[ASD]

or go big

this thing can pick 3000lb. at 274" off center or in you case pull the holl dam tree out in one pice at 80' if you could rig it

 

[TimberMcPherson]

A brilliant plan is forming in my mind to take on this tree. Im thinking a deckchair, a bunch of helium balloons and a 044.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Good idea! Just make sure you get clearance from the FAA, first.

 

[Adkpk]

or go big

this thing can pick 3000lb. at 274" off center or in you case pull the holl dam tree out in one pice at 80' if you could rig it

That crane isn't for picking a tree is it? Looks like your going to lift the house. Really looks like a big for a tree job. Got any pics of the lifting?