Failure of a tree can be caused by a stem breakage, tree uprooting, or branch failure. While the pulling test is used for assessing the first two cases, there is no device-supported method to assess branch failure. A combination of the optical technique, pulling test, and deflection curve analysis could provide a device-supported tool for this kind of assessment. The aim of the work was to perform a structural analysis of branch response to static mechanical loading. The analyses were carried out by finite element simulations in ANSYS using beam tapered elements of elliptical cross-sections. The numerical analyses were verified by the pulling test combined with a sophisticated optical assessment of deflection evaluation. The Probabilistic Design System was used to find the parameters that influence branch mechanical response to loading considering the use of cantilever beam deflection for stability analysis. The difference in the branch’s deflection between the simulation and the experiment is 0.5% to 26%. The high variability may be explained by the variable modulus of the elasticity of branches. The finite element (FE) sensitivity analysis showed a higher significance of geometry parameters (diameter, length, tapering, elliptical cross-section) than material properties (elastic moduli). The anchorage rotation was found to be significant, implying that this parameter may affect the outcome in mechanical analysis of branch behavior. The branch anchorage can influence the deflection of the whole branch, which should be considered in stability assessment.
Tree acoustic tomography is a widely used device supported method for tree stability assessment. In this work, the results of the three most commonly used devices for acoustic tomography of standing trees (ARBOTOM®, ArborSonic®, and PiCUS®) were compared on selected individuals of sessile oak in Brno, Czech Republic. According to the statistical analysis, there was a significant difference between values measured by the PiCUS® acoustic tomograph and those measured by both the ARBOTOM and ArborSonic® acoustic tomographs. Based on the measured data, velocities measured by PiCUS® were considerably lower than those recorded by the other acoustic tomographs (ARBOTOM® and ARBORSONIC®). Measured radial and tangential velocities differed from each other. In data obtained from the defective cross-sections, this difference was attenuated. Image reconstructions (tomograms) from the acoustic tomographs differed from each other. Complex shapes of defects in standing trees can significantly influence acoustic tomography results. According to the statistical analysis, there was no significant relationship between sound velocity and density, while there was a relatively strong positive correlation between sound velocity and moisture content.
The standard approach of tree stability assessment assumes that wind force is applied in a unique point (centre of gravity). Such a description of the loading brings a significant simplification of the reality, where the tree stem is submitted to multiple forces distributed from higher-order branches to lower order one. The aim of this study is to describe the influence of the simplification by comparison of branch response (deflection curve, bending moment) in the case of single-and the multi-point loading. Four beam-like models were built in ANSYS APDL according to geometry (tapered beams with realistic elliptical cross-sections) and material properties (shear included) of real tested branches. The models were experimentally validated in the case of single-point loading and consequently used for simulations of various loading scenarios. The distribution of force along the branches, by weighted division of total wind force according to different properties of branches, was applied. The branch response differs between single-and multi-point loading in the case of deflection curve, whereas the bending moment at branch anchorage is comparable.
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