Chapter 9: Tree Support and Lightning Protection Flashcards
Types of hardware in trees
tree cabling, bracing, guying, and propping
What is the point of hardware in trees?
to provide the tree with supplemental support by limiting the movement of limbs; may extend the life of the tree or reduce the risk of mechanical failure
codominant stems
forked stems nearly the same size in diameter, arising from a common junction and lacking a normal branch union
Purpose of cables installed in trees?
to limit movement of limbs with weak branch connections or to support heavy limbs by connecting two or more limbs
Types of hardware for cabling trees?
cables, eye bolts, and cabling hardware of different sizes and types
Types of steel cable commonly used in North American for cabling trees?
- ) 7-strand, common grade cable
2. ) extra-high-strength (EHS) cable
7-strand, common-grade cable
steel-cable construction in which seven strands are twisted together in a spiral pattern; used to add supplemental structural support to trees; terminated by wrapping onto itself; relatively malleable (bendable) and easy to work with
extra-high-strength cable
EHS; type of 7-strand steel cable, often used to cable trees; stronger but less flexible than common-grade cable; must be terminated with dead-end tree grips; much stronger and less flexible than common-grade cable
aircraft cable
steel wire ropes of various constructions designated by the number of strands in the rope and the number of wires in each strand; commonly used in cabling in Australia and New Zealand; 19 strands of galvanized wire; strong and flexible but has limited choices for attachment
anchor hardware
hardware to which the cable termination is affixed in a cabling or guying installation; passes through the limb and is fastened to the opposite side; dead-end hardware
eye bolts
cable anchor with a closed eye, usually machine threaded; only drop-forged eye bolts are accepted and approved for tree support systems in the United States; stronger than threaded rods with amon-eye nuts
threaded rods
metal rod used to support weak sections or crotches of a tree; also called bracing rods; easy to adjust the length for any job
amon-eye nuts
specialized nut used in cabling trees that has a large eye for attaching a cable to a threaded rod
Where do you set the washer?
directly against the bark or chisel away the bark or drill to countersink the washer against the sapwood (but not int) on trees with very thick bark
lag eye
lag-threaded cable anchor with a closed eye; drop-forged anchor with a closed eye
lag hook
lag-threaded cable anchor with an open eye (J-shape)
J-hook
lag-threaded, drop-forged device in the shape of a J; lag hook
What are standard sizes of J-hooks?
5/16-, 3/8-, 1/2-, and 5/8-inch diameter
Purpose of right- and left-handed threads on lag hooks?
so the cable will not come unlaid or unwound when the end is twisted into the branch to tension the cable
What do you anchor eye bolts and/or threaded rods with?
washers and nuts
Types of washers recommended?
heavy-duty, heat-treated round washers (larger in diameter and thicker than standard washers and have a greater metal strength when heat treated)
thimbles
in cabling, a device used to form and protect the termination loop in the cable; device used to increase the bend radius of and reduce wear on a rope when attached to hardware; protects the cable from abrasive wear and increases the cable’s bend radius; used when forming an eye in the end of the cable
bend radius
radius of an object around which a line passes
eye splice
in cabling, a closed termination loop, hand formed in common-grade cable by wrapping the successive strands back upon the standing part to attach the cable to anchor hardware; splice that forms a closed eye or loop
dead-end grip
cable-termination devices that must be used to terminate extra-high-strength (EHS) tree support system cable to anchor hardware; may be used with common-grade cable; manufactured spiral-wrap designed to form a termination at the end of a 7-strand EHS cable
What kind of thimble to use?
galvanized or stainless-steel, heavy-duty thimbles; used to attach EHS cables to anchor hardware using dead-end grips and pre-warps; reduces wear on the grip hardware
Why do wind conditions matter when installing hardware in trees?
excessive wind sway can cause bending and twisting, leading to metal fatigue, which could cause failure; must take wind conditions and potential for twisting into account
come-along
portable winching device, using cable or rope to draw two objects closer together; simple arrangement of rope knots and loops to create mechanical advantage; brings two branches closer together
cable grip
mechanical device that grasps and holds the cable during installation; grips the cable and helps the arborist pull the cable for tensioning or attaching to anchor hardware
cable aid
device used to tighten lags and aid in cable installation; can spread open thimbles, tighten lags, and help wrap dead-end grips onto the cable
What type of equipment to use when drilling holes into a tree?
brace and bit or drill
ship auger
type of drill bit with an open spiral form; used to drill holes in trees for cable or bracing installation; pulls out shavings from the hole (good for green wood)