Llantarnum Poplar Removal
During February we we’re requested to remove a line of 19 Lombardy Poplars (Poplus Negra Italica). Council approval was given after a survey was carried out and they were deemed to be dangerous as they were approaching the end of their life span and posing a risk to surroundings. On one side a rail line and the other side several houses. With such proximity to the line and dwellings the safest way to dismantle them was to section fell each one.
The trees were in two sections. A number stood in an area that we could drop sections into, other than railside where everything was lowered and brought round. The others had to be completely rigged as there was no drop zone.
Felling large sections out into the open drop zone proved to be effective making good progress. When rigging due to the brittle nature of the tree’s we avoided rigging off the stems with the climber in. Using various rigging techniques and lowering equipment meant we could bring down sections in sufficient sizes without posing risk to the climbers. Accurate cutting by the climbers meant sections landed just where we wanted them making the ground teams job safer and quicker. Trees were felled laying stems next to each other to be cut into sections and removed by an excavator and lorry.
The second section proved to be a little more difficult as the working area became smaller. Using Span rigging meant that we could maximise the size of the sections that could be lowered whilst working in a confined area. There was also concern for the integrity of some of the trees as ones we had already felled had large cavities of rot and decay. Span rigging holds the sections weight off two separate trees, allowing the climber to cut without the load on the tree they’re anchored to, making it far safer and quicker as rigging points are fixed. Also saves the potential cost of crane hire.
With only a couple of feet of soft ground around the trunk of each tree the only option was to soft fell each stem, lowering it slowly to ground whilst tip tied to a rigging point.
After removing the trees, it was requested that the stumps be ground out and a new line of Limes (Tilia) were planted to replace the removed Lombardy’s.
