Mechanical Analysis of Tree Branch Considering the Load Condition of Accumulated Snow

Abstract

In snowy regions, trees are exposed to the mechanical stress caused by accumulated snow, therefore the effective strategies are requested for reduction of branch breakages. Various methods have been employed to prevent snow-related damages by means of support props, hanging for branches, or snow removals from the trees. During severe winter seasons with substantial snowfalls, the snow removals are physically demanding works for farmers, and the efficient and labor-saving snow damage prevention methods are required. In this study, mechanical analyses of the tree branches with various snow accumulation configurations by using the finite element modeling. The boundary conditions were considering the load pattern for assuming partial snow removal and the constraint through the implementation of support props. As the results, accurately evaluating the distribution and magnitude of bending moments on tree branch models were performed. And the suitable snow removals for the snow load reduction were proposed in the term of branch breakage prevention.