Cabling & Bracing

Cabling & Bracing

Tree Cabling and bracing are unique hardware used to reduce the risk of failure of weak branches and multiple stems.  Cabling is used in the tree crown whereas bracing is used to support two or more tree trunks that may have a risk of one of the trunks failing from splitting at the opened crotch. We follow all of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A300 standards when installing a cabling and bracing application on trees. We use Extra High Strength (EHS) cabling hardware to provide maximum strength to support tree branches. This type of tree cabling has a 3.5 times working load limit over common grade tree cabling. Bracing applications use machine threaded rods along with heavy-duty washers and nuts to fasten each end of the rod when being applied to the opened tree crotch.  All support systems should be inspected annually.

The purpose of installing a support cable in a large tree is to reduce the movement and force on weak branch unions. Many considerations must be considered before installing a support system. Tree species, health, age, size and location are all considered before we will recommend a cable system for any tree. An unsafe tree cannot be made safe by installing a cable.

Bracing involves drilling through the tree to install a threaded steel rod. This technique is used to support weak unions and split trunks on smaller trees. Fruit trees that have to support extra weight and multi-stemmed ornamental trees can benefit from this treatment and in most instances will prolong the life of the tree.

Acadia has studied tree structure and can give you an educated, honest evaluation of your tree. Call us today for a free tree hazard evaluation.

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