INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR RISK MANAGEMENT AND MITIGATION OF DAMAGE PRODUCED BY WINDTHROWN TREES

EACH YEAR IN THE UNITED STATES, THE BREAKAGE OF TREES EXPERIENCED DURING EXTREME WIND EVENTS PRODUCES DAMAGE TO STRUCTURES, AUTOMOBILES, PERSONS, AND LIFELINES, WITH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DIRECT DAMAGE AND CLEANUP COSTS. NO RESEARCH HAS BEEN DIRECTED TOWARD ASSESSING THE RISK OF TREE DAMAGE OR EXAMINING TECHNIQUES TO REDUCE THE RISK. RESEARCHERS ARE INVESTIGATING INNOVATIVE MITIGATION CONCEPTS WITHIN AN OVERALL FRAMEWORK OF OPTIMIZED RISK MANAGEMENT. RESEARCH ON TREE LOADING AND RESPONSE TO BLAST WAVES IS BEING COUPLED WITH NATURAL WINDFIELD MODELS TO EXAMINE THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF TREE DAMAGE AND DIRECT WIND DAMAGE. THE RESEARCH EXAMINES THE EFFECTS OF TREE REMOVAL RESULTING IN MORE EXPOSED STRUCTURES VERSUS THE RISK OF TREE DAMAGE. RESEARCHERS ALSO EXAMINE RISK REDUCTION TECHNIQUES, INCLUDING ROOT REINFORCEMENT, TREE CROWN REDUCTION, AND SELECTION OF WIND RESISTANT SPECIES. THEY ARE EXPLORING THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAY BE PRESENTED BY ADVANCEMENTS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY. THE RESEARCH INVESTIGATES DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO BE ADOPTED IN NEW AND EXISTING URBAN AND SUBURBAN DEVELOPMENTS. THE FEASIBILITY AND POTENTIAL PAYOFFS OF DEVELOPING RISK MANAGEMENT AND MITIGATION STRATEGIES IN TERMS OF REDUCING THE HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH TREES FAILED DURING EXTREME WIND EVENTS IS BEING EVALUATED.