Felling Moment Calculator

Digital version of Säker Skog's felling-moment chart · model after Gullberg (2006), generalised with Chave (2014) for species outside the Nordics

The tree

35 cm
23.0 m
1.0 m
0 m/s

The cut

20 %
3.2 cm
Species parameters
Basic density0.40 t/m³
Moisture factor×2.05
Green density0.82 t/m³
Centre of gravity40 % of length
Stump diameter/DBH×1.34
Wind area0.20·DBH m²
Mass functionMarklund/Gullberg

Set by the species selection. Outside the Nordics, centre of gravity and stem taper are the largest uncertainties in the model.

Required felling moment

851 daNm (kgm)

Diagram

selected leansufficient with margintight

Tools

ToolMax momentMargin
Pole 5 m length417-51 %
Felling lever, stand + push420-51 %
Breaking bar, medium600-30 %
Small wedge866+2 %
Breaking bar, large962+13 %
Large wedge1,170+37 %
Winch 0.5 t, anchor 2.5 m1,240+46 %
Ox-break 4 m pole1,247+47 %
Felling director (Stalpen)1,588+87 %
Large wedge, max1,670+96 %
2 large wedges1,993+134 %
Winch 0.5 t, anchor 5 m2,485+192 %
M = m·g·(cog·lean + (Ds/2 − notch − hinge/2)) + hinge bending resistance ± wind. Mass from Marklund/Gullberg for spruce, pine and birch, otherwise Chave et al. (2014) with the species density. The tool forces are human muscle power and apply everywhere.
These are theoretical calculations. The user is solely responsible for all decisions on how a tree felling is carried out.