TECHNICAL REPORT DRAFT #1 - INTRO + PROBLEM STATEMENT + PURPOSE STATEMENT

 1 Introduction

This report has been redeveloped in response to the request for proposals on developing solutions for engineering problems.

1.1 Background information 

NParks, which stands for National Parks, is a national board which focuses on greenery, biodiversity conservation, and wildfire and animal health, welfare and management in Singapore. NParks manage more than 350 parks, 33470 hectares of nature reserves such as Singapore Botanic Gardens and Jurong Lake Gardens. To ensure that the trees in the parks are well managed, NParks recruits tree specialists named as the arborists.

In general, arborists are in charge of ensuring that the condition of the trees in the park are in good condition. According to Julian (n.d), he states that the profession of arboriculture has advanced over the years, which makes it easier to understand the knowledge of trees better. Such as, pruning, stress responses, good and bad retention and plant care practices. This shows that the role of arborist is pivotal to the health of the tree.

NParks have seen a sharp decrease of incidents from 3000 cases in 2001 to 400 cases in 2019. Despite the rapid decline of treefall in Singapore, incidents that threaten the lives of visitors in the parks were still occurring. An example of such an incident involves the loss of life of a woman trapped under a fallen tree which occurred on 18 February 2021. The tree was reported to be healthy during its inspection in April 2020. This shows that tree maintenance management of trees in the parks should not be taken for granted as the repercussions can be deadly. 

NParks currently adopts a two-step process in assessing a tree. The first step is a basic tree assessment. Arborists will conduct a visual assessment such as looking out for dead branches and completing the checklist for this process. This process will take an approximate of 15 to 20 minutes. The next scheduled check for trees that passed the checklist requirements will be in 1 to 2 years. The second step will be for trees that need further inspection. Advanced assessment tools such as the resistograph and sound wave tomography on the tree trunk will be used for further assessment on the trees. The resistograph will drill into the tree trunk and measure the resistance of the tree. Less dense wood is usually a result of decay. Sound wave tomography will check for cavities in the tree trunk. Sound waves will travel through the trunk. The denser the trunk, the faster the sound waves will travel. From the speed taken by the sound waves, arborists can detect cavities in the trunk. Drones are also used to check for abnormalities in hard to reach places of the trees. Another alternative to tree assessment is infrared thermography. 

Infrared thermography is the conversion of infrared energy emitted from objects into apparent temperature. The thermal camera then captures and displays the thermal pattern, also known as an infrared image. In tree context, it illustrates the temperature pattern on the bark surface of a tree. This measure displays cavities or wood decay in different colours to represent that it is cooler than its surroundings. Infrared thermography is also non-invasive. Tree assessments usually involve invasive or destructive measures but infrared thermography does not disturb the tree as it requires no physical contact with trees. In addition, this process can be carried out at a distance. The absence of physical contact aids in investigation and accurate monitoring while saving the user from possible risks, inconvenience and ultimately time.

1.2 Problem Statement

The current approach by NParks is not effective enough in determining and monitoring the health of trees. By implementing infrared thermography technology, NParks can detect deteriorating trees early resulting in the reduced risk of treefall.

1.3 Purpose Statement

The report proposes the use of  infrared thermography to the National  Parks Board (NParks) to monitor the health of the trees, so that necessary precautions can be carried out to prevent deadfall and harm to people.