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Professor Claus Mattheck, head of biomechanics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Professor Claus Mattheck is an expert in the mechanics and fracture behaviour of trees. His research into damage analysis and prevention and nature observation have led him to a new approach to arboriculture allowing people to understand biological designs without formulae or computers using three geometric tools -tension triangles, force cones and shear squares. Mattheck's system of visual tree assessment (VTA) is a widely used method of fulfilling safety obligations in the UK and around the world and frequently forms the basis of court judgements. The method allows a legally safe assessment of trees to be made by observing the tree for defects.
Q what is the thinking behind your approach?
A It is simple mechanics, without maths, that can show you how you can help a tree. This is a new garden of knowledge that requires no scientific knowledge - it is for everybody, not only for formula writers.
Q How did you come to be doing this research?
A I started working in theoretical physics, but I found it awkward. After years of field studies and natural observation I took a day off to do my garden. I was having a break, drinking a bottle of red wine and thinking -more or less playing - and suddenly my thinking...