Towards dynamic monitoring for treefall risk assessment and risk reduction on civil infrastructure operability

Tree failures, including branch breakage, trunk rupture, and uprooting, pose an ever-growing threat to public safety and the operability of transport infrastructure in both urban and rural environments. Ongoing trends, such as the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme meteorological events, combined with tree ageing and the spread of pathogens, are currently amplifying this risk. In this context, vibration-based inspection (VBI) is emerging as a promising quantitative approach for assessing tree stability and for supporting preventive risk management. This document presents an overview of the problem and briefly summarises dynamic testing and VBI monitoring strategies. Strengths, limitations, and open challenges are critically discussed, highlighting the need for continuous, objective, and scalable monitoring protocols.