A good friend of mine contacted me with a query regarding the damage caused by large trees to the structural members of a building, building around trees and relocation. Hope this post answers his questions which are;
Do roots of large trees really cause damage to nearby structures ? Is there a way to build around trees ? Is there a way to replant medium to large trees which else will become furniture wood ? Are there ngos or companies into replantation ?
I really love this friend of mine who evidently want to save the tree. Yeah!!! I feel everyone who faces similar situations where you can easily avail a cost effective professional service and do the right thing instead of just going with an ignorant approach and being an architect of destruction. Now coming back to my friend's question i have the following answer;
Large trees do not damage a civil structure directly. Only when they lean and put load on a structural member or fall during heavy winds and storms, are they directly responsible for any damage. However the invasive roots of large trees can affect the structural foundations indirectly and considerably.
Tree roots grow slowly and exert pressure on the soil they grow on as well as the surrounding soil. In their eternal search for water and nutrients they displace the soil around them. While clayey soils compact more tightly and offer more resistance, loose and dry soils in arid climates shift easily and and become inefficient in supporting a structural load. Also clayey soil shrink and expand with moisture (seasonally), the feeder roots of trees continuously suck up moisture for their growth and may disturb the stability of the subgrade soil strata. In any case it is not recommended to fill up the foundation area with clayey soil due to the shrinkage and construction on such soils is not allowed as it compromises integrity and stability of the structure. If the soil moves, anything on or around it moves. Also in case of older buildings where materials and the structure have deteriorated over time the feeder roots can penetrate any cracks and crevices in and around the structure and do heavy damage. The horizontal area of influence of a large tree can be 125% of its height. Meaning a 10 m high tree will have an influence over a radius of 12-13 meters on its surrounding area, theoretically. In actual a Tree Hazard Survey should be conducted by a professional 'Arborist' or a company to get a detailed perspective of the condition. Such a survey will give the entire report depending on the type of tree, soil, surrounding structure, age of the tree and structure etc as per the site condition. Ideally it is safe not to have any structural members within the sphere of influence of a tree. For medium sized trees the area of influence can be upto 75% of their height and for smaller trees it is up to 50% of their height.
Also another important issue is the damage caused by the roots to the plumbing system. Roots in search of water, get into the plumbing pipes and make them inefficient. It is the most common problem for home owners. So its not at all desirable to have any plumbing or underground electrical services near a large tree. It is however sad that trees are cut solely on a rough cost-benefit analysis in our country.
Yes, there are ways to build around trees. Actually its imperative that we find solutions that give us interesting options to build around nature rather than disturbing the natural settings. Some of the most beautiful houses and ethereal designs can be constructed to incorporate nearby trees. Check out;
http://gizmodo.com/8-buildings-designed-to-incorporate-the-trees-around-th-1545711870
The important thing is, to maintain a safe recommended distance between the sphere of influence of trees and the load bearing structural members, electrical/plumbing and gas services. Incase of an already built structure with an existing large tree in the vicinity; a Tree hazard survey can present the best analysis for the tree to be relocated to a safe distance without any damage to the tree or the nearby structure. Checkout;
Now there are a few companies providing replanting/relocation services for medium to large trees in India. Its actually a good idea to call them up and check their offerings in detail. Here are links to their websites;
http://www.greenjardine.com/tree_transplantation/index.aspx
http://jeyamlandscape.com/treetransplantation.htm
Remember, saving a tree is saving a life...
Do roots of large trees really cause damage to nearby structures ? Is there a way to build around trees ? Is there a way to replant medium to large trees which else will become furniture wood ? Are there ngos or companies into replantation ?
I really love this friend of mine who evidently want to save the tree. Yeah!!! I feel everyone who faces similar situations where you can easily avail a cost effective professional service and do the right thing instead of just going with an ignorant approach and being an architect of destruction. Now coming back to my friend's question i have the following answer;
Large trees do not damage a civil structure directly. Only when they lean and put load on a structural member or fall during heavy winds and storms, are they directly responsible for any damage. However the invasive roots of large trees can affect the structural foundations indirectly and considerably.
Tree roots grow slowly and exert pressure on the soil they grow on as well as the surrounding soil. In their eternal search for water and nutrients they displace the soil around them. While clayey soils compact more tightly and offer more resistance, loose and dry soils in arid climates shift easily and and become inefficient in supporting a structural load. Also clayey soil shrink and expand with moisture (seasonally), the feeder roots of trees continuously suck up moisture for their growth and may disturb the stability of the subgrade soil strata. In any case it is not recommended to fill up the foundation area with clayey soil due to the shrinkage and construction on such soils is not allowed as it compromises integrity and stability of the structure. If the soil moves, anything on or around it moves. Also in case of older buildings where materials and the structure have deteriorated over time the feeder roots can penetrate any cracks and crevices in and around the structure and do heavy damage. The horizontal area of influence of a large tree can be 125% of its height. Meaning a 10 m high tree will have an influence over a radius of 12-13 meters on its surrounding area, theoretically. In actual a Tree Hazard Survey should be conducted by a professional 'Arborist' or a company to get a detailed perspective of the condition. Such a survey will give the entire report depending on the type of tree, soil, surrounding structure, age of the tree and structure etc as per the site condition. Ideally it is safe not to have any structural members within the sphere of influence of a tree. For medium sized trees the area of influence can be upto 75% of their height and for smaller trees it is up to 50% of their height.
Also another important issue is the damage caused by the roots to the plumbing system. Roots in search of water, get into the plumbing pipes and make them inefficient. It is the most common problem for home owners. So its not at all desirable to have any plumbing or underground electrical services near a large tree. It is however sad that trees are cut solely on a rough cost-benefit analysis in our country.
Yes, there are ways to build around trees. Actually its imperative that we find solutions that give us interesting options to build around nature rather than disturbing the natural settings. Some of the most beautiful houses and ethereal designs can be constructed to incorporate nearby trees. Check out;
http://gizmodo.com/8-buildings-designed-to-incorporate-the-trees-around-th-1545711870
The important thing is, to maintain a safe recommended distance between the sphere of influence of trees and the load bearing structural members, electrical/plumbing and gas services. Incase of an already built structure with an existing large tree in the vicinity; a Tree hazard survey can present the best analysis for the tree to be relocated to a safe distance without any damage to the tree or the nearby structure. Checkout;
Now there are a few companies providing replanting/relocation services for medium to large trees in India. Its actually a good idea to call them up and check their offerings in detail. Here are links to their websites;
http://www.greenjardine.com/tree_transplantation/index.aspx
http://jeyamlandscape.com/treetransplantation.htm
Remember, saving a tree is saving a life...
