Tree root zone vs excavator luke 23 : 34

[EdenT]

Wow, that picture is very impressive. I always thought that concrete would increase the pH of the soil around and beneath. Is this an issue?

I had been thinking of some kind of honeycomb structure of inert material laid out on top with ramped edges sort of like the deck of an aircraft carrier with lots of hills drilled in it (possibly re-usable and relocatable) but I can't find much even close to my feverish imagination.

 

[derwoodii]

Yup ET new laid concrete has given me grief. Linked to tree ill health or death. I suspect the new type chemical reactive agents maybe toxic if leaches into soil. Seen cement truck drivers wash down their rig in parks, next week trees dead.

Your honeycomb bricks idea pls try link this kinda stuff works really well & there are plastic forms of concept as well.

Rather than covering your driveway in gravel, asphalt, cement or with blocks (traditional pavers), a "green" driveway uses special "honeycomb" style pavers, with grass growing in the holes.

http://greenterrafirma.com/grass-pavers.html

 

[outofmytree]

Dropped in to look at the C.citriodora I posted about earlier and took a few photo's. The first were taken about 4 months ago.

As you can see the garage on the right and the crossover on the left with a very nice looking driveway (with marble chips embedded in the surface!) joining the two. It appears that, as Treeseer suggested, the tree is to be retained feature of the house. BTW I got the suburb wrong it is not in Peppermint Grove but rather in Cottesloe which is now officially the most expensive suburb in Australia. The kind of place where one would hope that work would always be done to best practise. Sadly the next photo shows that this is not the case.

These are Agonis flexuosa or Weeping peppermints. They are street trees planted by various councils dating as far back as the 1920's. I cannot be certain who cleared the verge but I can tell you it was quick, brutal and did not involve airspades or hand tools.

I will continue to follow this development and hope to contact the owners to gain more information as to their plans for the trees and what if any discussions they had with the developers regarding protection of those trees.

 

[EdenT]

Cheers for the link d. I've never been that fond of grass and those panels seem to be purpose built for it. I followed a link from that site and found this...
http://www.boddingtons-ltd.com/PDF/PR52-08-BodcellTreeRootProtection.pdf

Now that is definately the business. Especially with the reusable nature of them, you could put in the heavy while the house is being built and then replace it with the light duty once it is a residence.

 

[derwoodii]

Ok here's some more pictures of more options.
Vaulted timber over root zones.
Plastic cellular honey comb driveway and the homes are built on "Screw piles" saving root zone impact.
I offer apologies to the much maligned muffin heads Architects / Designers here are some great ideas.
The Fig next to home was a purpose build to protect the tree, see link for details.
http://www.archicentre.com.au/treehouses/index.htm

 

[Ekka]

In the beginning he knew all about driveways, soils and apparently psychology calling me dyslexic. He claimed tons of debris was compacting a root zone that's sand. I did say "ever tried compacting sand?" refer the quote below.

We dont have a soil profile yet either, ever tried compacting sand?

How deep is the root zone and what is the root density? No facts just OOMT pulling his pud.

Remember OOMT then being Mr Hotshot with this kinda stuff .....

Hey there's a good idea. Imagine making a curving driveway around a tree. Kinda like this one!

I guess I should have drawn lines on the photograph to make it more obvious from the start. I forgot to allow for dysl-EKKA-sia.

But now things have developed and .....

Dropped in to look at the C.citriodora I posted about earlier and took a few photo's. The first were taken about 4 months ago.

As you can see the garage on the right and the crossover on the left with a very nice looking driveway (with marble chips embedded in the surface!) joining the two.

..... all of a sudden as ignorance is being replaced with knowledge and a problem solving attitudes rather than blame and defecate answers are arising.

Yawn, so predictable ... but so typical eh Mr OOMT fool.

 

[derwoodii]

Ok remember this one, after much debate a result is in.
The states highest planning authority had to deliver final design after Council refused permit due to this & many other issues on the site.
So even if AS 4970 says don't do this. No argument could be entered as their say is final & no appeal is given.

So in went the drive, its NQR not quite right and the trees will suffer but the only other option was a loss. Many other issues where on the plate.
Eg design was x but final was y etc and resolve needed much nego.
Around the corner another tree vs garage. Well pay a designer to draw plan without looking so this is what you get.

Again not what the owner wanted as now needs to hook a turn to go in n out. It just works, lets see how long the tree lives.
Apparently Cert of Occ is pending as the whole lot is 600mm / 2 foot higher than plan so next doors saying total loss of privacy.
At home in his expensive leafy street the developer is thinking up more ways to remove other peoples trees for his profit.