Heave

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Isnt the most important thing to establish the plasticity index of the soil?

[redmoosefaction]

Sorry, I did not read you first post!

 

Yes you are correct, taking a tree down in stages to prevent heave is a complete waste of time. The soil will make the same level of recovery no matter how many stages you take the tree down in and this finally recovery will be delayed by doing the work in stages. Therefore the final fix to any insured structures will also be delayed.

 

I would also suggest before your client commissions an engineer's report, he should first find a legal opinion! Given that if your client is considered a layman in regards to clay shrinkage subsidence he might not own a duty of care to his neighbours. Because as a layman he has no reasonable foreseeability into his actions of removing the tree, thus no liability were heave damage occur to the neighbouring properties. Also were heave damage occur to these properties and he is a layman then the ABI (Association of British Insurance) Root Agreement kicks in and he would not be held libel for the cost of heave damage on the first occasion.

 

Finally checkout his household policy to see if he is covered for heave damage to his house.

 

I am going have nightmares about cracking now!

 

 

I think we are covered by the ABI Root Agreement. There will always be heave, it's just the degree to which it will happen, and I'm sure geo technical engineers would charge a pretty penny for their job title alone:laugh1:

[Bundle 2]

Isnt the most important thing to establish the plasticity index of the soil?

Indeed, the soil needs classifying in the first instance.

 

Probably agreeing with the statement that incremental pruning/staged removal ( whatever) is not the way to go....although I would maintain it MAY offer a partial solution to matters of heave in some quite limited and specific circumstances....

You may find these links some use...

Clay Research Group

Water Moisture - Tensiometers

[Mark Bolam]

Tell him it defo won't heave, and fell it.

 

But have your fingers crossed behind your back when you are telling him.

 

Bulletproof legally then.

[redmoosefaction]

Tell him it defo won't heave, and fell it.

 

But have your fingers crossed behind your back when you are telling him.

 

Bulletproof legally then.

 

Cool that's all sorted then:thumbup:

[Ian Flatters]

If their is currently no heave fell it posion the stump. Tell him your not willing to put that i writing but you will give him a quote. Balls in his court then.

 

Then if the ground shrinks after you fell it its subsidence not heave so his worries of heave are gone.

[Mesterh]

Tell him it defo won't heave, and fell it.

 

But have your fingers crossed behind your back when you are telling him.

 

Bulletproof legally then.

 

Love it.

 

When speaking to arb consultants over the years they recon theres no way they would state that removing a tree would not cause heave. There are too many variables plus I dont think there PI insurance would be too happy with a statement along those lines either.

 

I was always told its best to just remove the tree and deal with any heave afterwards once its all settled down.

 

Hope you dont mind me asking in this thread but anyone any ideas on if your/our PL insurance would pay out if we removed a tree which then did cause heave?

Would it be my insurance or that of the house holder?

[Paul Barton]

If their is currently no heave fell it posion the stump. Tell him your not willing to put that i writing but you will give him a quote. Balls in his court then.

 

Then if the ground shrinks after you fell it its subsidence not heave so his worries of heave are gone.

 

Other way round dude - the soil is more likely to swell/expand after the felling due to all the soil water no longer being removed by the tree.

[Bundle 2]

Hope you dont mind me asking in this thread but anyone any ideas on if your/our PL insurance would pay out if we removed a tree which then did cause heave?

Would it be my insurance or that of the house holder?

 

Not had personal experience as such but off the cuff, I would argue that if the homeowner was the bod who "commissioned" the work, the responsibility must ultimately rest with him/her.

I guess Im saying that whosoever authorises work must ultimately take responsibility for it.

This is not to say that a protracted dispute would exclude scrutiny of the contractor responsible...

[redmoosefaction]

Look up ABI tree root agreement.

 

Will cover the claimant for one incidence of heave, without the tree owners insurance being affected (I think)