A.Hippo full of concrete - any advice?

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Got a monster Chestnut to dismantle soon; in the past, cavities have been filled with concrete! Is this some bygone surgery filler or an excentrics mad idea? Either way I have to work around it - any way of figuring out where it is beyond what one can see? Tx.

[RobRainford]

could you not use some sort of chisel to break it up? something like an air powered jackhammer that you can fit on diggers, although they are hydraulic, might be able to break it up from there, or at least get rid of most of it?

 

could always invest in a powersharp!

[Big 'Ammer]

I can honestly say that the worst tree I have ever had to deal with was a concrete filled conker.

 

Both in terms of dismantling and disposal.

 

The worst of it was that there was no evidence of the concrete from the outside.

 

I don't envy your task one bit, Jon.

[tim Ber]

bore holes with a drill? that way you mite be able to test how deep in the wood how, high and position,?

[tommer9]

It used to be the advised practise, believe it or not- 'fill the cavity with mortar boy'!!!!

Good luck mate.

[liamjordan]

Yeah used to be done a lot so i've heard, when i was in canada, saw one of the biggest maple trees there and that was filled with concrete

 

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/picture-forum/9447-old-sugar-maple.html

Comfort Maple - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[gibbon]

is it an old pollard? If so maybe sound at the Base. Maybe fell stump and lift whole ting out with something and leave it in a corner of your yard. Hauling it might be cheaper than man hours and chains trying to deal with it.

[Danny Boy]

i don't envy you there mate... hope you've priced accordingly!

 

sounds like a major headache to me. Can you burn anything on site? Failing that just order some large skips & chuck them in & have them taken away.

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

The crown's not an issue altho absolutely everything has to be lowered since the ground underneath is full of rare and specialist plants, flowers etc (the tree is located in a trust owned public open garden - nightmare). The concrete can be seen in cavities close to major structural points - I will take photos and post. The owners reckon the concrete is holding the tree up; dunno about that but obviously knowing how far the flippin stuff has been poured in is vital so that the sections and thier weight properties can be managed. The drill probing sounds a good idea. Tx...

 

Oh and no, not a pollard. 5-6' dbh but not that high; 70' maybe.

Edited November 24, 2010 by TimberCutterDartmoor

[Bob Rolfe]

Lol lol lol seem them stuffed with all sorts of crap bricks,cement and oversized rock ..... Stock up on files.

 

I did a job once just cutting up some windblown old limes that were semi hollowed though the cavities had filled with fine sandy particules turning to clay what a bitch of a job that was. Felt like I had a day of filing no fun trust me

 

 

 

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