Tree's lifting block pavement solutions?

[benedmonds]

Any solutions? Fell is not an option. Fencing off is not an option.

I am thinking some type of resin based paving system but have no experience..

[David Humphries]

Ben, I've no direct personal experience but have noted a number of London LA's using permeable/porous resin surfaces like this one....

 

Our Tree Pit Provides an Attractive Porous Resin Bound Surface

 

There will be other manufacturers out there no doubt

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[PhilBeech]

Remove pavers by hand and investigate. Would be difficult to retro install any effective surface. Doesn't look like its in a dedicated planting pit either.

 

Investigation of the extent of the root crown is the first step and then see what can be done with out detriment to the long-term health of the tree.

 

Personally I think it maybe a lost cause. Take a look at the Greenleaf catalogue online Ben. Lots if useful information regarding special surfaces in there.

[ScottF]

Ben, I've no direct personal experience but have noted a number of London LA's using permeable/porous resin surfaces like this one....

 

Our Tree Pit Provides an Attractive Porous Resin Bound Surface

 

There will be other manufacturers out there no doubt

.

 

Hi there. I've seen this bound resin used on dozens of sites now (it must have appeared in a landscape architects' spec sheet somewhere) and I'd say it's a poor fit. The resin cracks and splits and very easily becomes weedy. Also, unless there is absoltely no settlement is the substrate below it, it collapses into the void and falls apart. Also, on more than one occasion I have seen it move arouns where it's been lain up against ther stem of small trees and has essentially ring-barked them. I'm going up to a site I've been monitoing with this this morning. I'll take some pictures and post to demonstrate.

 

In my view, this is a material that's been used for one application (path and play surfacing) and is being offered up to a use to which it's a poor fit in order to broaden its market. Avoid.

 

Perhaps an open pit with some sort of non-invasive edging, filled with either bark mulch or an unbound mineral mulch would be suitable. This assumes there's enough room to walk around the tree without obstructing pedestrians.

[David Humphries]

Look forward to the shots Scott, useful feedback.

 

 

 

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[likeitorlumpit]

We've used resin bonded gravel around trees.

It has to be 50mm thick and as it's quite expensive, some contractors use less thick and this is when it fails especially when cars drive over it.

I would recommend keeping an eye on any fitted as over time the tree will grow and could like you say be ring barked. This is a problem with most tree surrounds though.

It is porus which is a good thing. You can tip a bucket of water over it once installed and it goes through (the water test). The issue is it's recommended 10degrees C installation temperature though I guess it could be colder, just take longer to set.

Laying it is easy if you have some trowel experience.

Mixing it is easy if you don't try and do too much at once and use a clean shovel

Cost is high. weeds will grow in it as it collects dust over time. Usually kept small by the hostile environment though.

It's not perfect but looks good. I'm not sure theres a perfect answer to this.

Bark mulch just doesn't work in urban environment.

Metal grids- hmmm... nickable/costly/still have weed and ringing issues.

Gravel- dogshit etc and it travels

Just soil- weeds/****

tarmac- really- I don't think so.

[dogman]

I've a 3 trees on a site i work on, that are also lifting the block paving, i would like to offer a solution to the company, so i'm interested in this.

 

Rob

[David Humphries]

Also, on more than one occasion I have seen it move arouns where it's been lain up against ther stem of small trees and has essentially ring-barked them.

 

I would recommend keeping an eye on any fitted as over time the tree will grow and could like you say be ring barked. .

 

In the shot above there is a sleeve which is then filled with loose shingle, I guess this is a way to control the risk of the bonded resin from ring barking the stem.

 

Like most things, its down to the spec of installation, maintenance (weed killing etc....)

 

 

.

[ScottF]

Attached are a couple of images from the site in Caernarfon. It's been weeded several times this summer already and is getting weedy again late season. Also, it's not that obvious in the picture, but in this pale aggregate, the accretion of unsightly fines (as mentioned above) from the road isn't looking well. This has only just gone in, and in the flesh it already looks unsightly.

In "Up by Roots" James Urban cautions that it has to be laid relatively thin (to maintain porosity) and not too close to the stem (to prevent damage). He also cautions that it should be seen as a temporary finish as it's not too durable.

 

The site I looked at in Birley Fields in Hulme, Manchester in 2010 had many young trees installed into pits and dressed in this stuff, and they were almost all ring-barked.

 

I guess if this stuff is seen as an option it needs to be laid with care and not too close to the stem. It still seems to me to be an option which seeks to keep teres from "being a nuisance" rather than trying to form part of a solution which offers the best possible growing conditions for the tree.

 

I've added a spec for some pits which I produced in 2011 with stone edges and an open top with bark mulch. The finsihed items lok just like in the picture and the concerns with mulch blowing about, litter etc were unfounded. They just need topping up once in a while and watering and soil mediation is possible. You could maybe look at something like this in this instance, placing stone or precast lengths around the edge of an enclosure for the tree (as large as is possible), pinning them in place (and maybe to each other) to enclose a good layer of bark mulch or stone (a nice angular 10-12mm granite to deter animals?).

Bangor Town Tree Pit final detail.pdf

[Slothlike]

Hi Ben,

 

We are using a rubber-aggregate bound surface in these locations. Its highly pourous and does not split or crack. After looking for a solution for highway trees we think this a great option.

 

Their website is at KBI UK | Smarter Materials for Next Generation Infrastructure give them a call and they will advise, say that Nick from Amey in Birmingham pointed yoiu in their direction.

 

A bit of root pruning may not be a bad thing either

 

Nick