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What Is The Effect of Tree Roots On Building

Tree roots can extract moisture from deep in the soil up to 6 meters below the surface. Fast growing tree roots close to buildings, such as poplars and elms, can cause unequal settlement and movement in the building by drying out and shrinking the soil. It is important to accurately survey tree positions and types to determine if they are causing damage. To avoid root problems, a safe distance should be maintained between trees and buildings based on tree type and expected maximum height as shown in Table 1 of the document. Building damage can also occur when established trees are removed due to vertical and horizontal pressures on the soil, which may cause expansion and heaving over years as moisture is reabsorbed into the clay.

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370 views2 pages

What Is The Effect of Tree Roots On Building

Tree roots can extract moisture from deep in the soil up to 6 meters below the surface. Fast growing tree roots close to buildings, such as poplars and elms, can cause unequal settlement and movement in the building by drying out and shrinking the soil. It is important to accurately survey tree positions and types to determine if they are causing damage. To avoid root problems, a safe distance should be maintained between trees and buildings based on tree type and expected maximum height as shown in Table 1 of the document. Building damage can also occur when established trees are removed due to vertical and horizontal pressures on the soil, which may cause expansion and heaving over years as moisture is reabsorbed into the clay.

Uploaded by

suryakantame
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF TREE ROOTS ON

BUILDING?
Fast growing trees close to buildings can cause unequal settlement when active tree roots dry
out the soil causing differential soil shrinkage. Shrinking clays affect the bearing capacity and
lead to movement in the building, especially in shallow foundations.
Tree roots can extend over a considerable distance and can extract moisture from as deep as 6
m below the surface. It is, therefore, necessary to make an accurate survey of their position and
obtain details of the type of tree, and at the same time establish that the tree is the cause of the
damage (see Fig-1).

Poplars and elms with fast growing root systems can be expected to cause serious seasonal
movements.

HOW TO AVOID PROBLEMS DUE TO TREE


ROOTS?
One way to avoid root problems with tall trees is to maintain a ‘safe distance’ between the tree
and the building. Some species of trees are likely to cause more problems than others. Table-1
shows the different types of trees known to have caused damage, ranking in descending order of
threat. It also shows their expected maximum height on clay soils. Planting a tree close to a new
or existing building will usually entail some risk of damage. It is, therefore, suggested that the
recommendations described in Table-1 are followed.
Table-1
Buildings can also be damaged when well established trees are removed. The resultant
pressures due to the removal of trees and bushes act both vertically and horizontally. In the
majority of cases it is the horizontal movement that produces the greatest damage, particularly in
the upper layer of clay. In such cases there is a danger of the clay expanding over a period of
years as it reabsorbs moisture causing the foundation to ‘heave’.
Where window sills crack and rise in the middle this is an indication of soil heave.

Differential movements will take place resulting in cracks in walls and partitions. In such cases
the removal of a tree may do more harm than good

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