Our client a national insurance company asked us to remove 4 trees located at an address in Southampton, Hampshire. The trees had been identifed as the cause of subsidence related damage to a residential dwelling.

The trees had been monitored during one full season to determine if the cracks in the building/dwelling appeared to be the cause of vegetation related subsidence damage. The cause of the subsidence related damge was proven to be vegatative related due to the following: 

SOIL SAMPLES Trial pits are dug below foundations in the vicinity of the building damage (building subsidence/cracks) and soil samples removed to determine soil characteristics. Broadly speaking the soil needs to be shrinkable in nature for vegetation to be the culpurit where subsidence has occured. It is the soils shrinkable nature which lends it's self to shrinking and swelling subject to the lack or excess of moisture/water in the soil as a result of vegetations requirement for moisture/water. Soils which have the potential to shrink and expend are predominantly clay and vegetation can effect the very soil that supports the foundations of the building causing droping or lifting of an above ground structure. 

LEVEL MONITORING Building cracks were measured during different times of the year/growing season to determine if any of the cracks opened or closed during different times of the year, mirroring vegetation's requirement or lack of requirement for moisture/water during different stages of the year. Cracks that open and close are a strong indication that vegetation is the likley cause of subsidence related damage.  

ROOT DNA Trial pits are dug below foundations in the vicinity of the building damage noted (building subsidence/cracks) and live roots removed for DNA sampling in relation to trees in the vicinity. This method ensures only the correct trees are removed to remove further damage occuring.

Following the testing undertaken above, vegetation was shown to be the clear culprit of the damage, both cracks opening and closing during different times of the year and root DNA proved the subject trees where the culprit and therefore recommended for removal in oredr that appropriate repair works could be undertaken after the cause was removed.

 WORK COMMENCES..................

We received instructions from our client to proceed with the works and arrived on site armed with the tools required to complete the works, coupled with paper work that included:

  1. Detailed description of the works necessary 
  2. Site plan denoting the location of the tree/s  
  3. Risk Assessment
  4. Method statement

Once the risk assessment was complete and the control measures implimented we were ready to get started removing the 4 subject trees.

The trees where removed in sections, climbing each tree in turn using safe climbing techniques and equipement, all waste was removed from site......................

 

All waste was put through a woodchipper and converted to woodchip....................... 

The site was left clean and tidy...............

Another job safely and efficiently completed by DGS TREES............