Buildings and Trees

See also specific sites for: Tree Roots & Soil, Planning & Development, Trees & Light.

The  Case Law Index conatins a number of law cases relating to damage to buildings by tree roots.

News

• Subsidence Risk Assessment (SRA). This system of subsidence prediction has been officially withdrawn on the 30th May 2001 by the Arb Association. Their reasons were based upon factors such as small number of license holders, non-application of method by license holders, non-return of records and insufficient funds to further develop the system. (AA Newsletter  No 113, June 2001).

Articles & Definitions

• HouseDeck (raft foundation system)
• Trees and Buildings.

Standards

• BS8004 - 1986. Code of Practice for foundations.
• BS8103 - 1995. Structural design of low rise buildings. Part1. Code of practice for stability, site investigation, foundations and ground floor slabs for housing.

Organisations

• The Arboricultural Mortgage & Insurance Users Group.

AAIS Publications

• Roots and foundations. ARIN 142. AAIS.
• Root architecture and pavement damage - street trees. ARIN 138. AAIS.
• Root barriers - an experimental investigation.  ARIN 141.AAIS.
• Root barriers and building subsidence. 1997. APN 4
• Trees in Dispute.  APN3
• Trees & Shrubs for Noise Control. APN6

• BRE63. Soils and Foundations: 1.
• BRE63. Soils and Foundations: 2.
• BRE63. Soils and Foundations: 3.
• BRE240. Low Rise Buildings on shrinkable clay soils: Part 1.
• BRE241. Low Rise Buildings on shrinkable clay soils: Part 2.
• BRE242. Low Rise Buildings on shrinkable clay soils: Part 3.
• BRE251. Assessment of damage in low-rise buildings.
• BRE298. Low rise building foundations : the influence of trees in clay soils.
• BRE313. Mini-piling for low rise buildings.
• BRE315. Choosing piles for new construction.
• BRE318. Site Investigation for Low Rise Building: desk studies.
• BRE322. Site Investigation for Low Rise Building: Procurement.
• BRE343. Simple measuring and monitoring of movement in low-rise buildings. Part 1: cracks.
• BRE344. Simple measuring and monitoring of movement in low-rise buildings. Part 2: settlement, heave and out-of-plumb.
• BRE348. Site Investigation for Low Rise Building: the walk over survey.
• BRE352. Underpinning.
• BRE361. Why do buildings crack?
• BRE381. Site Investigation for Low Rise Building: trial pits.
• BRE386. Monitoring building and ground movement by precise levelling.
• BRE411. Site Investigation for Low Rise Building: direct investigations.
• BRE412. Desiccation in Clay Soils.

Other Publications

• Journal of Building article which discusses pruning of trees to control building subsidence is available to download from the OCA website.
• Subsidence of low rise buildings (2nd edition).  Published by the  Institute for Structural Engineers. 
• Chapter 4.2 Buildings near Trees. Booklet. Published by The National House Building Council advises on the design and depth of new foundations on clay soils in proximity to trees.
• Trees and Development. Book. Order direct from ISA.
• Guidelines for the planning, installation and maintenance of utility services in proximity to trees. National Joint Utilities Group (NJUG) Publication No:10
• Tree Roots & Buildings by Cutler and Richardson.
• BS5837:1991 - Trees in Relation to Construction. Booklet. Order direct from The British Standards Institution which offers information concerning clay soils and standards regarding the protection of trees during a construction process.
• BS8004 - Code of Practice for foundations. The British Standards Institution
• The Crack. Newsletter. Published by the The Arboricultural Mortgage & Insurance Users Group.
• Tree Root Damage to Buildings by Dr Giles Biddle. Book - 2 volumes.
• Protection of Trees on Development Sites. Part 1 and 2. Leaflet. Published by the Arboricultural Association.
• Trees and Damage to Low Rise Buildings. 10 page technical guide and video. Available mail order from ISA.

Web Sites

• The Building Research Establishment
• The National House Building Council
• British Geological Survey
• The British Standards Institution
• Institute for Structural Engineers

Events & Courses

• Clays, Trees, Shrinkage & Foundations. Workshop. Contact: Arb Assoc.
• Mortgage Reporting and Pre-Purchase Arboricultural Surveys. Workshop. Contact: ISA.
• Subsidence Claims Handling - Low rise Buildings. Workshop. Contact: ISA.

Journal Extracts (see AIE Abbreviations for abbreviations and links)

• Building foundation damage - prediction of.      AJ - Vol:19 -  No:2 -  May 1995
• Clay soils - potential for building damage.      AJ - Vol:20 -  No:3 -  Aug 1996
• Housing - a strategy to establish trees among high density housing. JA - Vol:26 - No:2 - March 2000

Publication Extracts (books, handbooks & bulletins)

• Construction Injury.  Page 329.  Modern Arboriculture by Alex Shigo.  Book. ISBN 0-943563-09-7.
• Buildings and Trees.  Chapter 12.  Urban Forestry Practice.  Handbook no 5. Forestry Commission. ISBN 0-11-710273-3.
• Trees and Buildings by P. Biddle. Page 121. Advances in Practical Arboriculture 1985.  Bulletin 65. Forestry Commission. ISBN 0-11-710203-2.
• Safe as Houses. Should arborists make tree risk assessments? Short article.  Horticulture Week, Sept 28th 2000
• Research and Rescue. Study project showing how pruning affects water uptake. Short article.  Horticulture Week, July 26th 2001

AIE Links

• Link back to Subject Index, Planning & Development, Tree Roots and Soil, TV reception, Trees & Light
• See also Tree Law and Case Law Index for law cases relating to damage to buildings by tree roots.

© 2000 Chris Skellern. AIE.    Home  | News | A-Z Index  | Resources  |  Contact AIE  |  Terms of Use