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Urban Tree Planting
Project Assistance
Benefits of Trees in Urban Settings
The Great Debate
Urban trees have long been a subject of great debate with the benefits of urban greening compared with the cost implications of installation and maintenance. Plus, the success of a tree in an ‘unnatural’ environment is the responsibility of many parties from client, grower, landscape
architect, manufacturer, and contractor.
Urban environments are no longer just a car park, block of flats or highways, they are now places to aspire to live, work and socialise, offering a combination of functional areas with beautiful landscapes to enjoy. The landscape industry as a whole has pushed forward with urban
greening, encouraging, proposing, and incorporating landscapes into projects that would have traditionally focused on structural architecture.
Environmental Impact
Changes in weather are playing havoc with urban environments, increases in flashflooding,
lack of shade and coverage plus declining levels of biodiversity in cities are to name but a few. Urban trees offer many workable solutions to these problems, from reducing surface water run off through canopy coverage to drainage systems incorporated into their rooting space. The
solutions are often simple, yet effective with many success stories to shout about.
The Logistics
Whether it be costings, access, underground services, restricted rooting space, maintenance or public safety, urban trees can often present more problems at design stage than solutions. Over the years even the most challenging projects have found their own workable solutions resulting
in successful trees and landscapes with many benefits for the environment.
The Future
As the inclusion of urban trees increases within schemes and general awareness of their individual benefits becomes widely covered, their significance in projects will grow. Each year the projects we are involved with become more inspiring, creative, and adventurous with the
landscape industry leading the way in converting the masses to get outdoors and generate more awareness of our surroundings.
Services
What we can offer
Below the Ground Solutions: The TreeParker® Cell System
The TreeParker® system provides large volumes of non-compact high quality soil and maximises the usable space beneath the ground, providing unlimited expansion for unimpeded root growth, while supporting traffic loads at the same time. It is ideal for new trees in areas such as pavements, car parks, plazas, green roofs and even green walls.
In addition to the key functions, such as withstanding heavy traffic loads, whilst maintaining pavement integrity and providing an unimpeded root growth, TreeParker® also promotes stormwater management within the system, dealing with rainwater runoff at source; the ideal SuDS solution.
Key elements taken into consideration for the development process were the need for simple design, easy installation, sustainability, integration of existing and new utilities, variable unit depth and free void space for soil infill.
Simplicity characterises the system. Through a simple and smart design the TreeParker® system can be installed in any tree planting space. It is easy to customise your tree pit design to your needs. Each independent unit has sufficient load-bearing capacity, which means that the units do not need to be linked. Just shift the units into position with a maximum spacing of 75mm. Variable heights are available. We recommend that you use the maximum depth for reduced space requirements (sqm) and lower costs.
Benefits of the TreeParker® Cell System
- Variable system height, between 400mm and 1500mm.
- Designed to support heavy traffic loads whilst maintaining pavement integrity.
- Provides unhindered root growth for large species of trees.
- Quick and cost-effective installation and easy to fill with soil.
- Large spacing between the structure legs ensures unrestrained root-growth.
- Made from 100% recyclable, long-lasting and inert plastics.
- Modular system for design flexibility.
- Tree Parker can be installed in curves down to a 5m radius without additional products.
- Utility friendly, designed for easy utility maintenance and repair.
- Combines stormwater management and root growth, up to 25% of the volume is available for water infiltration.
- Up to 95% volume available for soil infill.
- Withstands vertical and lateral loads.
Services
What we can offer
Below the Ground Solutions: The Sandwich TreeRaft System
The Sandwich TreeRaft System provides a pressure spreading systems that spreads the load of vehicle movements around the rooting area of the tree and eliminate/reduce soil compaction within the pit. The sandwich construction replaces the foundation layer, creates a thinner base course and increases the available root growth volume. The open structure produces an open air layer beneath the pavement and prevents root damage to the pavement. Sandwich constructions are specially developed for situations where compaction of root space is to be expected due to traffic loads.
Vehicular and pedestrian traffic over unprotected areas within the tree root zones of trees can cause compaction of sub soils which leads to reduced voids within the soil structure. This reduces air and water transfer to the roots themselves which can ultimately lead to the root structure declining and the eventual loss of the tree. Because of the compaction the roots will search for air and water just underneath or between the pavement or asphalt.
A sandwich construction is placed on a layer of tree soil, or structural soil, beneath the surface of the pavement. The system can be used in areas with existing or newly planted trees. The Sandwich Tree Raft System pressure spreading system is also a good alternative in areas where it is not possible to use other subsurface structures or in areas with a high groundwater level.
We advise that the system should not be used within the zone of rapid taper (distance depends on the tree species, but to be sure ask a tree specialist when working within a 2 metre circle around the tree). To prevent the sandwich construction from lifting we recommend that you use our Tree Root Directing panels. Please remember that the situation could differ and depends on your expectations and objectives.
Benefits of the Sandwich TreeRaft System
- Easy installation.
- High load-bearing capacity.
- Prevents tyre ruts.
- Excellent tyre twist resistance.
- Replenishes water supply to landscaped areas.
- Unique and easy to use interlocking system.
- No surface drains required.
- Reduces ambient temperature around buildings (When compared to use of hard surfaces).
Services
What we can offer
Below the Ground Solutions: Amenity Tree Soil
Green-tree Amenity Tree Soil allows the development of tree root infrastructure under hard surfaces such as pavements and car parking areas. It has a naturally open structure that is load bearing, providing solid structure and aeration to the root system.
Benefits of the Amenity Tree Soil
- Combats problems of poor root structure and subsequent poor growth
- Allows compaction whilst providing aeration to soil and gives oxygen and water access to the root system
- Compaction testing kits available
- Regular testing to maintain quality
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