Tree Safety on Ottawa Construction Zones and Building Sites

Published April 4, 2019

Construction sites and building zones involve a lot of moving pieces and factors such as time, plans, physical labour and often different contractors. When planning construction many things are taken into consideration such as soil concentrations etc. however one thing that doesn't always received the same thought in the beginning is trees. This may come as a surprise but trees of all ages require some considerations and precautions which will increase the trees chance of survival after construction comes to an end. Even if a construction site seems to have zero or minimal impact on the trees growing on the property, it can take years for mature trees to show signs and symptoms from damages caused by construction. In some cases it can even take a decade for a tree to die from post-construction injuries. If you are planning to do some construction, whether it's a residential project that is quite small or it is a full blown commercial build, we encourage you to contact a professional arborist to take a look at the trees on the property and provide some recommendations on the most effective way to care for the trees and prevent construction related damage. There are also some considerations and post-construction care regimens that can help maintain healthy trees. There is an area around every tree that is known as the critical root zone (CRZ) and it is extremely important that this zone is protected and considerations are made to ensure the tree is not damaged in the CRZ. Some construction and building tasks that can negatively impact the health and lifespan of a tree include:

Debris being dumped or placed on top of the root system, against a tree trunk or something that seeps into the ground.
Vehicles driving over the critical root zone.
Harmful and dangerous materials being mixed over the roots or critical root zone (ie. paint or mortar).
Roots of the tree being cut and soil compacted by heavy traffic.

With the right precautions and post-construction care, you can help prevent the premature death of your trees that make up such a beautiful landscape for your property. Before you begin your construction project, give us a call to discuss construction site safety with regards to your trees and the critical root zone. We are here to help and if you have some dead or dying trees we can help with the tree removal as well to ensure that only the dead trees are removed and the remaining healthy trees stay healthy.

Tree Safety on Ottawa Construction Zones and Building Sites

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