The further away you are, the better it is for the tree . . . of course. The reality is we work on sites where the encroachment of excavation, and future infrastructure is a constant threat to our Protected Trees.
What is the No-Encroachment Zone?
Typically, I measure the Drip Line (the area from the edge of trunk to the outermost limbs of the canopy). I then add the 'over-dig' zone which is the excavation area required to build a foundation, a driveway, etc. The minimum I use is 60 cm. I add those two together to calculate the 'No-Encroachment' zone. This is the area next to a tree where we shouldn't excavate or build a wall, patio, or some other piece of infrastructure.
Now once we can see those zones on a site drawing with the proposed design, we can start to make better judgements as to where the conflicts are and how we might be able to mitigate the impact. It is always better to sort these things out on a drawing first before digging begins.
Now, when are choices are few and our desire to save a tree is great, we may have to be very creative how we dig, how we secure walls, how we manage a tree through the months and often years of construction activity.
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