buried conduit and tree roots
Megunticook
| Posted in Energy, Heating & Insulation on
Just wondering about planting trees over buried conduit Common sense initially suggests this isn’t a great idea, but maybe it’s fine.
I have an 800′ run of schedule 40 buried 3 feet deep (owned by me, not the power company). There are a couple 2 1/2″ runs with primary power (it’s a loop feed to my transformer) separated by 6″ and then a couple 2-inch runs for communications a foot from the power.
For aesthetic reasons I’d like to plant some trees in a few areas right over the trench. Would the roots potentially bust the conduit?
Replies
ED,
Don't you have to plant most trees in a 2' to 3' hole?
Sounds like a real good chance to break the conduit as you plant.
SamT
Depends on the size of the tree you're planting.
I was thinking smaller saplings whose roots wouldn't nearly be that long at the time of planting.
to state the obvious, saplings grow up.
think u will never have to dig up the runs?
rather than tress maybe bushes?
maybe otf can give u advice on shallow rooted trees bushes.bobl Volo, non valeo
Who cares?
You'll be dead and gone by the time that power fails if it ever does.
Tree roots would tend to grow around the PVC rather than snap it.
If you are really paranoid, encase it in concrete.
What about Gophers?
What about Moles?
Have you considered Earthquakes.
Get over this and move on.Regards,
Boris
"Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934
I don't think most tree roots go 3' deep. Check with an arborist.
I don't think most tree roots go 3' deep. Check with an arborist.
No arborist here. I killed more than a few today with my Cat, cutting a new driveway. 3'? Let's see... tulip poplar, red oak, white oak, red gum, soft maple... all more than 3'. Depends on where they're growing. Can't imagine any of them doing harm to conduit though. Dogwoods are shallow.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
roots are going to take the easiest route, the only problem is, if you have to dig up the tree twenty years from now.
the only problem is, if you have to dig up the tree twenty years from now.
That would be a big problem. I'm using 40'-80' trees to pull the root ball out of the ground. Conduit would come right along with it. The other choice would be to leave the root ball and grind it down.
No idea where we're talking about, but something like American boxwood would be a good alternative. Root ball less than 1' deep, 10' tall is no problem. Relocate very gracefully. They also screen better than trees. I have available nearly 400 of them. Inexpensive to buy, expensive to move very far. Make great instant screens.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
While I would be reluctant to plant directly over the conduit with trees with substantial tap roots but I would think that a foot or two either side would be fine. I have never seen a situation where roots penetrated a PVC conduit run enough to do any damage. Drainage and sewer runs are a different situation as the smallest gap in a sewer run allows water out. Roots will seek out this water.
Conduits, even though they are considered wet locations, don't have any great amounts of water inside to entice roots into them. The only problem I have seen with root is that shallow conduit runs can be heaved up by roots breaking the joints but I think this would not be problem with a run 3' deep.