Planting Trees Precautions and Care

Trees form an integral part of our ecological system and are a god-given gift to humanity. Trees or plants can’t move but still are the most dynamic and self-dependent systems. Often civil engineers learn about concrete, steel, advanced materials, earthquakes, drone technology, etc., but may not have adequate knowledge of trees and their effect on civil engineering structures. In the past two years, India witnessed four devastating cyclones, which caused tremendous damage to property and lives. These cyclones resulted in two types of damages: (i) direct damages due to high-speed winds, (ii) indirect damages due to falling of trees on structures/cars/humans. The first kind of damage can be controlled to a large extent through well-engineered structures but the second one is often neglected. The major, minor aspects towards the planting of trees in various civil engineering projects are presented, which will lead to a safe and sustainable future with reduced damages.
Er. Vivek Abhyankar, SGAWings Civil Engineering Consultants, Mumbai & Dr. N. Subramanian, Consulting Structural Engineer, Gaithersburg, MD, USA