Damage to residential structures due to tree root drying: a case study

Trees have long been known to cause damage to pavements and residential buildings as a result of soil desiccation by tree roots. This paper presents a case study of a residential house damaged by expansive soil movement. The field investigation revealed that the damage was most likely caused by tree root drying, which resulted in non-uniform soil moisture conditions. The case study has shown that there is no simple method to prevent cracking and movement in residential buildings constructed on highly reactive soils in the near vicinity of large trees with high moisture demand such Eucalypts on this property.