A system that will allow large trees to thrive side-by-side with carparks is under trial as part of a future plan for shaded parking in Cairns.
Cairns Regional Council has planted four trees underpinned by the Silva Cell tree root management system on Hartley Street between Grafton and Lake.
Stephen Tyter, manager of Infrastructure Management, says the tree root management system was an underground cellular structure designed to carry traffic loads while providing uncompacted area for tree roots to grow.
"The purpose of installing the system will be to allow large trees to grow providing large trees that offer shade in the Cairns CBD without reducing available parking," Tyter says.
"Normally the root system of a large tree requires the same space as two or more parking bays if the tree is to flourish. However, with the installation of this system, large trees will be able to thrive as the root system is protected from compaction and surrounding infrastructure will be saved from tree root invasion."
The system consists of underground modular framework with structural standards that allow it to support loads of up to 20 tonnes.
"The system provides the tree with access to a suitable volume of uncompacted soil which is critical in growing large functional trees in urban settings and will add perhaps twenty years to an average tree’s longevity."
Planning for large shady trees in the centre of a city is designed to reduce heat in the urban environment which can lead to reduction in air-conditioning. The Silva Cell system is also being trialled in cities across Australia, including Launceston, Sydney and Port Arthur.
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