The purpose of this section
is to establish uniform practices for clearing, grubbing, scalping, and
removing trees and stumps within the areas designated in the plans.
The following terms are
defined for clarity:
§ “Clearing” is cutting down all of the trees and brush.
§ “Grubbing” is clearing by digging up roots and stumps.
§ “Scalping” is removing the remaining roots, sod,
grass, agriculture crop, sawdust, and other vegetation so that the soil is
completely exposed. This does not
include removing topsoil.
Varying interpretations as to
the extent of removal are possible where these removals are set up on a lump
sum basis. It is necessary to exercise
judgment in the administration of this item to accomplish the desired results.
It is Department practice to
remove only those trees that must be removed for the construction and
maintenance of the highway and for the safety of the traveling public. In certain circumstances, it is desirable to leave
healthy trees in place.
Ohio Administrative Code
regulates the movement of trees and wood in order to retard and prevent the
spread of some destructive insects. At
present, the insects include emerald ash borer and Asian longhorned
beetle. The handling and transportation
restrictions are listed on the website for the Ohio Department of Agriculture (www.agri.ohio.gov).
All material disposals in the
200-series of C&MS refer to Sections 105.16
and 105.17. The following statement is in 201.01
and is repeated throughout the 200s:
“Use removed or excavated materials in the work when
the material conforms to the specifications; if not then recycle, burn, or
dispose of the material according to 105.16
and 105.17.”
This statement is meant to
encourage the Contractor to reuse, in the work, any material that can be
reused. In the clearing and grubbing work, this is typically soil and
topsoil. Any material that can’t be
reused needs to be disposed of properly.
The use, reuse, and/or disposal of these materials may be regulated. (See
Section 105.16,
Borrow and Waste, of this manual).
There are three plan notes
that may be used by the Department to determine the extent of the clearing and
grubbing work on the project. These notes are described below and in the Location
& Design Manual, Volume 3, Appendix B. In every case, the plan will denote the
limits of the clearing and grubbing.
When Plan
Note G108A is used, no trees will be specifically called out for removal.
Everything is removed within the areas denoted in the plan. In this case, the Contractor has the maximum
risk if his field count is not accurate.
This note is often used on small projects.
When Plan
Note G108B is used, trees and stumps are marked for removal on the plan.
This note is used where the designer can reasonably count all of the trees
within the work limits. This count
should be accurate at the time of the count.
The count is not necessarily
correct at the time of construction. The
Contractors are responsible to visit the site prior to the bid. This allows the
Contractor to take tree growth into account.
Typical increase in growth is approximately 25 percent. This depends on the time between the count
and construction.
The Contractor should bring
large discrepancies between the plan count and the actual conditions to the
Department’s attention prior to the bid.
When Plan
Note G109C is used, everything in the plan limits is removed except for the
trees denoted as “Do Not Disturb.”
The plan denotes some trees
and stumps, where feasible. In other
locations, the plan denotes heavy wooded areas. An estimated count is given in
the heavy wooded section. This estimate
is based on representative counts in the heavy wooded areas.
There are inherent
inaccuracies in this count. The
Contractor will be able to make an informed decision in his bid by the
knowledge of how the count is made. By
denoting the type and accuracy of the tree counting, it minimizes the claims
and change orders from this item of work.
Markings for trees to remain
in place should be temporary and not result in an undesirable appearance beyond
the life of the Contract.
Trees that are located within
the plan clearing and grubbing limits technically must be removed. There are circumstances, however, where the
Engineer may consider leaving trees in place or making other changes to the
Contract.
It may be desirable to leave
some trees because they are aesthetically pleasing and can provide structural
value to an embankment or slope. Leaving
flowering trees and shrubs such as dogwood, redbud, hawthorn, and other attractive
growth should be given serious consideration.
Special consideration should be given to rest areas or other specific
nature locations.
The Project Engineer will
contact the District Environmental Coordinator for recommendations on the
attractiveness of trees to remain in place.
Where trees are allowed to
remain in place, the area surrounding the trees should be cleared of
undesirable undergrowth to provide an attractive appearance and to simplify
maintenance.
Trees located within the plan
work limits but outside the clear zone may not require removal. It is required to remove trees within the
clear zone or a minimum distance of about 30 to 40 feet (9 to 12 meters) from
the edge of the travel lanes. The actual
clear zone distance depends on the roadway type. The Project Engineer needs to contact the
District Office of Production to give approval recommendations on the clear
zone.
It is not necessary to remove
trees beyond areas required for construction if the grading section is in a cut
with a 3:1 back slope, or is in fill with a depth requiring a guardrail.
All trees considered for
remaining in place must be in good condition.
A tree should be removed if it is dead, fallen, or unhealthy.
It may be necessary to remove
some trees for fence or noise wall construction. This type of removal must be within the
right-of-way limits and should not be greater than 10 feet (3 meters) in width
in dense growth. Where trees are scattered,
the removal should be confined to trees that are in line with the fence or
noise wall.
The appearance of a
mechanical cutting swath should be avoided when trees are left. This can be accomplished by having a curved
or irregular tree line defining the area rather than a straight-line effect.
It is essential that the
project enforce scalping work when it is required.
Scalping is not required
under an embankment where the embankment height is greater than 9 feet (3 m) to
the subgrade elevation and when the existing slope is 8:1 or flatter. Both conditions must be true for the location
not to be scalped. See Figure 201.A
below for an illustration.
This requirement is in the
specifications to ensure good friction between the existing foundation and the
new embankment. This construction
technique minimizes future potential sliding.
Figure 201.A – Scalping Requirements
1. Proper Disposal (see 105.16
and 105.17).
2. Mark Right-of-Way or cutting limits.
3. Check the field conditions for accuracy.
4. Count Trees or Stumps, if these are set up for
individual payment.
5. Check material removals according to 201.03.
6. Check the required scalping locations.
a. Use 201.04
for embankment foundations.
b. Use 203.05
for benching areas.
7. Measure and pay according to 201.05
and 201.06.
8. Document on form CA-D-3A
or CA-D-3B.