Dr Martin Dobson

1. Types of investigation and their interpretation Part 1 Dr Martin Dobson

2. Investigations • Site geology • Crack pattern description and interpretation • Time of development of damage (autumn claims surge) • Tree/shrub information (past and present growth rate) • Root identification including DNA testing • Trial pits (foundation depth) • Drain survey

3. Investigations • Site geology • Crack pattern description and interpretation • Time of development of damage (autumn claims surge) • Tree/shrub information (past and present growth rate) • Root identification including DNA testing • Trial pits (foundation depth) • Drain survey

4. Investigations • Site geology • Crack pattern description and interpretation • Time of development of damage (autumn claims surge) • Tree/shrub information (past and present growth rate) • Root identification including DNA testing • Trial pits (foundation depth) • Drain survey

5. Investigations • Site geology • Crack pattern description and interpretation • Time of development of damage (autumn claims surge) • Tree/shrub information (past and present growth rate) • Root identification including DNA testing • Trial pits (foundation depth) • Drain survey

6. Investigations • Site geology • Crack pattern description and interpretation • Time of development of damage (autumn claims surge) • Tree/shrub information (past and present growth rate) • Root identification including DNA testing • Trial pits (foundation depth) • Drain survey

7. Investigations • Site geology • Crack pattern description and interpretation • Time of development of damage (autumn claims surge) • Tree/shrub information (past and present growth rate) • Root identification including DNA testing • Trial pits (foundation depth) • Drain survey

8. Investigations • Site geology • Crack pattern description and interpretation • Time of development of damage (autumn claims surge) • Tree/shrub information (past and present growth rate) • Root identification including DNA testing • Trial pits (foundation depth) • Drain survey

9. 1. Site geology http://www.bgs.ac.uk http://maps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyviewer_google/googleviewer.html

14. 2. Crack pattern description and interpretation

15. Typical damage • Small, usually diagonal, cracks which suddenly appear indoors in plaster work and outside in brickwork or render. • Cracks occur at weak points, such as around doors and windows • Cracks usually become noticeable in late summer. • The cracks will normally be wider at the top. • Doors and windows may also “stick” due to the distortion of the building.

17. Basingstoke Road, Reading

24. 3. Timing of damage

26. 4. Tree/shrub information (past and present growth rate) • Measured survey • Species of tree/shrub • Water demand • Age (increment core) • Height/crown spread • History of management

28. 5. Root identification including DNA testing

29. 5. Root identification including DNA testing

30. 5. Root identification including DNA testing

31. DNA fingerprinting • Very small roots • To distinguish between trees of the same species • To distinguish trees of different clones

32. 6. Trial pits (foundation depth)

33. 6. Trial pits (foundation depth) 830 mm

34. 7. Drain survey (CCTV)