asphalt damage?

[Aranyic]

Got a question about bringing down a tree. Everything I have cut down so far I have been able to bring down into a grassy area then buck it up from there or drag it up to where I split if it's at the back of my lot. We've got a tree at our church I'd like to offer to take down my only concern is that without a bucket one trunk will need to come down into the parking lot. I'm concerned about whether they come down with enough weight to damage the asphalt.

The back and left trunks can be cut down together straight back into the culvert and then cut to 5-6' sections there to go in the truck. The right section is the one I'm concerned about. I don't want to mess with it if there's a decent chance of a dent or crack.

 

[barmstrong2]

Looks like fairly new asphalt. I do a lot of roadside cutting and we don't care about dropping them onto the paved road, generally, and they don't damage the asphalt. But, on a new road... I'd be a little more concerned. A broken limb could easily embed itself into the asphalt, or the tree could dent the fresh asphalt.
Why not, cut the other 2 first, then, lay out some branches for a pad for the other? Spread the weight of the tree. I've never done it, but, why not?

 

[TommyTally]

Not an expert by any means, but from the looks of the size and distribution of weight in that tree, it will probably be fine.

 

[Montanalocal]

Or use a few sheets of plywood.

 

[DoubleB]

Maybe wait until winter when the asphalt is stiffer.

 

[billb3]

A driveway is not usually made to the same standards as a street

I've had a pine tree come down in a hurricane and punch a good size hole in the driveway.
Hired a asphalt guy to come cut a square out, fill with new asphalt and run his press roller over it to compress it nice and hard to last.



Put a rope on it and pull it towards that big tree behind it while it is falling so it falls on the lawn ?

 

[pontiacgta2002]

Go up higher on the one to the right and fell it to the grass area. Tie a line to it to encourage it that way.

 

[Bspring]

Looks like fairly new asphalt. I do a lot of roadside cutting and we don't care about dropping them onto the paved road, generally, and they don't damage the asphalt. But, on a new road... I'd be a little more concerned. A broken limb could easily embed itself into the asphalt, or the tree could dent the fresh asphalt.
Why not, cut the other 2 first, then, lay out some branches for a pad for the other? Spread the weight of the tree. I've never done it, but, why not?

I have done this. I had some large pine trees that had to come down on my drive way. I laid several cross ties down about 4' apart and dropped the trees on the cross ties. It worked very well.

 

[Apprentice_GM]

I would:
1) Climb the tree (use a ladder) on the carpark side and trim any branches. You want to avoid point-loading, ie all the weight of a trunk or branch impacting on one small part like a short branch.
2) Tie 3 ropes around the 3 main "trunks" as high as possible. Get a few blokes from church keeping tension on that line whilst you cut one trunk at a time, so the trunks fall away from the carpark.
3) Spread something on the carpark to protect it in case it goes the wrong way eg pallets, plywood. I would stack pallets 4 or 5 high by 4 or 5 wide to create a "wall" where if the tree trunk fell the wrong way it would support the trunk whilst I cut it into short lengths. At least the pallet wall would slow the trunks to make a more gentle impact, if the trunks fell the wrong way.
4) Use wedges to encourage the fall away from the carpark.
5) Consider doing it when lots of snow protects the asphalt, if you get snow. You could use a snow blower to build up lots of snow around the tree, same idea as the pallet wall.

The tree trunks look pretty light weight to me, I think with a high rope and a few blokes leaning you'll encourage felling away from the carpark pretty easily - low risk.