Tree Grates – Best Way to Keep Trees and Pedestrians Safe

Trees are vital elements for any healthy urban landscape. But they have to compete for space alongside urban infrastructures like roads and pedestrians.  This competition often causes harm to both trees and pedestrians.  Pedestrians will often walk very close to the base of a tree when there is no other space on the sidewalk.  They might trip on surfaced roots or low hanging branches. On the other hand, trees are harmed by increased soil compaction, which prevents adequate penetration of water, air, and nutrients. 

Pedestrian Hazards 

Pedestrians present the biggest hazards to young trees on sidewalks and other public spaces. They stomp on saplings and break them. They break off twigs and branches for play. They lean on pliable saplings and bend them to deform or break them entirely.  Some will cut down a growing tree for the sake of it. 

But pedestrian traffic is by far the biggest hazard to a growing tree.  In most instances, pedestrians will unknowingly walk on or very close to a growing tree.  If the light is low, a pedestrian will walk on a sapling and barely notice.  When the tree becomes larger and noticeable, pedestrians will avoid colliding with it but continue compacting the soil at the base.

Soil compaction is a great challenge for trees in urban settings. Compacted soil becomes impermeable, which reduces the amount of water, air, and nutrients reaching a tree’s roots.  The roots also find it hard to penetrate hard soil. Such a tree stunts in growth or dies. 

A tree grate is very useful in protecting a young tree against pedestrian traffic.  It acts as a visual marker to alert pedestrians before they reach the tree. Modern concrete tree grates from Jonite come in attractive bright colors and patterns that can be seen from far. 

Tree grates also act as a hard shield against pedestrian traffic. It lies at the base of a tree and absorbs the shock from pedestrian traffic. This way, the soil does not compact.  The gaps in a tree grate allow through adequate water, air, and nutrients to keep the tree healthy. 

Tree Hazards

As a tree grows, it stops being vulnerable, but, in turn, becomes a hazard to pedestrians. Tree roots erupt from the soil and become obstacles on the sideways.  Pedestrians can easily trip on these erupted roots, especially when visibility is low.   A tree grate acts as a block against erupting roots, which forces them to redirect downwards into the soil. 

Tree roots also push the soil upwards such that the surface around the base of a tree becomes uneven and bumpy.   This uneven ground is risky to walk on and can trip over an unwary pedestrian. 

Cast Iron tree grates are heavy enough to keep erupting tree roots down while avoiding soil compaction. They can also be cast in large sizes to cover a larger area.  They present a flush surface for pedestrians to walk on without tripping. Pedestrians do not have to divert from the sidewalk.  This way, they avoid stepping into vehicular traffic. 

Room for Expansion

A tree grate claims room for a growing tree in an urban environment, where there is competition for space. Developers of city infrastructure are usually quick to take away space from vegetation when they require it.  Tree grating claims space for a tree and makes it hard to bring down a tree.

This territorial marking is very effective where citizens are environmentally conscious. A line of well-maintained trees with attractive tree grates is very visible.  It becomes easy to note when a developer starts interfering with such trees. Citizens who come to identify and ‘own’ these trees will raise a concern and make the right petitions to preserve them and their space. 

Some urban authorities refuse tree grates because they claim that tree grates strangle growing trees. But today’s tree grates can be made to accommodate trees as they grow.  Concrete tree grates, for example, can be made in separate removable blocks. These blocks can be replaced with those of greater girth to accommodate a growing tree. It eliminates the fear of a tree being strangled as it grows.  

Tree grates have become notable elements in many urban environments today. Urban authorities have become more aware of the important role they play in protecting both trees and pedestrians. It is a kind of conflict resolution mechanism that keeps each party thriving in a contested space. 

Tree grates are attractive and add an aesthetic value that contributes to the bigger picture of beautiful public spaces. They are cost-effective for public spaces because they can be installed in a large area at low purchase prices, and very low maintenance costs. There is greater recognition of trees’ role in creating green spaces in urban areas, and these spaces are very useful in creating healthy urban areas with cleaner air and pleasant living and working spaces.