The project at hand
RJ McLeod is a civil engineering and construction company with active sites across Scotland.
Tree removal on a working commercial site always requires careful management. The work area needs to be controlled and the process needs to be safe for everyone in the vicinity.
The material also needs to be cleared efficiently once the tree is down, leaving the site ready for whatever comes next.
Our five-man team arrived on site and assessed the tree before any cutting began. The objective was to remove the tree safely, process all the material on site, and leave the area restored and ready for use.
How our team carried out the tree removal
Removing a tree this size is a staged process rather than a single operation.
Taking the whole tree down from the base first would be the fastest approach on a clear site, but on a working commercial site, controlled dismantling is the safer and more precise method.
We started at the bottom of the tree and upwards, moving through the branches progressively from the lower limbs to the upper canopy. This approach keeps the drop zone controlled throughout and prevents uncontrolled falls at any stage of the work.
All branches were fed directly into a chipper on site as they came down. By the time the trunk was ready to be felled in sections, the site was clear of branches and the wood chip was already being collected for recycling.
The trunk was then taken down in controlled sections until the stump was all that remained. The whole operation was completed by the five-man team working in co-ordinated sequence, with each person clear on their role before the first cut was made.
Check out our Facebook video to see the timelapse for yourself!
Zero waste: recycling the material
Nothing that came off this tree left the site as waste. That’s always the goal with GGM Landscaping.
All branches and smaller trunk sections were chipped and collected for recycling. Wood chip has real value in landscaping and grounds maintenance, from path surfacing to mulch for planting beds.
Turning removed timber into useful material is something we do as standard across our tree surgery work. It’s better for the environment and it keeps sites clean, which matters to commercial clients who need to keep their operations running alongside any external works.
We take the wood chips and use it for mulch and forest estate planning, so it always gets a new use.
Why dangerous trees need to be removed
Structurally compromised trees can look completely normal right up until a branch drops or the whole thing goes in a storm.
For a busy commercial environment, the consequences of a dangerous tree can be serious.
Landowners and businesses have a legal duty to manage trees on their property that pose a risk. If a tree causes injury or property damage and you had reasonable grounds to know it was defective, the liability sits with you.
That’s not a technicality. It’s a real exposure that a tree survey and some planned maintenance can address cleanly.
We’d always rather catch a problem early.
A tree showing early signs of disease or structural weakness can sometimes be treated, crown-reduced, or stabilised rather than removed.
Our tree surgeons look at what’s actually needed first. Removal is the last option, not the default.
Signs of a weak or dangerous tree
We assess trees every week across commercial sites, residential gardens, and public land in Glasgow and Central Scotland. These are the signs we look for that tell us a tree needs attention.
Dead branches in the crown
Dead branches, sometimes called widow makers, are one of the most common causes of tree-related injury.
They can drop without wind or storm conditions, and the higher up the tree they are, the more force they carry when they fall.
Leaning that has changed
Many trees have a natural lean and are perfectly stable.
The concern is a tree that has started to lean more than it used to, particularly after wet weather or following any ground disturbance nearby. A new lean often means the root plate is lifting on one side.
Fungal growth at the base
Bracket fungi growing at or near the base of a trunk are a reliable indicator of internal decay.
The fungus is feeding on the wood from the inside, and the exterior appearance of the tree often gives little indication of how far the decay has progressed.
For Scotland in particular, ash dieback is hugely responsible to a rapid loss of our native ash tree population. There is no cure, and the disease becomes airborne to spread between trees.
This makes regular tree assessment vital for the health for commercial company’s tree population and Scotland’s larger population.
Cracks and splits in the trunk
Vertical cracks extending deep into the stem indicate structural weakness.
Co-dominant stems are also a risk: where two stems of similar size grow from the same point with bark included between them, that union can fail under wind load or the weight of the canopy.
Root damage or lifting ground
Roots that have been disturbed by building works, compaction from vehicles, or repeated ground flooding may no longer be anchoring the tree as they should.
Raised ground or cracking soil around the base of a tree can indicate that the root plate is already beginning to shift.
Cavities in the trunk
Open cavities where decay has hollowed out sections of the trunk reduce the tree’s structural strength.
A cavity doesn’t always mean removal is necessary, but it does need assessment to understand how much sound wood remains and whether the tree can still stand safely.
Bark damage and discolouration
Sections of bark that are loose, missing, or discoloured, particularly in combination with other signs, can indicate disease, physical damage from machinery or vehicles, or pest activity beneath the surface.
Cankers and lesions on the bark are worth getting a professional eye on early.
Get a tree survey from our qualified arborists
If your trees are showing any of these signs, or haven’t been assessed in a few years, get in touch.
Our City & Guilds NPTC certified arborists carry out surveys for commercial sites, development land, and residential properties across Glasgow, Lanarkshire, and Central Scotland.
We’ll give you an honest assessment of what’s there, what needs doing, and what can (and can’t) wait. We care about protecting Scotland’s natural tree population and wildlife, so there is never any pressure to remove trees that don’t need removing.
Call us on 07946 322717 or get in touch online to arrange a survey or discuss a project.