When the job calls for non-destructive excavation, Sydney’s Synertree is ready to comply…thanks to AirSpade.
All arborists love trees. That seems fairly self-evident.
But arboricultural consulting company Synertree, based in Rosebery, NSW, takes that ethos to a very high level. The company’s website even claims Synertree is ‘Nature’s collaborative experts, specialising in human and tree synergy’.
It’s a big call, but a call director and AQF-5 consulting arborist Mathew Phillips is proud to make.
With a deep-rooted passion for trees and a strong commitment to environmental preservation, Mathew and Synertree are dedicated to delivering professional, reliable, and sustainable services tailored to individual requirements.
Clever
‘Syner… Synert…” The Australian Arbor Age’s normally eloquent editor stumbled around the unusual name.
“It’s ‘Synertree’, explained Mathew patiently. “As in ‘synergy’ and ‘tree’.” The company motto ‘We represent the trees’ clicked into focus and we realised the name was very clever. Almost as clever as the company’s embracing AirSpade. “I’m using the AirSpade 2000,” said Mathew, clearly happy to discuss the equipment. “I’m in consultation with Knight Pneumatics to possibly trial the AirVac, and it’s something we’ll look at purchasing.” Mathew and Synertree offer a big range of consulting services in and around Sydney, and the AirSpade plays a significant part in the company’s operations.
Must have
While the AirSpade is a versatile piece of equipment, Mathew is finding an increasing demand for the gear is coming from councils and LGAs.
“Everything ranges from nondestructive root exploration,” he explained. “I would say that’s our primary use of the AirSpade. We do that for everyone from government to private residents.
“It’s mostly for development applications or where trees are impacting infrastructure.”
“We use it for transplanting small trees,” mused Mathew. “Again, mostly within development applications where we identify trees that can be transplanted, or they’re identified for transplanting by architects or landscape architects. We come in and AirSpade around the tree, work out what roots could be pruned – if any, or if we have to – and then we lift the tree and carefully transplant it.
“Most councils, tree officers, and landscape officers in and around Sydney are now demanding non-destructive root exploration, and a lot of the time they’re specifying AirSpade.”
Easy to use
AirSpade’s proprietary supersonic nozzle turns compressed air into a high-speed, laser-like jet that dislodges soil. It’ll easily and gently remove soil around tree roots for better nutrient absorption and growth, and it can dig through soil, clay, and other materials with precision and control, breaking up compacted earth and improving drainage.
Powered by an air compressor, excavation with the AirSpade offers several advantages over conventional tools such as picks, shovels, and backhoes. It’s two to three times faster than hand excavation and causes less worker fatigue. There are no sharp metal edges, so AirSpade is harmless to buried, solid objects such as utility lines, telecommunication cables, hazardous-waste containers, military ordnance, and, of course, tree roots.
But there’s another big advantage.
“It’s very easy to use,” Mathew explained in a matter-of-fact tone. “You have to learn how to operate it to get the best results, but we mostly stick with the 105cfm straight nozzle. There’s also a curved nozzle which allows for angled displacement. When you use that setup it takes a little muscle work from the operator to control, but with the straight nozzle it’s excellent.”
Need to know
Selection of the nozzle depends on the job.
Mathew explained: “Overall it depends on the use, the site, and the level of deposition.
“The AirSpade can displace a lot of soil and it can create a lot of dust, so, depending where you are, you may want to blow it straight into the hole and then move it out the end of the trench with a shovel, or displace it fully and replace the soil.
“Normally we start at the structural root zone or the proposed cut location. Let’s say someone wanted to put in a building and wanted to cut for a slab. We get the builder to outline where the cut was proposed, then, first up, we dig a trench down to the local government’s specified level – normally around 800mm – and we try and find any roots.
“If we do find a root, we follow it back. We use the straight nozzle to gently displace the soil above it, and we can trace it back without causing any impact to that larger root. We can work out if and where root pruning would be an option, and whether or not it might destabilise the tree.
“We can move right back to the structural root zone and start to root map appropriately.
“Once we’re at the structural root zone we can trace the roots out. If there’s good radial root growth it’s easy to show council or the consent authority the proposed cut location works and is feasible.
“Sometimes we’ll find a lot of roots, and we’ll have to come up with alternatives for the developer.”
Ethical and effective
Mathew and Synertree clearly do represent the trees, and the company’s insistence in putting the trees’ health and wellbeing first and foremost is proving a sound financial strategy as well.
“I’m an associate member of the Institute of Australian Consulting Arboriculturists (IACA),” Mathew said, “and in the consulting world, within the top level of arborists at the forefront of new technology, everyone knows about AirSpade. A lot of people are recognising it’s the way to go and they recommend it in their reports for development applications.”
So there it is. When the situation requires ‘non-destructive’, AirSpade is the answer.
To learn more of AirSpade and Airvac, log on to industrysearch.com.au.