Using a corrugated pipe to keep mulch away from tree base

Would like some thought on the use of corrugated pipe sections to keep wood chips away from the fruit trees.
I realize if I pilled up dirt 10 inches thick around the base of a tree I would likely smother the roots and kill the tree.  
I have learned here that wood chips eventually degrade down to 1% of the original mass.

My goal is to smother the weeds and increase the soil friability.

Is this a concern to any fruit growers that use chips. I know Marco is a chip expert.

Thanks

Great idea from my perspective.  That is mostly because I have many short pieces of the stuff that I havent wantedto throw away
but couldn't find a use for.

I've piled up a lot of dirt and mulch around my trees with no ill effects.

If anything it has helped instead of hurt the trees. Most species seem to put out roots in the piled up soil and like the well draining soil.

I've never used wood chips though.

My concerns from using the tube would be that water would pool up in there when it rains, and that it may be hard to remove once some of the wood chips turn into soil and the roots of the tree could possibly grow through it.

Nice looking tree Dennis, what kind is it?

The first two are Asian Persimmon and the last is a Pawpaw.  These are all on mounds already because of clay.  The clay is turning to friable soil now so I may have to stop doing the chips and go to a permanent cover crop.