Dead standing trees - good for round wood timber framing?

Hello,

I want to build a wofati/earth bermed/earth sheltered building.
I have access to some dead standing oak trees.

My question is, are dead standing oak trees structurally sound enough to withstand 3 feet of earth on top of the building?

I'd say it depends on if they're sound or if they're starting to rot.  I believe the ideal is winter cut trees that were debarked in the spring and then left to dry for a year or two before use.

Definitely not in my climate. Even if they started out strong, here, no trees other than maybe black locust that would last more than a few years underground because of rot and termites.

In the case the trees are strong enough for your purpose and large enough to be a challenge to cut down, I'd see about using the timber tool Stephen talks about in this video. It directs the tree to fall where you want it to. In his video, Stephen gives good info on how to use it.

I have some similar structures I am building and I cut deadall, preferably green stuff as straight as I could find, then used a post hole digger 4 feet deep and stand the logs up and fill in.  4 years and going on oldest ones.  

Idk about standing dead oak but it would be cool to do it with live ones.

I have recently read about people intentionally girdling a tree and leaving it to die for a year or two before harvesting for building.

However, I would consider what the tree died of before using one that wasn't intentionally killed as part of the harvesting process. If it died due to a disease or insect infestation, that may have weakened the tree in a way that might reduce its strength or longevity. There are probably ways to test for such things and people in the area who would know whether it could be an issue. I have read that trees killed by the Pine Beetle have a period when harvesting is still viable, but it's not indefinite.

I have seen dead trees cut down and used for building.

My dead trees might be riddle with bug damage or weather damage.

It is good to cut down dead trees that are close to buildings or a building site to prevent damage to the buildings.