Allan Block

Segmental retaining walls have an inherent setback or batter to the walls. This reduces the pressure behind the walls and makes it possible to potentially build taller gravity walls. This setback is a wonderful thing; however, it does create a small inconvenience when building a straight wall up a slope. What happens is, when a wall is being installed the wall will start to “move away” from a straight line as it goes up in elevation. Not to worry, Allan Block has a solution laid out in our Tech Sheets to eliminate this scenario, Building Straight Walls Up a Slope. This tech sheet provides the installer with a method to adjust the wall line to match up with the desired straight line as they step up the wall. Check out the tech sheet for more information or reach out to your local Allan Block representative with questions. https://lnkd.in/gGkcgQfY

‼️Training Alert ‼️ We will be working with Chandler Concrete to bring you another AB Contractor Certification to Greensboro, NC. Class is September 24th! Check out our website or the link in comments for more information and to sign up.

The Skyline Park is a 1 acre park located in Fort Wayne, IN. What makes this park noteworthy is that it is located 4 stories in the air, above a parking garage, and is the largest rooftop garden in the state. To access this park, you either have to work in the Ash Skyline Plaza or live in the Skyline Towers apartment building adjacent to the park. Skyline Park was designed by Design Collaborative to provide a space that could be used for both corporate events and private recreation and relaxation. The park consists of raised garden beds, a fountain with seating area as well as an open area with natural grass to appeal to both the public and private use. As everything was located 4 stories in the air, the design of the parking garage roof needed to account for all the material weight and create a water management plan. Another challenge came with construction as all the garden material needed to be lifted to the site by a rooftop crane. Once the material was on the roof, Clounie Landscaping was able to utilize their knowledge and expertise they learned at Allan Block’s Contractor Certification training to install the retaining walls. To see the full case study visit our website!

The AB Fence is a mortarless concrete fence system that uses maintenance free interlocking blocks to create an attractive and effective solution for sound abatement, security, privacy and aesthetics. The best part, we have everything you need to be successful. The AB Fence system has been around for over 20 years, which means we have the tools and programs to support your efforts. These include: Step by Step Installation Instructions. Photo Gallery and Project Case Studies for inspirational ideas and to help sell your services. AB Estimating Tool– having the right material makes every project better. This tool estimates both walls and fences efficiently. Fence Contractor Certification Course – Get trained and be ready. AB Fence and Railing AB Sound Barrier From small trash enclosures to privacy fences and even larger sound barriers, the AB Fence can help you provide additional offerings to your customers. So, the next time you are talking with a customer or looking at a grading plan and a fence is required, do not hesitate - give them the option of the AB Fence and let us help you take the next step. Contact your local AB sales representative today for more information on the AB Fence. https://lnkd.in/gdxuydaW

Fences are very commonly found above retaining walls. If a fence is going to be added to the wall during or after the wall’s construction several things need to be considered. Impact structures or fence posts should be positioned a minimum of 3 ft (0.9 m) from the back of top course to allow a properly designed load for local overturning. If fence posts must be placed within 3 ft (0.9 m) of the back of the wall facing, the designer must consider the localized top of wall overturning force into their design. Common post footings are formed by using construction tubes placed at desired on-center locations during construction. If posts are placed after construction is complete, holes must be hand dug as using a power auger will cause severe damage to the geogrid layers. If the post design calls for an engineered product to solve localized overturning forces, a product such as the Sleeve-IT System can be specified. Sleeve-IT is a Stratagrid product designed for use in segmental retaining walls to resist top of wall overturning forces from fences and railing. Allan Block is working to achieve our industry initiative of Zero Wall Failures. With our Best Practices Manual and experience in the industry we are trying to expand the knowledge base for the design of segmental retaining walls (SRW's) by communicating and educating the professionals in the industry. To see the full Best Practices Manual, visit allanblock.com to download today and keep an eye out for more industry Best Practice recommendations here.

Elevate your outdoor space with innovative retaining wall designs! Discover functional beauty that combines strength and style in our latest catalog. Transform your landscape today! Check out our Design Ideas Catalog on our website! Want to be featured in next years catalog? Send us your high res photos for a chance - [email protected] #AllanBlock #alwaysbetter #RetainingWalls #LandscapeDesign #HomeImprovement

We Love seeing this! Congrats to Ellison Heil with Roanoke Landscapes on receiving his @allanblockwalls Certified Wall Installer Certificate and Contractor Tool Bag 🛠️🪛 #repost @grottohardscapes

Water is the number 1 enemy of retaining walls, not just surface water but subsurface as well. As the water table rises, the soil material gets saturated and the bearing capacity of the soil changes for the worse. Here are a couple of ways to increase the stability and the bearing capacity of the foundation soils for a retaining wall: the poor soil should be removed and replaced with better soil, the foundation pad should be increased in width and depth. High Water Application If the water table is higher up the retaining wall this could cause the saturated soils to apply 1.5 to 2 times the pressure to the wall system. A solution is the use of additional drainage, such as chimney and blanket drains, to capture the water and have it exit the system before it saturates the infill material. Now if there is water present behind and in front of the retaining wall, this would be classified as a Water Application. To prevent hydrostatic pressure building up within the wall the infill material should be a clean aggregate with no fine particles. For more information check our Allan Block’s Best Practices document that cover all the above scenarios. https://lnkd.in/gucxacut

In the coming weeks, Allan Block will be sending out personalized links to our AB Contractors. These links will direct them to a dedicated page that showcases their current progress in the AB Contractor Certification Program. Additionally, this page will feature an all-new Resume Builder. With this tool, contractors can create a tailored professional resume for their clients, highlighting their project experience complete with photos. This resume not only demonstrates their expertise but also enhances their credibility and marketability. Need more details? Give us a call at 800-899-5309

Beautiful Retaining Walls! @oregonblockandpaver ・・・ Let’s be real… no one wants a retaining wall. You need a retaining wall. With that being said you might as well make it aesthetic and pretty right?!🤌🏼😍 We truly have a style to fit any project, budget, and location.