Masonry Magazine June 2004 Page. 25
Professional Stone Working Tools
Carbide Tipped Chisels feature deeply recessed, high quality Carbide bits which rarely require sharpening. Suitable for use on Granite and other types of hard stone.
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Today's homeowners are always looking for ways to increase the value of their property. One of the first things people do to increase value is to improve the overall appearance of the home by enhancing its curb appeal with landscaping. The popularity of adding a retaining wall has increased significantly because of the flexibility of design, practical uses and aesthetic options such as shape and color of the blocks.
There are two types of retaining walls: gravity walls and reinforced walls. A gravity wall, or non-reinforced wall, relies on the weight and batter of the retaining wall to resist the loads imposed on the structure by the retaining soil and is usually less than four feet in height. A reinforced wall is designed by a qualified engineer using geosynthetic reinforcement. Reinforced walls are usually greater than four feet tall and have special loading conditions present like slopes or surcharges.
While adding to the look of a landscape, a segmental retaining wall (SRW) can also serve a practical purpose. One of the major uses for SRWs is to help control erosion. For example, steep hills can lead to mudslides, improper drainage and general unsavory appearance of the property. Such was the issue facing upscale homeowners in Deephaven, Minn., who needed to replace a boulder-laden, steep hillside. They wanted a practical wall that was aesthetically pleasing while allowing for decorative options. For a solution, they turned to a local contractor and Anchor Wall Systems.
A curvaceous, tiered retaining wall was suggested to best spruce up the yard. Overall, the entire wall would stand 11 feet tall. The design of the wall would encompass four interconnected levels, each terrace measuring 3.5 feet tall.
With the design and layout of the wall finalized, the homeowners elected to use Anchor Highland Stone® and new jumper accessory unit. Highland Stone is a three-piece concrete retaining wall system featuring a face texture that replicates natural stone. The jumper unit is an accessory that has the same color and texture of the other blocks, but it stands vertical in the wall. This breaks the pattern of all horizontal blocks across a typical retaining wall providing the freedom to experiment with different pre-arranged patterns in a wall, or choose random placement for a more customized look.
The project began with major excavation the landscapers took out 75 to 80 yards of soil and two to three large trees. Once a base had been established, the set-back of the block caused the radius of each course to gradually increase (inside curve)/decrease (outside curve) and eventually affected the running bond of the wall. To maintain proper running bond, partial units were inserted as needed.
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