Retaining walls are an important feature for anyone who needs to organise land, but what is the easiest way to do this, can interlocking concrete blocks be used for garden retaining walls?

PPC Concrete Products is here to provide the answers you may be looking for whilst giving you an insight into the quality concrete options we supply. Our supplies are fit for purpose and generally provide no issues with building regulations, not to mention being safe to use for a variety of construction needs.

The demand for construction is only increasing, on a private and industrial level. Whichever side you fall into, An interlocking concrete block may be an option to help keep your site secure regardless of its shape. 

With that being said, here’s all the information you need to know for this multi-purpose building resource.

What is a retaining wall?

A retaining wall is a structure designed to restrain or land to a slope it would not naturally keep to. A retaining wall could be built in order to organise land in public places or around your own home. A retaining wall can also help to level any land that is on a slant or hill.

In terms of what can be used for a retaining wall, there are many options including gabion baskets, wood and metal, though it can be argued that the easiest and cost effective method would be interlocking concrete blocks.

The function of the retaining wall is in the name, it retains its content within a wall, and retaining walls are often used to alter the level of the land it is erected on, which usually means the land goes from being uneven, to even. 

Want to know more? Click here for an in-depth look at retaining walls.

What makes a retaining wall lean?

When a retaining wall starts to lean it can be due to a number of things including

• Insufficient drainage, this causes additional weight to be added to the wall.
• The wall’s material has become weak due to degradation over time.
• External damage/purposely manipulating the wall.
• Weak foundations or structure
• Using sub-quality materials when constructing the wall
• Natural changes in the environment that can happen over time.

Interlocking concrete blocks can be the most easiest and effective method when it comes to setting up a retaining wall, let us tell you some more about them.

What are interlocking concrete blocks?

As building regulations came into being in England, the requirement of having fireproof dwellings was compulsory, this was achieved by subsequent houses being made of stone and brick. Interlocking concrete blocks present a modern alternative.

Interlocking Concrete Blocks are a unique form of pre-cast concrete blocks that are designed to hold together by using pre-measured studs and recesses.​ These concrete blocks are built with unique profiles and features, which allow them to fit perfectly into each other.

Here are just some of the things interlocking concrete blocks can be used to make.

• Material Storage bays
• Blast walls
• Salt stores
• Crash protection
• Push walls
• Security barriers
• Segregation bays i.e recycling centres
• Retaining walls
• Industrial buildings
• Fire breaks
• Counterweights
• Roadblocks

The variety of uses available for interlocking concrete blocks serves to highlight the strength and durability of these blocks. Furthermore, there is generally no need for foundations to be laid before placing the blocks. 

Interlocking concrete blocks are weatherproof and extremely resilient, so unless there is a catastrophic natural disaster, or someone crashes into the blocks at a high velocity, then you can rest assured your blocks won’t move unless you choose to move them. 

What are the advantages of interlocking concrete blocks? 

• Longer lasting and more durable than a Gabion basket
• Quicker and less hassle to install
• No need for mortar, saving you money and time
• No need for steel reinforcement or shuttering
• Resistant to extreme weather conditions
• Fire-resistant properties, mitigating the spread of fire depending on the structure
• Little maintenance required
• Often, no foundation is needed before installing 
• Sound resistant 
• Sustainable
• Ability to stack them upon each other
• Flexibility in sizes
• Appropriate for temporary and/or permanent buildings
• Unlikely to be displaced due to the interlocking function
• Can be moved with standard lifting equipment