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TERRAFORCE U.K. MANUFACTURING & DESIGNING MORTAR FREE
WALLS SINCE 2010

 

unsplash2In 2010, Terraforce UK obtained the licence to manufacture the TERRAFORCE L15 interlocking retaining wall block, a patented design owned by TERRAFORCE South Arica.

TERRAFORCE S.A. has lincencees in numerous countries including Canada, Australia, Spain, India, the United Arab Emirates plus several other countries in Africa.

With over 30 years of manufacturing the TERRAFORCE range of retaining wall blocks, the South African company now has a world wide reputation for reliability and excellence throughout the building, construction and civil engineering industries. To maintain its reputation of product excellence and reliability, the parent company provides a design service to all of its licencees.

About TERRAFORCE S.A:

  • Is a member of the Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA)

  • Manufactures and designs to BS8006-1 and ASTM-D6916-18

  • Adheres to Canadian and American International Standard Specifications

  • Has won a National Trophy relating to Concrete Retaining Walls no less than 5 times

  • Has presented the use of Terraforce products for erosion control at a world summit.


    For the DIY builder, this pedigree of the Terraforce L15 block provides confidence, reliability and exceptional design opportunities for :

  • Garden walls

  • Walls for garden terracing

  • Sloping or vertical wall soil retention

  • Walls for housing projects

  • Retaining walls for civil engineering projects. etc

With a block weight of just 22 kg, most DIY wall builders will appreciate the cost saving of plant hire plus savings of consumables as the block can be installed without the use of mortar.

Using the Terraforce block saves on:

  • Sand, cement and water (where designs permit)

  • Installation time

  • The reduced need in the use of labour and plant

Numerous wall designs can be created and having a hollow centre, the blocks can be planted out to camouflage and soften features in landscaping installations.

 

Rock, Cornwall

This example is a retaining wall built on a plot in the picturesque town of Rock in Cornwall, a holiday resort across the Camel Estuary from the fishing port of Padstow. Installed by Ross Campbell Contractors, the 4,000-block wall was built with steel reinforcing bar to the top of the vertical section. The sloped section has a geogrid layer placed every second row of blocks. A perforated 110mm drainpipe drains out any excess water via two discharge points.

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4 000 Terraforce L15 block wall in Rock, Cornwall, UK

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The wall design includes double skin of blocks, geo-grid and concrete infill

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A corner detail that can also function as a planting pocket

Sheffield, South Yorkshire

The next example is a wall which turned out to be a perfect showcase for a DIY retaining wall. Situated in Sheffield, the small retaining wall stands out with a creative pattern of grey and red rock face L15 blocks. The customer, who laid the blocks with the help of a family member says he loved the versatility of the blocks: “I went on to the Terraforce web site and all the information for installation was easy to find. I then played around with the different finishes, setting up a small “test wall” initially. The fact that the blocks can be laid without mortar is what attracted me to the system, I knew I could do this myself without too many tools!”
The customer eventually settled on an alternating colour pattern with the rock face finish. He first dug a trench for the foundation that was filled with 25-40 mm compacted aggregate, about 200-250mm deep. The customer said: “Once the first layer of blocks was laid, perfectly level, it was surprisingly easy to finish the wall.  Each block is set back about 2 cm and for backfill I used pea shingle (5-10mm pebbles). I would definitely do this again!”

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Situated in Sheffield, the small retaining wall stands out with a creative pattern of grey and red rock face L15 blocks

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A DIY wall, the owner says he found laying the blocks easy, once a perfectly level bottom row was established

Holywell, Wales

Another wall was installed in Holywell, Wales, at a new residential complex, Llwyn Onn. Here the round face finish was chosen to retain a four metre high building platform for some of the new homes on site. The 3,000 block wall was installed with the first six courses concrete filled and then completed with geogrid reinforcing for the rest. A filter layer in the backfill guides any excess water into a perforated 100 mm drainage pipe that runs along the length of the wall. The Contracts Manager for the developer, Williams Homes (Bala) Ltd, says they will be using the blocks for other projects: “The block is affordable in comparison to other earth retaining solutions, easy to install and transport and in the next season we will be planting some plant cover, which will finish the wall nicely.” 

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Terraforce L15 blocks, in round-face finish, retain a four meter high

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The first six courses of the 3 000-block wall were filled with concrete.

Brill, West Buckinghamshire

Here is a further example of a retaining wall in the Brill village, an hour outside London. Here Scott Morton, Landscaping & Agricultural Services Ltd, introduced the blocks to a friend who needed an affordable retaining wall solution for an exposed cut slope in the garden of a home he was busy renovating. The customer said: “I would absolutely use the blocks again, they turn a corner easily and are fast and easy to install.”

The wall reaches 2.4 m at its highest point, with a double layer of blocks for the first six courses. Backfill consists of self-compacting backfill of 20mm shingle. All blocks are concrete filled in this instance.

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I would absolutely use the blocks again, they turn a corner easily and are fast and easy to install

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The wall reaches 2.4 m at its highest point, with a double layer of blocks for the first six courses