Retaining Wall Solution for Office Building

When Turner saw another Redi-Rock wall in Lexington, he knew it was what he wanted. Turner explained, “You could tell it was just not a generic product. I looked at this project over there, and looked at how the stones went together and how they set in each other like a puzzle. And I said, ‘wow this is want I want – what I need to go with.’”

Choosing Redi-Rock offered several benefits to the project, including:

• Gravity construction: The Redi-Rock gravity system utilizes massive, one-ton blocks to build tall walls that often require no geosynthetic reinforcement. “We didn’t have very much room along one side of the building,” explained Lance Paradis, PE of Engineered Earth Solutions. “We needed to keep it as a gravity structure because there wasn’t room for traditional tie-backs. This made it possible to limit the excavation, which was kind of a big deal here.”
• The ability to build close to the property line: The Redi-Rock gravity solution allows properties to maximize usable space by building walls much closer to property lines than small block systems. Paradis said, “Redi-Rock was the ideal solution for this scenario. It provided the functionality we needed, because we were up against that property line. It also provided the look that we were trying to achieve.”
• Superior Aesthetics: The aesthetics of the retaining wall were important to Turner because he had renovated the building with architectural finishes and wanted the walls to match. Turner decided to use Redi-Rock Ledgestone texture blocks to provide a more natural look to blend in better with the landscaping. “These walls just added so much more value to the building,” said Turner.
• Fast installation: On Wednesday, August 8 Turner called Phil Fassler, Sales Director of local Redi-Rock manufacturer, Redi-Rock of Kentuckiana. Fassler met with Turner the next morning and sent Turner preliminary numbers and the preliminary wall design that afternoon. The very next day, Turner signed the contract so that Redi-Rock could get started Monday morning.Over the weekend, excavation and design work were completed. Paradis drew up the design for the project, while Lecno Excavating prepared the site for installation. Monday morning, Paradis delivered the design, and Turner secured immediate approval from the city.Redi-Rock of Kentuckiana arrived at the site the morning of Monday, August 13 with its five-member crew and semis full of blocks. Using a skid steer, track hoe, and rock slinger, the crew started installing blocks on Monday morning. Less than 48 hours later, the entire project was complete. The crew had installed 245 blocks for these walls by 9 p.m. on Tuesday, August 14; one wall was 12 feet (3.7 meters) tall and the other 10.5 feet (3.2 meters) tall, totaling just under 1,400 square feet (130 square meters).Turner noted, “They finished exactly the time they said they’d finish it. Got in, got out, no problems. I was extremely impressed, and I’m very hard to please.“