What Goes Around…

Are you building a retaining wall that isn’t just a straight line? If so, you’re probably wondering “How tight of a radius can I turn with an Allan Block retaining wall system?” That is a great question!

The Allan Block wall system has a vertical batter (it leans into the hillside) there isn’t just one answer to this question. For example, a wall built with AB Stones will lean back into the hillside twice as far as one built with AB Classic. Since Allan Block retaining walls have a vertical batter, curves get smaller as the wall gets taller. Think of the curve in your wall as a cone with the pointed end facing up. If you slice through that cone near the point, it makes a very small circle. However, the farther you get from the point, the bigger the circular slice gets. Make sense? Take a look at the image shown to the right for a little bit more clarification. Once you know the batter of your block and the height of your wall at the curve, you may use the table below to determine the tightest radius you can turn at the base of your wall.

A similar table can be found in the Allan Block Residential or Commercial Installation Manual. There you will also find detailed instructions on constructing curves using Allan Block products. Don’t feel like sifting through all that reading material? Check out our page on building curves which provides plenty of insight into building your curve the right way.

The best way to ensure that your radius is built perfectly is to hire an Allan Block Certified Contractor. All Allan Block Certified Contractors attend hands-on classes to ensure they know exactly how to build an Allan Block wall the right way. Then, you can rest assured that your radius will be tight.