The document outlines various applications and designs of concrete lego blocks, highlighting their use in projects like flood defense walls, retaining walls, and construction of storage structures. It emphasizes the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and structural integrity of these blocks across different sectors, such as transportation and agriculture. Additionally, it mentions the company's adherence to quality standards in concrete production and the versatility of their product designs.

1. Concrete Lego Block

3. Typical Examples of Use

4. Cross Rail London
A customer working on the Crossrail project in London contacted
us to provide blocks to construct a piling mat at the Tottenham
Court Road site.
There was a risk of the piling machinery slippage and cause a
major incident. The risk was designed out by constructing a piling
mat foundation 1.8m wide x 3m high x 60m long
The wall was built using Virtabloc 1800 x 600 x 600 blocks.
The ground behind the wall was then back filled and a concrete
slab cast over the top.

5. Flood Defence Walls
Flood defence walls built using concrete lego blocks are an
economical solution. The flood defence wall in the sketch to the
right is constructed from two, 300mm Wallbloc walls with 300mm
of waterproof cavity concrete. This is a heavy duty wall 900 mm
wide.
The design below is economical and fast to construct. It consists
of two 300mm Wallbloc walls with a heavy gauge polythene
sheet between. Wall width 600mm. The walls are tied together
with a interlocking 600mm wide x 300mm deep coping block.
Reinforcement is required in one of the wall leafs for effective
heights over 1.2m.
Water Treatment Site
Recent enquiry to protect a water treatment asset
from flooding
2.1m Reinforced Wall 1.5m Gravity Wall 0.9m Gravity Wall

6. River Bank Erosion
Gravity, inclined and reinforced block retaining walls can all be
used for river bank erosion and protection..
Concrete lego block construction is fast and simple.

7. Rampsbeck Hotel
The original proposal was to build a gabion inclined wall but the
contractor wanted a fast construction solution that could be value
engineered to share a saving with the client. From the bank
profile we developed an inclined block solution that fitted the
brief. The contractor said they saved two week on the program
using this method

8. River Avon
We were approached by the consulting engineers to
have a look how we could support the Avon fish ladder
scheme. The client is RAFTS River and Fisheries Trusts
of Scotland.
Ferniegair

9. River Avon
We helped to visualise the design and draw the blocks in
3D setting the bed levels. This allowed us to check for
any clashes and the blocks worked.
Millheugh

10. Birket House -
A project manager called from Willmott Dixon in a panic
to see if we could design and supply a retaining wall very
quickly. We designed it and agreed a price within two
days.

11. Sea Walls
Sea walls need to be strong and capable of taking large sea
storm forces. Reinforced concrete lego blocks are ideal for fast
track, economical and strong walls. Design life span is estimated
up to 150 years with the correct material specifications.
Our Stackabloc 800mm wide wall has been utilised in this
illustration.
Harbour and Marina Sea Walls
Concrete lego blocks are ideal to construct harbour and marina
sea walls. They are easy to assemble on site and provide a
sturdy build platform wall.
Using our reinforced block construction reduces the number of
blocks required and creates a strong wall to withstand tidal
forces.
Our Virtabloc 600mm wide wall is used in the sketch above.

12. River Wall Manchester
An existing retaining wall constructed from oil
drums filled with concrete failed along a river
bank in Manchester.
The wall was 5m high. Our solution was to
construct a retaining wall with our reinforced
block wall.
This solution uses less blocks and has
excellent structural characteristics.
A wall can be build up to 6.4m high as
standard specification.
Reinforced Block Retaining Walls
Patent Pending
We have filed a patent application for our reinforced block
design. This design is economical, efficient and fast to construct.
To learn more about the system go to our website
www.blockwalls.co.uk

13. New House Build Halifax
We were asked to attend a site to see how we
could help a contractor with a retaining wall.
The site had been excavated to build a house.
The fill was rock.
We designed a reinforced block wall. The
contractor liked the concept as he could lay
his back wall drainage after the first blocks
were laid making this operation easy.
We gave him setting out information to make
setting out the foundations and adjusting the
excavation easy for him.
Reinforced Block Retaining Walls

14. Halifax Scheduling
We schedule the block manufacturing and give this
schedule to the contractor to help them build the
walls. We also produce reinforcement schedules and
structural sections.

15. Gravity Retaining Walls
Gravity Retaining Walls
Gravity retaining walls are a basic design and rely on the mass of
the wall to retain the earth behind.
As a general rule an economical gravity retaining walls from
600mm high to 4m high can be built swiftly and easily.
Inclined Block retaining Walls
An inclined block retaining wall is the most economical gravity
wall solution as it uses the blocks on an inclination and rely on
gravity to add resistance to the forces trying to push the wall
over.
Inclined retaining wall are approximately 25% more economical
than a standard retaining wall.

16. Reinforced Earth Retaining Walls
The land was surveyed and local engineers designed a standard
cast insitu solution.
Portland Port was looking for an alternative sustainable design to
address their needs. We provided a bespoke-engineered solution
for a reinforced earth wall using our blocks.
The foundation followed the slope of the ground in steps. The
wall height went from 5m to 1.8 m.
The geo mat was designed from lengths of 5m to 2m depending
of the wall height.
Portland Port had a requirement to construct a new hard
standing wall to store cargo for a new shipping contract. The
available land was on an inclined plane.

17. Material Bays
Boys & Boden Chester
We provided blocks to build 20 material bays for Boys & Boden
for their new Chester site. We design material bays for a large
range of materials and usages such as
- Recycling
- Building Materials
- Scrap bays

18. Agriculture
Concrete lego blocks are ideal to build a range of structures in the
agricultural sector including:
- Plant buildings
- Retaining walls
- Silage bays
- Material bays

19. Concrete Wash Out
A Tarmac quarry manager wanted to build a concrete mixer wash
out facility at the quarry to improve the environmental operations of
the site.
We were chosen to design a solution using our 300mm wide
wallbloc.
We build them with ducts for addition of rebar to improve durability.
Bunded Walls
Concrete lego blocks are ideal to build bunded walls.
Construction is swift and simple. The walls are lined to prevent
leakage from the joints.
We constructed a bund wall for a large sugar manufacturer in
London that measured 60m x 60m x 1.2m high. The bunded area
was designed and built to handle the largest delivery of sugar
ever received in the UK.

20. Shooting Range
The managing director of Lingwood called one
day and asked if we could build walls for a
shooting range.
We used our 300mm Wallbloc solution with
600mm Virtabloc walls for the main shooting
walls.
To make construction easy on site we scheduled
the work in layers. Each layer was transported
on a load as per the design to construct layer
wise. Thus, achieving a build within a short
deadline.
Eton Five Court
A customer wanted a quick and economical method to build
modular Eton Five Courts in the UK.
They had built them traditionally in the past but the cost was
prohibitive.
We designed various modular scenarios that are fast and
economical to build.
Buildings

21. Buildings
Storage Buildings
Our 300mm wide Wallbloc product is ideal for the construction of
storage buildings. The walls can be restrained using the roof
structure. The buildings are not suitable for habitat as they do not
comply to heat loss within the building regulations. They are ideal
for a large range of storage applications such as:
- Salt barns
- Plant storage
- Material storage

22. A1 Fire Rated
Concrete has a very high ignition temperature and has an A1 fire rating to 4.3.4.4 of EN 13369. Concrete simply cannot be set on fire like
some other materials in a building. It is resistant to smoldering materials, which can reach very high temperatures, igniting or even re-igniting
a fire, and flames from burning contents. It will also not drip molten particles, which can cause ignition, unlike some plastics and metals.
Concrete has a high degree of fire resistance and, in the majority of applications, can be described as fireproof when designed using required
standards. Concrete is a very effective fire shield. The mass of concrete confers a high heat storage capacity.
Its porous structure provides a low rate of temperature rise across a section. These properties result in a low rate of temperature rise that
enables concrete to act as an effective fire shield.

23. Retaining Wall Tables

24. Gravity Wall Design Table
The design table above presents Indicative designs based upon a base material with allowable bearing pressure of >200kPa.
The retained material is assumed to be well graded, granular backfill with back of wall drainage or weep holes to relieve hydrostatic
pressure.
All indicative information presented in this table is based upon assumed loading and ground conditions and may be subject to change
following detailed, site specific design.

25. The design table above presents Indicative designs based upon a base material with allowable bearing pressure of >200kPa.
The retained material is assumed to be well graded, granular backfill with back of wall drainage or weep holes to relieve hydrostatic
pressure.
All indicative information presented in this table is based upon assumed loading and ground conditions and may be subject to change
following detailed, site specific design.
Reinforced Wall Design Table

26. The design table above presents Indicative designs based upon a base material with allowable bearing pressure of >200kPa.
The retained material is assumed to be well graded, granular backfill with back of wall drainage or weep holes to relieve hydrostatic
pressure.
All indicative information presented in this table is based upon assumed loading and ground conditions and may be subject to change
following detailed, site specific design.
Inclined Wall Design Table

27. Structural Design

28. Block Types

29. Stackabloc

30. Stackabloc R

31. Virtabloc

32. Virtabloc R

33. Wallbloc

34. Wallbloc R

35. Earth Block

36. Quality Assurance

37. Quality
Blockwalls operates to the ISO 9001:2008 quality
management system for all our business processes. We
adhere to relevant standards and best practice codes for
concrete production such as the British Standards. These
are detailed below.
Concrete Design
Our standard mixes are manufactured to BS 8500 – 1:2006 +A1:2012 Part 1 and 2 for concrete grades ranging from C40 and C50.

38. Strength Testing
In the U.K., the accepted design guidelines by the civil engineering
industry are the British Standards.
Our products are tested for strength in compression according to BS
EN 12390.
We test concrete on a regular basis to ensure our production of
concrete meets the standards we are working to.
This is a crucial aspect to meet our clients needs for concrete blocks of
different strengths. These are marked as Concrete Grades which range
from C40 – C50, where 40 and 50 stand for compressive strengths of
40 N/mm2 and 50 N/mm2.
C40 grade is ideally used in non-structural applications such as in
waste segregation bays, separation walls, agricultural clients while C50
high strength concrete is typically strong enough for bridges, retaining
walls and interestingly – shooting ranges.
Particle Testing
Concrete is a cocktail of several building materials such as aggregates,
cement and sand. Our concrete blocks are made with constituents that
have passed particle test analysis using methods directed by the
British Standards, BSEN 123560
We test materials from different sources using sieve analysis and
particle distribution analysis to gauge client needs and provide cost
effective solutions in the form of quality tested concrete lego blocks.
Quality

39. 800 8803135
www.blockwalls.co.uk
Blockwalls is a trading name of Virtus Concrete Solutions Ltd