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J UNE 2018 | 17 Landscape Products on the other side. It is designed with a internal cavity so that you can add soil and plant a variety of plants to create a living green wall. You can also interchange these blocks with a section of the wall having a rock face finish, and then insert a couple of courses with plants and greenery within the wall. Almost anything is possible. The Terraforce blocks have infinite design possibilities of doing curves, includ- ing a serpentine wall with varying radii. Without using pins, the blocks far exceed the average sheer strength requirement. The walls can also be built very fast because there is no cutting required to create curves. In 2017, Barkman Concrete, a Canadian manufacturer of precast concrete products, introduced a new structural concrete segmental retaining wall prod- uct having the look and appeal of natural stone face textures. Barkman partnered with Keystone Retaining Wall Systems, Minneapolis, Minnesota, to introduce the Keystone Compac III - Hewnstone wall system. Since the launch, interest has been high and a number of projects, both commercial and residential, are now in the construction phase using Compac III – Hewnstone. With the launch of the Barkman-manufactured version, the two companies collaborated to craft the classic look of six different natural stone face textures in a structural wall and produce them in three distinctive colour blend options. Barry Vignal of Burnco Landscape Centres, with locations in Alberta, B.C., and Saskatchewan, says, "This is an innovative approach to the split face market and our contractors have commented very positively to the natural look profile. The multiple batter option and new esthetic appeal will make it a winner for our mar- ketplace, both residentially and commercially. I can see this being one of the best new products out this year." The Compac III unit is lighter than competitive products, weighing 32 to 34 kg (71 to 76 pounds), making it easier to handle in the field. The unit's design allows tight radius curves and vertically aligned cores for easier constructability. Capping and corner units are also available. Keystone's engineering staff has commercial take-off and product support capabilities. On the code compliance front, Keystone has received confirma- tion from ICC Evaluation Service, LLC (ICC-ES), that the Keystone Retaining Wall System complies with the provisions of the 2009/2012/2015 International Building and Residential Codes and the 2013 California Building Code. Over at Northwest Landscape Supply, they also offer a retaining wall stone called Silver Falls. "This is a different tone from the regular basalt, it's more of a brown than grey," says Nelson. "It comes in nice block pieces so it builds an attrac- tive retaining wall. We also have a complementary flagstone that goes with it in a random sheet for laying on the ground for irregular pathways and patios." Expocrete Concrete Products has also introduced two new garden walls for 2018. "The Beltis Wall is a two-sided garden wall, the Weston Stone is a garden wall available as a three-piece unit, and we've also introduced the Marina Coping Unit with a rounded profile that can be used on walls or a step tread," says Moroz. A Keystone Compac III – Hewnstone wall system from Barkman Concrete. Beltis Wall from Expocrete Concrete Products. 8:00 AM NorthwestLandscape.indd 1 2017-01-24 3:24

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