Graviti® MassBloc® Porous Concrete
The Graviti® MassBloc® Concrete is an extremely porous concrete-based material, used to manufacture a range of retaining wall products that do not require separate drainage systems, however for extra longevity these are sometimes specified or recommended.
The extreme porosity enables a Graviti® MassBloc® retaining walls to act as its own all-in-one drainage system, thereby avoiding the need for a separate drainage system and therefore saving time, money and materials in the construction process. Gravity Wall Systems is Australia’s premiere company for Graviti® MassBloc®.
The concrete mix is the secret to making the Graviti® MassBloc® products permeable enough to act as a drainage system, while not compromising the strength of the concrete.
How It Works
The Graviti® MassBloc® trademark incorporates a number of products created around the core Graviti® MassBloc® product –
a no fines concrete mix, crucially maintaining the strength of regular concrete.
Using the Graviti® MassBloc® concrete, we have so far produced a number of products designed to fit into the needs of the Retaining wall and Scour Control ‘industry’.
Potentially, the Graviti® MassBloc® concrete can be custom made to any shape to accommodate any situation which requires a retaining wall system or soil stabilization system and or scour control.
Graviti® MassBloc® Case Study – Walkway Replacement
Graviti® MassBloc®’s were used to address stability requirements and 100 year design life criteria for this Brisbane City Council project.
The Main Benefits of Using Graviti® Mass Bloc® Products for Retaining Walls Include:
- Water flowing through the retaining wall system at a tested rate L/HR through 1sqm of block face is always optimal because of reduced risk of clogging, and with a corresponding reduction in potential damage and/or collapse of the retaining structure.
- Construction time is dramatically reduced – especially on large retaining walls – simply because large blocks can be made out of the Graviti® MassBloc® concrete. Traditional systems could only accommodate small blocks or bagged products (gravel, sand) which are labour and time-consuming in the construction process.
- Also a Graviti® MassBloc® wall doesn’t require a separate drainage system which often takes longer to construct than the actual wall. For example, one project featuring Graviti® MassBloc® took only four and a half days, compared with a similar project using conventional materials and methods which took six weeks.
- The production process allows for easy handling without a compromise in structural integrity. Moreover, the cured Graviti® MassBloc®’s scientifically proven strength – equivalent to regular concrete – ensures larger sizes can be made according to project requirements. And most importantly, much larger units are able to be safely lifted into position, leading to a dramatic reduction in construction time.
Features of common Graviti® MassBloc® products :
For major retaining walls, like revetment walls, bridge embankments and the like the Graviti® MassBloc® is usually the core product used. It dramatically reduces water build-up. Because of its extreme porosity, large volumes of water can escape quickly. In fact, compared with traditional methods, permeability can be increased by up to 2000 per cent or up to 20 times more water than common drainage options.
