A mold for manufacturing interlocking, dry-cast concrete retaining wall blocks in an upright orientation comprises a mold box comprising two side walls joined to end walls to define a mold cavity, a top face, and a substantially open bottom face. Partitions configured to define a space between adjacent blocks or a space between a block and a side of the mold box extend parallel to the side walls of the mold box substantially from the top face into the mold cavity, to form first transverse portions of the profile of the top and bottom surfaces the blocks which do not include any undercut portion that would impede removal of the mold box in a substantially vertical direction. At least one removable insert comprises insert members which, when positioned in the mold box beneath the partitions, form remaining transverse portions of the profile of the top and bottom surfaces, the remaining transverse portions including at least one undercut portion. The insert members, when in position in the mold box for casting, are substantially in lateral alignment with respective bottom surfaces of at least some of the partitions and can be inserted and retracted through openings in an end wall of the mold box.

A system and method for installing tile includes the use of fasteners and washers that are installed into the interstitial gaps of the tiles or installed through the face of the tile. The washers and fasteners create a downward pressure on the tiles to align the edges of the tiles and to ensure that the tiles conform to the surface to which they are applied, thereby significantly reducing or minimizing the occurrence of gaps or voids between the installation surface and the tiles. Once the tiles are fixed in position and the adhesive has set or cured, the washers and fasteners are removed and the interstitial spaces or gaps between the tiles is grouted and the tile can be painted or stained. Additionally, the method of manufacturing decorative concrete tiles uses flexible rubber molds to achieve a variety of unique shapes, patterns, and textures.

A device for configuring deformable material to provide a predetermined relatively non-deformable visual display includes a plurality of configuration blocks for receiving deformable material that ultimately transforms to a relatively non-deformable material, and a key member for aligning and securing together adjacently disposed configuration blocks. Each of the configuration blocks include a plurality of gaps for arcuately disposing the configuration blocks; and an insert member that engages a ridge portion of each configuration block to ultimately configure an edge portion of the deformable material. A base portion of each configuration block ultimately receives deformable material thereupon that is configured to a predetermined design. Arm members of each configuration block and the insert member are manually removed, after the deformable material transforms to a relatively non-deformable material, to expose a predetermined design in the edge portion and the base portion of each configuration block. The combined displays in the edge portions and the base portions of the configuration blocks provide a predetermined relatively non-deformable visual display.

A mold for making dry cast concrete blocks includes a pair of vertical shoulder forming sections, one along each of the opposite sides of the mold to form vertical front shoulders of a block. Each shoulder forming section has a shoulder roughening arrangement to result in molded, roughened shoulders of the block. Methods of making such blocks and the resulting block are included.

Molds and processes that permit high-speed, mass production of retaining wall blocks having patterned or other processed front faces, as well as retaining wall blocks formed by such processes. The invention permits the front face of the block to be impressed with a pattern or otherwise directly processed, to allow the formation of pre-determined block front faces, while at the same time facilitating high-speed, high-volume production of blocks. A mirror image of the desired pattern can be created on a stripper shoe by selecting a desired three-dimensional surface from a naturally occurring or man made object and digitally scanning the selected three-dimensional pattern to create scanned data. The scanned data can then be used to machine a face of the stripper shoe that is the mirror image of the selected pattern.

Simulated log siding is formed of an engineered cementitious composite. Single or dual flanges on each log piece is used to apply siding units to a surface. Some siding members are molded into a three dimensional configuration to appear as a structural wood log. Individual end pieces and molded tail clusters when used with the siding provide the appearance of the characteristic stacked or staggered corners of a log structure.

Simulated log siding is formed of an engineered cementitious composite. Single or dual flanges on each log piece is used to apply siding units to a surface. Some siding members are molded into a three dimensional configuration to appear as a structural wood log. Individual end pieces and molded tail clusters when used with the siding provide the appearance of the characteristic stacked or staggered corners of a log structure.

A system used to form poured walls or structures with a finished surface which may be smooth, various pattern surfaces such as brick or stone or applying thin material, such as thin brick and thin stone, using exterior applied finish panels which are attached by attaching means, grapple catches, to the exterior face of a concrete/cementous material flow through lattice grid form as one or both forming surfaces in a concrete/cementous pour. When the forms are poured concrete/cementous material flows through the lattice grid panel and flows up to the interior forming face of the exterior applied finish panel. When the concrete hardens to the desired stiffness the exterior applied finish panel is removed the pattern or thin material remains on the exterior formed face and where the thin material holding gaskets were located now represent the thin material surrounding concrete/cementous material mortar joints.

An articulating composite surface covering mat and process of forming the mat are provided. The mat has multiple units having a regular, natural or irregular appearance, and each unit a flexible geogrid extending therethrough. A method of forming the mat includes forming the mat upside-down on a bottom surface of a bottom mold, placing the top mold over the bottom mold to form the mold assembly, locating a geogrid in the mold assembly, latching the mold assembly together with magnets, and adding the filler to the mold assembly.

According to the present disclosure, methods and techniques for generating preferred concrete block products are provided. The methods and techniques involve providing addition of color to selected section within the blocks, as described herein, to generate enhancement effects. Typical applications involve spray applications for color pigment to visually distinct sections of the block on one or more decorative surfaces.