A multi-zone cementitious product, which includes a base zone made of a first cementitious material composition and forming a portion of the product. At least one facing zone is adjacent to and bonded to the base zone, the facing zone made of a second cementitious material composition and forming at least one exterior face of said product which is visible when the product is installed. A disrupted boundary layer is between the facing zone and the base zone, and includes material from both the facing zone and the base zone. The disrupted boundary layer bonds the facing zone to the base zone. The facing zone has a thickness sufficient to prevent the base zone from being visible when the product is installed.

A retaining wall block having a false joint and a system of retaining wall blocks. The retaining wall block includes a body having a first textured surface and a second textured surface and a false joint dividing the first and second textured surface. The false joint can have a depth divided by the width greater than two inches. The false joint can have an interior angle of less than ten degrees. The system includes a plurality of retaining wall blocks and a first course of retaining wall blocks engaged with a second course of retaining wall blocks below. Each block in the system comprising a front face having a first textured surface and a second textured surface and a false joint dividing the first and second textured surface. The false joint can extend a predetermined depth of a third surface.

Disclosed is a deagglomeration apparatus, to improve the quality of a mixture used for the production of concrete blocks. An illustrative embodiment of the deagglomerator comprises a vertical shaft high-shear mixer, wherein a rotational force (hydraulic or electric) is mounted to a vertical shaft onto which are mounted chains and/or knives, housed within a flexible rubber boot or tube. The deagglomerator is configured to be controllably powered, to rotate the shaft and the attached tools. Partially mixed formula is introduced to a top region of the deagglomerator, and falls downwardly past the rotating tools wherein the formula is pulverized and mixed, before exiting the lower area of the mixing region.

Precast utility enclosure aprons for buried utility enclosures that have an angled top surface to direct water, ice and debris away from the center of the apron and to limit damage to the apron and utility enclosure caused by impacts to the apron.

A method and mold assembly for forming a dry cast concrete corner blocks having non-parallel front and rear faces and non-parallel end faces, with a hollow central core in the blocks. The corner blocks can be used to build a square or irregular corner in a retaining wall, and can be used to build columns or pillars in the wall, without having to cut the corner blocks. Fill material may be poured into aligned cores in the stacked corner blocks which form the wall corner or column, to stabilize the corner blocks.

Disclosed are embodiments of a new modular retaining wall block and method for manufacturing the block using a commercial masonry unit (CMU) block machine. The block includes a lever extension, preferably extending outwardly from a rear side of the block that anchors and inhibits forward tipping of the block when placed in a wall with backfill soil and that enables the block to be made substantially lighter than conventional blocks. Although not optimal for anchoring, the top surface angle of the lever extension is set at approximately 45 degrees to enable the concrete to sufficiently enter a part of the interior cavity of the mold used in the CMU block machine that forms the lever extension and to enable the lever extension to remain sufficiently intact in the partially cured condition during and after placement on a pallet.

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.

Disclosed is a block press and associated process, for dynamically forming a block mold, to produce a masonry block. In some embodiments, the block mold includes a plurality of mold elements, such as a lower impact plate, an upper impact plate, and a plurality of side plates, and can further include one or more block cores. In operation, one or more of the mold elements are moved to dynamically forming a block mold, which is then filled with product formula. The product formula is then compressed, to form a masonry block. One or more of the mold elements are then released, such as to release pressure on the formed masonry block, and to allow removal of the formed masonry block from the block press, wherein the formed masonry block can be moved to a curing area, and the block press can reform the block mold for subsequent production.

A system of retaining wall blocks, a method of assembling a retaining wall block assembly, and a mold for manufacturing retaining wall blocks having adjustable engagement configurations.

The invention provides novel articles of composite materials having hollow interior channels or passageways, or otherwise being hollowed out, and formulations and methods for their manufacture and uses. These hollow core objects are suitable for a variety of applications in construction, pavements and landscaping, and infrastructure.