Block Wall History

Block Wall, where did it all start?

The origins of the block wall started thousands of years ago, the Romans built the Coliseum and the Egyptians built the pyramids at Giza, both using masonry; a type of block wall for its aesthetic qualities, durability and versatility. The stability and beauty of these block wall structures can still be seen today—the stone blocks used to create the walls have withstood the test of time, weather and people. However, masonry block wall techniques were not used only for the construction of tombs and arenas. The Great Wall of China a type of block wall was built between the 6th century BC and the 16th century AD as a protective barrier wall to defend the borders of the Ming dynasty. The use of block wall for barrier and perimeter wall were used throughout the centuries and most of these block wall structures are still standing today. After more than 6000 years, masonry and concrete blocks are still in use creating more than 75% of the world’s buildings, walls and other structures.

With block walls beauty and resilience, it is no wonder these techniques are still in use today, although block walls have evolved into several separate and very different methods of building including brick masonry and block wall.

Block wall, in particular has gone through dozens of changes over the centuries and has become one of the most popular wall building methods in the world. However, block wall did not start out of its own accord.

Block wall originally started out as stone wall before the technology was invented to create brick and mortar for the construction of walls, buildings, bridges and other necessities in a booming world. Brick itself is the oldest manufactured product produced by man and has been used for more than 6000 years! From bricks beginning as sun-dried clay, shaped more like chiseled stone yet in the smoothly square look we know today. The brick size varied and was not quite the same shape and size as the other bricks used in construction. Over time brick evolved to a more uniform shape, for easier and neater looking construction and was fired instead of sun baked, creating shaping options more aesthetically pleasing and durability.

The evolution of brick construction led in large part to the development of the concrete block wall.

Concrete blocks for wall building first showed up in the United States in 1835, when they were hand pressed into molds and used for a wide variety of construction needs, from buildings and concrete block walls to retaining walls and other construction needs.

However, the need for better materials that could work well with water and air became a large issue in construction and home maintenance. As the desire for better material properties increased so did the demand and desire for concrete block walls. A new type of wall was I introduced. Cavity wall. Cavity walls were created in the mid 1800s to help reduce the amount of moisture that could penetrate a home and they were also used to help support heavy floors and roofs. Concrete block walls were extremely important in the development of cavity walls because the block walls were stronger and longer lasting than most other types of construction available at the time.

Between 1835 and 1850, concrete blocks morphed into a product more recognizable today—a concrete block with a unique hollow core and this design was perfected into the industry standard with the 1905 invention of the first mechanized block machine made by the Besser Company for automating the carving and production of concrete blocks for block walls and other construction.

During this time, coloring and texturing concrete blocks for use in building block walls became more popular and the process revolutionized to help create more authentic looking walls designed in many different natural and unnatural colors, textures for a wider variety of stones and easier blending during construction. It was during this time that colors began to be added during the mixing process in factories and plants as part of the automated process for creating concrete blocks for block walls.

Today, the manufacturing process of concrete blocks for block walls and other structures is completely automated; Raw cement, sand and crushed stone are moved through the motions of creation, speeding up the process much more than the manned manufacturing process use to do. These automated systems weigh the materials and mixtures and feed the mixture to both the mixer and the block forming machines.

In current times, there are several applications for concrete blocks in the making of block walls. You can purchase preformed concrete block to create a split face block wall, have the concrete mixed and poured for the concrete block wall on site or you can use the much more advanced and more beautiful method of precast concrete fence wall liners and molds that come prefabricated to your site and only have to be installed.

Concrete block wall has evolved over the past 125 years to offer textures that are more appealing, finishes that are more appealing, colors that are more appealing and even sound absorption. In addition, these precast concrete blocks for block walls have also been developed to retain moisture as they strengthen, to keep air flowing when temperatures rise or fall quickly and to extremes. Not only are these types of block wall more efficient and more stable, but they are also the most cost-efficient type of block wall. That is a far cry from their clay and grass ancestors!

Today, concrete masonry units are known as the old technology for creating concrete blocks that will be used in constructing block walls and other concrete fence walls. Today’s concrete block walls offer you the added benefit of choosing your style, color, texture and design without the high cost of stone or the intense labor associated with the construction of stone block walls. These textures cover ashlar, logan, split face, dry stacked stone, stucco and a variety of other block wall textures. Today’s block walls also offer the versatility of a wall that can be glazed, painted, stained or colored, although in most cases you would never need to do this—concrete block walls today look and feel so much like authentic stone that you will never know they’re not the real thing.

Block walls and concrete block walls have come a long way since their original use for the pyramids at Giza and the Great Wall of China. They have been used over centuries to construct aqueducts, schools, libraries, forts, perimeter walls, security walls, retaining walls, concrete fence walls, entryways and a great number of other protective sites and beautiful monuments to the nature and creativity of man.

Since their first use in creating beauty and safety, concrete block walls have been revolutionized with each century. During early times, block walls were found mostly in war zones, where they were used for protection against enemies, or they were used to support the intricate designs of tombs, pyramids, arenas and aqueducts that became the lifeblood of booming cities. In the beginning, these stone block walls were mainly for wealthy cities and wealthy people. But invention and reinvention created concrete, concrete blocks, block wall forms and today, even a precast concrete fence wall system that can replace block walls altogether.

Today, block walls can be found in a variety of places. You’ll find block walls surrounding churches, schools, hospitals, government buildings, residential homes, gated communities, development projects, industrial sites, danger zones, construction zones, private businesses and corporations and a host of other locations you might never expect to find a block wall. Block walls are even used as enclosures for horse corrals, dumpster spaces, parking garages and parking barriers, municipal borders and even entire cities! With the vast technology that has grown from the first grass and clay block walls to the new, completely automated block wall systems, there’s nothing you can’t do.

Used over thousands of centuries and perfected each step along the way, block walls have become a staple of historic and modern society. Whether you choose natural stone or concrete block walls, the origins remain more than 6000 years ago. Often overlooked or confused with brick walls, cinder block walls or breeze walls, concrete block walls are the single most important evolution in block wall construction over the past 6000 years and will continue to be the most widely used form of block walls long into the future.

Precast concrete walls are the newest addition to the family of masonry and the newest evolution in the block wall family. While precast concrete walls are not block walls and have many benefits over the new traditional block walls, their creation and evolution has come from thousands of years of work and invention in block walls and concrete block walls.

While block walls will continue to be a staple in the present and long into the future, precast concrete fence walls are the newest and best choice in the long line of concrete block wall evolution. AFTEC LLC is the world wide leader in Precast Concrete fence wall is constantly improving the value and types of fence wall available by adding new designs to their already gorgeous choices and quality wall systems.

For pricing and specifications about precast concrete fence walls,
follow this link- http://www.stonetreefence.com/comparing-fence-walls.html

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Block Wall History