AB® Ashlar Blend™ – Bremner Ridge
Project
Sitting at the highest point in the whole of Flat Bush with views of the entire region, Bremner Ridge is a new subdivision envisioned to be a welcoming, safe and attractive place for the community. This unique development has been carefully planned to provide a ‘countryside’ feel and lifestyle to its residents.
Developed in 40 hectares of land, the whole subdivision is split by the main road that serves as a connection between Tuscany Estates and mainstream Flat Bush. The first stage required two AB Ashlar Blend™ retaining walls, although this beautiful blended patterned look will be needed to maintain the theme in future stages.
Design
Looking for a solution that could upgrade the look of the subdivision and after evaluating availability and costs, the client decided to go for the AB® Ashlar Blend™ with a two-course pattern configuration.
To ensure the system was suitable for the job, the Bowers technical team worked alongside the project engineers, providing different options and preliminary designs. Due to steep 1 in 3 backslopes present, a geogrid reinforced soil was preferred as means to increase the mass of the structure and help withstand the pressures behind the retaining walls.
Installation
ICB Retaining & Construction was the company in charge of executing and building the AB® Ashlar Blend™ retaining walls. Although they are among the most experienced contractors in the country, it was their first time using the Allan Block patterned system.
As part of the on-site support that Bowers Brothers Concrete usually provide, photos and a pattern wall chart were given to the contractor to get a feel of the product and the building sequence. Constant communication and on-site visits were important to ensure a successful result and to quickly respond to doubts, new requirements and even complications.
ICB completed both retaining walls in just a couple of weeks, covering a total area of 129 m2 that required the use of 2,811 AB® Ashlar Blend™ units.
Products used in this project
Benefits of this solution
- The AB Ashlar Blend™ system provided the aesthetics and feel the client had envisaged
- Erosion protection, retention and stability to the existing steep backslopes
- A more sophisticated approach to distinctive landscape design
Contractor
ICB Retaining and Piling
Client
Wilshire Ryburn Development Limited
Location
Flat Bush, Auckland
Products
AB® Ashlar Blend™ Iron Sand