Segmental Retaining Walls
RETAINING WALL SUCCESS TAKES ACHESON & GLOVER TO NEW HEIGHTS
Until a few years ago, segmental retaining walls (SRWs) were a rarity in Ireland. Now, however, the local SRW market is growing as quickly as in America even though the technology has been available there for decades.
The visible signs of that growth are to be found in the hundreds of state of the art structures – some as high as 12 metres – that are springing up in significant infrastructure, commercial and housing projects across the island. Just a few examples include a spectacular flagship development at Westpark Business Park in Shannon Free Zone, the prestigious Airside retail park close to Dublin and Queen’s University’s Queen’s Elms halls of residence - as well as countless upmarket housing developments.
The catalyst for the growth in segmental retaining walls is Acheson & Glover which single-handedly pioneered the local market. In April 2000, the County Tyrone-based firm acquiring sole manufacturing rights for the island of Ireland for a range of SRW products made by the leading designer and licensor of the world's most popular retaining wall system - Anchor Wall Systems Inc of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The agreement gave Acheson & Glover direct access to the skills and expertise that Anchor Wall Systems had built up over two decades since segmental retaining walls were first introduced in the United States in the 1980s. Since then, Acheson & Glover’s highly automated, £2.5 million Anchor manufacturing plant in Fivemiletown has proved so successful that the firm’s US partner has designated it an international centre of excellence and now uses it as a showcase to promote its products to potential licensees across Europe.
Six years after production started, Acheson & Glover remains the only local manufacturer to offer a complete suite of segmental retaining wall products. These include Anchor Landmark, Anchor Vertica, Anchor Diamond and the most recent introduction to the line-up, Anchor Bayfield. You can find out more about all of these retaining wall products on this website. Acheson & Glover has further maintained its market leading position by introducing a wide range of ‘specials’ as well as new sizes, colours, face styles and textures that blend harmoniously with any surroundings. Acquiring the right product however was only the first step in the company’s strategy to develop markets throughout the island of Ireland.
Since introducing Anchor products locally, Acheson & Glover has introduced a supply and build service through its approved team of experienced installers. Acheson & Glover remains the only manufacturer in Ireland to offer on-the ground local support.- for a whole range of retaining wall and soil reinforcement solutions, often with the option of technical advice and engineering design. Acheson & Glover’s determination to stay ahead of the competition has also seen it become the only manufacturer in Ireland to gain BBA accreditation for SRW products which is necessary for TAS in Northern Ireland. Why segmental retaining walls? More and more developers, house builders, landscapers, contractors, civil engineers and architects are discovering that Acheson & Glover’s Anchor range offers considerable benefits over traditional poured concrete, brick and natural stone walls. A typical Anchor wall comprises a mass of granular soil reinforced with a polymeric geogrid, faced with hydraulically pressed ‘semi-dry’ concrete facing blocks.
Because of their modular nature, Anchor systems enable the design and construction of tight curves and corners in difficult access situations. They require less skilled labour and plant than many alternative options which means they can be installed quickly and cost-effectively. In addition, they are aesthetically appealing and reliable and offer excellent design life and performance.
One of the key drivers behind their rapidly growing popularity is the shortage of new flat land available for housing development. As ideal sites for new homes become more scarce, existing sites are increasingly being redeveloped – along with new ones on hilly and uneven terrain that previously would have been considered unsuitable. This trend has created a whole raft of new challenges associated with the selection of cost-effective, aesthetically-pleasing and sustainable retaining wall and soil reinforcement solutions.
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