Canadian Industry Professionals recognise Terraforce a market leaders

News archives

For more than 25 years Terraforce, Cape Town based pre-cast concrete manufacturer, specialising in modular hollow core concrete blocks, has maintained a strong foothold in the South African Concrete Retaining Walls market, while the past decade has seen steady expansion into the international playing field.

Today, Terraforce has managed to establish thriving production in Namibia, Swaziland, Australia, United Arab Emirates, India, Brazil, Argentina, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Canada and the USA, with two new licencees signed up in Peru and Southern California in recent weeks. Negotiations are also underway with prospective parties in four other countries.

Commercial installation in Australia	Palm Jumeirah, Dubai

Terraforces' hollow core, reversible units represent the most energy efficient system anywhere. They require low hardware input for the manufacture, low transport costs and low inventory requirements at sales outlets. Being hollow, yet strong enough, they require less concrete to do the job when compared to solid block systems.

What's more, our licencees in some locations have been using recycled materials for the past 25 years. It is consequently safe to say that Terraforce blocks are eco-friendly and energy-friendly, as well as wallet-friendly.

With a growing awareness of these aspects of the construction industry, it should come as no surprise that Terraforce must be the fastest growing retaining system internationally, with Canadian magazine of sustainable architecture, construction and interior design, Award , recently touting Terraforce as the " undisputed international leader in the creation of environmentally friendly earth retaining and architectural landscaping, thanks to mortarless and fully interlocking concrete retaining and terracing blocks ". [June, 2007, page 33]

Concrete retaining walls constructed using the Terraforce system are easily formed into complex curved shapes or into walls in which the upper and lower profiles are continuously changing. The system allows you a choice between round face, (plant supportive) or flush face (smooth or split version) to suit your specific requirements, and they present a closed vertical surface structure that provides maximum amount of soil mass within the wall and prevents backfill spillage, while at the same time offering uninhibited permeability.

They lend themselves, among many other applications, to aesthetically pleasing terracing, heavy duty riverbank and shoreline protection, as well as effective storm water control, highway noise control and composite land extensions.

In 1979 Terraforce began importing wire mesh gabions from Spain , later becoming involved in the construction of gabion retaining walls and erosion control measures. After gaining some knowledge of the market Holger Rust, founder and director of Terraforce, realised that a more cost-effective, practical and aesthetically pleasing method of earth retaining was needed in South Africa .

After the first Terraforce S blocks (then still weighing in at 50kg) where produced on a small home built "egg layer" block machine, Rust has never looked back. In 1986, when the first license agreements were signed, daily production reached 400 blocks and eventually combined Terraforce block sales, equalling over 6000sq.m per month, were achieved in Cape Town alone.

Terraforce continued to expand and mature, as Rust strove to implement his strategy to up-date and improve feasibility/case study evaluation reports and design software at all times, as well as expanding Terraforces' product range to include lighter retaining blocks, an accessory block for stairs or seating and erosion control or hard lawn paving block.

In 1990s, Terraforce blocks were well established in South Africa , with nine licensees producing in all major centres. At the same time the first international license came on board and today Terraforce blocks are produced on all continents, with the Consent LLC in the United Arabian Emirates being one of the most successful additions. Today, about 500 000 a month blocks are sold world wide.

And its not just sales figures that tell a story of success. Terraforce installations have managed to secure numerous awards for the company in the last few years, most notably the coveted Bayer Trophy that is awarded biannually to top class projects in the construction industry by the CMA (Concrete Manufacturers Association) Awards for Excellence. In the category Concrete Retaining Walls Terraforce managed to win a national Trophy no less that four times, in 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2006 respectively.

Terraforce has also recently completed work on a comprehensive guide to South Africa 's indigenous plants to be used in conjunction with Terraforce retaining blocks, especially those that require little watering and are adapted to our harsh climatic conditions.

Developed and researched in collaboration with the helpful staff at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens -- especially Ernst van Jaarsveld, well known horticulturalist and author of gardening books -- the guide aims to give the reader an easy to use introduction into the indigenous plants suitable for growing on plant supportive retaining walls and erosion control measures around South Africa.