How the system works
Aussieblock hollow-core units are large-format reconstituted limestone blocks with four aligned vertical cores. The same unit serves three different wall types depending on how those cores are treated, which is what lets one product cover gravity walls, reinforced walls, and drainage-critical walls without changing suppliers.
Reduced handling weight
At 350 to 750 lb, hollow-core units place faster and need lighter equipment than solid block of the same footprint. On a large wall that difference shows up in crew hours and in the size of machine you have to bring to the site.
Core-fill flexibility
Leave the cores open for free drainage, fill them with aggregate for gravity mass, or grout them with rebar for a reinforced wall. The decision is made in the field against the engineer's design, not at the time of order.
Built-in MEP and drainage chase
Because the cores align from course to course, they form a continuous vertical channel — usable for conduit, weep paths, or perforated drain pipe without cutting or coring the wall after the fact.
Hollow-core unit schedule
| Unit | Size (H×W×L) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Butterstick Hollow Core | 18×18×48" | 750 lb |
| 16" Hollow Core | 16×14×48" | 480 lb |
| Super Hollow Core | 14×14×48" | 420 lb |
| Regular Meter Hollow Core | 14×14×40" | 350 lb |
| Cladding Hollow Core | 4×20×14" | 65 lb |
Finishing units
| Unit | Size | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Butterstick Key Block | 6×18×48" | 400 lb |
| Bullnose | 4×18×48" | 300 lb |
| Square-Edge Capstone | 4×18×48" | 300 lb |
Delivery quantities
Units ship on indivisible bundles and pallets. Full loads assume a single unit type; mixed loads are quoted per project.
| Unit | Per pallet | Per full load |
|---|---|---|
| Butterstick Hollow Core | 4 | 56 (14 pallets) |
| Regular Meter Hollow Core | 9 | 126 (14 pallets) |
| Butterstick Key Block | 10 | 120 (12 pallets) |
| Cladding Hollow Core | 54 | 756 (14 pallets) |
Design responsibility
Engineering note
Wall height, embedment, rebar, grout, footing, drainage, and surcharge capacity are project-specific and must be designed and sealed by a licensed engineer. Product data is not a substitute for geotechnical design.
We supply unit dimensions, weights, and compressive strength for the engineer of record to design against, and we'll work directly with your engineer on unit selection and coursing. We do not provide wall design.
Common questions
What is the compressive strength of the block?
All Aussieblock hollow-core units are 1,200 psi. Unit dimensions, weights, and strength for every product are published in our block data sheets.
Do the cores have to be grouted?
No. Grouting is one of three options. Cores can be left open for free drainage, filled with aggregate to add gravity mass, or grouted with reinforcing steel for an engineered reinforced wall. Which one applies is determined by the engineer's design for your wall.
How tall a wall can be built with these units?
There is no single answer, and any supplier who gives you one without seeing your site is guessing. Height depends on soil conditions, surcharge, embedment, drainage, and reinforcement, and must be established by a licensed engineer for the specific project.
How is drainage handled behind the wall?
The aligned cores form a continuous vertical channel that can carry perforated drain pipe or serve as a weep path, in addition to whatever drainage the engineer specifies behind the wall face.
Are these units suitable for DOT and municipal work?
Yes — the hollow-core line is used on commercial, municipal, and DOT applications. Call us with the specification you're working to and we'll confirm unit selection and submittal requirements.
How many blocks fit on a truck?
It depends on the unit. A full load runs 56 Butterstick Hollow Core or 126 Regular Meter Hollow Core. See the delivery quantities table above for the rest.
Download the printed guide
The full retaining wall systems guide, in the same format your engineer or spec writer is used to receiving.
Related: perlite core-fill and R-value · block data sheets · ready-mix concrete for footings and core grout
Get a wall quote
Send us the wall length, exposed height, and your engineer's section, and we'll return a unit count, pallet count, and delivered price.