Hardscape Soars Steady Popularity of Concrete Masonry Landscape Products HERNDON, VA According to the National Concrete Masonry Association's (NCMA) 1997 Market Planning Statistical Survey, concrete masonry landscape products showed substantial growth for the fifth year in a row, with a thirty percent increase in the number of segmental retaining wall (SRW) units and an eighteen percent increase in the number of unit concrete pavers produced this past year. The American Society of Landscape Architects' recent product use survey ranks paving and surfacing and retaining walls as the second and fourth (respectively) most-used products by Landscape Architects, indicating the market is wide open for increased use of SRWs and pavers. In fact, the easy installation of concrete masonry landscape products is one of the attributes that makes them desirable for large applications. Specifically, research indicates that SRWs and unit concrete pavers are being used more and more in a variety of streetscape applications; municipal designers and landscape specifiers across the country are increasingly realizing the design flexibility, economy and ease of installation these systems offer. In addition to these hardscape products, articulating concrete revetment block (ACB) is becoming a popular alternative to rip-rap or applications where SRW units or pavers are inappropriate. Made on a block machine, ACBs are similar to a standard concrete masonry unit in that they have cells, allowing vegetative growth, increasing the aesthetics and erosion-prevention capabilities of the system. NCMA statistics indicate a thirty percent increase over last year in the number of segmental retaining wall units specified by landscape professionals. In addition, the number of unit concrete pavers produced this year reflects an eighteen percent increase over last. Photo provided courtesy of Versa-Lok Retaining Wall Systems, Inc.