At RECo, we have refined our expertise in the seamless integration of art and engineering. 

Our extensive range of precast concrete facing panels serves as a durable “canvas” for artists, enabling the creation of long standing designs. Moreover, our products can take the form of intricate architectural marvels, such as graceful staircases, elegant curved MSE walls, and striking tiered MSE structures. We firmly believe that the most remarkable civil engineering endeavors are those that unite exceptional performance with sleek and efficient aesthetics. Even in smaller-scale projects, our clients, architects, and engineers are driven to showcase their professional proficiency by designing structures that seamlessly blend into their surroundings, elevating the overall environment.

Architectural Finishes for MSE Walls

Our range of architectural finishes ensures that mechanically stabilized walls effortlessly harmonize with their surroundings. With our versatile mediums including Reinforced Earth® MSE walls, T-Wall®, and precast traffic barriers, property owners and communities have the ideal platforms to showcase their distinctive history, values, interests, or brand themes. The extensive selection of facings available enables a wide array of possibilities. At RECo, we provide an assortment of precast concrete panels featuring predetermined appealing finishes such as Grave, Fractured Fin, Raised Relief, and Ashlar Stone. Additionally, we collaborate with designers to craft custom finishes and incorporate fully personalized panels, allowing for truly unique and custom made projects.

 

By collaborating closely with architects and artists, RECo’s engineers seamlessly integrate desired artwork into the design plans of retaining walls. Through detailed final renderings, clients can visualize the project’s end result. With meticulous precision, our precast division transfers the artwork onto facing panels, achieving the desired three-dimensional relief and surface textures. A finishing touch of color can be added to the wall by the artist or contractor on site. While retaining walls play a vital role in our infrastructure, they are often overlooked or perceived solely as functional structures. However, through murals and other art forms, these walls can leave a lasting impression on residents and passersby, etching a community’s identity in their minds. Whether it’s a simple repeating design or an elaborate mural by a local artist, The Reinforced Earth Company possesses the expertise to transform your retaining walls into visually captivating works of art. Furthermore, the appearance of precast concrete panels can be enhanced using standard or customized architectural formwork liners, while additional stylistic qualities can be achieved through concrete treatments such as coloring or exposed aggregates.

Fractured Fin

 

Ashlar Stone

 

Raised Panel

Brick Texture

Geometric Design

Stone Texture

Custom Mural

Custom Graphics

Our cutting-edge technology not only excels in traditional engineering achievements but also offers enhanced aesthetic solutions for constructing intricately designed architectural structures. The following scenarios demonstrate the effective collaboration between architecture and MSE wall design.

Staircases for MSE Walls

MSE Retaining walls serve the critical purpose of stabilizing unstable slopes and preventing soil erosion on steep terrain. As a result, these walls create distinct levels within a constructed site. In cases where the retaining walls need to accommodate foot traffic, our MSE retaining walls offer the flexibility to integrate staircases seamlessly. The incorporation of staircases into the MSE retaining walls not only enhances the overall aesthetic appeal of the walls and the site but also ensures functionality. By utilizing the same retaining wall panels for constructing the stairs, the integration achieves a seamless merging effect, where the stairs harmoniously blend with the retaining wall structure.

Click through the gallery to browse some of the MSE Retaining wall staircases we have integrated into our structures.

Tiered MSE Walls

In response to the escalating demands of urbanization and industrialization, there is a growing need for robust MSE walls capable of retaining substantial earth masses. However, constructing single-tier MSE walls with significant heights often necessitates extensive excavation and a large land area, which is not always feasible. As a practical alternative, tiered construction proves to be the most suitable approach. A tiered retaining wall system consists of multiple stacked walls, with each higher wall strategically set back from the underlying one. This design allows the tiered MSE walls to effectively withstand significant differential settlements without experiencing distress, ensuring optimal performance. Beyond their functional capabilities, multi-tiered MSE walls also bring aesthetic enhancements, elevating the overall visual appeal of the site more effectively than a single, monolithic wall. Moreover, the additional space created by these tiers can be utilized for foot traffic or serve as platforms for various other purposes.

Click through the gallery to browse some of the tiered MSE wall applications.

Curved MSE Walls

Our experience in working on urban projects has driven us to innovate and adapt to complex architectural geometries when designing our products. In particular, our MSE retaining walls with modular facing offer remarkable versatility to accommodate a wide range of required geometries for any given project. We can easily achieve wall curvatures by utilizing precast concrete or wire mesh panels, taking into account the necessary considerations. MSE retaining walls incorporating precast concrete modular facing panels like Reinforced Earth® and T-Wall® can seamlessly accommodate curved and spiraled horizontal alignments with a radius of less than 30 feet. Such small radii are commonly employed in pedestrian bridge and trail applications. While the individual facing panels themselves may not be curved, the curvature of the wall is formed by a series of short chords, which vary depending on the width of the panels.

Click through the gallery to browse some of the curved MSE wall applications.