Reinforced CMU garden wall and steps for a Downers Grove residence — engineered rebar, drainage detailing, and a clean finished appearance built to hold its lines for decades.
Project Details
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After 
Before 1/3 — Retaining wall — CMU block installed with vertical rebar and grout consolidation throughout
After 
Before 2/3 — Foundation section — CMU foundation wall built to code with full grouting and drainage
After 
Before 3/3 — Corner detail — reinforced block corners with proper control joint placement
Garden walls look simple and fail structurally — soil pressure and frost find every shortcut. This Downers Grove project was engineered like the structural work it is: proper block depth, rebar, consolidated grout, and drainage behind the wall, finished cleanly enough to belong in the landscape design.
Reinforcement schedules, grout consolidation, and control joint spacing are engineering requirements, not preferences
The finish masonry above is only as good as the structural block wall carrying it
On a builder’s schedule, structural masonry has to be right the first time — re-doing a block wall stalls every trade behind it
Every project follows the same disciplined sequence — no shortcuts, no hand-offs, same crew start to finish.
We assess soil bearing, drainage conditions, and code requirements before block selection. Retaining walls and foundation walls require engineering review — we do not skip this step.
We specify the correct CMU block type, rebar schedule, and control joint spacing for the load and soil conditions. Reinforcement is not optional for structural applications in Illinois.
Block is laid course by course with properly consolidated grout fill at all reinforced cells. Consolidation is inspected at each lift — improperly consolidated grout is the most common CMU failure point.
Control joints are placed at code-required spacing to manage movement. Waterproofing is applied to below-grade and retaining walls before backfill. All work is documented before we leave.
CMU block installation requires engineering knowledge that most contractors do not have: rebar schedules, control joint spacing, grout consolidation, and drainage detailing all affect long-term performance. AMS brings 19+ years of structural masonry experience to every CMU project.
CMU (Concrete Masonry Unit) block is a structural masonry unit used for foundation walls, retaining walls, garage walls, and load-bearing construction. It is stronger and more water-resistant than brick when properly installed with reinforcement and grouting.
For most structural applications in Illinois — retaining walls, foundation walls, load-bearing walls — yes, vertical rebar and horizontal joint reinforcement are required by code. We design reinforcement schedules for every structural CMU project.
A 100-linear-foot retaining wall typically takes 1-2 weeks. A full garage or addition foundation in CMU runs 2-3 weeks. We factor in curing time for grout consolidation before releasing the wall for loading.
