Keymass retaining walls
Keymass is a large-format precast block system placed by excavator. Each unit interlocks with the courses above and below, and the sheer mass of the wall does the retaining. It is the system we reach for when a site needs height, speed and a wall that will not move.
Where it fits
- Industrial hardstands and yards
- Civil cut batters
- Sites with heavy plant access
- Walls that need to go up fast
- Bulk material bays and bunkers
- Mass gravity walls without geogrid
Mass, not tension
Most block walls rely on geogrid tension in the backfill once they get tall. Keymass works differently: the units are heavy enough that the wall stands as a mass gravity structure to significant heights on its own weight. That removes the geogrid layers, and with them the wide excavation and staged compaction behind the wall. On a tight site with plant working alongside, that is often the deciding factor.
Machine placement
The units are lifted and set with an excavator fitted with a block grab. Our own operators place the wall, which is why Keymass and our plant capability go together: the same crew that prepares the base and handles the fill sets the blocks. A long wall goes up in days rather than weeks.
Finish
The face is a clean precast surface, available in a plain or textured finish. It suits industrial and civil settings where a hard-wearing, low-maintenance face is wanted, and it takes impact from vehicles and material far better than a thin-faced wall.
Questions we are asked
How is a Keymass wall different from a Keystone wall?
What plant is needed on site?
Can Keymass walls be dismantled or relocated?
Projects using Keymass
Kemps Creek industrial estate
In 2025 UCBC built precast block retaining walls across a Kemps Creek industrial estate in Western Sydney: tall corner walls, walls following detention basins, rock scour protection and culvert outlets at the toe..
