The advantages of using concrete blocks as Kentledge for hoarding and fencing

The advantages of using high quality precast blocks are numerous but can be best summarised as follows –

Easier to budget / estimate / tender

Using concrete blocks to support the posts means that any uncertainty about the potential costs and difficulties associated with digging holes and using readymix concrete / post mix are eliminated.

Low risk

By not having to dig the posts into the ground any risks of disturbing or damaging buried services is eliminated. As are the risks of being let down by third parties supplying the concrete for the backfill or not being able to dig the holes / backfill with concrete due to adverse weather.

More tidy worksite

By not having to dig the holes/dispose of the spoil/backfill with wet concrete the worksite will always look tidier and more professional.


Insurance saving

As contractor will know company insurance is one of the biggest overheads, where risks can be reduced or eliminated insurance costs should in turn be reduced.

Safer during installation

Eliminating the need to break ground by using concrete kentledge blocks not only reduces the risk damaging buried services; it also reduces the risk of injuries incurred by heavy hand digging, collisions between labourers and HGVÂ’s (delivering readymix and removing spoil).

Quicker during installation

As positioning, levelling, drilling and fixing posts to free standing kentledge blocks is relatively quick compared to digging holes and backing filling with concrete installation times are dramatically reduced. In additional using precast blocks to support the posts on uneven ground is much quicker than having to dig holes and position posts at different depths to maintain a level fence.

Safer and more stable after installation

Design engineers can use known data such as wind loadings/seasonality etc which combined with the height and type of fence/ hoarding means that exact counterweight requirements can be calculated. Given that precast blocks are available in a variety of weights and given that fixing systems can be specified to withstand know pullout forces, using precast concrete allows a fully designed and engineered solution to be employed.

Given that fencing and hoarding are often required in urban environments its no longer acceptable to trust the integrity and stability of the fence to a hole dug into ground which may be made up of variable material and which is simply backfilled with what is more often than not low strength concrete.

Foundations for all above ground structures (including fencing and hoarding) should be correctly designed.

Unfortunately a significant proportion of fencing and hoarding is still installed with little or no thought given to whether or not the foundations are suitable.

Quicker to remove at the end of the project

Dismantling the fencing or hoarding at the end of the project is quick, easy and clean as there is no waste to dispose of or holes to back fill / make good and the land can be returned to normal use