Patent ID: 7096635

Claim:
A preformed horizontally elongated block for use in a retaining wall, the preformed horizontally elongated block comprising: a front portion, a rear portion, and a web portion connecting the front and rear portions, the front portion having first and second sides spaced apart by a first lateral dimension, a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface and a back surface, the rear portion having first and second sides spaced apart by a second lateral dimension, a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the second lateral dimension is less than the first lateral dimension, the web portion substantially solid with no cores and having a pair of side surfaces, a top and a bottom; a single polyhedral projection extending outwardly from the top or bottom of the web portion, the projection including an indexing surface and presenting a first width dimension in a direction extending between the front portion and the rear portion of the block; and the block defining a recess opposite projection, the recess extending transversely and continuously across the block, the recess comprising a stop surface that is coplanar with the back surface of the front portion, wherein the recess of the horizontally elongated block presents a second width dimension in the direction extending between the front portion and the rear portion of the block, the second width dimension greater than the first width dimension so as to enable the indexing surface of the projection of a second block to engage the stop surface of the horizontally elongated block with no other portion of the projection of the second block contacting the horizontally elongated block.