Self-connecting, reinforced retaining wall and masonry units therefor

A modular block masonry unit, having outside dimensions generally in the form of a parallelepiped, the masonry unit having six faces, including:

• a front face and associated front wall of finite thickness,
• a top face,
• a bottom face,
• a rear face and associated rear wall of finite thickness, and
• two opposing side faces and side walls of finite thickness,
• said unit also having a center partition wall generally centrally oriented parallel to and between said two side walls and extending between said top and bottom faces,
• the masonry unit having voids extending within said unit and through the unit from the top face to the bottom face, each said void being bounded by one side wall, said front wall, said rear wall and said center partition wall,
• the rear wall having indents therein, four indents in all, adjacent both said top face and said bottom face, each indent extending within the rear wall substantially from its associated side wall to said partition wall.

A combination modular block masonry unit and reinforcement member, said masonry unit having outside dimensions generally in the form of a parallelepiped, the masonry unit having six faces, including:

• a front face and associated front wall of finite thickness,
• a top face,
• a bottom face,
• a rear face and associated rear wall of finite thickness, and
• two opposing side faces and side walls of finite thickness,
• said unit also having a center partition wall generally centrally oriented parallel to and between said two side walls and extending between said top and bottom faces,
• the masonry unit having voids extending within said unit and through the unit from the top face to the bottom face, each said void being bounded by one side wall, said front wall, said rear wall and said center partition wall,
• the rear wall having indents therein, four indents in all, adjacent both said top face and said bottom face, each indent extending within the rear wall substantially from its associated side wall to said partition wall,
• each said indent having a depth sufficient to permit said reinforcement member to be threaded from a remote, rearward location, to said unit and through a void in said unit, and thence rearwardly, back to approximately said rearward location,
• whereby said reinforcement member is engaged by and within said indents,
• thereby providing a unitary, self-connected masonry unit and reinforcing member.