Building block, wall constructions made from building blocks, and methods

A wall comprising:

• (a) a plurality of courses, each course comprising a plurality of building blocks, and the building blocks of each course after the first course of building blocks being positioned on the building blocks of a next lower course in succession;
• each of the building blocks including,
• a body having opposite front and rear faces, opposite first and second bearing faces extending between the front and rear faces, and opposite first and second ends extending between the front and rear faces;
• the first and second bearing faces each including two pin receiving apertures extending through the body;
• the first bearing face being an upper face and having one or more channels to receive one end of pins extending through the pin receiving apertures of a building block stacked on the first bearing face;
• the first end including a first recess extending from the first bearing face to the second bearing face and having a first recess edge;
• a first of the pin receiving apertures located adjacent to the first recess edge;
• a first indicator in the first recess adjacent the first pin receiving aperture, the first indicator being visible from the first end to assist in aligning a pin placed in the first pin receiving aperture with a channel in a building block in a course below;
• the second end including second recess extending from the first bearing face to the second bearing face and having a second recess edge;
• a second of the pin receiving apertures located adjacent to the second recess edge;
• a second indicator in the second recess adjacent the second pin receiving aperture, the second indicator being visible from the second end to assist in aligning a pin placed in the second pin receiving aperture with a channel in a building block in the course below;
• (b) pins in the pin receiving apertures in the building blocks in each course above a base course to engage one of the channels in the first bearing face of one of the building blocks in a next lower course.

A method of constructing a wall comprising building blocks, the method comprising:

• (a) providing a base course of building blocks;
• each of the building blocks including,
• a body having opposite front and rear faces, opposite first and second bearing faces extending between the front and rear faces, and opposite first and second ends extending between the front and rear faces;
• the first and second bearing faces each including two pin receiving apertures extending through the body;
• the first bearing face being an upper face and having one or more channels to receive one end of pins extending through the pin receiving apertures of a building block stacked on the first bearing face;
• the first end including a first recess extending from the first bearing face to the second bearing face and having a first recess edge;
• a first of the pin receiving apertures located adjacent to the first recess edge;
• a first indicator in the first recess adjacent the first pin receiving aperture, the first indicator being visible from the first end to assist in aligning a pin placed in the first pin receiving aperture with a channel in a building block in a course below;
• the second end including second recess extending from the first bearing face to the second bearing face and having a second recess edge;
• a second of the pin receiving apertures located adjacent to the second recess edge;
• a second indicator in the second recess adjacent the second pin receiving aperture, the second indicator being visible from the second end to assist in aligning a pin placed in the second pin receiving aperture with a channel in a building block in the course below;
• (b) stacking a second course of the building blocks on the bearing faces of the base course with the first and second indicators of the building blocks in the second course aligned with channels in the building blocks in the base course;
• and
• (c) after stacking the second course, inserting pins into the pin receiving apertures and engaging the pins with one of the channels in the first bearing face of the building blocks in the base course.

A method of making a building block;

• the method comprising:
• molding a building block from dry cast concrete resulting in,
• a body with two pin receiving apertures extending through the body and one or more channels;
• the body having a first end including a first recess with a first recess edge;
• a first of the pin receiving apertures located adjacent to the first recess edge;
• a first indicator in the first recess adjacent the first pin receiving aperture;
• and
• the body having a second end including a second recess having a second recess edge;
• a second of the pin receiving apertures located adjacent to the second recess edge;
• and
• a second indicator in the second recess adjacent the second pin receiving aperture.