Ecology blocks, delivered
Ecology block, eco block, bin block: one 6 x 2 x 2 concrete block at 3,600 lb. The ecology name is a Pacific Northwest habit, and it says something real about where the concrete comes from.
What it is
Ecology block is the name used up and down the west coast for the standard large concrete block. The name comes from the plant side of the business: concrete that comes back on the truck has to go somewhere, and pouring it into block forms turns a disposal problem into a product.
That origin is worth knowing when you order, because a block cast from returned mix can vary in color and surface more than one poured from a single batch. It is the same size, the same weight, and the same job. It is not always the same shade of grey.
If the face matters on your job, say so on the quote. We will tell you what the run looks like before it ships rather than after you have set forty of them.
What it is used for
- Bin and bunker walls
- Ballast
- Perimeter runs
- Retaining and landscape walls
- Blocking off ground
From $120 per block, freight quoted separately to your ZIP
Full block specification
- Nominal size
- 6'-0" x 2'-0" x 2'-0"
- Weight
- 3,600 lb
- Per flatbed
- 13
- Load weight
- 46,800 lb
- Lifting
- Cast-in loop or rebar channel, by runto confirm
- Finish
- As-cast, formed faces
Which name gets used where
| Name | Where it is used | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Bin block | Midwest, South, most of the aggregate trade | Named for the job: the walls of a material bin at a yard, one bay per product. |
| Mafia block | Northeast, Chicago, New York | A jobsite nickname, from the size and weight of the thing and the joke that goes with it. Nobody writes it on a purchase order. |
| Ecology block | Pacific Northwest, California | From the plant side: the blocks are commonly cast from returned ready-mix that would otherwise be washed out, so concrete leaves as a product rather than as waste. |
| Eco block | Pacific Northwest | Ecology block, shortened. Same object. |
| Lego block | Everywhere, informally | The cast lug and recess stack like the toy. Some plants use interlocking forms that make the resemblance obvious. |
| Barrier block | Specification and municipal language | What it is called when the job is blocking access rather than holding material. |
| Large concrete block | Search engines and catalogs | The plain description buyers use when they do not know the trade name. |
Regional usage as we hear it from buyers and plants. If your part of the country calls it something else, tell the desk and we will add it.
Getting it to your site
Everything ships on a flatbed, the lower 48 states wide. Freight is quoted to your ZIP because distance, truck count and access are what actually drive it.
You unload with a forklift or telehandler rated for the weight, or you add placement to the quote and we bring the machine. The driver does not unload.
Full block questions
- How fast do I get a real number?
- Within the hour during desk hours for a standard order to a ZIP we deliver to. Custom sizes, rentals and purchase orders take a business day because a person prices them by hand.
- Is there a minimum order?
- No. One block is a real order. Freight is the dominant cost, so a full truck is always the better value per unit, and the quote shows you both.
- What does a block cost?
- Blocks start at $120 each. Freight is quoted separately to your ZIP because distance, truck count and site access drive it, and any supplier who quotes freight without your address is guessing.
- How many blocks fit on a truck?
- 13 full blocks, or 26 half blocks, which is about 46,800 lb on a 48 ft to 53 ft flatbed. Mixed loads are packed by weight, not by count.
- Bin block, mafia block, ecology block: what is the difference?
- Nothing. They are the same 6 x 2 x 2 interlocking concrete block under different regional names. Use the name your supplier uses and check the dimensions, not the label.
Tell us the job. We send a number.
Product, count, delivery ZIP and the date you need it. The desk prices it and emails an itemized quote, freight included, within the hour during desk hours.