Pillars have always been popular vertical elements in landscape design. Pillars are often made of stone or precast concrete, which as construction materials have extremely high durability and resistance to the elements. A pillar can be incorporated into another vertical element, for example forming the end of a seat wall or fence; or can stand alone, for example supporting a horizontal element such as a pediment or other roof structure, or an elevated deck. A pillar can thus serve as a structural support and/or as an aesthetic element in landscaping and building construction applications.
Conventionally the two most common methods of constructing a pillar are:
1) Laying individual masonry units such as stones or precast concrete elements in a pattern to form the basic shape desired, which is typically square or rectangular in cross-section. Each subsequent course is laid over the immediately preceding finished course, with the pattern of joints being repeated or a variation of it used, while maintaining consistent outside dimensions. It is desirable from a structural point of view to have the elements overlapping on the next subsequent course, in order to tie the individual units together to create a coherent structure. However, each individual unit within a course must be leveled independently, which is time consuming, and then fit together with adjacent elements and subsequent courses. The process of laying and stacking the individual masonry units is thus time-consuming, and generally difficult enough to require a skilled artisan such as a mason to ensure that the pillar dimensions are maintained through each course and the desired aesthetic appeal is achieved in the finished pillar.2) Constructing the core of the pillar with concrete elements such as cinder blocks, reinforced with mortar and reinforcing steel, and then facing the resulting structural pillar core with stone and mortar, brick, stucco, or some other facing material to provide a desired aesthetic finish. However, the process of constructing the pillar core requires labourers who are skilled in block construction, mortar, and reinforcement techniques. Furthermore, the core structure must be left to cure and solidify before beginning to face the core exterior, which prolongs the pillar construction process, and the facing itself requires mortar or expensive adhesives which require additional time to cure.
It would accordingly be advantageous to provide a pillar construction system that eliminates one or more of the disadvantages of conventional pillar construction techniques.