The first step to any project is to source locally quarried soils that are suitable for RE walls. It is one of the most important and enjoyable parts of a project. A profile of soils is developed with two different soil components and from that a preliminary soil mix is developed that will exceed the strength requirements of the structural engineering and the appearance characteristics desired by the client. Portland cement is an essential component to the mix in order to exceed the project specific engineered strength. A series of mix samples are placed into test cylinders, cured, and then taken to an independent testing lab for compressive strength tests as is typical for concrete cylinders. Soil strengths for our projects have ranged from 3000 psi to over 7000 psi. Random sample testing of cylinders is part of the wall construction process to maintain quality control.