A.R.T. Wall Introduction

A.R.T.WALL™ is a climbing wall system made of pre-cast glass fiber reinforced panels (GFRC-Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete) that duplicates real rock. Molds are taken from outdoor rock surfaces, and converted into production equipment for the manufacturing of the pre-cast GFRC panels. A.R.T.WALL™ castings can be configured into just about any design conceivable. Designs can include cracks, overhanging areas, dihedrals, arêtes, roofs, vertical sections, and any other climbing formation. The finished product can be tinted or stained to create a number of dramatic tones and shades.

Pricing for A.R.T.WALL™ MUST be provided as quotes. Pricing on a per-square-foot of climbing surface basis can be misleading. Due to the engineering and construction techniques involved, site conditions, access issues and other project requirements, the cost can vary widely.

Prices generally range from $70 to $85 per square foot (see note below) for average projects in average locations, but can be higher depending upon a number of factors. Small projects will typically cost more per square foot due to economies-of-scale.

Bouldering walls, or walls that are less tall, are generally cheaper per-square-foot to build. Walls that are complex in design or are taller, tend to be more expensive per-square-foot. The prices stated above are for the climbing walls only and do not include other climbing wall operation equipment such as: landing surface, belay tools, harnesses, ropes, quick draws, rock shoes, etc.

NICROS is happy to provide a complete quote inclusive of the above items if requested.

How to Build

Once a design is chosen, the engineering begins. All climbing wall designs are engineered to meet or exceed industry standards. Most A.R.T.WALL™ systems will be built on a heavy duty steel frame and the height and amount of overhang of the wall will affect the engineering and therefore the cost. The engineering may also be affected by the design of the space or building that the wall is going into (i.e. the strength and design of the building).

Generally, NICROS walls are designed to transfer climbing loads to the floor and not to the adjacent walls. A.R.T.WALL™ can also be designed to include Lead Climbing.

Upon completion of the design and engineering, a steel frame is erected and the GFRC casting are attached to the frame via secondary steel that is welded to the primary steel frame. Panels are typically six to seven feet wide and six to seven feet tall and can be oriented in any direction to create the desired effect or climbing difficulty.

Once all the panels are attached to the frame, the embossing process begins. Embossing closes the gaps between the adjacent panels. This is the point in which any cracks are created and Lead Climbing anchors are added.

Once the wall is embossed and cleaned, modifications can be made to the background surface to make the background climb easier or harder. With this system, climbers now have the ability to either climb on the background route or they can climb on the modular handholds, or both.

After the modifications are complete, the wall is then stained to simulate shades of real rock. Finally, the top rope stations and handholds are installed and the landing surface added. After a final check your wall is ready for use.