Monolithic Dome Construction
|
|
|
Rain gutters are a problem for every type and style of building. They have they own unique problems in the Monolithic domes. Monolithic domes are round. Rain gutters are generally linear. Monolithic has had to come up with a rain gutter. This one works very well in the southern part of the United States. We think it will work in the northern part but we are not as sure where heavy snow is involved. Read More...
|
|
 |
Covering a dome with tile can be both practical and beautiful. People worldwide have been tiling their domes for centuries.
Read More... |
|
| |
"It sounds like the prop on a Cessna 152," said Randy South at the premier use of South Industries' new fan.
That was June 27, 2007. Randy and his son Andrew, along with 500 others, were witnessing the inflation of the Airform for the new facility at Mile Hi Church in Lakewood, Colorado. This was a project of South Industries, Inc. of Menan, Idaho.
Read More... |
|
|
Using barbed instead of barbless rebar hangers...
Mike South, VP and construction superintendent, said, "In the past, when we built an uninsulated dome -- such as the EcoShell II that does not call for foam -- we glued special stickers onto the first layer of Shotcrete, from which we hung the rebar.
Read More |
The electrical system for a Monolithic Dome is very similar to a conventional house. Most domes don't have vertical exterior walls so the meter base will need to be pedestal mounted. Electrical outlets and wiring require a little more planning and preparation before constructing your dome. After rebar is in place, attach plastic or steel conduit to the rebar. Also fasten the electrical boxes in the appropriate places. After the concrete is sprayed, wires may be pulled through the embedded conduits to their appropriate boxes. The remaining electrical is run as in any conventional house.
|
|
Plumbing is the least affected subsystem of Dome construction. In general, all plumbing goes through the inside wall partitions or under the floor as in any other house. |
|
|
Monolithic Gets the Job Done. If you need a Monolithic Dome with all of its benefits - contract with Monolithic to get the job done. We have the experience and expertise to help you meet your commercial or residential building needs, on-time and within budget. |
If you don't plan on making dome-building your business, then I suggest that you seriously consider having the dome shell built and finishing it out yourself. Reason: Constructing the shell takes a lot of practice for the first timer who understandably makes a lot of mistakes. On the other hand, doing the finish-out is usually most satisfying. The finish-out is the part of a house that really makes it a home.
One of the most frequently asked questions here at Monolithic is, "How long will it take me to build a Monolithic Dome home?" The quick answer is 2 to 4 weeks for the shell. The real answer is determined by many contributing factors. The timeline here is intended to provide potential dome owners a general building timeline.
|
|
Remote locations are usually a great distance from a Redi-Mix plant. Consider mixing on location -- especially for the dome shell. You may want to dry pack and bring Redi-Mix trucks out to the location for the floors and footings. It is possible to load a mixer truck so concrete doesn't actually start mixing until it gets near the job site. This can be more expensive, but so are most other alternatives. |
Trade Secrets-- To
share or not to share
When you gain considerable amount of knowledge and experience,
sometimes you have to be a little bit careful how you disseminate
it.
|
|
|
|
A concrete spray-in-place fence is an excellent financial
investment. It will not rot or be destroyed by winds or inclement
weather. It is a fence that will last years beyond any other
type of fencing. If you are considering a spray-in-place
concrete fence and would like Monolithic to get the job done,
here is a price list and optional designs to consider. |
|
|
|
|
Never Use Steel Fibers Instead of Rebar in a Monolithic
Dome
|
Alert the Media! BWG Agency
Creatively Promotes Monolithic Domes
|
|
|
|
To keep the thickness correct throughout the application process,
apply the concrete as evenly as possible at all times.
|
Backup Power for the inflator fans at the job site of a Monolithic
Dome construction project is always a good idea. Murphy's Law is,
"If anything can go wrong, it will." Murphy's law is with
us in the dome building business just as it is in any other business.
|
|
|
|
The Monolithic crew and engineers have improved the augmentation
process by developing a simple and easy to assemble rounded
corner buck. Rounded bucks, when done properly, produce a
"near-wrinkle-free" augmentation. (New
instructional video also available) |
|
|
|
|
Whatever the reason for berming your Monolithic Dome, you're
in luck! Because of the Monolithic Dome's inherent strength,
it is possible to berm one-fourth to one-third of a Monolithic
Dome without additional engineering. |
If you want to start a fight, just ask a room full of spray
concrete operators: What's the best system for applying concrete?
Whether you are a seasoned Monolithic Dome Builder or building
your first EcoShell, sometimes you'll need a little help. That's
where we come in.
When I started building Monolithic Domes I wanted to know how to
make the strongest possible concrete. How much, and what kind of,
cement, water, rock, sand, admixtures, etc. should we use...
|
|
|
|
Over the years we have tried so many different trailers,
we've lost count. Finally, after a years of research and development,
we've settled on a line of trailers we believe to be the very
best value. These are the most heavy duty trailers for the
least amount of money available. |
|
|
|
|
Blaine's association with Monolithic spans many years. He
says, "David South and I have known each other for a long
time. We were neighbors in Idaho. David lived on the south
side of the south butte, I lived on the west side of the north
butte, and we went to church together." |
Performance specification For Monolithic Dome Construction: Section
13160 Pre-Engineered Concrete Dome
|
|
|
|
The best way is to insulate your footings is to spray foam
on the exterior of the footing after the dome is built. Spray
polyurethane foam two to three inches up onto the exterior
of the dome and down over the concrete at least eight to ten
inches into the ground. The foam will have to be coated to
be protected from sunshine. |
|
|
|
|
The engineer should show the rebar position in a clear, concise
manner. The rebar
schedule has been developed over many years and is the
preferred method of detailing the general rebar layout. It
is simple. It is very plain. It tells the story. |
|
|
|
|
This article assumes that the rebar hangers have already
been placed in your new dome. Refer to engineering specifications
to determine the size of rebar needed for your project. Placement
of the rebar has been predetermined by placement of the rebar
hangers. |
|
|
|
|
The construction technique for Crenosphere Domes makes it
possible to build very huge, very durable structures, with
clear-span interiors much more affordably than ever before.
The Crenosphere?s other advantages include a life-span measured
in centuries, superior insulation, low energy consumption,
low maintenance, reduced construction time, disaster survivability
and affordability. |
|
|
|
|
Shotcrete is applied to the inside of a Monolithic Dome when
it is constructed leaving a sprayed finish. The sprayed finish
will, of course, be rough from the impacting of aggregate.
All of the following factors can change the interior surface
characteristics of the dome |
|
|
 |
I used to tell people, "I am from Idaho, and nobody told me
you had to put the roof on last. We establish the roofing
membrane first, then insulate the building, and then put up
the structure, working on the inside, out of the weather."
Full Story |
|
|
This article could be given to a foam contractor so expectations
are clear. Always check references! If you plan to start
a dome building business, purchasing a foam machine is advisable.
If possible find a foam machine that includes training.
|
 |
|
|
 |
Rebar hangers are 2-inch square thin steel base plates with
a wire welded perpendicular in the center and barbs protruding
the opposite side from the wire. These barbs are pressed into
the initial 1.5 inches of foam -- before the layers of foam
are applied. |
|
|
 |
This porch is made using steel members. It could as easily
have been constructed of wood. Note the rafters sit on a "pad"
made from angle iron bolted to the Monolithic Dome using wedge
foot anchor bolts. There is one "pad" at the intersection
of each of the rafters. |
|
|
 |
When it comes to building a Monolithic Dome's foundation,
do-it-yourselfers have a choice: they can contract the concrete
work, or with able-bodied help they can tackle the job themselves... |
|
|
 |
Some things to consider when planning a Monolithic Dome:
What do you want the exterior to look like? What style do
you like and really want? How much time can you allot to maintaining
the exterior? How much money do you want to invest in plants
or other exterior elements? |
|
|
 |
With a little thought and some good hard work you can achieve
just about any look you want with a spray-in-place concrete
fence ? by Kris Garrison |
|
|
|
Press Room