American Ingenuity

Dome Building Kit Contents

To view the pricing for Ai's basic dome building kit which includes one entryway, click on Basic Kit Prices.

Your floor plan selection determines the type and number of additional entryways, window dormers, door dormers, cupola and link.  Click on Building Options to learn more. To view the listing of our stock plans which includes the type and number of building options for each plan, click on Stock Plans & Stock Kit Prices.  

The triangle and rectangle shaped component panels consist of:

• A center core of seven inch rigid block of R-28 expanded polystyrene insulation (EPS)...comparable to 11" of fiberglass batting.This insulation is not styrofoam.
  
• On the exterior of the insulation is a layer of ¾” steel reinforced concrete.
• On the interior of the insulation is 1/2" Georgia-Pacific DensArmor Plus High Performance gypsum wallboard adhered to the EPS with wallboard adhesive.  Ai specifically utilizes DensArmor and not conventional sheet rock because during the kit assembly it can rain. Sheet rock when it gets wet crumbles and molds. The DensArmor is moisture resistant and mold resistant. The gypsum contains silicon and fiberglass matting on each side. The DensArmor contains no food source for mold growth. Once the DensArmor dries out it returns to its original consistency.
  
• To view our web site file that covers panel composition, please click on Composition.
  

After the foundation is installed, the dome shell assembly consists of: 

• Erecting a temporary wooden rib system.
• Using some type of hoisting mechanism place the component panels one row at a time upon the rib system.
• Overlapping the steel mesh from adjacent panels. Locking the steel mesh with "C" rings and pliers. Depressing the mesh into the seams.
  
• Installing rebar, cables and suspension rods in appropriate seams per the building plans.
  
• Applying one layer of concrete in the seams and on the entryway/dormer panels one row at a time. Depending upon the dome size, there are four to five rows of panels.  Once the last row is installed then the second layer of concrete is applied in the seams between the panels and on the entryways and dormers. Bonding agent is applied between the two layers.  Cured concrete around the area where new concrete is being applied is watered down prior to new concrete being installed.
  
• Only the seam areas between the panels and the entryways/dormers/cupola/link are concreted. Do not concrete over the entire dome.
  
• Framing in the entryways, dormers, cupola, link and installing your locally purchased doors and windows.
  
• Removing the temporary wooden rib system. Most of the wood can be recycled into interior framing and second floor perimeter knee wall framing.
  
• Finishing the seams between the interior shell wall board with joint compound and tape.
• Priming and painting the shell wallboard.
  
• Hiring conventional subcontractors: framer, electrician, plumber, drywall finisher, cabinet installer, etc. to finish the interior of the dome.
• Priming and painting the exterior of the dome.
  

Besides the shell component panels and one entryway, the Building Kit includes:

• Concrete fibers that are mixed with your bags of Portland cement and sand
• Two concrete liquid admixtures that are mixed with your Portland cement and sand
  
• 2 Galvanized Steel Cables that wrap around the dome
  
• Concrete bonding agent which is used to bond the two layers of seam concrete together
  
• Connecting C-rings (commonly called hog rings) to lock the galvanized steel mesh
• C-ring pliers
• 20 oz. Cans of Expanding Foam
• Expanding Foam metal dispensing gun
• Can of cleaner for gun
  
• Assembly Manual

A general assembly overview with pictures is given at Construction Overview.  Please scroll down the page to view the pictures.

To learn what items are not included in the Building Kit, click on Not Included.

The American Ingenuity Building Kit Order Form contains two pages. Each floor plan varies as to the number of entryways, window dormers and door dormers. Once Ai’s CAD department completes the design of all the sheets within your building plans, Ai will know the items needed for the assembly of your dome kit and can complete an official Building Kit Order Form that lists exact items and pricing.

The following description is to give you a heads up as to what is included within the two pages of the Order Form.

The first page of the Order Form lists:

• The kit size and its regular pricing (any discount is on the kit with one entryway pricing and is not on the building options)
• All the individual building options (entryways, window dormers, door dormers, cupola, link, etc), each are listed separately with quantities and pricing
• Discount is listed
• Any deposits are listed
• If purchasing a 22’ or 27’ dome, the garage entryway is not wrapped in steel mesh.  1”x1” steel mesh can be purchased from Ai with Ai wrapping the mesh onto the garage panels at no cost to you.
  
• If your floor plan contains a link:
  • a price will be listed for the Expanded Polystyrene panels based on the link size.
  • a price will be listed if wallboard is adhered to the EPS panels with wallboard adhesive.
    
  • on site after the link panels are custom fitted to the dome, 1”x1” steel mesh is affixed to the link and is locked to the dome steel mesh.  After the steel mesh is affixed to the link, the link panels are concreted on site. The steel mesh can be purchased from Ai and shipped on the truck with your kit.
    
• Pricing for the items from the Parts List. See below for a description of the Parts List.
• Order Form states “Shipping To Be Determined Two - Four Weeks Prior to the Shipment Date”
• If international order, client pays the freight forwarder directly for shipping.  To complete the required customs paperwork, etc. Ai charges $200. 
  
• Lifting Spikes: $100 for the purchase of 4 lifting spikes, (items are not returned to Ai). Set good for the assembly of one dome.
  
• 255 Bolts, Nuts & Washers to bolt the steel hubs to the 2x4's. ($100 for three frequency dome)
  
• Cut, drilled and painted 2x4's can be purchased from Ai. 
• For USA shipments the semi-truck’s flat bed can be loaded from all sides with a fork lift.
• For international orders, the container cannot be loaded from all sides so Ai has to rent a telescopic forklift boom to load the container.  A telescopic forklift boom has forks that extend out so stacks of panels can be placed into the container through the back door.  Approximate rental cost is $800 for one day.  The number of days rental is determined by the number of containers.
• Date pricing is good through.
• Place for your signature and for American Ingenuity’s signature
  

The second page of the Order Form is the Parts List which consists of two parts.

The first part of the Parts List is a listing of items that come with the kit at no additinal cost:

• cans of expanding foam, metal foam dispensing gun and can of cleaner
• 2 cables that go around the dome
  
• admixture A for concrete mix
  
• admixture B for concrete mix
  
• synthetic fibers for concrete mix
  
• bonding agent applied between two layers of concrete
  
• C-rings and C-ring pliers

The second part of the Parts Lists is a listing of items not included in the kit that can be purchased from Ai:

• The second floor edge beams do not attach directly to the dome shell.  The floors are supported by load bearing first floor walls and suspension rods. The rod is installed in the dome seam per the building plans. The rods besides suspending the perimeter edge beams also support areas of the wood floors where there are no load bearding walls under them. 5/8" Suspension rods with nut and washer are purchased from Ai. If there are no second floor walls to enclose the rod, the rod is visible and covered on site with PVC or wood.
  
• At the top and bottom of the suspension rod there is a top plate (Z plate, Flat plate or modified Z plate) and a bottom plate (U Channel). Ai purchases the steel, cuts the steel, drills it and bends it to specs.
• If there is a first floor door dormer, a ¼” cable is needed around its lip edge.  Can be 23’ to 50’ depending on dormer size.
• Concrete Accelerator (needed if mixing concrete in late fall when temperatures could be freezing at night).
  
• Simpson hangers (connect the second floor edge beams to the joists). There are three to four different sizes.
• 1/4” x 1/4” galvanized steel mesh for the entryway and dormer vertical framed walls.
  
• 1” thick 4’x 8’ EPS insulation for the entryway and dormer vertical framed walls.
  
• Additional metal dispensing gun to dispense expanding foam.
  
• Additional cans of cleaner to clean the metal foam dispensing gun.
• Additional Bonding Agent.
• Additional Admixture A & B.
• Additonal 1/4" fibers for the second layer of concrete.
• Additional C ring pliers.
  
• Additional pounds of C rings (Hog rings) that are used to lock the steel mesh together. C rings are easily dropped so clients tend to purchase 6 – 12 additional pounds depending on the size dome. 
  
• Additional cans of expanding foam.  Grooves are cut in the dome shell wall board & EPS to insert the electrical wiring.  After the electrical wiring is installed, the grooves are filled with expanding foam, the expanding foam is cut flush and then the wall is finished with the tape and joint compound. The dispensing gun allows your workers to start and stop the foam without having to use the whole can at one time.
  

Ai can add or remove items from the Parts List upon request.