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.

The Floor Plan you select will determine the type and number of additional entryways, window dormers, door dormers, cupola, skylights and link you will need. 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 seven inch thick block of R-28 expanded bead polystyrene insulation.
• On the exterior of the insulation is a layer of ½” to ¾” thick steel reinforced concrete
• On the interior of the insulation is ¼” thick Georgia-Pacific wall board.

The Dome Shell Assembly consists of:

• Placing the component panels upon a temporary wooden rib system or radial supports.
• Locking the steel mesh between the panels.
• Concreting the seams between the panels with two layers of concrete.
  
• Concreting the panels for the entryways, dormers, cupola and link. You do not concrete over the entire dome.
• Finishing the seams between the interior shell wall board with portland cement/perlite or use joint compound and tape just as you would finish sheet rock.

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
• Concrete bonding agent which is used to bond the two layers of seam concrete
• Connecting C-rings (commonly called hog rings) to lock the galvanized steel mesh
• C-ring pliers
• 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 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, etc), each are listed separately with quantities and pricing
• Discount is listed
• Any deposits are listed
• If you are purchasing a 22’ or 27’ dome, the garage entryway is not wrapped in steel mesh.  1”x1” steel mesh can be purchased from Ai to wrap the entryway panels on site. Current pricing is $.44 a sq.ft.
• If your floor plan contains a link:
  • a price will be listed for the Expanded Bead Polystyrene panels based on the link size.
  • a price will be listed if you want wallboard adhered to the EPS panels.
  • on site after the link panels are custom fitted to the dome, 1”x1” steel mesh is affixed to the link and locked to the dome steel mesh.  You can purchase the steel mesh from Ai. The current price is $.44 per sq.ft.  After the steel mesh is affixed to the link, the link panels are concreted on site.
• Pricing for the items from the Parts List. See below for a description of the Parts List.
• USA Shipping is estimated or the Order Form states “Shipping To Be Determined Two 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.  For Victor Wilson, we are waiving this fee.
• Lifting Spikes: $100 for the purchase of 4 lifting spikes. For the 60’ dome 6 lifting spikes are needed for a purchase price of $150. (items are not returned to Ai)
• A temporary wooden rib system using 2x4’s and steel hubs is utilized to support the panels during the dome kit assembly until the seams between the panels are concreted and the entryways and dormers, cupola, etc. are concreted. Then the dome is self supporting and the rib system is removed. 
  • If you are in the USA you place a deposit on the steel hubs to rent them.  If you are international you purchase the steel hubs because they are too heavy to ship back to Ai. The deposit for USA customers is $800 for 46 steel hubs for use in 30’-48’ domes. For the 60’ dome there are 71 hubs needed or a deposit of $1,235.  (This deposit is for 4 months rental time, with a $20 rental charge for each month over four).  The steel hubs are bolted to 2x4's that are cut to a certain length, with holes drilled and the ends painted. If you are in the continental USA, you borrow the steel hubs from Ai and UPS or mail them back after the kit is assembled. Ai then issues a refund check, less any missing hubs, etc.
  • If you are international you will purchase the steel hubs, bolts, nuts and washers because they are too heavy to ship back to Ai…weighting about 150 lbs.  The price for the 71 steel hubs/bolts/nuts/washers for the 60 dome is $1,390.  The price of the 46 hubs/bolts/nuts/washers for the 30-48’ dome assembly is $900.  60’ dome hubs can be used in a 34’ dome assembly so there is no need to purchase both 34 steel hubs and 60’ hubs.
  • 2x4’s required for the temporary wooden rib system: For a 22’ or 27’ dome 75 2x4’s are needed. For the 30-48’ domes there are 135 2x4’s. For the 60’ dome there are 210 2x4’s required. The temporary support system needs 2x4's cut to a precise length, holes drilled in both ends of the 2x4's that make the triangles and one hole drilled in the 2x4 leg for the riser wall, and ends painted red, white or blue.  We realize this cutting, drilling and painting is difficult and time consuming for our clients; therefore Ai lists a price on the Order Form for Ai to purchase the 2x4's & cut them to length, drill the holes and paint both ends (except riser legs are not painted) for an approx cost of $640 for 22’ or 27’ domes or $1,150 for 30- thru 48’ domes or $1,785 for 60’ dome. (Due to fluctuating 2x4 prices Ai does not know exact pricing right now. Pricing will be based on current 2x4 costs and labor costs at the time of shipment.)
  • The good thing is that the 60’ 2x4’s are long enough to be shortened to make the 34’ wooden ribs. This means you would only purchase the 210 2x4’s for the 60’ dome from us and later when you build the 34’ kit 135 of the 60’ ribs can be shortened to make the 34’ ribs. Ai will give you the instructions and dimensions to cut the 34’ ribs in the Assembly Manual.
• For USA shipments the semi-truck’s flat beds 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 telescoping forklift to load the container.  A telescoping forklift 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;

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

The second part of the Parts Lists is a listing of items not included in the kit which you can purchase from Ai:

• The second floor and third floor wood edge beams do not attach directly to the dome shell.  The floors are supported by load bearing walls and suspension rods. The rods besides suspending the perimeter edge beams also support areas of the wood floors where there are no load bearding walls under them.
• A Suspension rod with nut approx price is $18.
• At the top and bottom of the suspension rod there is a top plate and a bottom plate. Ai purchases the steel, cuts the steel and drills it and bends it to specs.  Approx price for top and bottom plate is $18.
• If you have a first floor door dormer, a ¼” cable is needed around its lip edge.  Approx price of cable is $.27 per ft.  Can be 23’ to 50’ depending on dormer size.
• Concrete Accelerator (if you are going to be mixing concrete in late fall when temperatures could be freezing at night). Approx price for 5 gals is $65.
• Simpson hangers (connect the second floor edge beams to the joists). There are three to four different sizes…approx. price $1.07, $1.65, $2.12 each.
• 1/4” x 1/4” galvanized steel mesh for the entryway and dormer framing. Approx price is $.44 per sq.ft.
• 1” thick 4’x8’ EPS insulation for the entryway and dormer framing. Approx price is $5.76 per 4x8 sheet.
• (if you have a basement) 1 1/2" EPS to insulate band board above basement wall,  4X8 sheets
• (if you have a basement)  Steel mesh to secure the dome to the basement wall and continue concrete surface from the dome to the basement wall
• Additional metal dispensing gun to dispense expanding foam.  Approx price is $35 each.
• Additional cans of cleaner to clean the metal foam dispensing gun.  Approx price is $7.10 each.
• 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.  Approx price on one pound of C rings is $4.31.
• Ai ships cans of expanding foam with your kit at no cost to you and you can purchase more cans from us.  The cans are 20 ozs.  Ai sends a dispensing gun and a can of cleaner at no cost.  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 tape and joint compound just as drywall is finished.   Of course, you can decrease or increase this number.  The dispensing gun allows your workers to start and stop the foam without having to use the whole can at one time...like you do with the small cans that you purchase from the hard ware store that have the plastic nozzle which cannot be restarted the following day.  Currently the cost per can is $12.89.

 Please let us know if there are any items you do not want to purchase, and we will remove them from the Parts List or change any quantities.