American Ingenuity domes can be built utilizing the same foundation choices as conventional housing.

The foundation types that Ai designs are:

1. A monolithic concrete slab
2. Poured footing with a stem wall and then a poured slab on fill
3. Poured footing with a stem wall and then a raised wood floor
4. Basement
5. Plings and a platform or columns and a platform

The type of foundation you build depends on which is more advantageous for your area and what your building department requires.

• Ai can replace a concrete slab foundation with a raised wood floor and design the first floor joist. The cost depends on the complexity.
• The Foundation Building Plan sheet asks that you check with your building department for the footer depth for your climate.
• All foundations are designed and laid out so a rebar extends up three feet into each of the riser wall seams and a rebar extends up in the front and back of each entryway riser panel and first floor door dormer. The riser seams are filled with concrete as the dome kit is assembled. Once the riser wall seams (horizontal and vertical) are filled with concrete the dome is secure to the slab. The riser wall aligns flush with the edge of the slab. When you fill in the riser panel's bottom seam area you fill the area along the side of the riser and the edge of the foundation. If your dome is built on a basement or pilings or columns, a rebar is designed to come up into each riser wall seam from the basement walls, pilings or columns.
• Ai's dome is lighter than most other buildings; as a result it has less loading on the foundation.
• Basement Plans are available.
• Because Ai cannot evaluate your soil suitability, consult with someone locally about the suitability of your topsoil. Possibly a building department or soils engineer. The dome's foundation does not require anything more than 2000 lbs. per sq.ft. soil bearing capacity. Basically if you can build a regular house on your soil, you can certainly build a dome.
• The multiple sided foundation of the Ai dome causes its cost to be 15% to 25% more than a conventional slab.
• Ai. cannot provide Building Plans for wood foundations or unusual designs that are beyond our knowledge.
• The concrete slab perimeter can be insulated if code allows.  For example in some areas in Florida perimeter insulation is not permitted due to termites.

• Due to a wave of water not rising water, then the dome can be built on concrete columns and a concrete patform. If you want enclosed rooms or a garage under the platform, then break-a-way walls can be installed.
• Due to rising water, build the dome on an above ground basement or build concrete block columns under the corners of the platform.

If your dome has to be raised two to three feet, may be best to bring in fill and construct the concrete slab onto the fill.

If your dome has to be raised two to three feet, build a stem wall:

• Bring in fill dirt to fill within the stem wall and pour a concrete slab onto the fill and build a stem wall. (most economical and energy efficient)
• Install a wood floor that sets on piers and beams. You would have a crawl space. (This is more expensive.)

Have you checked with your local building department to see what they require your house be built on? If you live near the ocean or water, the building department may require concrete pilings which are usually driven 10' to 15' down into the ground versus concrete columns that only go down about 3' into the ground. When there is a potential for waves of water washing dirt out from under your house, the local building department usually requires pilings. If your property is within a few hundred feet of the ocean or gulf then it is the federal government that decides what foundation type your house will have. If you have neighbors that are currently building, ask them what foundations they are utilizing.