Kit Assembly Consultant

Building an American Ingenuity dome building kit can be a Do It Yourself project or a Kit Assembly Consultant can be hired to supervise your workers or your builder’s workers.  Please scroll down this page to learn 1) about this specialist; 2) materials/tools/equipment needed for kit assembly; 3) charts showing approximate assembly time and approx. costs by dome diameter size when hiring the consultant.

Third row panel being lifted into place.

The dome kit can be assembled by owner builders or the home owner or the home owner’s builder can hire the independent Consultant to supervise their workers to assemble the dome kit to the stage of having all the panels placed with one layer of concrete in the seams and on all the entryways and dormers.  The consultants travel through out the USA and internationally.

Within the building plans is a nomenclature sheet where each panel is identified with numbers or letters showing where each panel is installed.

If you have a deadline for your kit assembly or are assembling the large 45′ or 48′ dome, consider hiring the consultant to save  2-3 weeks of labor costs.  Please scroll down to view charts listing estimated kit assembly times.  Click on Kit Assembly and Construction Overview to view other assembly photos.  Our finished cost per sq.ft. page discusses geodesic dome cost.  To view stock dome floor plans, click on Plans.

The Consultant will travel to your construction site and supervise your workers or subs or your contractor’s workers for the dome kit assembly with the first layer of concrete in the seams and a “scratch coat” on the entryways and dormers….and then he goes home.  FYI, he does not apply concrete….that is done by your concrete workers.  He supervises that the fiber concrete is mixed properly and installed properly.  The dome owner or their builder hires a finish stucco person, to apply and finish the second layer of concrete in the panels seams and on the entryways and dormers. Usually second layer of concrete can be applied in 20-30 minutes per seam. Approximate number of seams is 126 - number varies depending on number of entryways and dormers.  Prior to second layer of concrete, a bonding agent supplied by Ai is applied to the first layer of concrete that needs to set 30 minutes prior to the second layer of seam concrete being applied. The interior finishing is completed by you or by your contractor hiring local conventional subs (plumbers, electricians, drywall finishers, framers, etc.) to complete the interior finishing and the installation of your locally purchased doors and windows per your dome plans.

Prior to the availability of a Kit Assembly Consultant to supervise the dome kit assembly,  some of Ai’s dome owners had to hire a contractor who generally had never assembled a dome before.  As a result the contractor would tend to over charge because he did not know how long it would take or what problems would arise.  The Kit Assembly Consultant can provide you with references from previous American Ingenuity Domes he has assembled so you can assure yourself that your building kit will be assembled correctly and in a timely fashion. This Consultant works directly for you or your general contractor as an Independent Sub-Contractor.  The standard daily rate for the tenured Kit Assembly Specialist is $290.  If the Specialist is not paid mileage to drive to your site, he is reimbursed for a round trip airfare, round trip shuttle transport cost between his home & the airport & car rental cost for the time at the job site.  The dome owner arranges and pay for lodging with Wi-fi availabilty in vicinity of grocery store & restaurants.

The use of a consultant for one week can save you two to three weeks on your shell assembly time and assures the kit is assembled accurately per the building plans.

The cost of materials to complete the assembly of the kit are not included in the labor estimates.

The assembly time estimated below is based on a dome kit having two entryways, four dormers and no cupola built on a slab foundation.

• For each additional standard entryway: add one half day for the consultant and 12 hours for the workers.
• For a garage entryway: add 1 day for the consultant and 24 hours for the workers.
• For each additional window dormer: add 2 hrs for the consultant and 12 hours for the workers.
• For each additional door dormer: add 3 hrs for the consultant and 18 hours for the workers.
• Cupola: takes three partial days because the concrete has to have time to cure during each process.  First partial day of 5 hrs: concrete beam around top opening is formed and poured.  Second partial day of 5 hrs: concrete corner columns are framed and poured.  Third partial day of 5 hrs: set top five panels, attach overhang panels & apply first coat of concrete in the seams.  During the rest of the partial days, workers can complete window dormers or door dormer installations.If the rib system has not been cut and prepared: add one day for the consultant and 8 hours for the workers.

Labor & Equipment Estimates for Dome Shell Assembly
Utilizing an Independent Kit Assembly Consultant

*Worker Hourly Costs vary depending on your construction location. Plus travel costs or airline ticket for the Consultant The Specialist is reimbursed for a round trip airfare, round trip shuttle transport cost between his home & the airport & car rental cost for the time at the job site.  The dome owner arranges and pay for lodging with Wi-fi availabilty in vicinity of grocery store & restaurants.

Worker Hourly Costs vary depending on your construction locationPlus travel costs or airline ticket for the Consultant The Specialist is reimbursed for a round trip airfare, round trip shuttle transport cost between his home & the airport & car rental cost for the time at the job site.  The dome owner arranges and pay for lodging with Wi-fi availabilty in vicinity of grocery store & restaurants.

*Worker Hourly Costs vary depending on your construction locationPlus travel costs or airline ticket for the Consultant The Specialist is reimbursed for a round trip airfare, round trip shuttle transport cost between his home & the airport & car rental cost for the time at the job site.  The dome owner arranges and pay for lodging with Wi-fi availabilty in vicinity of grocery store & restaurants.

To view info about the DVD that shows dome assembly, click on View.  To view the video free, click on DVD.

To unload the dome kit from the semi-truck, rent a fork lift and have 2-3 workers available.  Ai provides a document that describes the unloading process.

The dome owner provides three to five good concrete workers (depends on dome size).  Materials used in the shell construction are to be provided by the dome owner on site before the Kit Assembly process begins.  The bags of cement don’t have to all be delivered in advance but as soon as first needed during the assembly.

To view what items are included in the Dome Building Kit, click on Kit Contents.  To view what items are not included in the kit, click on Items Not Included.

Due to possible injury on a job site, have some form of insurance.

The following are items required at your job site:

• Portland Cement in 94 pound bags (prefer Type III) (first number is the diameter of the dome/second number is bags of cement):  22′ - 30, 27′ - 40 (two frequency dome panels are larger so require less cement), 30′ - 70, 34′ - 79, 36′ - 83, 40′ - 90, 45′ - 100, 48′ - 106.  These bag numbers are based on the dome having two entryways, four window dormers, one door dormer and no cupola.
• For each additional entryway add: 22′ - 3,  27′ - 3.5, 30′ - 4.0, 34′ - 4.5, 36′  - 4.5, 40′ - 5.0, 45′ - 5.0, 48′ - 5.5
• For a cupola add: 30′ - 4, 34′ - 4.5, 36′ - 4.5, 40′ - 5.0, 45′ - 5.5, 48′ - 6.0.
• For an additional door dormer on any size dome add 2.5 bags of cement.

• Sand in cubic yards; 27′ - 5, 30′ - 8, 34′ - 9, 36′ - 9, 40′- 10, 45′ - 11, 48′ - 12.  These computations are based on the dome having two entryways, four window dormers, one door dormer and no cupola.
• For each additional entryway add cubic yards of sand: 22′ - 0.3, 27′ - 0.4, 30′ - 0.4, 34′ - 0.4, 36′ - 0.5, 40′ - 0.5, 45′ - 0.5, 48′ - 0.6.
• For a cupola add cubic yards of sand: 30′ - 0.4, 34′ - 0.5, 36′ - 0.5, 40′ - 0.5, 45′ - 0.6, 48′ - 0.6.
• For an additional door dormer on any size dome, add 0.3 cubic yards of sand.

• 2×4’s cut to length, holes drilled & ends painted for the temporary wooden rib system…can be purchased from Ai.
• Water Source and water hoses
• #3, #4 and #5 rebar (per the Building Plans)
• Concrete Blocks; 8″x16″
• Electric Power or Generator
• Extension Ladder; 26′
• Mortar Mixer - Do not use a cement mixer because it does not have spinning paddles.  Spinning Paddles are required to obtain a thorough mixing of the cement, sand, fibers and admixtures.
• Lumber for Bracing the steel hubs, entryways and dormers
• Wheelbarrows
• Step Ladders
• Two Saw Horses
• Tarps to cover Cement and Sand
• Ropes and chains
• 5 gallon Buckets
• Toilet facilities
• Brushes to apply bonding agent
• Soft Steel Tie Wire
• Wire Cutters
• Sponges to sponge finish final layer of concrete
• Place to store boxed items out of the weather….C rings, pliers, cans of expanding foam, 1″ EPS Sheets, etc.

Additional Items Required:

• Steel Hubs for Rib System (borrowed from Ai with a deposit placed)
• Purchase bolts, nuts, washers to use with the hubs (purchased from Ai). During dome assembly most of these items are damaged; therefore they are not returned to Ai.
• 2×4′ ribs for temporary wooden rib system - cut to length, holes drilled and ends painted. Can be purchased from Ai.
• 9/16″ socket & ratchet and one 9/16″ wrench (use for bolts with HUBS)
• Lifting Spikes set of 4 (purchased from Ai for $100). During panel lifting the spikes get damaged. If you have two domes, please order two sets of lifting spikes.
• Panel Lifting Harness - custom make the harness from Ai sketch using four strands of 1/4″ chain 7 foot long & Quick Links.
• Zinc or Galvanized Quick Links - To make the harness purchase Quick Links: 1 - 3/8″, 2 - 5/16″, 8 - 1/4″   2 - 3/8″, 4 - 5/16″.  During panel lifing the Quick Links are disconnected quite often so the threads become damaged.  Purchase additional Quick Links to have on hand for replacements….8 - 1/4″, 2 - 5/16″
• Hoisting Mechanism; preferably rent 45′ Man Lift for dome on a slab or rent a 60′ Man Lift for dome built on basement.
  

Using three to five good concrete workers and depending upon the size dome, soil condition around the dome to allow movement and placement of the panels, type of hoisting mechanism and prevailing weather, shell assembly can take from 9-16 days if your dome kit includes two entryways, four dormers and no cupola and if dome on a slab. Once you know how many entryways and dormers are needed for your floor plan, Ai’s office can give you a more specific estimate on shell assembly time.  Click on Hoisting Mechanisms to learn more.

Typically it is cost effective to only have the Consultant stay for the assembly of the temporary wooden rib system, all panel placement including building options (entryways, dormers, link, cupola, etc.)  are assembled which includes the first coat of concrete in the seams and a “scratch coat” on the entryways and dormers.  Then your workers can:

• apply the bonding agent and finish coat of concrete in the seams and on the building kit options. Remember to always water down all “old concrete” in the area you are working and all around the area working before applying bonding agent.
• Follow Waterproofing document in the manual. The type of primer, tape and paint that is used, determines whether primer is applied before any areas are taped or patching compound applied prior or after priming.  Two coats of paint are applied. The following paints have been used by Ai dome owners:Behr’s top of the line exterior latex paint is Marque. Seabrook Texas dome owner loves this paint. He uses semi-gloss.  Marque has the most titanium.  - Home DepotBehr’s Premium Elastomeric Masonry, Stucco & Brick Paint –Home DepotAmes Research Labs: Maximum – Stretch, at participating ACE & True Value Stores (if using Ames see separate Ames doc because specific type sealants and primer need to be used with Ames Paint….TT3 sealant cannot be used)Sherwin Williams: Loxon XP Paint, Loxon Primer and ConditionerRichards Paint:  Rich Flex 245; use Rich Flex Alkali Resistant 100% Acrylic Masonry Primer

  Seal Krete Paint (pigmented) –Home Depot

• frame in and install the exterior doors and windows. (can be done earlier)
• complete rough framing, electrical, plumbing
• finish the interior shell wallboard with fiberglass adhesive  tape/joint compound. To blend the drywall seams to the DensArmor, skip trowel joint compound over the dome shell drywall.
• prime then paint the dome shell interior gypsum
• complete rest of construction phases.

As far as finishing the exterior seams with a second layer of fiber concrete, no need to pay to have the consultant on- site for this.  Best to hire a local finish stucco person by the hour with the conditions if he does timely work and good work, you will retain him.  If you are not satisfied with his work or speed, pay him for the time worked and replace him.  The second layer of concrete can take 20-30 minutes to apply per seam after the bonding agent is applied.  The bonding agent supplied by Ai needs to set 30 minutes before the second layer of concrete is applied. Approximate number of seams is 126…number varies depending on number of entryways and dormers.

Once your Building Plans have been ordered, American Ingenuity can estimate the number of days needed to assemble the shell.  Each floor plan varies as to the number of building kit options (components) needed to complete the shell kit; i.e. cupola, link, entryways, door dormers and window dormers.  Building Options take longer to install than triangles do.  To learn more about Building Options, click on Options.

You or your contractor hires local subcontractors to perform the typical jobs like forming and pouring the slab, plumbing, electrical, framing, drywall finishing, etc. Ai does not believe you should pay someone to come in from out of county or state to do work that your local subs can perform.  Click on Finished Cost, to learn about what it will cost to finish your dome home.  Click on Builders and Assemblers to learn more.

A helpful web site is rsmeans.com It has construction manuals, construction estimating CD’s, etc.

Contact Ai if you are interested in utilizing the Consultant/specialist…..321-639-8777…..9-5 Eastern Time.

If you are employing a contractor to assemble the kit, an experienced consultant on the construction site will make the assembly go faster and reduce costs.  The contractor provides the additional workers needed and the consultant directs them through the assembly of the kit.

If you choose to hire the Kit Assembly Consultant, the following labor estimates assume the following:

• You have hired three to five good concrete workers depending on the size dome.
• The slab/foundation and floor are completed.
• A Hoisting Mechanism/Lifting Device/Boom Truck or Crane or Man Lift is on site to move the panels, to set the panels in place and lift buckets of concrete.
• Additional equipment is on site, e.g.: wheelbarrows, ladders, scaffolding, mortar mixer, etc.
• The first floor of the dome is not elevated above ground level.
• The construction site is readily accessible for equipment and personnel.
• Your local Laborer cost per hour is $15.  The labor cost per hour varies depending on your construction site location.  In California labor costs can be $25 to $30 an hour.