Aidomes.com - Domes from American Ingenuity, Inc.

The most successful dome kit assembly is accomplished when the home owner or the home owner's builder hires 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. Ai knows of independent working consultants that travel around the country assembling the dome shell using your concrete workers or your contractor's concrete workers. Time after time Ai is told that the Consultant saves the homeowner 2-3 weeks of labor costs.

Prior to the availability of a Kit Assembly Consultant to supervise the dome kit assembly, Ai's clients 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 would work directly for you or your general contractor as an Independent Sub-Contractor.  The standard daily rate for the tenured Kit Assembly Specialist is $295. Each 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.

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.

To order a DVD that shows dome assembly, click on  Online Store.  To view the video free, click on DVD.

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 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.

• 2x4'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.
• 2x4' 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" around the area working before applying bonding agent.
• wait one month after all concrete work is finished to allow efflorescence to be washed off of concrete by rain.  If it has not rained water down the dome at lease once a week.  Then apply the concrete primer on the dome
• apply elastomeric patching compound to any cracks
• apply two coats of paint to the exterior
• frame in and install the doors and windows. (can be done earlier)
• finish the interior shell wallboard  with tape/joint compound.
• prime then paint the dome shell interior with a mixture of joint compound and paint or spray knock down texture, prime and paint
• complete the interior finishing phases; i.e. framing, electrical, plumbing, cabinetry, flooring, door and window installation, etc

As far as finishing the seams, 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 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 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.

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.

• 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 prepapred: add one day for the consultant and 8 hours for the workers.

labor & equipment estimates for dome shell assembly

using a consultant