New to aircrete and domes
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I am looking to build a dome in Missouri to start a homestead. I have done quite a bit of digging and I think I would need to make it like 10 inches thick due to the cold. I am not exactly sure on how big a dome I am going to be making. I want 800-1000 sq ft. And I've been tossing around doing a few smaller domes instead of a giant one. I have watched some from aircrete harry and his videos on reinforcing the domes and I think I will do as much reinforcing as possible.
1.) Is 10 inches thick enough to deal with the cold of Missouri winters?
2.) Any advice for reinforcing? Due to the weight of the snow.
3.) Do these heat and cool naturally or do I need to figure out air conditioning and heating?
4.) What do I need to do for the foundation? Just a slab of concrete with a raised ring or something completely different? -
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10 inches of aircrete would be considered plenty for Missouri winters by most standards. Regarding aircrete domes, 10" is the thickest I have heard of being used. Many would be envious of that degree of insulation.
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Supporting well distributed and gently applied downward force (such as a snow load creates) is what the dome structure does best. My personal guesstimate is that a 1000 sq ft dome made of 10" thick aircrete reinforced with a APOC, basalt or similar fabric skin would handle any snowload imaginable. If a blizzard dropped 30 feet of snow, I imagine that I would feel safe inside a dome like that. No additional reinforcements needed beyond the normal.
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a. Domes do not heat or cool in any way. However, they tend to have minimal air infiltration, high insulation, and direct earth contact. Those three factors combine nicely to create a thermally stable living space, especially compared to spaces with lots of air infiltration, low insulation, and minimal earth contact.
3.b. Only you can answer this question ultimately. How much control over your environment do you and your family want? I think the primary challenge with dome homes is getting enough fresh air into the living space without giving up all that thermal stability. I recommend having a cupola and a HRV (heat recovery ventilator) as a minimum for "air conditioning".
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A slab of concrete without a raised ring seems to be a popular starting point for dome homes. The slab is not so important. The footing under the perimeter of the dome definitely is.
You can play around a bit with this Dome Calculator to get a feel for what happens when you add or subtract an inch to dome thickness or the dome diameter.
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@zander would it be better to make one giant done or a few smaller ones
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By the way, great post and welcome to the forum!
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@lukechristensen said in New to aircrete and domes:
@zander would it be better to make one giant done or a few smaller ones
Only you can answer that question. There are pros and cons to both approaches. This question applies to dome homes similarly to how it would apply to any other building method.
Smaller structures are generally easier to build. This is particularly true with domes because they tend to get taller as they get wider. The more work that must be done from a ladder or scaffold the more risk of injury exists. Small structures are the best way to learn any building method. Perhaps the best approach to learning any building style is to first build a cat house, then a dog house, then a cabin, then a small home. Many people can't afford such luxuries of time and jump right into it. That works too.
Larger domes generally cost less per cubic foot, assuming the same wall thickness. This includes the cost of materials as well as labor.
Several smaller structures provide more autonomy and privacy for members of the household. Having multiple smaller specialized structures can better integrate with the terrain and encourage a more outdoor lifestyle. That being said, domes can be quite easily conjoined directly or via arched passages to create a seamless domeplex where each dome may be compared to a "room" in a modern "house".
I am sure there are many more factors that could be considered on this topic.
