workshop in hawaii
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Howdy from Denman Island, B.C. Since you are having a new workshop in Hawaii in July are you not going to have one in British Columbia? I thought you werer going to have one in B.C. in July sometime?
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The BC workshop didn't come together this summer. We haven't published to our mailing list yet but registration is already open for July 1 - 11 in Hawaii. We intend to also open registration very soon for Aug 1 - 11 at Indigo Farms on the Olympic Peninsula.
I look forward to meeting you! -
@hajjargibran Thanks Hajjar for the quick reply. Would you send me the cost of the workshop in Hawaii so I can estimate the added on air fare and such? Are you still going to have a workshop in Colorado because that would be good for me too although I would like to get this all under my belt as soon as possible
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The costs are all listed on this page - http://www.domegaia.com/hlo-hawaii-july-1---11.html
We'd like to come to Colorado in Sept but we dont' have a confirmed host yet.
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@hajjargibran Hi Admin,
Quick question:
How long does it typically take to fully complete a dome home? (ie preparation of land, setup machinery, mixing Aircrete, preparing foundation, pouring foundation, drying foundation, preparing walls, pouring walls, drying walls, installing windows, etc..)
Thank you,
Brendan -
We built a 17' diameter dome in 10 days from setup to completion of all the aircrete work. There was finish work that needed to be done.
The more we refine out methods the faster and easier it becomes.
We're working on a video training about building with AirCrete. It isn't ready yet, until then here's a few thoughts to help you get started.AirCrete is inexpensive, easy to make and easy to work with. It requires only basic skills.
It's like making a souffle. You gotta get the ingredients just right. The quality and density of the foam is critical. If it is too light, with too much air, the AirCrete will collapse. It's best to have a postal or kitchen scale to check the weight of your foam. It should be between 70 - 100 gr/lt or about 3 oz / qt.
You can use good quality dish detergent with Little Dragon to make the foam. Look for a high foaming degreaser detergent. We tested Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid, Dawn Ultra and Safeway Home concentrate, they all produced adequate foam diluted 40/1 with water. (5 gals water / 2 cups foaming agent).
You can also use commercial foaming agents designed for making Cellular Concrete. For more information and a list of sources check out this link - http://www.domegaia.com/foaming-agents.html
Drexel Foam Concentrate from www.Ruralking.com works very well diluted 160/1.
Again the foam should weigh 70 -100 grams/ltr or ~ 3 oz/qt. Simply turn the nob on LD's air-pressure regulator to adjust the density of the foam. The higher the air-pressure the lighter the foam. The optimal pressure depends on the foaming agent you use. But it will be between 70 and 90 psi on the dial indicator.
You only need an inexpensive air-compressor rated for at least 2.5cfm@90psi, which is a relatively small compressor. You can also use a bigger compressor.
Then mix one 94lb bag of cement with 7 gallons (US) water. When the cement and water look like pancake batter, turn on Little Dragon and add foam to the mixture. Add enough foam to make a total of 43 gallons of AirCrete. That's about 30" high in a standard 50 gallon drum. Our foam injection mixer works great because it injects the foam directly into the mixing paddles at the bottom of the barrel.
You can use a drill with a similar mixing paddle like this one from Homedepot. http://www.homedepot.com/p/QEP-30-in-Pro-Spiral-Mixer-61230Q/205554593
This method is not as effective as the foam injector because the foam wants to float on top. You have to work it down to mix it thoroughly.
AirCrete needs to be poured into a form and allowed to harden over night. It's still soft enough the next day to cut with a thin blade.
A simple, very affective way to make blocks is to make square wooden frames. Join the corners with door hinges that have removable pins for easy assembly and disassembly.
Put a plastic sheet under and around the frames so the AirCrete won't leak out. Apply veggie oil or other release agent to the frames.
Fill the frames with AirCrete. After the AirCrete has set over night you can slice it into blocks with knife or a long blade made of 1/16” steel. Here's a 14 second video that shows what it looks like.
Domes, arches, walls, window frames and doorways can all be made this way by mortaring the blocks together. Use our Bender to bend 3/4" EMT to make forms for curved foundations, round or parabolic arches, windows, doorways.
Finish the outer surface with a thin layer of stucco and reinforcing fabric such as APOC 483. This works very well to produce a crack proof surface and very strong structure.
Polyester weed control fabric works well too. You can also reinforce AirCrete by adding fiber to the mixture. PVA fiber works especially well. Hemp may be a good option also, but we haven't found a reliable source yet.You can also use similar frames to pour flat wall sections and stand them up to make flat vertical walls. Lay the reinforcing fabric in your frames before pouring in the AirCrete. Install windows, doors jams or other features in the frame before pouring in AC. Wait 2 - 3 days before standing the wall section up.
Put fine sand in your stucco to make it harder. There's a lot of stuccos, sealers and coatings available that have good qualities that are worth looking into.
You can use natural plaster on the inside.
Get your equipment and find out how easy it is to work with AirCrete.
Check out our webstore - http://www.domegaia.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
Sign up on our mailing list to get updates and ongoing information related to building with AirCrete. - http://www.domegaia.com/contact.html
Post your questions, comments and suggestions on our forum - http://forum.domegaia.com/
Aloha, Hajjar
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@hajjargibran Hi: I made this question on another post but have not been answered. What is the maximum diameter this construction technique can be used? Will it work and hold structurally for a 30 to 40 feet diameter dome with a 15 to 20 feet height? What is the diameter of the domes in your videos and what is the bigger size you ahve built so far? Also, have you tried or know of someone that have tried to mix concrete with the type of urethane they use to spray on conventional monolitic airform dome construction, in place of the soap foam? I think urethane will give a thougher consistence and also greater insulation charasteristics. Thanks for your reply and keep up the good work.
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Thanks for your comments. You can certainly build 40' d x 20' h domes with our technique. The largest we've built, pictured in our videos is a cluster dome 32' wide x 21' high.
I don't know anyone who has tried using urethane foam for foamed cement. It has enough strength without adding cement. -
I would just insert here that in addition to the statement that Drexel foam works very well, the price considerations are staggering. At $21.99 per gallon, and mixed at a 160/1 ratio, the Drexel will mix with 160 gallons of water. The same number of gallons would take well over 30 bottles of dish soap. So there really is no reason not to buy the Drexel, just from an economics standpoint.
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@dhsjgordon Have you used this Drexel Foam ? Just started looking at this foam cement for small homes. I am in Sierra Vista, Arizona. Thank you,
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@moonman So sorry not to get back to you sooner than this, haven't been on much. No, I have not tried any of this as of yet. I am still in the research and brainstorming phases, with no plans to build for probably 5-6 years yet. I was just crunching numbers.
