I found a Dome Being Bult In Yap, Micronesia, Jon Berger.
"Island Girl Aircrete Dome Home, 6/28/19 update, Yap Micronesia"
20' diameter dome, Sitting 3 feet on top of a pony wall, Equator on the wall, 13' from slab to top of dome and it is all done with the DomeGaia method of aircrete and construction.
Ooh Rah!, I can see that it is indeed a realistic way to build. Time to get a foam generator and start a small learner/test project. Will post it when its stitched together.
Here is a latenight kitchen table sketch of the block setup like cedar strip canoe cross section with a cove and bead.
The block concept has a hole in it, 10mm Basalt rebar runs in hole, Mortar in hole.
I dont know if that basalt would flex enough to follow the radius, And if it did, there would probably need be a centering disk to hold it off the side wall of the hole in the block for mortar to set.
The so called pony wall is called a ring wall, or at ground level a ring beam .
http://www.waterwiseliners.co.za/images/ringbeam-1.jpg
https://www.commtank.com/images/temp/Bostik-Water-Tank-Installation-3.jpg
I sat up last night and ran Trig calcs on the Planset to get the relaionships of the dome, the equator, the foundation all into cad drawing. Now im puttering around with tape measures, strings, nails looking at what kind of floor space and overhaed space is realistic for living. The wall at equator seems to give the most normal use out of a floor plan. The bulge and return to a smaller radius seems to leave wasted space, but it allows a bit smaller ring beam
Im starting to find that bulge out and back in to the perimeter beam attractive. Similar to the tumblehome on a canoe hull. More labor in the bulge, more materials and cost in a pony wall.
Also finding that i dont want domes to intersect. A modular pod system with arch connections is going to mean no shared ring beam or ring wall, or ponywall. Whatever the configuration would be called.
@Ignacio-DHOME ,
Thank you for the answers. I am convinced now to do from the equator up, and no bulge. On the pony wall, youve schooled me on the better option which is to pour the whole thing with a ready mix truck. My time and money is what drove the whole hex block or kiblock method of the ponywall. My next step is to do a design, run cost and time analyses on the differences. The mountainous site has no sand, and nearest city with a batch plant is 20 miles downhill in the desert. As it is, i would be hauling portland cement to the site in a pickup truck as time and money permitted.
Steel Re-Bar = The monsanto roundup of the alternative construction world. I work as a civil drafter/designer for an engineering outfit. In 20 years of driving an autocad mouse for architects, engineers, and surveyors the observation is that Modern american mainstream engineering uses steel rebar, and I am probably somewhat brainwashed in favor of it because i am ignorant of alternatives.
As I research this dome stuff i have stumbled onto the basalt rebar and mesh sites and I really, would like to not use steel. That Basalt comes freight truck in coils. The idea of doing all this work and leaving a rust hole in my blocks for the generations after me i find repugnant.
The polyester fabric in and out of the structure is like an epoxy/fiberglass surf board or wooden strip built canoe and im sold on the method, but like @upwinger im wondering about using basalt 10mm squares mesh. I dont want to re-invent the wheel much, and probably not qualified to do so. The goal is to get a dome or two up and add to the site once living there.
Thank you for the council. Its allowed me to procede.
Probably need a bond beam on top of the pony wall, then start the dome on top of the bond beam. Run carlon elect. conduit inside of it around the perimeter of the pony wall, stub out for elect. boxes.
@Ignacio-DHOME ,
Thanks for the vote of confidence :) I have designed a hexagon shaped block with a hole in it for #4 or #5 rebar or Basalt Rebar, to run from top of block into the footer/foundation. If each hex was 12 inches across the flats, 3 blocks (3 feet) would be the top of the pony wall. The equator of a 20 fot dome would sit there, the quadrant arc of top of dome would be at 13 feet high from slab, I am 6 ft tall, 1 level of Gadsen scaffold at 6ft up. I can work that, run a belay rope out top of hole and tie off to a tree, wear a climbing harness. Seems doo-able.
The Litebuilt kiblock design and concept appeals to me,
http://www.litebuilt.com/techinfo.html#LW-MB
but there is no readily obtainable form set for those, but i can easily layout a hexagon form with a greased pvc pipe thru the mould/form and cast a bunch of blocks that interlock.
I know i can use sand with portland to make a block with enough compressive strength, but wonder if i can simply use the same mix that the Aircrete dome radius would be made with. My first Aircrete project is going to be a large dog house for Two big labs, and their partner in waterhose and posthole handle destruction crimes, a boxer. I am still trying to get my head cleared up on structurals of cement/aircrete/concrete before sitting down with autocad and getting a design worked up. Desperately need a workshop, questions on whys and whats are adding up, and documentation has conflicts/option and videos on the web with details and credibility are sparse. Aircrete is the wild west.
As a side note, I am surprised at all the renegade pvc pipe foam generators designs on the web, runing compressed air and someone has not managed to blow one up. I am leaning towards the little dragon because of the known and proven design, and the safety of a pump getting the foam into the compressed air wand.
I purchased the Areen Plans, the Workshop manual. Studying the design and concept.
Does a build mandate the bulge outward below the equator?
https://www.domegaia.com/uploads/1/6/9/5/16958362/published/aircrete-dome-cross-section_2.jpg
Apparently in some rare videos found online, sticks are used to hold the blocks from falling off and outward of the perimeter of the foundation, or can the equator be set on a 3 foot high pony wall, and the top of the compass set 3' above the foundation so construction begins at the top of the firts equatorial block?
