Author Topic: CHEAP underground monolithic dome construction  (Read 12410 times)

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nwilke

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CHEAP underground monolithic dome construction
« on: June 14, 2006, 03:49:34 PM »
i was looking at domes a while ago. here's a guy who built one underground in montana....didn't need heat or air conditioning. the house was insulated under an umbrella of insulation and polyethylene.

http://www.axwoodfarm.com/PAHS/UmbrellaHouse.html


here's a guy who sewed his own airforms and inflated them with multiple bathroom ventilation fans.


http://www.geocities.com/flyingconcrete/lloyd-turner.htm


here's a cheap method of building an underground monolithic dome:

     dig a hole big enough for the dome footprint (it has to be deep enough for a concrete truck to pour on it later). bend a pipe to a shallow angle, cover the body in concrete (except for the ends) and push rebar through it. it will bend the rebar to a consistent angle throughout. these are your vertical pieces that you will stand up in a circle, converging at the top of the dome. then, wrap rebar around the outside of this dome frame. now you have your frame. backup a concrete truck and pour several inches on top of the frame (don't back it up too far, or you'd have to make the soil is up for it). once its cured, just lay a sandwich of plastic/insulation/plastic above the dome for insulation. domes can be buried underground because of their compressive strength.


     there's some confusion here and there about where the insulation should be. i advise putting it on the outside of the concrete so your concrete is thermal mass, stabilizing temperatures better. i've read some stories where people put sprayed foam insulation (which is high quality stuff) on the inside of their domes. with climate control, its very easy to maintain a temperature, but the moment someone uses the oven, they're turning up the AC and opening the windows in the kitchen. no good.

     one problem people have with insulation on the outside of the concrete is water vapor getting in the foam between the concrete and the dome cover. if you're underground and your foam is covered with a plastic umbrella, no worries. if you're above ground, get some grancrete to seal the insulation. it must be completely sealed, or else the insulation could get soggy and stop working.

« Last Edit: June 14, 2006, 03:49:34 PM by (unknown) »

nwilke

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Re: CHEAP underground monolithic dome construction
« Reply #1 on: June 14, 2006, 10:32:08 AM »
i tried posting this in the off-grid forum, and it disappeared...
« Last Edit: June 14, 2006, 10:32:08 AM by nwilke »

TomW

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Re: CHEAP underground monolithic dome construction
« Reply #2 on: June 14, 2006, 11:19:14 AM »
Actually you posted to both and since it is more appropriate as a Diary I killed the non diary duplicate.


T

« Last Edit: June 14, 2006, 11:19:14 AM by TomW »

nwilke

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Re: CHEAP underground monolithic dome construction
« Reply #3 on: June 14, 2006, 11:30:32 AM »
i guess i'd like to know if people think this would work...could i edit this and ask for people's advice and post it in a forum?
« Last Edit: June 14, 2006, 11:30:32 AM by nwilke »

Don Cackleberrycreations

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Re: CHEAP underground monolithic dome construction
« Reply #4 on: June 14, 2006, 07:02:10 PM »
One of the simplest ways to build a concrete dome that Ive seen  done involved a dome of sand covered with poly the rebar was place in a grid on stand offs. then the conrete was poured and smothed . once it cured the sand was removed . made for a very simple form .
« Last Edit: June 14, 2006, 07:02:10 PM by Don Cackleberrycreations »

RP

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Re: CHEAP underground monolithic dome construction
« Reply #5 on: June 14, 2006, 08:39:31 PM »
Try the experts at monolithicdome.com  They have a forum there that discusses alternate way of building them.
« Last Edit: June 14, 2006, 08:39:31 PM by RP »

thefinis

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Re: CHEAP underground monolithic dome construction
« Reply #6 on: June 14, 2006, 09:06:15 PM »
I haven't done all the math but it all depends on multiple factors like downtime how much you get per kwh and if that $70k is expected to be net or gross. A real quick calculation shows


 8544 hrs in a year

 @200kw per hour is

 1708800 kwh

 @.05 per kwh is

 $85,440 gross


If you factor in taxes upkeep downtime and investment/overhead it will shrink it to a smaller number maybe even a negative. Too many unknowns to even make a guess really.


You may can get a better price if you can deliver a steady reliable output maybe even a green credit if it is from renewable source plus you may be in an area that has a higher offset power cost factor. If that 200 kw is really a constant you might could get a contract to sell power to a city/business that needs green credits at a much higher price but there would be a transmission fee charged by who ever owns the transmission lines.


It may be called free energy but the harvesting tools etc are anything but free.


Finis

« Last Edit: June 14, 2006, 09:06:15 PM by thefinis »