Monday, December 19, 2011
geodesic dome at night
One of the nice things about having the dome enclosed is that I can work in there at night without freezing in the wind! Still no heat, but we're getting closer!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Dome Teaser video #9
Here's the next teaser video on the dome project. All is going well. I'm still scrambling to get the building enclosed before winter set in. It's getting challenging working in this weather...everything is frozen in the morning, then barely thaws during the day, making it wet and slippery.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Geodesic Dome Greenhouse - ASSEMBLING THE DOME!
The structure is up! Making great progress!
TRANSCRIPT:
Hello Everyone!
Once again you’re treated to an extra-long video about building the dome!
The structure went up in a day! I started off the morning by laying out all the pieces around the perimeter knee-wall and bolting everything
together. This helped to create a firm base to build on.
A fellow aquaponic grower and dome lover, Steve, volunteered to help erect the dome. This was one job where having an extra set of hands was
extremely helpful. We found it was easiest to connect two legs together with a hub, and then set them into the base unit. When the bolts were placed
in the hubs, each section was able to stand on its own without any supports. Once we figured out a system, the entire assembly process was relatively
smooth.
A couple of the bolts would get stuck going through the struts, but a little persuasion would get them in. Once each triangle section was installed,
we would connect each one with a horizontal strut. This simple action made the side wall rigid enough to support my weight of leaning against it.
It took a little bit of thought on how to assemble to the second level, but we decided the best way to assemble it was the same way as the first tier:
Steve would support the assembly from the ladder and I would align it with the hub and run the bolt through it.
The horizontal strut was a bit trickier but I was able to lean a ladder against the dome and hold it into place.
The third tier went together just as smoothly. The dome was self-supporting and there was no problem leaning against the structure to assemble the
struts.
By the end of the day, the dome was now visible from the road and a few of the neighbors would stop by to see how we were progressing.
We finished late in the evening using flashlights….here is how it looked when it was completed.
Here’s a little time-lapsed segment of the dome being assembled.
On October 30th, we had a freak snowstorm that decimated the region. We were without power for a week while the town and line crews cleaned up the
roads and utilities. The project was put on hold…
Once we recovered from the storm and most of the snow melted, it was time to go back to work. Even though the dome was standing on its own, I stilled
needed to adjust a few of the hubs and tighten the nuts.
The next part of the project was to build the walls for the shed area. One of the biggest problems with working in the fall is the rain and snow,
along with the constant freeze and thaw cycles. This turns any disturbed dirt in to mud. I decided that it was best to build the walls up by the
house and set them in place with the tractor.
When building a prefab-type building, it’s critical to make sure each section is square and accurate. Once each wall frame is squared up, I would
secure it with a few angle braces to keep it from racking. After all of the studs were nailed in place, I would again check to make sure it was still
square and then install the sheathing. Since the walls are placed so close to the ground, I installed treated plywood sheathing along the bottom 16
inches of the wall to help prevent rot and insect damage.
The excess sheathing is marked and cut off to the appropriate length and then nailed into the studs.
My good friend, Ford, helped me lift the walls and carry them to the greenhouse site. Each section fit perfectly into place. Ford was also kind
enough to hold the wall in place while I secured each section together.
After all the walls were in place, I finished installing the remaining sheathing.
Even though the dome structure probably could support the weight of the shed roof, I felt it was best to add a support beam across the length of the
shed and cantilever the rafters over the dome. The rafters are attached to the dome, but they have almost no load bearing weight against it.
There are 35 rafters, all custom cut with the correct angle to match against the dome. Any of the excess is then cut off, and the scrap is then used
as blocking between the rafters to keep them from racking. The roof decking is then laid down, cut, and secured.
Once again, that’s the end of another segment. I invite you to join our Facebook page at the link below for building updates prior to these video
releases. Thanks for watching!
TRANSCRIPT:
Hello Everyone!
Once again you’re treated to an extra-long video about building the dome!
The structure went up in a day! I started off the morning by laying out all the pieces around the perimeter knee-wall and bolting everything
together. This helped to create a firm base to build on.
A fellow aquaponic grower and dome lover, Steve, volunteered to help erect the dome. This was one job where having an extra set of hands was
extremely helpful. We found it was easiest to connect two legs together with a hub, and then set them into the base unit. When the bolts were placed
in the hubs, each section was able to stand on its own without any supports. Once we figured out a system, the entire assembly process was relatively
smooth.
A couple of the bolts would get stuck going through the struts, but a little persuasion would get them in. Once each triangle section was installed,
we would connect each one with a horizontal strut. This simple action made the side wall rigid enough to support my weight of leaning against it.
It took a little bit of thought on how to assemble to the second level, but we decided the best way to assemble it was the same way as the first tier:
Steve would support the assembly from the ladder and I would align it with the hub and run the bolt through it.
The horizontal strut was a bit trickier but I was able to lean a ladder against the dome and hold it into place.
The third tier went together just as smoothly. The dome was self-supporting and there was no problem leaning against the structure to assemble the
struts.
By the end of the day, the dome was now visible from the road and a few of the neighbors would stop by to see how we were progressing.
We finished late in the evening using flashlights….here is how it looked when it was completed.
Here’s a little time-lapsed segment of the dome being assembled.
On October 30th, we had a freak snowstorm that decimated the region. We were without power for a week while the town and line crews cleaned up the
roads and utilities. The project was put on hold…
Once we recovered from the storm and most of the snow melted, it was time to go back to work. Even though the dome was standing on its own, I stilled
needed to adjust a few of the hubs and tighten the nuts.
The next part of the project was to build the walls for the shed area. One of the biggest problems with working in the fall is the rain and snow,
along with the constant freeze and thaw cycles. This turns any disturbed dirt in to mud. I decided that it was best to build the walls up by the
house and set them in place with the tractor.
When building a prefab-type building, it’s critical to make sure each section is square and accurate. Once each wall frame is squared up, I would
secure it with a few angle braces to keep it from racking. After all of the studs were nailed in place, I would again check to make sure it was still
square and then install the sheathing. Since the walls are placed so close to the ground, I installed treated plywood sheathing along the bottom 16
inches of the wall to help prevent rot and insect damage.
The excess sheathing is marked and cut off to the appropriate length and then nailed into the studs.
My good friend, Ford, helped me lift the walls and carry them to the greenhouse site. Each section fit perfectly into place. Ford was also kind
enough to hold the wall in place while I secured each section together.
After all the walls were in place, I finished installing the remaining sheathing.
Even though the dome structure probably could support the weight of the shed roof, I felt it was best to add a support beam across the length of the
shed and cantilever the rafters over the dome. The rafters are attached to the dome, but they have almost no load bearing weight against it.
There are 35 rafters, all custom cut with the correct angle to match against the dome. Any of the excess is then cut off, and the scrap is then used
as blocking between the rafters to keep them from racking. The roof decking is then laid down, cut, and secured.
Once again, that’s the end of another segment. I invite you to join our Facebook page at the link below for building updates prior to these video
releases. Thanks for watching!
Friday, November 11, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
Geodesic Dome - filling the foundation
Most of you know that the dome's frame is up, but here's the next video in the series about what will be hiding under the floor.
I had too much video to cram into 5 or 6 minutes so you get a double-feature today!
We’ll start with the sump tank that’s located in the center of the dome area. Plastic tanks can’t be buried directly in dirt since they expand and contract with temperature change and the weight of the dirt will eventually crush them. I surrounded the entire tank with scrap 2 by 4’s and built a brick wall around it. When the well was completed, the goal was to simply lift the tank out, remove the boards and set the tank back in the well, resulting in a space between the tank and the well wall.
I didn’t realize that the tank was slightly tapered so the bottom was larger than the top - the tank was trapped inside the well! If you watch carefully, you can see the entire well lift slightly with the tank. Some extra pondering was required…
I decided to slide each board out one at a time until enough were removed to loosen the tank. I drilled part-way through the board, inserted a bolt, wrapped a strap around it, and lifted the board until it hit against the rim of the tank. Then cut the section of board off and repeated the process until the board came out. This was a few hours wasted, but it worked!
There is a larger sump tank that is located in the shed area that also needed a well built around it. This is a cone bottom tank so I tightly strapped some 2 by 4’s as legs to it to keep it level, then set the rest of the spacer boards around it. After leveling out the area, I set some cement blocks on the ground to act as a footing for the brick work. When it was complete, a perfectly round well was surrounding the tank and we were able to pull the tank out with the excavator.
This is the baby brother excavator compared to the one that dug the foundation hole. With a slightly smaller bucket, it was able to place the dirt back into the bottom half of the hole. Bruce, the operator, was very careful and didn’t hit a single block off the wall! When the area was roughly level, he tamped the dirt into place to help prevent future settling.
While Bruce graded around the exterior of the foundation, I set the tubing for the thermal mass. There are 5 equal length perforated pipes that connect to a central manifold which will eventually be connected to a heating system. The tubing zigzags around the floor to help spread the heat evenly throughout the dome. The exhaust for each tube then vents to a different area in the dome.
Six inches of stone was placed around the tubing. This is partly to protect the tubing from larger rocks, and partly to allow some more air flow for heat distribution into the thermal mass floor.
Earlier in the project, I didn’t have time to set the anchor bolts in the foundation wall. To make sure they were placed in the correct locations, I first cut all the treated lumber sill plates to their correct lengths and labeled them. I then drilled a hole for the anchor bolt into each plate, roughly in the center of a one of the block cavities.
The entire cavity didn’t need to be filled with concrete so I filled them half way with stone first. It was a nice day so I got a helper. Her job was to vibrate the air pockets out of the concrete as I shoveled it into the cavity. I then leveled off the area and set the j-bolt into the concrete, and then set the sill plate over the area to make sure the bolt was in the correct location.
This is what happens when you don’t wear boots in a construction area!
There will be an outer ring of grow beds around the perimeter of the dome, and also a central ring. This 2 inch drain pipe will allow the beds to drain into the central sump tank. The piping is temporarily set on bricks to make sure they are sloped in the right direction.
More dirt is filled between the pipe areas and sand is filled around the pipes. This helps to protect them from stone and allows them to be fine-tuned for the proper slope.
Now that all the drain pipes are installed, the sump tank can be dropped into the well. Holes are cut through the side of the tank and the pipes are pushed through the holes. I plan on installing an elbow at the end of each drain to try and swirl the water a bit.
The large sump tank is a bit trickier to install since the cone shape needs to be properly supported. I made a quick template that was equal to the angle of the cone. Sand was then added to the bottom of the well and I used the template as a guide to shape the sand into the same angle as the cone. The tank dropped into place perfectly!
The dome will sit on a 16 inch knee wall. Although each section should match perfectly with the dome, they will be left loose until the dome is assembled so they can be adjusted. Each section is placed on a strip of foam to help prevent air from leaking between the concrete wall and the boards. They are then loosely bolted into place.
That’s it for now. Thanks for watching and don’t forget to join our Facebook page at the link below.
I had too much video to cram into 5 or 6 minutes so you get a double-feature today!
We’ll start with the sump tank that’s located in the center of the dome area. Plastic tanks can’t be buried directly in dirt since they expand and contract with temperature change and the weight of the dirt will eventually crush them. I surrounded the entire tank with scrap 2 by 4’s and built a brick wall around it. When the well was completed, the goal was to simply lift the tank out, remove the boards and set the tank back in the well, resulting in a space between the tank and the well wall.
I didn’t realize that the tank was slightly tapered so the bottom was larger than the top - the tank was trapped inside the well! If you watch carefully, you can see the entire well lift slightly with the tank. Some extra pondering was required…
I decided to slide each board out one at a time until enough were removed to loosen the tank. I drilled part-way through the board, inserted a bolt, wrapped a strap around it, and lifted the board until it hit against the rim of the tank. Then cut the section of board off and repeated the process until the board came out. This was a few hours wasted, but it worked!
There is a larger sump tank that is located in the shed area that also needed a well built around it. This is a cone bottom tank so I tightly strapped some 2 by 4’s as legs to it to keep it level, then set the rest of the spacer boards around it. After leveling out the area, I set some cement blocks on the ground to act as a footing for the brick work. When it was complete, a perfectly round well was surrounding the tank and we were able to pull the tank out with the excavator.
This is the baby brother excavator compared to the one that dug the foundation hole. With a slightly smaller bucket, it was able to place the dirt back into the bottom half of the hole. Bruce, the operator, was very careful and didn’t hit a single block off the wall! When the area was roughly level, he tamped the dirt into place to help prevent future settling.
While Bruce graded around the exterior of the foundation, I set the tubing for the thermal mass. There are 5 equal length perforated pipes that connect to a central manifold which will eventually be connected to a heating system. The tubing zigzags around the floor to help spread the heat evenly throughout the dome. The exhaust for each tube then vents to a different area in the dome.
Six inches of stone was placed around the tubing. This is partly to protect the tubing from larger rocks, and partly to allow some more air flow for heat distribution into the thermal mass floor.
Earlier in the project, I didn’t have time to set the anchor bolts in the foundation wall. To make sure they were placed in the correct locations, I first cut all the treated lumber sill plates to their correct lengths and labeled them. I then drilled a hole for the anchor bolt into each plate, roughly in the center of a one of the block cavities.
The entire cavity didn’t need to be filled with concrete so I filled them half way with stone first. It was a nice day so I got a helper. Her job was to vibrate the air pockets out of the concrete as I shoveled it into the cavity. I then leveled off the area and set the j-bolt into the concrete, and then set the sill plate over the area to make sure the bolt was in the correct location.
This is what happens when you don’t wear boots in a construction area!
There will be an outer ring of grow beds around the perimeter of the dome, and also a central ring. This 2 inch drain pipe will allow the beds to drain into the central sump tank. The piping is temporarily set on bricks to make sure they are sloped in the right direction.
More dirt is filled between the pipe areas and sand is filled around the pipes. This helps to protect them from stone and allows them to be fine-tuned for the proper slope.
Now that all the drain pipes are installed, the sump tank can be dropped into the well. Holes are cut through the side of the tank and the pipes are pushed through the holes. I plan on installing an elbow at the end of each drain to try and swirl the water a bit.
The large sump tank is a bit trickier to install since the cone shape needs to be properly supported. I made a quick template that was equal to the angle of the cone. Sand was then added to the bottom of the well and I used the template as a guide to shape the sand into the same angle as the cone. The tank dropped into place perfectly!
The dome will sit on a 16 inch knee wall. Although each section should match perfectly with the dome, they will be left loose until the dome is assembled so they can be adjusted. Each section is placed on a strip of foam to help prevent air from leaking between the concrete wall and the boards. They are then loosely bolted into place.
That’s it for now. Thanks for watching and don’t forget to join our Facebook page at the link below.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Dome video #7 Teaser
Another teaser video. It's moving along quickly! Most likely the dome part will go up within the next week!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Geodesic Dome Greenhouse #6 - Foundation Walls
I've made some excellent progress in the last month on the dome! The entire concrete block wall was built and I'm now moving on to some of the heating and plumbing that will be buried under the floor. I'm still hoping to have most of it built before the snow flies!
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