New Way To Put Up A "Dome"

New Way To Put Up A Dome BUILDINGS Houses You can put up a 20-ft dia dome building in a day if you do it the Dave Pennington way He developed a system using a lightweight cement mixture with poly beads and an inflated balloon form The air-filled beads reduce the weight of the mix and enhance insulation The larger the dome the thicker the walls need to be to support the roof I started the one in the photos with blocks 10 in thick which turned out to be way more strength than was needed explains Pennington I switched partway up to a 6-in thick wall which was more than enough Before starting the dome itself he laid down a base ring to which the inflated balloon form could be attached At around $5 000 it was the most expensive component in the entire process Once the air form was inflated block was laid against it and mortared together It took about 4 hrs after we finished before the partially finished dome walls are strong enough to stand on their own without the form says Pennington The mix cures pretty quickly even in the rain Pennington uses shredded paper with polystyrene beads and cement for his structural mix The polystyrene and paper provides 80 percent of the bulk and produces a material that is water resistant fire proof and can be pounded with a hammer It holds screws and nails like wood without cracking Like the blocks he uses it s light Concrete runs around 140 lbs per cu ft depending on the mix says Pennington My structural mix is about 35 lbs per cu ft After the first course of blocks is laid he installs a door form which he then works around as he lays up additional blocks The form was specially designed to fit the curvature of the dome You can install forms for doors and windows as you go or simply cut them out as needed after the dome is up explains Pennington One of the keys to fast dome work is his unique scaffold Working up and over the developing dome requires a freestanding support for the person laying the block especially as the walls curve over the top half of the dome I needed a scaffold that could be moved around to access the entire dome explains Pennington The key to the scaffold is a pipe that comes up the center through a hole in the balloon form A curved ladder attaches to the top of the center point and extends down to the ground The ladder pivots freely around the outside of the dome Once he was finished Pennington had a 20-ft dia dome with a 315 sq ft base With its door and eventually windows this dome will serve as a small cabin It could be equally useful as a storage building or workshop Pennington is confident his dome success can be repeated He plans to begin producing lightweight blocks for people interested in building a dome themselves He will produce the blocks the air form scaffold ladder mortar mix and expertise With a base ring in place and four helpers on site he says a 20-ft dome can be constructed in a day You would have a high-performance building for around $10 per sq ft he says Multiple domes can be connected to form a larger building Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Dave Pennington 203 Pauline Dr Richardson Texas 75081 ph 972 680-1982; cell 214 235-5839; aquaponicdave@gmail com; www papercretedomes com

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