Concrete Geodesic Domes: Building Thin Shell Concrete Domes Using Latex Cement
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- Опубліковано 2 чер 2024
- www.ZipTieDomes.com - This video describes how to build a thin shell concrete dome using latex cement spread over mesh attached to a PVC pipe dome. Different types of latex are used for hydrating the portland cement, including Sika Latex, Mapei Latex for Mortar applications, and White Latex paint. The cement dome is tested over a 4 year period to show the long term ability of a latex cement roof to withstand the weather. The latex cement roof was first used by Dr. George Nez in his book "Latex Concrete Habitat". We also discuss bamboo domes.
Our video on "How to Build a Bamboo Dome" is at this link: • Bamboo Geodesic Dome -...
Plans for our domes can be downloaded at our website at www.ZipTieDomes.com, or at our Etsy Shop at www.etsy.com/shop/ZipTieDomesLLC
Call us at (931) 858-6892 if you have any questions about our products.
John Hurt - Наука та технологія
Maybe next time use a "Hopper Sprayer" where you scoop the concrete out of the wheel barrow where it was dumped from the mixer. Then you use compressed air to blow the cement mortar on to the dome. An airform dome might also work for you, where you blow up an airbag, tie rebar over the airbag 1' on center, and then just hopper spray the cement mix on. I've seen some guys mixing ground up polystyrene into an aircrete mix for more insulation properties.
That's a great idea. I bought a mortar sprayer and gas powered compressor for my next project. Thanks for watching the video. John Hurt
Rrr@@ZipTieDomes
thank you for sharing the process of experimentation, this is very encouraging for me and others to just fearlessly keep trying things out :)
Thanks Sigram2. I appreciate your comments. John Hurt
So excited to see a new video. I can’t Waite to get my dome up!
That's great! Be sure to send us pictures of your dome project and we can put them on our website. Our contact page is at:
www.ziptiedomes.com/contactus.htm
Thanks for watching the video. John Hurt
I have studied and applied various teqniques such as this for the past 7 years or more.
I can attest that latex- cement or "paint crete" does work well.
I have a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom Earthbag house as well as a 2 story geodesic cabin.
Both have withstood 2 major earthquakes as well as fires that destroyed over 250 structures nearby.
I will be applying this to my teepee next and then an outdoor kitchen and another dome.
I recommend though when covering a dome - if it uses pvc or other pipe to run your electrical through the pipe and bring the outlets to wherever you choose BUT - FILL THE HOLLOW PIPING WITH GREAT STUFF or something that will seal them - especially if you are building into a mountainside.
I used the hubs off of a childrens geodesic playground equipment and replaced the 2 sizes of struts with struts 4 x the size. Raised it up and secured it to wood posts. Added an atrium in front and over that a deck with handrail.
A zip tie dome system would be what I would go with next one- as they are lighter weight and with this system you have just show would be awesome and much easier to cover.
All the best !
Thanks for the video !
W
Thank you for all of your interesting information. John Hurt
Your video was fascinating. I just knew there was a more cost-effective way for constructing these dome homes rather than some of the others which are marketed. Thank you for sharing the video of your own latex/concrete structure as it gives us viewers a realistic expectation of results; plus how results can be improved upon. Looking forward to checking out the building plans you offer.
Sir, this is Electrifyin' Information!!! Back in my long-ago youth I spent a year thinking I was going to study Architecture, and some of the folks in the programs were investigating innovation in materials and structures, and some of those went on to do great things. Meanwhile, you have come up with brilliant solutions that are grounded in ACCESSIBLE Technologies, that don't require at every level using hideously expensive, precious, rare, and exotic tools, materials, or processes.
Well, I'm going to finish watching this post, and do some planning.
Thanks, I appreciate your comments. Cheap, affordable housing is a very worthwhile pursuit. Thanks for watching the video. John Hurt
Posted on social platform GAB in group 'alternative housing' (the nearest to what this video fits in a GAB group' I've been waiting for this video for a couple of years, thanks so much!
Thanks for your continued and long term support. I really appreciate it. Thanks again. John Hurt
When I first saw her concrete covered zip tie dome on your website I thought of using her technique along with aircrete Harry's insulated aircrete.
I thought using aircrete would make a good base and you could make it a lot thicker and it would be insulated already.
Check out his website or yt videos to see where I got the idea to put the two ideas together.
Also I thought of using the covered hubs to hold the screen tight so you can spray the thin light coat of aircrete on the dome... 😊
Aircrete would make a good flooring material, and Aircrete Harry is one of my favorite UA-cam creators. The geodesic dome frame does the same thing as inflating a large balloon that can be sprayed, and the frame also has a lot of strength without adding several layers of cement. Thanks for the comments. John Hurt
@@ZipTieDomes yeah your frame is what gave me the idea for DIY without the inflatable balloon infrastructure...
I like the aircrete idea because the more layers you put the more R value you get without have to use separate insulation.
If I had the money I'd try to build a 20ft dome that way...
Maybe someday. Thanks for all the amazing videos, they give me some great ideas... 😊
@@joen9275 Thanks for watching! John Hurt
Thanks for this authentic video. You solved my roofing dilemma of my poorly designed semi circular cob building🙄
Thanks, I am glad I could help. John Hurt
Awesome! Lots of possibilities here...hempcrete, sprayfoam insulation...thank you!
Sprayfoam insulation is a great idea. Thanks for watching the video. John Hurt
You are the best, buddy. God bless you, and your family.
Thank you so much! Blessings, John Hurt
It looks like to me some sort of "balloon" is needed on the inside to help press the concrete, cement, or mortar mix outward and act as a barrier to the latex cement. The result should be more round and reduce the sunk in look that would be a water, or snow catching and holding problem.
You are right! You are supposed to push the mortar from the top through the mesh until it comes out like a cheese grater, then trowel it on the inside back into the mesh.
It also sagged because I did not attach the mesh correctly.
My next concrete dome will be covered with Tyvek and fiberglass reinforcement, then hit it with a mortar sprayer and compressed air. - and have several people handy with trowels.
Thanks for watching the video. John Hurt
A 6v or even 8v frame would create a rounder shape plus have much smaller triangles which wouldnt be prone to sag as much.
Believe it or not, cardboard panels made from moving boxes and waterproofed with same cheapo latex paint. Attaching the panels to the dome with you guessed it-zip ties, makes a very good barrier to keep the latexcrete sections flat and nice looking. Three or four layers really gets it solid and strong.
My only complaint with your idea of a double layer dome is that the plastic itself can act as a thermal bridge between the outer and inner layer. That can add up quite a bit when you have so much. Granted PVC is less of a conductor than a metal structure would be, it still might be an issue given that it is on par with a piece of wood. I think having a gap between the spokes and using something like spray foam would solve this issue quite well.
An aside, I bet that aircrete (foamed concrete mixture) would work really well as a filler material.
Thanks for your comments. A few of my friends and I looked at aircrete for the insulation, and from what we have seen, it is a little "runny" and would pour out any crack or hole between the two layers. I am looking at using either fiberglass insulation, or hay stuffed into earth bags between the two dome layers.
Thanks for watching the video. John Hurt
Hello -Good Sir. We had emailed a few times back in 2019 ( or there abouts :-) ) It's good to see that your still working away with your Domes. B.T.W I have seen worse jobs using a trowel. :-) I also wanted to thank-you for the Geodesic Dome Calculator at your web site. It has saved me a lot of time, and it's easy to adjust the size of a dome and get the strut lengths. Have you used that Concrete bonding adhesive in aircrete ??
Hello Gary! I bought an aircrete foam generator from DomeGaia - the "Little Dragon", and my opinion is that aircrete is perfect for flooring, but it is difficult for making a dome roof as it is very runny and must be poured into a form. DomeGaia pours blocks of aircrete into a long form that they stack and use to make a dome - which is somewhat labor intensive, but still an interesting method. So no, I have not used adhesive with aircrete. But take a look at the DomeGaia website, they have a lot of beautiful domes. Have a great day. John Hurt
@@ZipTieDomes Do you know Stephen Williams in Alabama? He's abandoned aircrete altogether for his blend of styrocrete... I'm weighing the styrocrete panel idea against a diy shotcrete variant of Dr. Nez's latex-crete skin... Maybe i can entrain shredded styrofoam into a latex shotcrete application... the window screening may filter out the styro aggregate... Maybe the first stage can be the latex-crete skin followed up with diy styro shotcrete layer for insulation and maybe a final outer coating of latex-crete skin to encapsulate the lower density insulative layer of styrocrete... I got this idea from monolithic which is experimenting with this "tri-wall" method on one of their ecoshell domes... Everyone's innovating! The synchronicities are amazing! I was going to take a class and learn the ecoshell process hands-on at equip international but they cancelled the 2022 class due to lack of participants... they held my money for a year and said there wouldn't be a 2023 class either and refunded me... Such a bummer! But, you started offering licensed plans, so i got a drill press and chop saw instead... Ive got my hubs done... Just need to find another source of bamboo for my struts... Thank you for all you do!
@@MyHelperMyHelper-cx1jn The styrofoam is a great idea. Check out Aircrete Harry and his "Epic" styrofoam cement videos. I am looking for a cheap way to build housing for the homeless. If you come up with an alternate way to do it, please make a video and post it. I would love to see what you do. You can contact me and send me pictures of your projects by email at this link:
www.ziptiedomes.com/contactus.htm
Have a great day! John Hurt
I remember talking to you about this concept a couple of years ago. I'm glad you ran with it, you just didn't tell me that you were already working on a similar idea, grin. The Gemini concept is perfect. Aircrete could be pumped into the cavity for great insulation. I bought some land in west Texas and I will be building there.
Thanks Mike. Best wishes on your project. There was a lady that showed me how to use latex cement for roofing a dome. I have some notes and links at the bottom of her customer review page that may interest you:
www.ziptiedomes.com/customers/lenabach.htm
Latex cement is great for the roof. I am looking at using aircrete to make flooring panels using metal C channel for the edges, with hardware cloth for interior strength. Between the two shells of the Gemini dome, I am considering using hay stuffed into earth bags for insulation. It has to be cheap, and insulation is not cheap.
Aircrete for insulation between the dome shells is difficult as aircrete is watery and will run out the cracks when it is poured. It also makes the dome permanent so it is harder to remove it if needed.
But if you can do it, then don't let my viewpoints hold you back.
As the weather warms, I will complete my first large Gemini dome, and hope to have a video out this year. Thanks for keeping up with me, and for your comments, they are very encouraging. Many blessings to you and your family. John Hurt
Interesting, I think you are on to a method that almost worked. I plan to give it a try with a design and process change. I will use sheet EPS to support the sagging screen and apply the slurry with a paint roller in several coats.
Other ways possible to do : Hang the dome upside down (so it doesn't touche the ground), and empty the bucket, then ''roll" the dome so the cement mix is equally applied all over, with a little thicker layer on top, where you're happy the rain doesn't bucket.
One other : Stapple one layer of cloth so it is enough tensionned. Second layer is put _after_ each square of fabric is dipped in the mix.
George Nez would do it by pouring the latex cement over the top of the mesh and brushing it onto the surface.
Whatever ideas that you have, I suggest that you try them yourself first and see if they can work. Most people have a lot of good ideas, but they never put them into practice, so they cannot learn from their success, or most of all, from their failures.
Look at the links at the bottom of the customer review page: www.ziptiedomes.com/customers/lenabach.htm
If you have questions, you are welcome to contact me at this link:
www.ziptiedomes.com/contactus.htm
I really want to support anyone that is trying to create affordable shelter. Let me know how it goes for you.
Thanks! John Hurt
For screwing to emt conduit, use self tapping sheet metal screws.
But it occurs to me, IF you wanted to use regular re-bar (cheaper, I think, than basalt or fiberglass rebar) you Could just run it up in 1/2" PVC and seal it with silicone, JB weld, or epoxy putty on the ends. (this would have the added benefit of being able to add an eye loop on the end to make connecting easy.)
It Also occurs to me, you could maybe run steel Cable down your PVC , tied to your connectors, for additional strength- that would take some playing- with to figure out though. probably more expense than it's worth- though a good strong nylon rope, or several strands of nylon string run back and forth should significantly improve the strength of a regular pvc dome frame. That might work really well. you could just make several loops, just longer than the pvc, pull them through with a wire hook, and ziptie through that loop and onto your connector as normal.
just thoughts there
I like your ideas. Thanks for watching the video. John Hurt
Cool!
Thanks!
Am I to understand from this video that flat, white latex paint will suffice for the source of latex in the concrete?
Yes, it worked, but it was very messy. I got white paint all over me. Anytime you touch the cement, there is a problem. But it does work. John
Like watching paint dry? 😁
@@MyHelperMyHelper-cx1jn Wear old clothes, or buy new ones. John Hurt
Have some peoples alternative to this chemical ''latex" ? For waterproofing, traditionaly was not used so maybe there are non toxic and cheaper alternatives ? Apart from traditional stucco, i also heard about milk paint (white cheese+lime) and the juice from the prickly pear..
Anyone has other alternatives ?
Interesting ! I also saw the same made with any sheet you'll find. I dont know if it still long, anyone has an _experience_ about this system ?
Thanks for your comments. I have some more information on this process on this customer review page:
www.ziptiedomes.com/customers/lenabach.htm
Be sure to check out the links and my notes at the bottom of the page.
Thanks again. John Hurt
What about using spray foam insulation and then covering that with the latex cement?
I had a customer in New Hampshire that was using "closed cell foam" rated for outdoor use, and he was spraying the domes with foam with a very high insulation factor. I have not heard what happened on his project, but when I was thinking about doing the same thing, I found that it takes some specialized equipment to spray foam, and the foam can be expensive. I am looking for cheap housing solutions that anyone can build, which is one of the greatest things we can do. I have an idea about a double dome for insulation that may work, I am considering the execution of the project this week. Thanks for your comments and questions, because your comments make me have to think and remember my purpose. Thanks again. John Hurt
@@ZipTieDomes In countries where sheep are raised for milk and meat, their wool can be shorn and used as insulation. It is really extremely good insulation and lasts forever.
@@jharbo1 That is a great idea! John
С eps используется штукатурно - клеевая смесь и стеклосетка. В состав входит цемент, обойный клей, клей ПВА, и смола древесная омыленная ( воздухо вовлекающая добавка).
Латекс не дружит с воздухововлекающими добавками, которые есть в штукатурно - клеевых смесях для eps.
Для eps нужен базовый армирующий слой, а уже следующий слой латекс.
Очень хорошо. Спасибо за информацию. Джон Хёрт.
Use fibreglass rebar
That is a great idea. Thanks for watching the video. John Hurt
I bet a silicone spatula would work pretty well
Yes, it would. I just used a trowel. But either would work. Thanks for watching the video. John Hurt
What was the total cost?
We sell the 16' dome for $615, but you can purchase just the hubs for $143 and cut your own struts. The mesh or canvas - probably under $100, and the portland and latex another $100 or so. But I did not keep a record of the cost - so all of that is a guess. Thanks for watching the video. John Hurt
@@ZipTieDomes So, a 16' for 1k$ is a decent estimate
То есть подойдет и дешевая латексная краска. Спасибо .
Да, латексная краска и портландцемент работают очень хорошо. Спасибо за просмотр видео. Джон Хёрт
What's wrong with using canvas
Canvas will work just as well as mesh, probably better. That is what the lady that showed me how to make concrete domes used - canvas. Try it and let me know how it works for you.
John
Concrete canvas, iInflate, spray with water and in 24 hours its solid.
That's is great! Thanks!@@JohnGuest45
Then you can even remove the "mold'' and do again and again !@@JohnGuest45
maybe use starlight?
That would be great!
Kūhl!
Thanks!
I like the dog house dome! Would shotcrete be a better way to get a more uniform application of the latex concrete mix? Here's an idea... ua-cam.com/video/n1L2UkBinsE/v-deo.html
The Mortar Sprayer is what I bought for the project, plus a gas powered air compressor. I have not used it yet, just played with it. The Mortar Sprayer people were great to work with, very friendly and help me with a lot of good ideas. So yes, we are on the same path. John