This design is now outdated. Look to the new design at This link.This is the new design that uses a chicken wire mesh structure of the thickness needed to support the adobe. The chicken wire can be found at "home depot". The structure shouldn't collapse if the adobe is thick, because of thickness to circumference ratio. and there may be bowing at the sides which should be reinforced with rebar at the edge of the dome, bent to be an angle.
But the adobe is applied in one thin layer at a time. And when one layer has dried, the next is then added and the preceding layer will have added to the strength of the structure, becoming even sturdier than the chicken wire alone, and support more and more applications of adobe later on.
Any wires or windows that you want are embedded in the walls as you build.
The soil separation pit: Is where you separate the clay from the sand of the existing soil and it's extremely easy. What you do is dig a small pit and fill with watter then mix in some of your existing soil really well, and when the mud slurry settles and dries out in a day or 2, the sand will have settled to the bottom and at the very top is where all of the clay (or tiniest particles) will have settled.
Now you can mix the adobe solution of the portion of sand(50%)/ clay(33%) and if you want, add a binder material(15%)(which is not necessarily needed) which is outlined on "wikipedia" under "adobe". But for the binder material I plan on incorporating plastic chicken wire mesh on top of each coating of adobe, before it dries. Several layers of adobe should be enough to support it's own weight and not be breakable by human force(1 ft thick)
Then over top of everything is just a water proof coating to protect the adobe from the weather. Adobe turns into mud when wet so need a 100% acrylic paint(the best all around weather paint) or something similar, to put over it.
And if you need better insulation for colder climates you just put a coat of expanding polyurithane foam on the inside of the house walls. Which is completely nontoxic, and cheap, and easy.
And if there is not enough water on your property to make a mud puddle or a water source that can supply your household needs, then you just need to make an artificial pond at a low point on your property, and it will fill with water over the course of time(about a year unless it's a big pond).
If you need drinking water then you can use a good filter(liken slow sand filter) to filter the pond water and put chlorine in it and then wait 3 days for the chlorine to evaporate and you will be able to drink it. As long as it was kept clean after the chlorine application and it doesn't still taste like chlorine. This is what some municipal water supplies do. To filter it just use a home made "slow sand filter".
LATER ADDED: It seems at this time that this technology is good for many more reasons which are...
- It can be assembled and disassembled by 1 person because you can apply the adobe one hand full at a time. And can be disassembled by easily removing the water proof coating and then letting the rain wash it off of the wire mesh.
- A foundation may not be needed, if the function of the foundation is to: Not let the house settle(which may not be needed and happens anyways in wood structures/compact the ground with water and vibrating the soil w/a machine or compressing it by stepping on: A.K.A. "rammed earth") ; And to protect from moisture (which will not get in when you extend the waterproof coating beyond the edge of house) ; And to keep the structure above from spreading(which will not happen if you put wood posts in the ground within the walls). may also have a metal mesh foundation if that somehow helps in any way.
- Adobe with a water proof coating can be almost as strong as concrete and you don't even need a jackhammer to remove it.
- Don't need pipes if you have a chemical toilet bucket or an outhouse and bury the sanitized waste, and fresh water is in it's own container having been sterilized by the chlorine and filtering.
- All pots/pans/plates/cups/utensils are washed by hand with soap- or are sprayed with water and sanitized over the fire.
- Wires are just extension cords built into the walls before sealing in with adobe
- Windows are for air flow and so are small portals that can be closed and it will have 2 doorways for if you decide to add on a new wing onto the house later.
- There is no need for complicated roof construction that will need to constantly be replaced or fixed.
- The light is supplied by an "LED replacement bulb" for a florescent light fixture.
- The house also acts as a "Faraday cage" because of the wire mesh. So it can protect against lightning.
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