It is dome raising day! The Smiths have high expectations for their family and friends. With a prefab kit, reaching their goals is possible, as long as Mother Nature cooperates. In Oregon, you never know what the weather will be.
Dome RaisingThe Smith crew has a challenging day ahead (figure A). Unfortunately, the rain didn’t hold out (figure B). Mud and a slippery sub-floor have made for nasty building conditions. Fortunately for the Smiths, Roger Boothe, the on-site supervisor from Oregon Dome, Inc., was not going to let a little rain deter the operation (figure C). Some dome companies just send panels and instruction sheets, but Oregon Dome includes an on-site supervisor in the price of the kit.
Each of the panels is pre-made to fit where they need to go and are also predrilled (figure D). No one is using hammers and nails here, they are just sliding bolts through holes that are predrilled and then tightening them with wrenches (figure E).
Connecting the panels at 18 degree angles may have seemed daunting at first, but after a few pentagons line up, it all starts to come together (figure F). The great thing about this process is that steps are very repetitive. Once you have the rhythm down, you can do it again and again with no problem. In an assembly line fashion, the Smith crew passes the color-coded triangle panels up the scaffolding and into position (figure G). The Smith’s kit holds 60 triangle panels that weigh almost 100 pounds each.
RESOURCES :
Oregon Dome, Inc.
Roger Boothe, founder and dome-raising supervisor
Linda Boothe, designer and general contractor
25331 Jeans Rd.
Veneta, OR 97487
Toll Free: 800-572-8943
Phone: 541-935-5444
Fax: 541-935-5812
E-mail: Oregon@domes.com
The Buckminster Fuller Institute
Website: www.bfi.org
Building Systems Council
National Association of Home Builders
Website: www.nahb.com
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