The Connector Hub system will work well with polycarb
glazing.
 You can use them for a wood dome, the least expensive
method.
 I would use at least the 2 x 2 wood size for
attaching the glazing.
 For the Garden Dome 3 + Base Option, there are 3
types of Connector Hubs. The Hubs are the Patented
cylinder connectors. You can see at the uspto.gov site
if you have a plugin to see the .tiff file. But they
are simply cylinder sections with holes arrayed
strategically according to dome type. Any plastic or
metal; usually pvc or aluminum.
 A plate method for connecting, would apply to
aluminum domes and cost much more. Could be used with
wood to but the Connector Hubs would be better and
cost less to do.
 The Aluminum Connector Hubs, coated with epoxy paint,
cost around $25 each for a 2 x 4 dome; twice the cost
of the pvc.

 You can size the dome for efficient size for max
usage of the polycarb. If the polycarb is 4 x 8
sheets, 3 triangles can be made from this sheet, to
fit a 22 ft GD3. One of the triangles is a split in
half right triangle like the X1 type, so the polycarb
would need splicing together for this one. 105
triangles/3 per sheet = 35 sheet @ ~$65 sheet = $2,275
for those purchased locally if you are sawing them
yourself.

 Another good dome for covering with polycarb is the
RCO-S-X1 type, ~20 ft, all right triangles cut from a
4 x 8 sheet with 1 diagonal cut. Flutes can all be
installed up/down orientation with the UV side out as
recommended per installation instructions. 37 "X1"
heavy duty  hubs- $481 + $48 UPS.
http://www.gardendome.com/rco_s/rco_s_x1_door.html

 The Garden Dome 3 + Base Option Connector Kit for 2 x
4s with the sch. 80 pvc hubs (61) is $554 + $55 UPS.

144" x .42 = 60"

While I'm at it...

The Geodesic Base Option adds 26" to the height; or
13" below the geometric center of the dome.

Over all the GD3+ Geodesic Base Option height is ~59%
of Diameter.

144" x .59 = 85"

A Vertical Base Option (riser wall) made with or
without the extra 15 Base Connector Hubs, could be
made any convenient/practical height and is good for
adding siding to the bottom rectangles, and rectangle
door/ window areas.

With 76" struts, [qty req'd = 25]

Diameter is 12.526 ft = 150.33 "

Height is 108.77" = ~9 ft 1/2"

Floor plan / foot print dimensions

3-1/2" are added to the length of the struts, for
Connector Hub size (pvc outer diameter).

Edge length becomes 76+3.5 = 79.5
This is outside edge length, or 2 x 4 strut length +
1.75 each end to Hub centerlines.

The radius of this base pentagon circle is 67.23
inches.

Anchor points would be approx. 1.75" inside the
pentagon corner.
But it's best to put together the bottom 5 hubs and
struts, then mark for drill points for your anchor
bolts.
If you know your anchor bolt size, I can drill a hole
in the Hub bottom to match.
Hubs will point up 26 DEGREES from the level
foundation.
You can make a short mounting block/ strut for the
bottom hub to rest on, instead of it resting on its
edge. Just match the 26 deg. angle on the block to hub
and 90 deg. at the foundation.

Any other size I can make calculations for easily.

I have on my steel domes page, to use Connector Hubs
with these to make stronger domes. This is a theory,
partially based on adding an axial angle to the end
tab bend, so less likelyhood of this connection
"popping in";[larger domes] and giving arch type
strength to the connection with the cylinder hub.

Also the tubes can be screwed in and/ or out of the
hub, which ever works best.
-------
 This method simply adds more bend to the smushed
 tube end, for attaching to the Connector Hub. I made an octahedron umbrella stand
with this method and it works well. It would add the
cost of a Connector Kit to the Steel Tube Dome or Star
Connectors. Would be interesting... never tried yet with a dome.

Is good for glazing, considering difference of inner
and outer struts stacked on a bolt, might be 3/4" to
1" + distance; using big tubes, and 8 or more tubes
stacked ona bolt, like the Octa Dome etc. Smaller
tubes and film cover, not significant.

Best is the quick connectors because you only have to
loosen a screw or nut a few threads to take the dome
apart. The Patent shows it on the USPTO.gov sight look
up by #, you have to have a special plug in to see the
.tiff file.
The patent describes lots of optional things, such as
quick connectors and self locking groove in struts.
 Usually on the Quick Connectors, I mix up hub notches
(slide pre-inserted hex head lag bolt into an oval
cutout in th hub; and hanger bolts (studs inserted in
strut with washer & hex nut for conecting hub),
depending on dome type. Most of the connections are
quick connecting, except 1 for each hub that are not.
So you can take the dome apart, leaving hubs attached
to a "permanent" connection, so they will not try to
escape!
 For the V groove, it's unecessary although works
good. I recommend instead using a short deck type
screw, 1 per strut. You drill a small hole in the hub,
at an angle to reach from outside and insert the screw
with a drill/driver. So it's easy and quick too and
prevents the strut from swivel action; although this
is not really a problem and optional. Under
consideration is the main attach screws can become
loose from wood drying out, maybe thermal
expansion/contraction over course of months, and
weight such as walking on the struts will cause it to
"swivel". So you can just tighten the screws.
Anti-swivel screw is optional. 65 on the GD2. Much
easier than making a groove in strut ends.

The geo-dome is probably your best option for
aerodynamic. The spray-crete monolithic air form dome
is another option. With the geo-dome, you can also
spray-crete the shell.
 The tall 20 ft Star Dome 2 is near the Air Force
Academy, so gets some high winds and snow. No reports
of any problems.
 Shorter means more wind resistant. Possibly a half
dome on a conventionally built wood frame riser wall,
cement perimeter wall, or Vertical or Geodesic
triangle Base Option, made with 2 x 6, add some wind
breaks and anchor well.
 You can use aluminum connectors for the dome hubs.
You can make inquiries from an engineer about
certification for CO. and a designer or architect for
building plans if those are required.
 I have heard that geo dome have performed well in
earthquakes. They are basically a rigid shell, with
gravity and the earth doing their part to hold it
together.
see - http://www.gardendome.com/sd2c_gallery.html
Ernie

For the steel tube domes, any type and size is
possible.
You have some important options for cost
considerations:
1. Construction - tubes only, stacked on bolts as
shown on
http://www.gardendome.com/octa_dome_photo1.html
2. Tubes connected to the patented Connector Hubs,
make flat, consistent facial planes, best for
attaching rigid glazing or board panels.
3. Use larger tubes for screwing on glazing or panels,
1-3/8" tubes are a good size.

Use method #1. for lowest cost and thinner tubes 1/2"
- 1" for lightweight covers of tarp/canvas materials.
Use bigger tubes up to 2" diameter for stronger and
larger domes and attaching rigid panels.

Use the fluted polycarb. for best durable and
insulating, lightweight for example
http://www.co-excorp.com/
http://www.polygal.com/

also HDPE as at coroplast.com brand, less expensive
than polycarb.; available in translucent UV for
horticultural uses.

Something like this - 30 ft S.D. 2-C, with sch. 80 pvc
connectors and 1-3/8" steel tubes, galvanized bolts,
ready to assemble, we can do for $7,500 + est. $400
for shipping.
Your covering materials will be extra. The twin wall
polycarb (this is expensive stuff) cover materials
might cost you another est. $7,000 if we saw the
triangles out for you.

You could compare with a wood dome, with the Super
Poly or HDPE  cover, that might cost you ~ $3,500 if
you make it from the Connector Kit. In fact I have a
price for the 2 x 4 Frame Kit + Super Poly Kit Package
Deal, $4,635 for the 25 ft dome, + freight by Roadway
on 2 or 3 pallets. You could build a cement perimeter
wall for a foundation to keep termites out.

 The sch. 80 Connector Kit for 2 x 4 domes, S.D. 2-C,
is $855 + 10% UPS. 76 Hubs and 345 struts - so you get
690 screws with the C.K.

As a matter of fact I do have a Connector Kit price
for the 6 frequency icosa dome, at $2,205 for sch. 80
pvc Connector Hubs for a 2 x 4 wood dome. There are
196 Connector Hubs. (could be less if shortened)
 Strut lengths would be in the 6 ft range for a 55 ft
dome. Qty. 555.
 I'm making an aluminum dome/sphere with inner and
outer 6061 T6 sheet metal plate connectors, painted
with epoxy coat then urethane over that (for maximum
durability). see
http://www.gardendome.com/alum/aluminum_domes.html
(for reference this 12 ft dome is a $11,000 project;
no covering).
 I would suggest using inner/outer connector plates,
and round tube struts for attaching a rigid glazing at
the various angles. The glazing can simply be screwed
on and cover strip placed over seams between panels
during installation. Use 2-3 wall polycarb. or
coroplast.com type HDPE for glazing.
Outer plates- cut in the star tab design, can be
rounded to conform to the diameter of the strut tube,
attached with counter sunk stainless steel round head
screw. see the 3 ft model
-http://www.gardendome.com/GD4.html
Inner plates - round as shown on the alum. dome page,
attached with aluminum w/stainless steel mandrel
rivets after the dome is assembled with the outer
plates. Acts as reinforcing.
 Venting - custom made windows and fixtures for
exhaust fans. May have a cupola for venting out the
top. May place on a concrete perimater wall with
windows/vents installed.
 About $85,000 for the frame. You would need around
$25,000 of cover materials, a foundation, work crew,
etc.
 The 2 x 4 frame kit we can do for $9,500 + shipping.
The Super Poly covering might be $3,000 but I have not
figured up an amount required for this dome.

PS: this dome can be made with round cylinder
Connector Hubs, pvc or aluminum, and round steel tube
struts and cost much less compared to aluminum struts
and connector plates.
Connector hubs will protrude outwardly. Will make
flat, even, consistent face planes for attaching
glazing materials. 1-3/8" thin wall tubes would be
used, as on the 18 ft Octa-Dome (but connected with
round hubs).
http://www.gardendome.com/octa_dome_photo1.html
This type frame for the 55 ft GD6 would be in the
$16,000 range. http://www.gardendome.com/Gd6.html
 http://www.gardendome.com/screensaver.html
http://www.gtwn.net/~wgd/grins/funnies.html

A Garden Dome 4 type would seem to work well in this
size. It could be the shortened version, that I have
paper model plans for.
 Covering these would be an issue, you would use
polycarb or coroplast.com type HDPE for horticulture;
and probably design the dome size to fit triangles
made from the standard size sheets.
 With this in mind, you need good flat, even triangle
faces for the covering, which can be accomplished by
using the pvc or metal connector hubs, with the steel
tube struts, and add the X1 halving struts.

 I wrote about this just yesterday-
Also with 8 strut ends stacked together on a screw,
may be an inch
difference between inner and outer strut.
http://www.gardendome.com/octa_dome_photo4.html
 Less so on regular domes with 5 or 6 struts attatched
at a vertex.
If *round hubs* are used [tubes bolted to a connector
hub], all face planes can be equal, or exact and flat
in this
regard. Something to consider. It would add screws,
washers and nuts, 2 per strut, + the hubs, so adds
equivalent to a connector kit to the cost. And hubs
would protrude out instead of in, most likely.
Another advantage is ease of assembly. When building a
typical steel tube
dome, you have to remove the nut to add next row of
struts. Requires 2 or 3
people to do this.  With a Connector Hub, just add a
strut to the Connector
with bolt/washer/nut.  For big/long struts you still
need a helper or
support board to brace up struts/sections during
assembly.
There is a 9 step process in making a metal tube
strut. -
Measure, saw, smush/bend, punch hole, [drill hole in
star connectors], grind
sharp edges, brush smooth ground edges, wash, paint
bare metal areas. All
but sawing tube sections, is done twice per strut.
For a wood strut, it's
Measure, saw, drill pilot hole, spray on wood
preservative with garden
sprayer (optional)
To make connector hubs, it's
measure, mark, saw, drill holes.
(so steel tube domes cost more than wood domes)
Of course anything worth while takes a lot of effort,
it seems.
----------
Ernie

Hello,
 Thanks for your interest in the survival domes. It
seems to me that if you are willing to go into the
survival mode of living as a basic survival dome home
would require, then you might should use a Connector
Kit and build your dome and add on amenities as time
and money allows. This would eliminate the shipping
expense (of a large package complete dome).
 For instance the 18 ft Garden Dome 2 type, basic
frame for under $900. With this minimalist approach,
for a few thousand $$ you can have a good safe warm
shelter.
 Actually I have not succeeded in finding
donation/grant money to underwrite domes to donate.
Only to charity NPOs that can be a tax write off for
me , so we do not have to pay so much to the I.R.S.
 As you can see with the Star Dome 2-C it will make a
nice tough dome plenty strong. This one is in Colorado
in high wind big snow area and has done fine. With
this in mind I have no engineering qualification for
any dome size/type and a general disclaimer as for
implied uses.
 Do you have land with electricity? An alternative is
a small mobile home/rv to use while the dome(s) are
being built.
Ernie
see
http://www.gardendome.com/sd2c_gallery.html
http://www.gardendome.com/gd2x1_plan.html

how does your payment system work? I'm worried about
> spending such a large
> sum over the net. Do you do cash on delivery. Have
> you any suggestions?
> Also, please could you tell me the dimensions of the
> packed items. Are they
> very heavy once packed?

Hello,
 The Garden Dome 6, I have for $2,205 for the sch. 80
pvc Connector Kit for 2 x 4 wood. Full hemisphere
dome. + shipping 3-4 boxes by US mail (or possibly
freight by boat) possibly 50 lb each. I sent out a box
of 36 hubs and hardware yesterday, was 25 lb. So your
196 hub GD6 proportionally could be 275 - 300 lb. 100
hubs per box, ~ size 30 x 30 x 30 inches.

These domes can be shorter, by deleting 1-3 rows of
hubs and triangles so there is a possible cost
variable there with hub qty.

You can mail a check 50% down payment, with remainer
due at time of shipping, and final shipping costs
detemined then also by final weight and size. It will
take me a few weeks to complete.

Covering with panels made from 4 x 8 ft sheets, all
these triangle panels will be (it seems to me) 1/2
triangles or 90 degree triangles made from cutting the
sheets diagonally, as shown on the Dodeca-Dome page.
So you have to splice the sheets together in the
middle. So it is convenient to have the X1 struts for
the splicing. They could be smaller wood, 2 x 2", and
approx. 6 ft lengths. These would also support the
cover in the large ~ 8 x 8 x 8 ft triangles. This
seems to me the simplest and best way to go.
(another idea is to  use an aluminum strip (thin bar)
or angle, that will not be directly attached to the
hubs or struts).
On the 4-1/2" outer diameter pvc hubs we use for
these, where 10 and 12 struts join at a hub in the X1
domes, the X1 struts have a slight bevel or chamfer on
the hub connection ends.

I would not recommend a large 8 frequency dome. The
mating angles are so slight that the strength of the
spherical arch - grid is reduced. For these type
domes, pyramidal trussing is needed to acheive good
strength.

Some modifications will make doors. Example on the 15
ft GD2- http://www.gardendome.com/gd2_gbo_door.gif
Ernie

$475 + $35 UPS for this Connector Kit for 2 x 4, with
the heavy duty pvc hubs.
Make an octagon on the ground with 8 ft boards to get
the floor area.
You might make the lower 8 vertical struts 2 x 6 on
this dome, so you would have 16 longer hubs to fit the
2 x 6s and double attaching hdw = 4 screws for each
strut.
 Also take out 2 of the square areas for approx. 16' x
8' opening and possibility of making frame for a
regular garage door.
http://www.gardendome.com/rc_octa_dome.html
The screensaver will be $20 on CD, 75 or so drawings,
and extra screensaver of Garden Dome photos included.
Ernie

The answer to your question is to use
the twin or tripple wall polycarb glazing, or two
layers of film, and heaters as required to maintain a
certain temperature.
 Ernie
More:
 Thanks for your interest. I make geodesic domes of
many types, low cost to high cost, many sizes, various
cover options, some package deals, Connector Kits and
Frame Kits, wood, steel, aluminum.
 Most of my customers use the Connector Kits to make
their own wood domes for whatever purpose. Many are
for greenhouses, with the woven poly tarp (Super
Poly). This makes a relatively low cost greenhouse
with lots of space potential, and a fun project if you
are into industrious work or would like to try it.
 Since one of your goals is for an insulating
greenhouse, the double wall polycarbonate glazing
offers a durable cover with max insulating properties.
You can purchase locally and saw it into triangle
panels (a Rotozip may work well) yourself and save
hundreds of $$. Your polycarb glazing will be the most
coslty part of the dome frame.
 I have designed a pyramid frame that can use the 4 x
8 glazing sheets efficiently with no waste, and
minimal effort. It's the basic Octa Pyramid that can
have a riser wall and add on modular components. This
would be the least expensive but good insulating
dome-like greenhouse with "pyramid power" as a bonus!
Good for 8 x 8 or 10 x 10 ft squarea area, light
enough to pick up and move easily. see
http://www.gardendome.com/oct_tet1.html
http://www.gardendome.com/oct_tet_vbo/oct_tet_truss_vbo.html
 
 Using the Super Poly, passive solar collectors can be
used for retaining heat, and removeable foam board
insulation in the windward side; and heaters as needed
to keep interior a certain temperature. Super Poly has
about the same insulating ability as glass.
http://www.gardendome.com/greenhouse_cover/poly_tarp.html

http://www.gardendome.com/gd2_greenhouse.html

 On the opposite end of the price spectrum, would be
triangle panel domes made with aluminum frame work and
polycarb glazing pre attached. You would get a crate
by motor freight with several premade triangles ready
to attach together. see
http://www.gardendome.com/panel_construction.html
Ernie

The Star Connectors page should hopefully answer most
of your questions.
http://www.gardendome.com/star_connectors.html
There are advantages and disadvantages to wood and
steel tube and star connector domes. Possibly, a 2 x 2
wood dome may be low weight and strong enough for you
and less cost than the Star Connectors. Depending on
if you want to saw the wood with a miter saw, or just
pvc with a power saw, or tube cutter.
 Some smaller complete steel tube domes can be shipped
by UPS in 1-2 boxes. As I mention, there is more work
involved cutting and drilling, to make Star
Connectors, VS. the complete steel tube strut dome.
But it seems the advantage of the Star Connectors is:
1. Make your own struts from pvc or other material
2. Light weight
3. Easier to apply covering to pvc or wood struts
4. Resizable by proportionally resizing the struts.
5. Will never rot.
6. Strong yet flexible (depending on strut materials)
7. Easily and quickly assembled and dis-assembled

Ernie

> 1. Geodesic. All triangles. \ & / struts must be
> length close to the others, but it is variable to a
> degree. A door method would be 2 hinged triangle
> panels or a 1 piece flap entrance if film is used
for
> covcering.

> 2. Vertical. All rectangles, with intermediate
> vertical
> struts as required to give stability, and variable
> height from approx. 1 to 8 ft. Best for use with
rigid
> siding. A standard door can be used if tall enough.
> Door can be as with option #3-

> 3. Geodesic, with vertical struts for door retrofit.
4
> hubs are modified to make an "A" frame. A flat "A"
door can then be built,
> for a hinged entrance. (smaller domes; larger ones
can have a standard door, see
http://www.gardendome.com/gd2_x1a/gd2x1a_door.html )
> I will make the Connector Hubs according to the Base
> Option type you want to make.