Survivalist Forum banner

Monolithic Cabins

7K views 23 replies 18 participants last post by  lafayettela 
#1 ·
I came across this while doing research on the monolithic domes. It made me think of those tiny custom homes that someone posted a link to a few weeks back (some were as small as 99 sq ft for $18,999 and up to ~220sq ft for $40,000!), I wish I had the link to compare those to these. I'm sure these are just a little bit cheaper:thumb:!

http://www.monolithic.com/topics/cabins

I noticed that ForestBeeKeeper made an interesting post about how to avoid some tax issues as a boat house was not taxable nor was a trailer (at least where he lives). I would think that one of these cabins could very easily be placed on wheels or somehow made to be a "boat house".

I would think that someone could build these fairly easily with a wooden frame that is moved as the shot-crete is set or even create a greenhouse frame with re-bar (or whatever is used to build these cabins) and stretch burlap very tightly over the frame and then apply very thin layers of shot-crete to start and once you have a few layers (maybe an inch+) then you can step up to the normal process.

If you are looking to build an inexpensive concrete home that doesn't need to be indestructalbe and you want it to be somewhat lighter than normal concrete with an added benefit of insulation, I would suggest looking into adding perlite to the shot-crete mix. When I planned to build my wast oil foundry/forge/furnace, I found that I could use concrete, sand and perlite (1/1/5 parts) and it would be pretty strong and amazingly light. The perlite adds a heat resistant factor, GREATLY reduces the weight and adds an insulation factor.

What are your opinions on these cabins?

What do you think about the perlite idea, is it plausible?
 
See less See more
#6 ·
expensive? yes but really cool. My fiancee lives about 35 miles from the place they make those. They have several done that are always open so anyone can check them out anytime. There is a whole subdivision there of different sizes including a bunch of small ones that are rentals. It is in Italy, TX. The factory is made of several large ones linked together and is painted to look like a giant catapillar. Reaaly a neat concept. The cost is just prohibitive to me. But if you want a home that can take any winds mother nature can throw at it and not have a issue then this is the only above ground option.
 
#8 ·
if you look at the link i gave you in my first post it shows you how to make one yourself for a few hundred bucks and you can make is as big or small as you want
 
#7 ·
I love monolithic domes. My dream house would be to have a monolitic dome home.

I've only seen a few... ugly as sin from the outside... gorgeous inside... and they will resist fires, hurricanes, falling trees... pretty much anything short of a direct a-bomb hit.
 
#13 ·
Not only are they impervious to all natural disasters and some man made ones, but they are also extremely efficient b/c of the thermal mass.



There a lot of examples on youtube of people building their own monolithic structures the old way, using wood to support the drying concrete.
 
#9 ·
The ones in the OP seem alright for small, tough shelters... for someone that has more money than time.
I just don't see the point of it for something so small with so little stowage space. If a basement of equal size could be tacked on with a minimal amount of fuss, it could be worthwhile.
 
#11 ·
Forget putting that on a trailer, except maybe an 18 wheeler lowboy with about 5 axles, and a Kenworth to tow it.

You might be able to build one on a barge and have a great houseboat though. You'd need a very heavy keel to keep it upright.

I do like the idea of building your own. It just a canvas tent, attached to a concrete slab and inflated.

Any moderately talented seamstress with a heave duty sewing machine could build the canvas part. From there it's just bending and tying rebar and hiring a concrete contractor to blow on the cement.

I don't think it was Monolithic, but I saw a TV show with the same idea. But they had a layer of insulation inside the concrete. They blew on a thin, Maybe 4 inch layer of concrete, then about 6 inches of spray foan insulation, then another thinner layer of concrete. This was all on one framework of rebar so the three layers were held together by the rebar.
 
#21 ·
Another option is if you live in a colder climate fish houses only require a yearly registration. Where my parents used to live when the lots were set up you were only allowed two detached buildings per lot. So that usually meant your garage, and a shed. To get around this issue my dad would by a fish house license for his another one of our sheds every year. A mile down the road, lots were not allowed any buildings other than your house/garage combined, so one of our friends did the same thing so he could have a shed, obviously these sheds were the type that sat on concrete blocks so that it would be believable.
 
#22 ·
I would think that someone could build these fairly easily with a wooden frame that is moved as the shot-crete is set or even create a greenhouse frame with re-bar (or whatever is used to build these cabins) and stretch burlap very tightly over the frame and then apply very thin layers of shot-crete to start and once you have a few layers (maybe an inch+) then you can step up to the normal process.
I read shot-crete and concrete.

Are these bullet-proof?
 
#23 ·
Proof? No.

Resistant? Yes.

It also depends on the size of the bullet.

.223? Yeah.

Average hunting rifle? Probably.

50 Cal? Probably not.

Artillery? Kiss you butt good-bye.

But against any of those, The monolithic dome is far more resistant than the average home.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top