First
Time For Everything
As the old saying goes, "There's a first time for everything." Andy Barnes and Robert Foster of Oklahoma, first-time dome builders, had the jitters on the eve of their first dome inflation - by Gary Clark
The floor was poured and everything seemed ready - except for the weather. A storm was brewing. Andy and Robert knew they had to inflate so high winds wouldn't tear the Airform, and rain wouldn't settle on the interior.
Looking seriously into Andy's tired face, Robert asked, "Do we want to inflate?" Andy answered with an emphatic, "Yes!" After much preparation and the attaching of the inflator fan to the airlock, their moment finally arrived: time to turn on the inflator fan. They plugged it in and turned it on - then stood back to admire the result of their hard work.
The inflation progressed slowly. They waited and waited, hoping to see a dome shape in the Airform. But only a slightly inflated dome appeared.
Andy and Robert checked for possible problems, but could not find the reason for the failed inflation. Eventually, exhaustion won. "I can't take it anymore," Andy said. "I'm going to bed. When the storm hits, it will either take it down or it'll be all right."
The first-time dome builders headed for their trailer and some much-needed sleep. They wakened to darkness and winds that blew and howled and rocked their trailer back and forth. But Andy and Robert could do nothing but hope for the best possible outcome.
Morning dawned. Andy and Robert opened the door of the trailer expecting to see a demolished Airform. Instead, the sight of a beautifully inflated dome greeted them. The Airform successfully rode out the storm, but all was not a hundred percent right. When Andy and Robert touched the Airform, they realized that it still lacked pressure. So, what do you do now?
They tried everything they could think of to fix the problem. No luck. In desperation, they called MDI. The technician immediately suggested they check the rotation of the motor on the inflator fan.
Andy knew that changing the rotation required switching just two wires - a simple task under normal conditions. But the wind was still blowing. So, it was still dangerous to shut off the fan. That could allow the Airform to whip in the wind and tear.
Yet, the rotation had to be changed. Robert went on the inside to tend the Airform while Andy quickly disconnected the motor. Despite the quickness of the disconnection, Robert continually shouted, "Hurry up! It's coming down! It's whipping the Airform!" Once Andy completed his task, the inflator tube connecting the fan to the dome took on full pressure within minutes, and the dome completely inflated with proper pressure.
Robert and Andy realized that the storm had actually helped the Airform to inflate. The inflator motor running backwards all night long qualifies for a first and a lesson learned. I'll bet neither Andy or Robert will ever try to inflate an Airform again before first checking the rotation of the fan.
And are Robert and Andy proud of their first completed dome? Yes, and proud to add another chapter to the lighterside of Monolithic Dome construction.
"I really don't think this is working. Are you sure that fan is turned on? I'm beginning to feel light-headed."
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