After water and damp-proofing the arch building, the earth covering should be accomplished in a systematic sequence. The drainage system including Visquine or other membrane should be in-stalled during the earth covering phase as per the earth covering/drainage design.

Equal amounts of earth should be moved on each side of the arch. If the arch starts to deflect in the opposite direction, stop the placement of earth on that side and equalize it on the other side.

If the arch starts rising in the center, stop the placement of the earth on the sides and start elevat-ing the material by conveyor to the center of the building.

Continue elevating the material until the designed cover has been obtained.

Any concerns before or during construction should be discussed with Hardened Structures 1-877-486-0084.

Hardened Structures Hardened Shelters, LLC offers, either in-house or through partner firms, De-sign, Engineering, Consultation, Construction and On -site Technical Support services are available. Call to obtain more information and pricing for these services.

FOUNDATIONS:

With the purchase of your earth covered Wonder Building, Hardened Structures provides you with basic building drawings including a Slot Foundation Drawing and a Design Load Data Sheet. The Slot Foundation Drawing shows the layout of the slot foundation for the particular building model(s) you purchased. These are minimal dimensions based on the steel arch and do not take into account any loads other than the snow and wind load.

We strongly suggest that a professional civil or structural engineer be engaged to design the foundation. Foundation design is typically based on local soil conditions, local building code, and other site specific project requirements. The foundation design also needs to take into account the additional loads (earth load and design, seismic load, and any other load).

The Design Load Data sheet provides the design professional with all of the arch reactions for the particular model so that they can design the foundation.

VENTILATION:

Your earth covered Wonder Building should be designed with adequate ventilation. Ventilation can be accomplished with natural air vents and/or mechanical systems. This is a standard building practice and your local HVAC contractor and/or Mechanical Engineer can provide you with the design and/or information on proper ventilation design.

All metal buildings, no matter what type, have condensation. Proper ventilation will take care of any condensation issues. And, foundation and ventilation systems can work together to reduce dampness in an earth covered building.

EARTH COVERING and RETAINING WALLS

Design of the earth covering should take into account how the earth will be held onto the structure. Often, this can be done with the design of the earth covering utilizing proper tapering of the earth itself. Many building owners choose to design and construct retaining walls, especially at the end of the structure, to hold the earth back. There are many choices for retaining walls—stone, concrete, wood, steel, brick, or other materials can be designed to retain the earth. Climate , local soil conditions, and budget will typically dictate design requirements.

LANDSCAPING

Landscaping design should take into account the earth covered Wonder Building. For example, trees should be planted far enough away that the root system will not penetrate the steel arch or even the waterproofing membrane. If grass is planted on the building, consideration needs to be made for cutting the grass (if desired) without exceeding the design loads of the building. Your local landscape contractor or designer can work with you to design landscaping that enhances your project and may be able to suggest local materials to increase the sustainability of your project.