Building second oven

[jlanechina]

We are building a second oven for commercial use. We want to make it 1800 mm inside diameter. The oven plans only show dimensions for a 36" (914 mm) and 42" (1066 mm) ovens. We want to build the low vault version. These plans show the interior height, opening width and opening height increasing 1" for the 6" of increase in interior diameter.

Does anyone have experience with a larger version as far as these dimensions are concerned?

This oven will be built in a restaurant where we expect to sell between 250 to 400 pies a day with roughly 40% 11" pies and 60% 16" pies. We have access to fairly high grade had wood, a fruit wood of some sort. The restaurant is in a new mall and we will install a spark filter/arrestor on the oven so the hood fan only get smoke - fairly white.

Our calculations suggest an interior height of 21" (533 mm), an opening width of 23.5" (596 mm) and an opening height of 15.5" (393 mm). Will be very appreciative for information and corrections on these dimensions and any other comments on commercial use of this design for ovens.

THANKS.

[dmun]

Re: Building second oven

Wow, that's a big oven! That big and that low an oven will have to have serious side buttressing to counteract the sideways forces involved. I would recommend reading and understanding this page:

Auroville Earth Institute, training courses, workshops on Vaults, Arches, Domes(VAD), stabilized rammed earth walls, compressed earth blocks, vaulted structures, compressed stabilised earth blocks, rammed earth.

which discusses the forces involved in arches and domes.

To answer your question, I don't think anyone here has built the size and shape of dome you're proposing. You might want to consider asking this question on the professional pizza forum:

PMQ's Think Tank :: Index

They might have some specific experience with huge ovens to share.

[jlanechina]

Re: Building second oven

Thanks much. Have downloaded calculations pdf and posted the question on the PMQ think tank site.

[cynon767]

Re: Building second oven

Dutchoven built a restaurant oven that, although not quite as large as the one you're proposing, was still quite a bit larger than the average here, with a somewhat low dome. you should check out the thread; it's pretty good.

[jlanechina]

Re: Building second oven

Thanks much, will do immediately.

joe