32" build in Calgary, AB - pompeii neapolitan

[IH123]

I have been designing my oven and now its time to start building , wondering if my designs are good:

[SableSprings]

Welcome to the forum community. It's difficult to make any comment on your oven design from this picture. I'm assuming you're going to stack block over the rebar, but it would be good to know if you prepared for ground frost heave potential issues. How thick is the concrete pad and how was the ground base prepared underneath it? Are you planning a brick or cast dome? How big an oven are you going to build? Lots of experienced help available here but we need specific questions and details about your proposed build.

[IH123]

foundation pictures, cmu block cores to be grouted

[UtahBeehiver]

As Mike mentioned, it would be helpful if we had more details on your build. Our members want to help new builders with the best practices and current trends. It is much easier to correct fatal flaws on paper then after the build has started. If you have not already done so, go to the Forno Bravo website and under resources you will find a free pdf download that gives a builder basic guidelines to get started and combined with member's input you will be less likely to run into design issues.

[IH123]

Hi, I apologize for not providing details. The first time I couldn't edit my post as it was a first not approved and got stuck with one uploaded picture brief. initial attempts to upload multiple pictures result in too large files errors and upon trying a one it worked and locked to be approved. The next time I was trying to test if I can post (if it approved) and then the concrete delivery guy came with about 2 tons of ready mix had to rush get him to place in my garage so not leave out in rain at evening.. and got caught on other things. now and next I will respond to your post and thank you

[IH123]

Welcome to the forum community. It's difficult to make any comment on your oven design from this picture. I'm assuming you're going to stack block over the rebar, but it would be good to know if you prepared for ground frost heave potential issues. How thick is the concrete pad and how was the ground base prepared underneath it? Are you planning a brick or cast dome? How big an oven are you going to build? Lots of experienced help available here but we need specific questions and details about your proposed build.

Thanks for letting me in. I digged out all top soil, was about 12" under which its clay, then placed woven fabric==> road crushed gravel compressed by a 200lbs gas presser ==> XPS rigid foam ==> vapour barrier==> rebar chairs and rebar ==> bottom slab. I use 6000psi with air entrain and fibre for 5.5" target thickness (28 bags each 25kg), the result slab was a mess as my first time mix concrete in hot weathr with very low slump, had rough surface . at one point I thought I have to demolish. I instead kept all winter long leaving on it 64 cmu blocks and 175 fire bricks (close to a 1 Ton of weight and after the whole winter there was no a single hair crack on it. after I drilled the bottom slab for dowels it was solid so had to grind surface so cmu blocks could bind to. I have mutual products refractory bricks 9.5"x4.5"x2.625" rated for about 2300F. dome will be hearth=32" circle, dome itself is a capped sphere 16 1/8" radius 14 1/8" high from hearth top with dome radius of 16 1/8" (sphere). inner door opening(throat) W14 3/4" x H8 7/8", outer door opening(mouth) W17" x H10", archway length 13.5" , I have 6" type A SS chimney 36" long and chimney adapter plate and rain cap with 1/4" stainless steel spark arrestor

-refractory fire bricks from mutual products 9"x4.5"x2.625" (9 x 4 1/2 x 2 5/8 )each is about 3.3kg
-only 175 fire bricks exactly
-oven is 4.5" thick wall/shell dome
- 2.625" thick for hearth

[IH123]

As Mike mentioned, it would be helpful if we had more details on your build. Our members want to help new builders with the best practices and current trends. It is much easier to correct fatal flaws on paper then after the build has started. If you have not already done so, go to the Forno Bravo website and under resources you will find a free pdf download that gives a builder basic guidelines to get started and combined with member's input you will be less likely to run into design issues.

Thanks, here are some of my design diagrams that I am following, I appreciate your kind help

[IH123]

Arch diagrams

[IH123]

cmu block layout (to be 4 courses

[IH123]

dome diagram

[IH123]

insulation, buttressing, banding and hoop

[IH123]

render for side/ front view

[IH123]

Today work: clean the cmu block cores from all debris, wash dust and suck water with wet dry shop vac. I had beam rebars between each course, I placed the 4th course beam rebars (10mm) will be removed while grouting and put back before top slab pour, this is to allow for concrete vibrator access as they are pretty jamming at top

[david s]

Excellent plans, you've obviously researched and thought out this build really well.

A couple of things:
It looks like you have no access to the centre of your stand and if so you won't be able to remove any props supporting the supporting slab pour. I guess this doesn't really matter, they could stay there forever. Do consider either casting weep holes through the supporting slab or drilling them later. Casting them is probably easier because there's no problem in dodging hitting steel if drilling. An enclosure design is better than an igloo in terms of keeping out moisture, but all ovens suffer from moisture accumulation under the floor, particularly in the building stage and the weep holes do a great job of providing an exit for that moisture.

It looks like you are planning to make precise cuts of the floor bricks and building the dome around the outside of the floor. If this is correct try to get medium duty firebricks because high duty ones are far tougher to cut and you'll go through expensive diamond blades a lot quicker. Because you'll do a lot of cutting and the build will take some time the hiring of a brick saw will get expensive, far better to buy one and resell after the project if you want to recoup costs.

[IH123]

Excellent plans, you've obviously researched and thought out this build really well.

A couple of things:
It looks like you have no access to the centre of your stand and if so you won't be able to remove any props supporting the supporting slab pour. I guess this doesn't really matter, they could stay there forever. Do consider either casting weep holes through the supporting slab or drilling them later. Casting them is probably easier because there's no problem in dodging hitting steel if drilling. An enclosure design is better than an igloo in terms of keeping out moisture, but all ovens suffer from moisture accumulation under the floor, particularly in the building stage and the weep holes do a great job of providing an exit for that moisture.

It looks like you are planning to make precise cuts of the floor bricks and building the dome around the outside of the floor. If this is correct try to get medium duty firebricks because high duty ones are far tougher to cut and you'll go through expensive diamond blades a lot quicker. Because you'll do a lot of cutting and the build will take some time the hiring of a brick saw will get expensive, far better to buy one and resell after the project if you want to recoup costs.

1- why do I need weep holes on slab? I am creating vents in the cmu walls not on the slab, they are positioned at 90 degrees angle so regardless which direction any wind is flowing it will push from one side and vent in another any trapped moisture and pressure in those closed cubes.

2-I have bricks that are rated for about 2500F - not heavy duty, 9"x4.5"x2.625" each weighs abut 3.3kg. I have a 10" wetsaw (will require two passes on some cuts). I have all tools I bought used at steep prices. I have concrete vibrator, cement drum mixer, paddle mixer, wet saw, mitre saw, concrete saw... etc

3- for moisture enclosure, I am actually going a totally new plan, bought two Aluminum sheets 24 gauge 0.020" each is 4ftx8ft , I will use a shingle style shell with 1" gap between the aluminum sheet and oven outer layer made by metal clips anchored to the perlite-cement layer: imagine it like an orange peel or earth equator lines,at bottom will be a big circular warp lets say about 6"-8" high, then next I put another wrap above it overlapping with it and so on, when I reach the peak pole of the dome, I will create a hole in the sheet and on top of it I will create a big umbrella so any rainfalls or melts will fall far over the shingles. same for archway however rectangular. the sheets will cover the entire slab top not just the dome so one wrap will cover the slab and has a small cantilever and drop control so basically a manta ray shape cover separated from oven by a 1" gap , is that crazy? my backup plan is to use the sheets as a roof top metal sheets if I ended up with lumber roof