Monolithic Domes and Disaster Resistance |
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Dennis A. Quan, currently an Emergency Manager with the State of Florida Division of Emergency Management and formerly a Hazard Mitigation
Engineer with FEMA's Region IV Joint Field Office in Jackson, Mississippi, has completed a thought-provoking report.
Read More... |
Dome of a Home, in Pensacola Beach, Florida, did it again! This 70' x 54', luxurious, beachfront property that is the home of Valerie and Mark Sigler, as well as a bed and breakfast, has survived its third serious hurricane in a year.
A Monolithic Dome, by its very nature, can and will withstand hurricane winds. The strongest hurricanes push with 150-mile-per-hour (mph) winds or 100 pounds per square foot. That force means absolutely nothing to a Monolithic Dome.
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The following information was compiled by Dr. Arnold Wilson, a leading engineer in thin shell concrete construction. The Monolithic™ Dome is the most disaster resistant building that can be built at a reasonable price without going underground or into a mountain. (see: related link) |
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During 1991, a war was underway between Iraq and Iran. Jan Pregowski of Monolithic Constructors of Poland was asked to go to Iraq during this time of political unrest to construct 28 domes. Twenty-seven of the domes were grain storages, 117' in diameter and 58' tall. But one, a 40-foot diameter dome, was built as a mosque for Suddam Hussein.
The mosque was bombed during the present-day war in Iraq by a 5000 lb. bomb. Although the interior will need massive repair, the dome itself is structurally sound. |
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In 2004, Monolithic designed a dome for DuPont. They wanted a structure that could survive a category 5 (155+ mph winds and 18+ foot surge) hurricane, for their plant in DeLisle, Mississippi. In 1969, Hurricane Camille caused extensive damage to the town and to the shores along the Bay of St. Louis. Ten years later, DuPont built the DeLisle facility. Its employees include a Hurricane Crew of 20 volunteers. Those volunteers now have their very own Hurricane Shelter -- a Monolithic Dome that has a 50-foot diameter, an 18-foot height,1860 square feet of living space with kitchen and bathroom, and a hardened entryway. |
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Barry and Susan McDermid owned a Geodesic dome which burned in the 2003 southern California wildfires. After that experience they have been researching Monolithic Domes. Sold on the idea, they are now building a beautiful dome home located next to Cuyamaca State Park, just one hour from San Diego. |
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Disasters, fires, explosions happen in the industrial business. Industrial buildings are usually a “metal tent” to keep the rain off the product and people inside. However, there is a great need for industrial buildings to be constructed as safe buildings. They should protect workers inside from inclement weather and provide a conducive work environment. |
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Liquefaction has proven to be a huge problem for some of the California earthquakes. Even though the soil doesn't become as thin like water, its ability to support buildings is greatly compromised.The solution is to construct an uninsulated concrete thin shell dome upside down underneath the main dome. The inverted dome can be filled with dirt or concrete. By inverting a shallow dome underneath the main dome, it will act as a boat in the sand to prevent the dome home from sinking.
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According to a National Geographic website, lightning is an electrical discharge between positive and negative regions of a thunderstorm. While there are different kinds of lightning, the most damaging and dangerous kind is cloud-to-ground lightning. Its bolts can have temperatures that are hotter than the sun. So what will lightning do to a Monolithic Dome? Based on the evidence we have gathered so far and on the opinions of experts we have questioned, not much of anything. |
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At Monolithic, we think fire stations should be indestructible. They house emergency response teams -- the firefighters and paramedics a community needs when natural or man-made disasters strike. A Monolithic Dome designed as a fire station makes that facility invulnerable to tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes and a serious deterrent to acts of terrorism. |
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When the sky darkens and tornado sirens sound off, our first instinct is to seek the safest shelter possible for our families and loved ones. That very scenario happened on April 16, 2002 in Ellis County, Texas. Every community in the county including Italy, Texas - home of the Monolithic Dome Institute was warned and people were advised to take shelter. Fortunately, Italy School District's Gymnasium, recently built by Monolithic, was utilized that evening as a tornado refuge according to the city's new emergency plan |
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Hurricane Dennis, which made landfall on Sunday afternoon on Pensacola Beach, Florida, did not pack the punch Floridians had feared. Thankfully, Dennis did not do as much damage as his big brother Ivan did last year. |
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As soon as Palm Beach officials begin warning residents of an impending disaster, The Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League provides its local media with public service announcements about its rescue service. "We encourage folks to take their pets with them to wherever they evacuate. But some people just can't do that. They may have no choice, other than a place that simply cannot or will not accept animals. Fortunately, we can and do." |
Serene is the best word to describe the feeling our customers get when they spend time in a Monolithic Dome -- serene and secure.
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The Pilgrims United Church of Christ in Fruitland Park, Florida brought Harry and Jean Harrison and several other parishioners through the chapel doors when Hurricane Charlie threatened the state of Florida. Then again, when Frances stormed the state, even more church members sought refuge within the dome |
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"They decided on Monolithic Domes because they're engineered to combat just about anything nature can deliver, including 300 mph hurricane winds, extreme storm surges and earthquakes." |
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From Friday, Sept. 29 to Sunday, Oct. 1, Keith, a force 4 hurricane with winds up to 135 mph, raged over Ambergris Caye off the coast of Belize in the Caribbean Sea... Two Monolithic Domes endured and survived Hurricane Keith's rampage virtually unscathed! |
Monolithic Domes take a much smaller amount of steel per building than most conventional structures. (Of course, wood buildings use less steel, but wood prices have also shot up and are still on the rise.) So the impact of price increases will be lower with a Monolithic Dome.
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Monolithic Domes can withstand terrorist attacks better than most conventional buildings. |
The thermal dynamics of insulated Monolithic Domes are such that they do not change enough in temperature to cause them to change size and shape. They are thermally stable. I have never seen a Monolithic Dome home move enough to be measured.
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seismic zone map is based on a statistical compilation of the number and the magnitude of past earthquakes. Therefore, it is an indication of where the next earthquake is most likely to occur, how often and the magnitude. |
Passing the Bullet Test--
The strength and durability of Monolithic Domes
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As they say on TV, "Don't try this at home." Don't shoot
holes in your home with a 30-06 caliber rifle. In the photograph
on the left Gary Clark is firing on one of our 32-foot Monolithic
Dome storage buildings. He is firing from very close range,
nearly perpendicular to the dome.
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After reviewing the FEMA requirements for a structure capable
of providing a safe shelter for people in areas where hurricanes
and tornados represent a real danger, the Monolithic Dome, because
of its very nature, heads the list for economy and strength to
resist the extreme loads.
Because of the way in which it's designed and constructed, a
Monolithic Dome automatically becomes a "safe
home." Its steel-reinforced concrete, its rounded shape and
its weight make it so.
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...But underneath, the dome is incredibly different ? solid concrete reinforced with steel and insulated with the best insulation ever made. The double-curved surface and spray-in-place construction adds much more strength and durability. |
FEMA Grant Awarded to Sigler Family of Pensacola Beach,
Florida for A
Dome of a Home!
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Once completed, the new Florida dome will be available to
rent on a weekly basis. During non-rental times, the home
will be open for scheduled tours. Being able to actually live
in a dome before building one is an opportunity that the Siglers
would have found extremely advantageous.
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-r
n
), adj. 1. Unaffected by disturbance; calm and unruffled.
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