Texas School Officials are Coming Around to Monolithic Domes

ITALY, Texas (June 6, 2002) - When tornadoes roared through Central Texas last April, residents of the small town of Italy took shelter in their local high school's new gymnasium-- a steel-reinforced concrete building known as a Monolithic Dome.

It won't be long before residents of the nearby town of Avalon can do the same. Their local school is putting the finishing touches on its own Monolithic Dome gym, which will double as a community disaster shelter.

If school officials in two other Texas towns have their way, they will also have a tornado shelter disguised as a Monolithic Dome gym.

Monolithic Domes make good tornado shelters because they meet the Federal Emergency Management Agency's criteria for "near-absolute protection." But disaster protection is just one of the reasons why four Texas school districts within a 30-mile radius have decided to focus on these unconventional round structures.

School officials say they also have been attracted by the fact that Monolithic Domes are highly energy-efficient, easy to maintain and literally designed to last for centuries. Another big selling point is that they typically cost less to build than a traditional building of the same size.

"There is no stronger, safer or more energy-efficient building available for the price of a Monolithic Dome," says David B. South, who co-invented and patented the process for building the round structures and now heads the Monolithic Dome Institute in Italy, Texas.

For South, the construction of a Monolithic Dome multipurpose facility in his adopted hometown of Italy marked the culmination of years of efforts to convince school officials of the benefits of these round buildings.

Since Emmett High School in Idaho became the first to break with tradition and build a Monolithic Dome in 1988, school districts in New Mexico, Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma, Minnesota and Arizona have followed suit. But Italy was the first school district in Texas to build one.

Italy Superintendent Mike Clifton says the decision came down to a cost-benefit analysis. "We had an architect come in to talk about a conventional gym, and we knew what we could get for $2 million," says Clifton. "With a Monolithic Dome, we could get so much more."

Clifton says the board was impressed not only with the construction cost, but the easy maintenance, superior insulation and high energy efficiency of the building.

The two-story multipurpose facility, which was inaugurated in February 2002, measures 148 feet in diameter (or about 23,267 square feet) and was built on16-foot stemwalls. In addition to a gymnasium with seating for 1,500, the building houses a walking track, auditorium and classrooms.

In addition to basketball and volleyball games, the new multipurpose facility also hosts a number of other activities such as physical education classes, theatrical performances, and graduation ceremonies.

Before students in Italy ever set foot inside the building, officials in the Avalon School District had already decided that they wanted one too. The Avalon multipurpose facility, which is scheduled for completion in January 2003, replaces an aging gym that will continue to be used as a PE facility.

Constructed on 12-foot stemwalls, the Avalon dome measures 124 feet in diameter and features a full-size gymnasium, practice areas, four locker rooms and a concession stand. The final construction cost price is estimated at $1.5 million.

Like Italy school officials, Avalon Superintendent David Del Bosque and his board were attracted not only by the building's relatively low cost, but also by its high energy efficiency and easy maintenance.

Del Bosque says he also was intrigued by the Monolithic Dome's design. I really liked the futuristic look of it," he says. "It's like having a large arena in your town."
While Monolithic Domes no doubt look different, they also are built differently than any other type of structure.

Construction begins with the laying of a circular foundation, and the placement of a stemwall if the design calls for one. Next comes the attachment of the Airform, an inflatable tarp made of tough, single-ply roofing material.

As giant fans keep the Airform inflated to create the shape of the dome, construction moves to the interior where polyurethane insulation material is sprayed on in several stages, finally totaling about three inches. A grid of steel rebar is then placed just inside of the foam, making the inside of the dome look like a giant birdcage. Finally, the rebar grid is embedded in a 2- to 3-inch layer of the liquid concrete known as Shotcrete. The concrete is sprayed on in several stages, and the Airform remains in place to serve as the structure's waterproof outer shell.

Once the Airform is inflated, most of the work takes place inside the building, meaning that weather delays are not a factor. As a result, construction can progress quickly.
For school districts, the speed of construction is often an important issue. Italy was able to complete its gym in just a little under one year. Avalon also expects to be on track for a one-year construction schedule, meaning the building will be completed just in time for the next tornado season. "We'll have a storm shelter in the community, which will really be great," says Del Bosque.

Residents of Italy can vouch for that. Under the town's new emergency plan the gym was opened to the public on April 16th when tornado sirens sounded and residents were advised to take shelter.

Although David South was able to stay put in his own Monolithic Dome home, he says it is gratifying to see that the school children of his community not only have a brand new sports facility, but a safe haven as well. Says South: "I can't think of anything more important than protecting our most precious resources-- our children."

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