Advantages of Dome Buildings

Strength

The Monolithic Dome has many different aspects that make it the best choice in construction. Domes are extremely durable and strong. While the average building life is measured in decades, the Monolithic Dome can be measured in centuries. They are fire, water, and wind resistant, making them impervious to hurricanes, tornadoes, fires and other threatening natural disasters. In one instance, after Hurricane Frances hit the coast of Florida, a dome built right on the shore was one of the only buildings left standing. The residents simply closed their hurricane shutters and let the storm pass, their home suffering very little damage. Learn more about how the dome structure makes these buildings so strong.

Fireproof

In one industrial example, in Channelview, Texas, an electrical fire caused 300 gallons of transformer oil to ignite and burn three wood-framed structures while the Monolithic Dome storage unit remained intact, preserving the materials inside. In another case in California, firefighters took refuge in a dome home to escape a ravenous forest fire surrounding it. The fire caused only minimal damage to the home.

Energy Efficiency

The Monolithic Dome is not only disaster proof, but also extremely efficient. The dome structure allows for a wide variety of floor plan designs because it needs no interior support. This allows you to take advantage of the wide open space of your building. Because of the structure’s tightness, they conserve vast amounts of energy, making them more cost effective to run and heat. In a regular stick home, the amount of airflow going through the home is equal to having a door open all the time. The Monolithic Dome, however, is so well insulated and tight that the airflow amounts to an opening the size of two pencils. In one instance, the total energy costs for a two bedroom Monolithic Dome home for the year of 1999 was less than $400. Trinity Christian Center’s Monolithic Dome church in Soldotna, Alaska encompasses 8,000 square feet. In 1999, Pastor Ray Ansel reported that their “natural gas heating averaged $72 per month. Heating a traditional building of similar size would cost $1,000 or more per month.”

Low Maintenance

A dome is also significantly easier to maintain than a regular building. There is no worry about roof repairs, wood rot, termite damage or any other sort of inconvenient maintenance required in a conventional structure.

Monolithic Dome Costs

In most cases, unique and high-quality products and services are the more expensive and long-term options when building a home or business facility. In the case of monolithic domes, compromises don’t need to be made while sticking to a cost-efficient budget. Monolithic domes by South Industries are usually the best value per square-foot and square-ton, but the initial savings in the construction phase is just the beginning to the overall savings that you will enjoy thanks to low maintenance and utilities costs that come with being a dome owner!