Domes are ideally suited for community centers
Monolithic steel-reinforced concrete domes are ideally suited for facilities requiring open spaces because they are open span, meaning there are no columns to intrude on or interrupt valuable interior space.
For that reason, they are excellent choices for:
- Schools & college buildings
- Community centers
- Auditoriums and convention halls
- Sports arenas & complexes
- Churches & synagogues
- Museums
- Airplane hangars
- Government offices
Inside, the walls and ceilings of a monolithic dome can safely support various hanging features, such as balconies, mezzanines, walkways, press boxes, galleries, score boards, audio and video equipment, etc.
Cost Savings
The shape of the dome encloses the maximum amount of space with the least surface area. Because of this and due to its unique shape, the dome construction process itself has numerous significant advantages over other methods, including:
- Reduced construction cost
- Shorter construction time
- Increased design flexibility
- Greatly reduced maintenance costs
- A much longer life span
There are many designs that can be applied to bring about unique architecture. Units can be overlapped; the shell material can be smoothed or textured and the outside layer can be completed in almost any color. The designer has total flexibility in the layout of rooms; virtually any size and number of rooms are possible
Energy Efficiency
Because monolithic domes are fully insulated with a monolithic layer of polyurethane foam, they are micro-energy users, meaning they need 35% to 50% of the energy used by traditionally shaped buildings to maintain a comfortable interior.
Regular maintenance on monolithic domes is minimal, with maintenance costs generally running 50% less than other conventional buildings. In fact, many studies have revealed that when amortized over 20 years, the energy savings of a dome often recoup a major portion of the facility’s original cost.
Sustainability
Monolithic concrete domes are extremely sustainable on many levels. First, the durable construction of the rebar-enforced concrete shell enables them to withstand hurricanes, tornadoes, or other crisis situations. Secondly, domes require significantly less building materials than regular structures. While they are made primarily of concrete and steel, they use much less of it compared to other buildings – up to 50-70% less. And because they are nearly indestructible, if a disaster does occur, there may be no need for expensive replacement materials.
