Basalt Roving Dome

We use the Basalt for EcoShells. This is the scaled down uninsulated version. The dome on the video is demo only. It is 10 foot diameter. We often build through 40 foot diameter. For most of the housing in the developing countries we build from 20 feet diameter to 40 foot (6m to 13m). We use this size also for medical clinics, schools, etc. You can see more on our main website www.monolithic.com.

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Education

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• domes
• concrete
• besalt
• roving
• monolithic
• sustainable
• houseing
• 3rd
• world
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[mdi01]

In one case we had an out of control dump truck loaded with rock run into the dome with cosmetic damage only. We have had them smashed by earthquakes including one in Taiwan that brought both buildings flanking the dome to the earth with only unloaded shelves etc in the dome. Safe is what we are after and the domes provide safety.

[mdi01]

We try and use the term tornado safe. There is no such thing as proof. Our Monolithic Dome is pretty close. We meet and exceed all of the standards of FEMA 361. FEMA 361 is the design criteria for tornado shelters.  But nothing will obviously make it proof. For instance what if the tornado hits a 747 flying overhead and it plummets to the earth hitting the school or etc. If it is the school bus the building will withstand it, but not the 747.

[mitsukai89]

@maccaADL and how is concrete a danger to the environment?

[maccaADL]

Lot of concrete to be calling it a Eco dome?

[8CURRY8]

horogium



[JO138214]

@mdi01 You said we could build these ourselves. Where can one buy the basalt roving?

[sirmontag]

Very nice work! I'm glad to see there are people dedicated to building innovative structures out there, especially ones that can be made for low cost. And durable too, rare combination that. Short of 'build a new one', is there any way to make changes to a structure after building it? Like running new wiring or a new window?

[Joelthek]

An F-5 can strip pavement completely off of the highway. Still, I love your dome structures. The Titanic was thought to be unsinkable.

[Joelthek]

Impressive. I salute your innovation. I am a survivor of an F-5 tornado which occured on 4/3/74 in Xenia, Ohio. Nothing is tornado proof. You must consider the effect of an airborne semi-truck or schoolbus, slamming into your structure. In Xenia the bank vault was found out in the middle of the street. School-busses were dropped from the sky onto homes and businesses. I understand you are talking about wind-speed only and not multi-ton projectiles travelling at hundreds of miles per hour.

[trkiehl]

I wonder how basalt will perform as a replacement for the steel wires in ferrocement structures. If the same logic holds true as in the basalt ecoshells, then this should also allow for thinner shells that don't have the corrosion problem often seen in ferrocement. A Google search brings up basically nothing, so this probably has not yet been tried. This is important research, given the large number of applications.