I think I might have an idea to protect cities from hurricanes...

[originalpckelly]

This will only prevent wind damage (if it works.) People would still have to worry about flood damage from the storm surge.

What if some kind of gigantic inflatable dome was place over a city? Wouldn't that prevent the wind damage? For those who may not know, inflatable domes are capable of handling extreme loads. In fact it is possible to lift an entire building into place. It is done in the monolithic dome manufacturing process. The wet concrete of the dome is temporarily supported by the "Airform" until the concrete drys.

If a big enough dome could be created, it could protect an entire city's buildings from feeling the force of the wind.

I don't know if it would be possible to create such a thing, but it at least seems like it would work. (I mean how hard is it to build an inflatable structure?)

http://www.monolithic.com/thedome/thedome/index.html

I hope this isn't too silly sounding.:scared:

[Ian David]

1. Those giant domes have one big weakness, though...

Don't let this guy talk to the computer...

?0.9371023783394398

[Warpy]

2. First, you're talking about a dome miles and miles across

for the large coastal cities. I'm afraid we don't know how to do that now. Plus the cost would be prohibitive. Plus you'd be trapping every bit of pollution within the city. Even if you banned internal combustion engines, you'd still have fumes from cooking and heating and even cigarette smoke. The air quality would be awful as soon as the thing got sealed.

A better idea will be to stick to low, well constructed buildings and evacuate the area if a direct hit is anticipated.

[ret5hd]

3. how are you going to get it there?

to me, an uninflated inflatable dome sounds like a giant plastic bag placed over the heads of 500,000 people.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

4. okaaay

well, I tell you right now I'm not getting in it.

[moobu2]

5. Most of the catastrophic damage is caused by

tidal surge and flooding. A dome wouldnt stop that.

[Trillo]

6. I was looking at those domes a few months back,

it's a very interesting and large site. They have even built those types of domes entirely underground! I presume above the water table, though!

I don't know about an inflatable dome for the whole city, but instead of the apartment buildings poor folk now have, that type of structure makes a lot of sense from a number of different angles, including energy efficiency.

The sprayed-in-place polyethylene is very fine insulation. There's some good information about that on that site somewhere. It's much more insulative than the rolled fiberglass often used in wood-frame homes. It can also be sprayed on the top-outside of typical building roofs and painted with UV protectant. That would sure keep our attic cool in summer, and if enough people used roof coverings of sprayed polyethylene, likely power usage for heating and cooling would be reduced some.

[EC]

14. There was some work done for emergency housing a few years back

with holograms. A resin that sets up when it's hit with light was sprayed into the holograms and formed domes (or whatever shape hologram), but it would have to have a hole in the top for air...but no it wouldn't work over a city, no stability.

[pitohui]

7. i have one word for you -- superdome

i guess i don't see how putting a dome over an entire city is going to work when the roof didn't even stay on the dome we got

[Trillo]

11. I don't believe the Superdome roof

was the same type of construction as a concrete monolithic dome. According to http://archrecord.construction.com/news/katrina/superdome.asp , "Like the Astrodome, the Superdome has a steel lamella roof, but it is opaque rather than transparent."

But I have doubts about an inflatable temporary dome over a whole city.

[Gabi Hayes]

8. love you, but.....

step away from the pipe!

[neoblues]

9. Of course just using Geodesic Domes

for all building, even those made with standard construction methods (as opposed to the monolithic dome), would result in vastly reduced wind damage. Alas, they're susceptible to flooding even if they might better withstand storm surge.

Still, it seems to me that if we just built every home and building using watertight steel/titatnium in a fashion incorporating many of the techniques we use to build nuclear submarines... providing both extreme strength and waterproofing to, say, 300 meters (and using quality, steel reinforced, deep piling secured foundations; and perhaps electric/phone utility lines via sealed underground pipes), everyone would be safer. Practically indestructible portholes (windows) could be developed for those who want actual sunlight to get in; for those who just want to look out, armored high-resolution cameras could be placed as desired to display on wall mounted flat screens (e-windows). Insulation, ventilation (and air recycling systems for when building is submerged by flood waters) would all be manageable. Hurricanes, tornados, hail, floods, earthquakes (and perhaps even bomb blast effects, chemical and biological warfare effects) might mean nothing more than closing the "hatch" (and taking a nap, watching tv, surfing the internet or getting to know your "significant" other...).

Drawbacks: primarily cost. But if we did such things on a large scale, perhaps the cost would drop to only a few million per house?

Hmmm... what about just waterproofing a dome home (perhaps on a hydraulic lift--how much would such things cost?) by using materials resistant to water damage (perhaps a special variant of an American Ingenuity Dome Home (which uses concrete in it's panels; incredibly tough/strong panels)). This would be alot more affordable. Still, doesn't everyone want to live in a yellow submarine?

[Trillo]

12. Monolithic Dome is likely less expensive than wood structures

and I'd imagine that there are likely less fire danger issues.

From the FAQ http://www.monolithic.com/thedome/faqs/index.html emphasis added:

"There is so much variety in sizes, shapes, and uses of the Monolithic Dome that developing a general price sheet is impossible. Even within a single category such as homes, costs can vary drastically. A small, one bedroom home may cost only $45,000 where a three bedroom home, complete with chandeliers and gold plated faucets, could cost $500,000.
...
Monolithic Dome home is $110 per square foot (2006 pricing) of floor area"

What's the current cost per square foot of a Geodesic Dome?

A concrete dome also saves trees.

[Ian David]

15. Where would you hang the paintings on a round wall? n/t

[neoblues]

17. Perhaps so...

And I like that it doesn't require killing tree's, but at least trees are renewable resources.

Of course, there is a Geodesice Dome company that uses concrete instead of wood as well (American Ingenuity).

Geodesic Dome homes cost less than comparable conventional homes in probably all circumstances. American Ingenuity uses concrete panels and are comparably fire resistant with monolithic domes and according to them, their building kit is one third to one half less in cost than the shell materials cost for a wood dome, monolithic dome or conventional house (exterior walls, roof trusses, plywood, tarpaper, shingles, 3 1/2" thick insulation, siding, soffits, gutters, shell wall board, etc). This statement does not mean that the cost to finish a dome is one third to one half less than the cost to finish a conventional house. The inside finishing cost and inside materials cost (flooring, kitchen cabinets, lighting fixtures, bathroom fixtures, framing, etc) cost the same whether it is a dome or a conventional house.

Estimating the relative costs is difficult and depends on many factors that will vary depending on the preferences and requirements of each home that gets built, and this is so whether it's conventional box-homes, wooden or concrete geodesic domes or monolithic domes. And while I can't find a price per square foot (which is often misleading as well, depending on what is included; shell (kit, materials, construction), shell and interior, and so forth), I don't see any reason to think a finished AI dome would be any more expensive than a Monolithic dome. Even the wooden construction domes are less expensive than 'stick built' box houses, and can potentially be competitive depending on your access to inexpensive lumber and, given that many are such that a considerable amount of the construction can be done by relatively inexperienced (ie. people who aren't in the construction business; including buyers/owners) people or even people with no experience. Probably owing to the relatively fewer number of homes built and generally unique circumstances and greater frequency of customized designs, as well as owner-construction involvment, most geodesic dome home manufactureres don't go so far as to nail down a finished price/price per foot of finished homes. Nevertheless, I won't try argue whether Monolithic is or is not the least expensive dome available, though I would say that I'd be surprised if the final cost for any home, dome or otherwise, turns out to be truly inexpensive. It would seem that "relatively" inexpensive (by 10-20% unless self-constructed to some degree) is about the best or most likely outcome.

Of course wood burns. To that end, as well as in terms of cost, concrete, when the design allows for it (as normal concrete has little tensile strength, and no one knows how long additives used to add such cohesive qualities will last), is a better choice--it doesn't burn well. I like it, and I appreciate the qualities provided by reinforced concrete in the Monolitic Domes and American Ingenuity Geodesic domes. Indeed, with insulated concrete forms or prefabricated concrete panels, standard box homes can be made stronger and more fire resistant (and pest resistant), but not to the degree that is a natural result of dome designs. Alas, as a home contruction material, wood is far more common, more familiar, and it's easier to find people who can manipulate wood (ie. carpenters) for these purposes. Besides, it has good thermal properties and considerable aesthetic properties. Many people would be more comfortable in a 'warm', 'living', 'colorful' wood surround than in a bland concrete cavern (not that there aren't coverings available for both inside and out; but they mean additional efforts).

The main point being that with regard to structural strength (not to mention cost)(oops, I mentioned cost) and ability to withstand storms of all types, domes, including wooden geodesic domes, are superior choices to typical box houses.

Most of the problems with domes, such as decay of interior materials owing to condensation can be mitigated by proper hvac equipment (with dehumidification) and/or air circulation/ventilation aware designs (see natural spaces dome homes).

Alas, nothing much can be done for now about the biggest problem. While some banks can be found that will finance dome homes, by no means all will. However, that wasn't the big problem. The biggest problem with dome homes and many other types of sutainable housing is the resell value and resellablity of the homes tend to be horrendous. If you like domes, you won't want to read what some people say.

For anyone interested in reviewing some of the Geodesic Dome Home alternatives (including Monolithic Domes (non-Geodesic)), here's a nice list.

Edit: fix broken link

[Poppyseedman]

10. Have you ever experienced a cat 4 hurricane?

If concrete buildings are damaged, I think a dome, no matter how well constructed, might not be able to do much to protect. But credit for thinking outside the box

[Ian David]

16. I was in Miami Beach for Hurricane David in 1979...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_David

I was sitting right here...

http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=4525+Collins+Ave,+Miami,+FL+33140

In one of the cabanas.

If you saw the movie Goldfinger, it's pretty much where Goldfinger was playing poker while James Bond was spying on him.

FYI: The exterior shots were at The Eden Roc, but they "bluescreened" the hotel nextdoor, The Fountain Bleu, into the backgrounds.

[Gman]

13. The Superdome is a kind of inflatable dome

partially held up by air pressure.

as I understand it.

[Nikki Stone 1]

18. Speaking of hurricanes

Hurricane Daniel in the Eastern Pacific now


http://www.goes.noaa.gov/browsp.html

[morningglory]

19. First of all, why live on the coast if you are going to be enclosed in

a wind-less, dark hot as hell place. If you have ever lived on the coast you will know there is mildew that kills. Need the sun and the breeze to cleanse stuff. If you have ever lived in a concrete block house in the deep South, you will know what mildew is, it is that gray crap that coats the entire house unless you scrub it with poisonous bleach Spring and Fall. So, ya wanna air condition the humongous dome? I think it would be a good idea to live in dome houses on the coast. I can afford that like I can afford the $35k elec car.

[SoCalDem]

20. Dome blow away, becomes gigantic flying cereal bowl in the sky

crushes Minneapolis