Monolithic Dome Planning and Design
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"More and more people are discovering that there are advantages to a Monolithic Dome -- unique features -- simply not available in traditional architecture," says architect Rick Crandall.
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After more than twenty years of experience and with the completion of 100+ projects under his professional belt, Oklahoma-based Architect Michael McCoy encountered the Monolithic Dome.
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Curved concrete is by far stronger than flat concrete. The egg is one of nature's strongest objects. Dome buildings share that attribute. The Radius of Curvature is a number that is used to determine the “flatness” of a dome.
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It's a Four-plex
Our new Oberon Four-plex is a Monolithic Dome oblate ellipse, with a diameter of 32 feet and a height of 12 feet, that encompasses four, separate apartments.
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Through the multitudes of Dome Home plans that have been designed here at Monolithic there are a select few that I call my personal choice hence the name “A President's Choice”. Read More... |
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Monolithic's newest method of building stemwalls uses split-face, concrete blocks that generally measure 8" x 8" x 16" and come in various attractive colors.
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Can a tankless water heater be used in a Monolithic Dome?
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Architect Frederick (Rick) Crandall, head of the Crandall Design Group of Mesa, Arizona, has authored Modern Christian Churches.
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Practical Design of Concrete Shells by Dr. Arnold Wilson is written specifically as a manual for thin shell engineers and as a textbook for civil engineering students interested in thin shells. Written by an engineer for engineers, this text contains tested formulas and technical documentation as well as illustrations and photographs.
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The Monolithic Dome Institute is located on 24 acres in Italy, Texas. We use our property as a research park. We experiment with construction techniques, equipment, Airform coatings and more. This photo journal demonstrates various coatings on domes at Monolithic headquarters. We have had both success and failure. |
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In a number of our Monolithic Domes we have used a standard hung ceiling that can be purchased from a variety of manufacturers. A hung ceiling features many benefits for Monolithic Domes. It provides storage for placement of air conditioning, heating ducts, electrical and wires. It's easily accessible and yet stored items are not visible from below. A hung ceiling can also help with sound absorption. |
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Leland (Lee) A. Gray, co-owner of LPDJ Architects, LLC of Bountiful, Utah, has designed what he calls a Sound Flower. Consisting of sound-absorbing, sound-reflecting baffles that can be arranged in various patterns, a Sound Flower can be suspended, at a Monolithic Dome's center, two to three feet below its ceiling. |
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Where openings are placed and the type of opening is dependent upon the dome's design, purpose and function. Each type of opening creates different architectural styles. The choice is yours. |
Unless you know the pitfalls, choosing an architect can be a risky business.
Can a Monolithic Dome home have a loft? A stairway? An elevator? A basement? My answer is an emphatic yes to each, followed by an equally emphatic reservation: Carefully analyze your need and/or desire for any of these features and consider the alternatives.
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Monolithic Gets the Job Done. If you need a Monolithic
Dome with all of its benefits - contract with Monolithic to
get the job done. We have the experience and expertise to
help you meet your commercial or residential building needs,
on-time and within budget.
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Vapor Drive -- Water vapor
is becoming more of a problem as we more tightly seal our houses.
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If there were a list of the top ten architects
in the world today, Leland A. Gray and Jesse M. Harris would
near the top.
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Complex Monolithic Dome designs push Airform technology to the
limit. Airforms are very strong and function well, but in some cases,
aesthetics present a problem.
This Online Evaluator is a tool to provide you with size and cost
estimates for Monolithic Dome Homes.
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The attributes you value in Monolithic Domes
may be their exqusite beauty and simple construction, or,
perhaps, their efficient use of materials, or their structural
integrity, or their energy efficiency. I, among the many advocating
for sustainable living, value all these characteristics and
consider Monolithic Domes as potentially the greenest of all
building alternatives.
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It is well known that Monolithic Domes require
far less energy for heating and cooling than conventional
housing. And now that fact is recognized by the HVAC (Heating,
Venting, Air Conditioning) industry. Contracting
Business, the leading publication for HVAC
contractors and company owners, has just announced a Monolithic
Dome as the winner of its 2003 Quality Home Comfort Award!
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Leland A. Gray and Jesse M. Harris, co-owners of LPDJ Architects,
LLC in Salt Lake City, Utah, believe that a holistic approach
used in the design of Monolithic Domes and other concrete
thin shell structures is the only way to go.
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We believe we have found the answer to the CO2
issue. It comes in the form of an ERV (Energy Recovery Ventilator--
often called an HRV, Heat Recovery Ventilator). These machines
bring outside "fresh" air into the home and exhaust
an equal amount of the home's stale air.
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Domes
and Uses - A Collection of Monolithic Dome Structures
and Their Uses
Now available is an updated edition of the popular
book, Domes and Uses - A Collection of Monolithic
Dome Structures and Their Many Uses.
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...after meeting David B. South, Monolithic's president,
almost three years ago, Lucia Fredenburgh, president
of Design Associates International, Inc. (DAI), became
"fascinated with the Monolithic concept and its energy
conservation."
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Dome calculations are painful to do by hand. It's
not impossible, just time consuming. So I have written
this simple calculation worksheet to help. It will calculate
the most commonly needed measurements for a dome --
both spherical or oblate.
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D. Thomas Kincaid--
Career Moves Lead To Monolithic Domes
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Architect Tom Kincaid has long been convinced that
"We could do a building much like we do a chair
-- very quickly with very few pieces, but very strong
and economical." That conviction, which eventually
led to his interest in Monolithic Domes, dates back
to the beginning of Tom's career.
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Porter Falcon, owner and president of Falcon
Audio-Video headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK,
describes domes as "speakers or sounding boards." He
should know. Porter has 36 years of experience in the
audio industry and has been researching and designing
audio and acoustics systems for domes since the early
1980s.
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Monolithic recently designed an airplane hangar door,
tailored for Monolithic Dome Hangars, that is not only
stronger and safer than currently available, conventional
doors but also affordable. We expect the new door (patent
pending) to significantly enhance an aircraft's safety
while it's housed in a Monolithic Dome Hangar.
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California Energy Commission, 1.4 Optimal Use of
Mass and Insulation
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Why would someone want to cover a Monolithic Dome with
metal cladding? David South, Monolithic's president,
says "Metal cladding is an arrow in the quiver -- a
problem solver -- that's especially useful when things
get really nasty."
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Urethane foam is an excellent fire barrier when used
on the exterior of a building. There are numerous examples
of urethane foam roofs saving a building from fire.
Burning brands, that can include anything from hot embers
to large pieces of burning wood, can lay on a urethane
roof for a considerable time before burning through.
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This past summer (2001) we tried [an] experiment.
Our test consisted of two Ecoshells, both 10' in diameter,
sitting side by side. Each was washed and cleaned. Then,
one was painted with a good grade of white exterior
coating. The other, we turned over to the applicator
for a two-coat system of ceramic coating. Full
Story
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At each stage of a major project a variety of people
with different specialties are involved. Each seperate
ego can add an element to the finished product that
wasn't intended to be there. Communication problems,
vague instructions or budget problems can also interfere
with what the customer WANTED compared to what the customer
GETS.
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Some things to consider when planning a Monolithic Dome:
What do you want the exterior to look like? What style do
you like and really want? How much time can you allot to maintaining
the exterior? How much money do you want to invest in plants
or other exterior elements?
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--by Rick Crandall, Architect
"...Because there aren't very many examples of domes available,
our goal is to get as many published and illustrated as possible
for as wide an audience as possible so others can see the
endless possibilities of the Monolithic Dome."
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Determining the size of heating and cooling systems for
Monolithic Domes offers some really special challenges.
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Monolithic Domes are shaped perfectly to reflect all sound
through their focal point ? their centers. This means we
can capture the sound and absorb it at its center without
covering all the other surfaces.
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-- for the Monolithic Dome used for high people
occupancy The Monolithic Dome presents some serious challenges
to the HVAC engineer. The number one challenge is to recognize
and understand the thermodynamics of the Monolithic Dome.
This structure is unlike any structure which is built in the
conventional world.
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--A new application of the Golden Rule The Monolithic
Dome is an idea whose time has come. It is a structure that
is extremely energy efficient and sustainable without sacrificing
the quality of life that we have come to expect in our homes
and buildings.
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Understanding the ups and downs of building underground
Has the idea of living in an underground home tempted you?
If so, you?re part of a growing minority. More and more people,
worldwide, have already or plan to build an earth-sheltered
or earth-bermed home.
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seismic zone map is based on a statistical compilation of
the number and the magnitude of past earthquakes. Therefore,
it is an indication of where the next earthquake is most likely
to occur, how often and the magnitude.
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