Monolithic Domes

Monolithic Domes are a decent solution to providing a concrete dome. This involves using an inflatable bladder and spraying (or shooting) shotcrete onto the bladder in a few layers. Shotcrete is basically fluid concrete that is sprayed through a high pressure nozzle.

Monolithic domes are energy efficient, high strength, suitable for resisting hurricanes, tornadoes, fires and termites, and can be built on a fairly large scale. Monolithic domes are appropriate for some of the larger applications including municipal buildings, commercial applications and such.

Monolithic domes do require an inflatable bladder, inflation equipment, shotcrete equipment, steel "rebar" reinforcement, and some expertise in applying shotcrete.

The Monolithic Dome website provides an excellent overview of this technology, its application and its various uses and benefits. Check out their website, navigate around and investigate this interesting technology.

This is definitely not masonry, but is a useful and good application of concrete domes which certainly has an architectural niche and is worthy of consideration if anyone is considering building a concrete dome.