Tornado Resistant

A newsletter published by the Monolithic Dome people in Italy, Texas recently reported that they had a tornado go right over one of their domes. They heard a light bump, and went outside to see what the bump was about. A telephone pole had been caught in the middle of the swirl of a tornado that went right over the dome. They looked at the swath behind them and the tornado in front, but the dome was unaffected.

These domes cost about $15,000-$25,000 thousand dollars to set up. The dome is first inflated and then three inches of polyurethane is sprayed on the inside. Rebar is attached to the foam, and appropriate rectangular holes for windows and doors are put in. The shotcrete of about 3-4 inches is sprayed on to that. The result is nearly indestructible, impervious to any known wind pressure (tornadoes get to about 300 lb. per sq. foot - but the dome is rated to 4000 lb./sq. foot), and rated above a #4 seismic level. Additionally, with 3 inches of concrete, it would be proof against most fallout situations. Additionally the expected hot ash from the sky during a pole shift would just sit on the polyurethane outside. It won't burn unless subjected to actual flame, and the R-value is better than 60.