Eathquake / typhoon proof dome house

ninja boy · Post time 17-2-2016 12:50 PM

These Monolithic Dome Houses are made up of cement and lava stone so that it can withstand super typhoons, earthquakes or fire. These houses look like an igloo but it is not hot inside because it has windows, and it is also elevated in case of flood. It can endure a 400 km/h super typhoon. According to Engr. Michael L. Scott “The thickness and curvature of the walls prevent flying objects from damaging the walls. The designs are such that the structure will float rather than fight any seismic event.” And these houses costs Php 290,000 per unit.

The Philippines was hit with the Mother of all Typhoons in November of 2013. With death tolls in the thousands and over a million people displaced from their homes, Typhoon Yolanda was one of the worst typhoons ever recorded.

From Wikipedia:

Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Yolanda, was one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded, devastating portions of Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines, in early-November 2013.[1] It is the deadliest Philippine typhoon recorded in modern history,[2] killing at least 6,300 people in that country alone.[3] Haiyan is also the strongest storm recorded at landfall, and the strongest typhoon ever recorded in terms of one-minute sustained wind speed.[4][5] As of January 2014, bodies were still being found.[6]

With the Earth’s climate rapidly changing, we can only expect more of these monster storms, but fortunately, science and engineering is coming to the rescue!

Monolithic home builders out of Texas has designed a simple dome shaped house fortified with basalt that can withstand up to 400km winds which should protect them from another Yolanda. Though, if Yolanda has a big sister, then the Philippines might just become that-collection-of-islands-where-people-once-lived.

“We use basalt (rock derived from lava) as the main strengthening component in building monolithic dome houses. It cannot be destroyed by super typhoons, earthquakes, or fires,” said Michael Scott, Philippine Country Manager of Monolithic home builders based in Texas, United States.
He said the technology is totally green. Basalt will be melted at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1093ºC). Strands that are 6-12 microns thin will then be pulled out, banded together, and ran through and adhesive.

“Then we will use it as the reinforcing material,” Scott said.
“About basalt, well a third of Earth has basalt,” he added.
Scott told Rappler that they are eyed by the government to build monolithic dome houses in places hit by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). Dapitan, however, will be the first to have such housing due since the local government is aggressive in having the technology.”

The design is roomy and simple. With 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a den, you couldn’t ask for much more for only $6500 (290,000 Philippine Pesos). Maybe rather than spending $2 million dollars criminalizing the homeless, Hawaii could build build 307 typhoon proof homes for families that can’t afford half-a-million dollar hovels in Honolulu or a plane ticket to Missouri . And, because, you know, it’s an island, and them storms they be a comin’! And they’re a volcanic island, so they’ve got lots of basalt… am I the only one wondering why this isn’t already happening out there?