Monolithic Domes Have Blast-Resistant Strength

Strength testing the Monolithic Dome at BYU Laboratories. The sand bags represent the amount of weight previously thought to be the maximum load this dome could take. The addition of the forklift did nothing. They were ultimately unable to break the shell by overloading it and had to take it apart with jackhammers.

Strength testing the Monolithic Dome at BYU Laboratories. The sand bags represent the amount of weight previously thought to be the maximum load this dome could take. The addition of the forklift did nothing. They were ultimately unable to break the shell by overloading it and had to take it apart with jackhammers.

This damage was caused by a huge explosion of 300 gallons of transformer oil. The oil burned for nearly an hour with winds of up to fifty miles per hour blowing it directly against the dome. The two wood buildings that were attached to the dome were completely incinerated. This happened in the middle of the night. Fire crews didn’t appear on the scene until after the fire had burned itself out. The contents inside the dome were completely unharmed. The ambient and wall temperatures only rose a tiny amount. Fire damage to the dome was cosmetic. (1996)

This damage was caused by a huge explosion of 300 gallons of transformer oil. The oil burned for nearly an hour with winds of up to fifty miles per hour blowing it directly against the dome. The two wood buildings that were attached to the dome were completely incinerated.

This happened in the middle of the night. Fire crews didn’t appear on the scene until after the fire had burned itself out.

The contents inside the dome were completely unharmed. The ambient and wall temperatures only rose a tiny amount. Fire damage to the dome was cosmetic. (1996)

This is all the damage that was caused by a 30.06 Rifle firing a fully jacketed bullet at close range. The bullet did NOT penetrate the building. A 30.06 rifle with a fully jacketed bullet easily slices through a bullet-proof vest or several layers of concrete blocks.

This is all the damage that was caused by a 30.06 Rifle firing a fully jacketed bullet at close range. The bullet did NOT penetrate the building.

A 30.06 rifle with a fully jacketed bullet easily slices through a bullet-proof vest or several layers of concrete blocks.