Shelters — Shown here are two Tornado/Hurricane Shelters. These are for storing bank buildings and emergency response equipment. They could as well be housing data centers.
The Ideal Data Center: A Monolithic Dome
You couldn’t ask for more!
Today, data centers are becoming more numerous, more important to the life blood and economy of our country than ever before. But these data centers must be secure buildings – especially if they store data and house computer systems. They must protect the information stored, as well as the equipment within, against all harm.
Monolithic Domes make secure, solid, permanent facilities that can withstand tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, wild temperature fluctuations and even rifle fire.
They are recognized tornado and hurricane shelters, that meet the criteria of FEMA 361.
Safe and Cost Effective
In addition to security, an ideal data center must be able to operate at a reasonable cost. In general, structures used for the housing of data and/or computer systems produce heat. So, the last two things they need is more heat from the sun and/or expensive air conditioning.
Neither is a problem in Monolithic Domes. Their super insulation makes them energy efficient and enables them to keep out extraneous heat. Obviously, computer-generated heat must be removed, but outside heat is not a problem.
Design Options
A Monolithic Dome data center can be built tall or squat – whatever the customer needs. Internally, the domes neither need nor use supporting posts or poles. All that beautiful, free span, open space can be designed to fit any and all requirements. The dome’s free span also allows a flexible layout that can be altered, usually with little effort or expense.
A Monolithic data center can consist of multiple domes, instead of just one. Generally, such a design calls for the immediate construction of the first dome and the addition of others as they are needed. Then too, several individual domes can be built to accommodate different activities or needs.
Undeniably Green
These domes are the greenest, most energy efficient buildings on our planet. The combination of polyurethane insulation and steel-reinforced concrete creates a building with extremely low heat loss.
Not only does it have low heat loss, it is a huge thermal battery on its own. This means that cool air available at night can be brought within the structure and used to cool. And because the dome is a thermal battery, it can often carry the heat load through peak use periods without any need for air conditioning.
This means that a Monolithic Dome data center will consume far less energy for heating and cooling than do other types of buildings. Heat loss through the building itself is so close to zero it is not even part of the equation.
Because the dome uses thin shell concrete technology, the amount of concrete to produce this safe building is generally less than fifty percent of a conventional building of the same size. Consequently, it creates a very green footprint. The life of a Monolithic Dome is measured in centuries; therefore, what little footprint is made by its production is amortized over enormous periods of time.
We welcome your questions!
For your next data center, you owe it to yourself to consider the Monolithic Dome.
Please contact us: [email protected] or 972/483-7423. We can discuss your concerns and, if you like, give you a quote.
Clear Span — Interior view of Tornado/Hurricane shelter. Clear span and super energy efficient, these can be of any size up to acres in space.