Model — Indoor swimming pools are one of the many facilities where Monolithic Domes really shine. Essentially, a Monolithic Dome is an upside down swimming pool.
Indoor Swimming Pools: They’re Upside-Down Monolithic Domes!
Controlling Humidity
The main issue with an indoor swimming pool facility is humidity control. A pool facility has two kinds of water. The first is the water in the pool. The second is water in a gaseous state, above the pool and within the entire building. This gaseous water vapor destroys most indoor pool facilities. It can go through holes that it would never get through as a liquid. It can penetrate and be absorbed by paint and wood, swell that wood, create bacteria and cause the wood to rot. Water vapor is an aggressive destroyer. It can even destroy iron by creating rust.
Dehumidification
Properly treating the air above the swimming pool – that second pool of water – is essential. To accomplish this, a dehumidification system that is either a dehumidifier or an air conditioner must be installed. The water in the air needs to be extracted so the relative humidity can be lowered to a livable level. This water evaporation process must be continuous.
Wood, steel and most conventional structures do not respond well to this second pool, and most are extremely susceptible to humidity damage. Nor is there an easy solution since continuous running of an air conditioner or dehumidifier is extremely expensive.
The Monolithic Dome Advantage
Indoor swimming pools are one of the many facilities where Monolithic Domes really shine. Essentially, a dome is an upside-down swimming pool. It has no trouble handling the two pools of water. Water vapors cannot penetrate the dome shell and cause rot, bacteria or rust.
Save Money and Energy
Super-insulated Monolithic Dome pool facilities cut energy costs in two ways. 1) Since almost no heat goes through the shell, it’s easy to keep the water and ambient temperatures at a steady 78 or 80 degrees Fahrenheit. 2) The cost of reducing humidity is greatly reduced because the Monolithic Dome is not susceptible to high humidity damage. In fact, in a Monolithic Dome, the humidity can be allowed to rise higher than in conventional structures – especially when the building is not in use.
An enormous amount of money can be saved by not constantly running dehumidifiers.
A Monolithic Dome indoor pool facility is not endangered by a dehumidifying system that is accidentally turned off – as some conventional buildings have been. Such an accident can quickly cause extensive damage.
Clear Span Advantage
A Monolithic Dome is clear span. No interior columns or posts are required, nor are spectacular trusses across the pool. More importantly, materials used in the dome’s construction will not rot or absorb water.
A Monolithic Dome makes a tremendous recreation facility. It will draw the young and old alike. Swimming pools can be as small as an over-sized hot tub or as large as an Olympic-size swimming pool. With careful planning, an entire community can benefit from an indoor Monolithic Dome pool facility.
August 2005