CLINTON — A giant inflatable dome appeared on Archer Daniels Midland property in South Clinton earlier this week, then disappeared almost as soon, generating a fair amount of public interest.
One man familiar with project said today the dome will return in a day or two and become a permanent fixture.
David South, owner of the Monolithic Dome Institute in Italy, Texas, said ADM is constructing a dome for coal storage as part of its new co-generation power plant.
He described the dome building process as similar to building an upside down swimming pool. First, the giant balloon is inflated — South said his company calls the balloon an airform. Once the proper shape is achieved, the interior is sprayed with a polyurethane foam, something South called “a super plastic” that adheres in five seconds.
Rebar then is tied to the spray foam and concrete is sprayed onto the rebar. The airform remains on the outside, South said, as the single-ply roof membrane. The reason the balloon in Clinton disappeared for a few days is because ADM decided to build the facility eight feet taller.
South said Monolithic has been building domes for more than 30 years. Of projects in 48 states and 40 different countries, the Clinton dome is the biggest to date, though larger domes are in the works, he said.
Dome Technologies, an Idaho Falls, Idaho, firm, is constructing the Clinton dome. ADM officials could not be contacted for comment, and Dome Technologies representatives declined to speak to the media until first conferring with ADM.
Speaking from Arkansas early today where he has scheduled to speak at 9 a.m., South said one of his current projects is a dome for ultra-low cost housing in areas of Indonesia devastated by the 2004 tsunami. The advantages of such domes, South said, are energy efficiency and storm resistance.
According to his company’s Web site, www.monolithic.com, domes are up to 50 percent more energy efficient than traditional structures and can withstand tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes.
An advantage for ADM, he explained, is that coal placed in the dome first also will be the first out. Coal becomes combustible if stacked on itself for more than a year, he explained. He also said the strength of the dome means coal can be piled right up to the wall of the building.
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Related Photos
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A giant inflatable dome is seen behind vacant homes in South Clinton earlier this week. a large dome will be inflated later this week as the first part of the construction process of a new Archer Daniels Midland coal storage facility. Jerry Dahl/Clinton Herald
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