[StBernard]MELISSA- New Rebuilding Ideas

[Westley Annis]

Meilssa-

So sorry it has taken me this long to reply to your e-mail. My MS has flared
recently and even getting out of bed has been next to impossible. 
Unfortunately, my USB cable for my internet connection doesn't quite reach
to my bed or else I'd be caught up on *everything*!

Here is the link: www.monolithic.com

I wasn't looking for a space age-ish looking home either and wasn't sure I
wanted to be the only one in our subdivision whose house everyone pointed
at. <laughing> It wasn't until I clicked on the 'Disaster Resistant' link on
the left side of the page that I really began to consider a monolithic dome
as a viable option.

I just read on the site that the Discovery Channel will feature a monolithic
dome (Dome of a Home) on it's August 16, 2006 airing of "Everything You Need
To Know About Hurricanes"
At the end of my e-mail, I'm including some pre and post-Katrina stories
from people who own monolithic domes. I believe they are in AL, MS and LA. 
Interesting stuff. There are other reports from people in Florida who own
domes and some of them have survived the last few large hurricanes.

I can't find it now (maybe it is in the FAQ), but somewhere on the site they
talk about the savings on electricity and insurance.  There is also a part
of the site where they talk about incorporating the technological advances
they have found work best with the domes into traditional house building.

Westley or Craig? Have either of you researched monolithic domes? Has anyone
else inquired about building permits, etc. for a monolithic dome in the
parish? Any ideas on how many hoops we'd have to jump through or how much
red tape we'd have to get through to build a monolithic dome in St. Bernard?

Any information would be appreciated, thanks!

-Donna

P.S. Be sure to check out the second story where NOAA asked if a dome could
survive a 100 foot tsunami...the answer was YES, so long as the dome had
been anchored by rock.


Before and After Katrina: Monolithic Customers Share their stories

September 9, 2005

by Kris Garrison

Grand Bay, Alabama lies just 4 miles south of Interstate 10 in southern
Alabama. Neal Howell and his family took shelter in their 40-foot Ecoshell
before the storm arrived. On a daily basis the dome serves as a golf course
fertilizer storage facility. Although they did not receive extensive
flooding in their area like the folks in New Orleans, their home which is
just one mile from their Dome storage, received extensive wind damage. Neal
was happy to report to us how his family took shelter in their Monolithic
EcoShell. He said, "There was absolutely no damage to the dome. However, the
metal building on our property did not survive the fierce winds. It was
completely destroyed."

When the Howell's called on September 7, 2005. They had just received power
to their area and were busy cleaning up trees and debris from his house and
nearby homes as well.

On September 5, 2005 David B. South was able to make contact with Pastor
Richard Beatty of Abundant Life Church in Denham Springs, Louisiana. This
community lies just northeast of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. When asked how
their 190-foot Monolithic Dome Church weathered the storm he said, "The
church is fine. It is so wonderful to have the dome. We are so happy to have
such a building to keep us safe during times like these."

Pastor Beatty reported that 45% of New Orleans residents have moved to Baton
Rouge and the surrounding area is extremely busy. They are currently using
their church in the evenings to feed over 300 hurricane survivors.

We are certain we will receive more reports about Monolithic Domes in the
Gulf Region as utilities, phones and communication resources become
available.
No Damage Whatsoever

Louise and DeWayne Nettles of Brookhaven, Mississippi rode out Hurricane
Katrina in their dome home. But they weren't alone. Several neighbors also
stayed in the dome during the storm. She said, "We couldn't even hear the
wind. We really love our dome. We received no damage whatsoever."

Even with the very hot days following the storm and no power for nearly a
week, the domes' interior never exceeded 85 degrees.

Louise said, "Our home definitely passed the test. Our light bills are lower
than other homes near ours. We normally keep our home at about 72 degrees
and we also have a trailer hooked to our home's electricity and our bill is
still lower than others."

Brookhaven is approximately two hours northeast of Baton Rouge, Louisiana
off of Interstate 55.

Wind, Water and Monolithic Domes

September 7, 2005

by David B. South and Freda Parker

A Monolithic Dome, by its very nature, can and will withstand hurricane
winds. The strongest hurricanes push with 150-mile-per-hour (mph) winds or
100 pounds per square foot. That force means absolutely nothing to a
Monolithic Dome. Debris those winds might carry might break a window or
cause some surface nicks and scratches. The dome itself, however, would
remain standing.

Many conventional structures cannot withstand the internal pressure from a
hurricane. For example, if a garage door pops open or a window pops out, air
pressure coming into the structure can explode it. That will not happen with
a Monolithic Dome -- even if all the doors and windows are left open or
taken down. Obviously, it's easier on the occupant if windows stay in place.

Consequently, Monolithic suggests using hurricane-rated windows and/or
shutters that pull down over the windows to protect them.

Sometimes tornadoes come embedded in hurricanes. Tornado winds can be three
times as powerful as hurricane winds, but a Monolithic Dome can withstand
them. Nevertheless, windows and doors should be protected. The dome can
easily survive air pressure that might get in, but unprotected windows might
result in flying glass. To avoid injury, people sheltering in a Monolithic
Dome during a hurricane or tornado should stay behind the concrete portion
of the dome -- never in front of glass.

Hurricanes bring water as well as winds. If the location of the dome is such
that water can wash up against it, great care must be taken in its design
and construction. While water surge will not hurt the dome, it can loosen
its foundation by washing away the ground under the dome.

In September 2004, Hurricane Ivan hit Dome of a Home in Pensacola Beach,
Florida and caused enormous beach erosion. Water surge wiped out all of the
protective dunes between the dome and the shoreline. Had Dome of a Home not
been set on pilings, the onslaught of water would have moved it. In a large
area, the water actually excavated the ground out from under the dome. But
because Dome of a Home was set on a series of pilings that were driven 17
feet into the earth, it held its position.

Moving water can be really nasty. Besides ground erosion, moving water that
gets inside a structure can destroy interior walls, particularly if they are
hollow. Water can knock the walls down or fill them with foul debris. 
Fortunately, Monolithic Dome walls are not hollow.

I recently had a representative from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), an agency of the US Department of Commerce that
conducts environmental research, contact me. The NOAA wanted to know if a
Monolithic Dome could be built that would survive a 100 foot tsunami. My
answer was an absolute Yes with this provision: a rock that I could anchor
the dome to. The rock would have to prevent the uplift created by the water
flowing over the dome to pop the dome to the water's surface. Water over the
top of a Monolithic Dome turns that dome into an upside-down boat that will
struggle to pop to the surface. So, for this situation, the dome must be
anchored. But if the water gets indside the dome, the pressure is equalized,
and the water's lifting capacity is lost.

Obviously, Monolithic Domes can be designed and built to withstand the wind
surge of a tornado or hurricane, as well as the water surge of a hurricane
or tsunami. But when gross amounts of water are involved, protection from
that water must be carefully considered and implemented.