Disaster-resistant hemispheric dome made with double ferrocement shells with insulating fill (click to enlarge)
This 20′ interior diameter, 314 sq. ft. design is my proposed solution for houses that need to withstand repeat hurricanes. See How to Build the Strongest Buildings That Can Last Centuries for more details. Features include: lexan windows with removable window and door shutters, monolithic geopolymer slab floor that’s integrated with the walls, build on high ground, plastic mesh that won’t rust, geopolymer plaster both sides, geopolymer pumicecrete or geopolymer perlite fill. Integrating the slab and dome and building on a rubble trench is ideal for seismic zones. In an earthquake, the building would slide back and forth somewhat like an upside down cereal bowl on a kitchen table (meaning the whole house remains intact as one shell).
The design will have to be tweaked for individual homeowner needs, and some details worked out with the engineer. Note how a woodstove is shown to reach a wider audience, even though it’s probably not needed in Florida. The woodstove could be replaced with an emergency water storage and filtration system, etc. A fold-out bed saves space. Please email me and we’ll work out the details to fit your needs.
Disaster-resistant hemispheric dome made with double ferrocement shells with insulating fill (click to enlarge)
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We live in an area with a high water table, so the underground shelter is out of the question here. But we also live with frequent tornado warnings (we haven’t had any on our property, but lots of them within 20 miles). Would this plan be safe enough for us, or should we berm it with earth on at least one side?
Properly built, it would be one of the safest structures in the world. And yes, you could add a little berming around the sides. I like to go about 30″.