Monday, June 8, 2009

Experts Say Houston Dome


The science of engineering said that he could with a Houston mega-dome. Imagine building a huge dome, the whole city, which is higher than the skyscrapers of Houston. A solution to the almost overwhelming to environmental challenges of Houston has a huge geodesic dome. You can view the video on the Discovery Channel and explore how a giant geodesic dome, the city can be a bleak environmental future.

Houston is in danger. The fourth most populous country in the city, the heat, hurricanes and other natural disasters. Houston has always been vulnerable to hurricanes and storms. The center of the city of Houston closed for almost a week in the last year of the hurricane. The led to the city of 10 billion U.S. dollars damage. It's not just hurricanes, but the heat and humidity, the oppression of this great city. In almost 100 days a year the temperature rises above 90 degrees.

Air conditioning helps, but it comes at a very high cost. Houston is using more electricity to Los Angeles. For this reason, some scientists thought that the only way around the city, where, in other words, the construction of a huge dome of Houston. Houston dome area is over 21 million square meters and is the largest with the largest roof in the world.

Houston wide dome panels is 15 meters wide. 147,000 panels to cover the city of Houston. Glass will not work for Houston Dome. It is so difficult that they will not hold. Houston Cupula a much lighter material. This can be seen from the German city of Bremen, a factory Vector Foil companies. Vector Foiltec invented with Texlon ETFE, the climatic envelope, more than twenty years and has successfully developed and promoted the use of this innovative technology in the world. This is the light and the polymer is the future of the glass.

This material, called ETFE is the only city with a full size dome as possible, even for a city like Houston. In only one percent of glass, ETFE is described as 99 percent of something. Without ETF Houston dome never become reality. It is so easy that 99 percent lighter than glass is a big change. Since it is not possible, living in Houston for the construction of the dome and the army of airships, to the construction.

Houston will take years, the construction of the Dome and billions of dollars. The dome was to protect a city from a Category 5 hurricane. The ETFEpanels-and space-frame steel structure, which is the key. ETFE holds winds of 180 miles per hour. This speed is higher than the strongest Category 5 hurricane. Houston Cupula idea is very interesting. But I agree with an idea. Houston is the rain? If not, it is possible for an ecosystem of this size without rain?

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