The First Domed City?

Domed cities have been a staple of science fiction for almost since there has been science fiction. A recent episode of the Discovery Channel's Mega Engineering show imagines what it would take to build a dome over the modern city of Houston.
Domed cities have usually been imagined to have been built on some other world, like the Moon or Mars, or on a post Apocalypse Earth. However some people have dreamed of putting a dome over Houston for decades. Houston: The First Domed City?
Houston during the summer, when 90 plus degree heat and tropical humidity combine to make an outdoor environment that is, politely stated, character building would demonstrate why.
The prose in the program is just a little purple about hurricanes and environmental horrors brought on by too much green house gasses caused by too much air conditioning. Throwing up a dome over downtown Houston may have its virtues. But Galveston, closer to the coast and far more susceptible to hurricane damage, might be more deserving of a hurricane proof dome first. And expanding nuclear power might alleviate some of the greenhouse gasses, though most of Houston's power comes from natural gas, with wind mills coming on as a major new source of energy. The plan does not address any pollution caused by the petrochemical and oil refining facilities that dot the landscape around Houston.
"The dome would be higher than Houston's tallest skyscrapers and stretch over 21 million square feet, making it the biggest structure with the largest roof in the world.
"ETFE weighs just 1 percent as much as glass. ETFE was successfully used in Beijing's National Aquatic Centerfor the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Can a Geodesic Dome Save the City of Houston?

Recently the Discovery Channel aired an episode of Mega Engineering that mentioned constructing a geodesic dome over the city of Houston. Could this Houston dome really be the fourth most populated US city's only hope, as some environmental experts urge? As a resident of Houston, I have to admit that I am skeptical of the Houston dome project for a few reasons.
The dome must contain a clear material that can fill in all the holes in the frame, act as windows, and be able to withstand very high winds and other forces of nature. However, for a structure large enough to cover even just Downtown Houston, the material would need to be lightweight, but durable at the same time. According to clips shown on the Mega Engineering episode, a material called Texlon ETFE can make that possible, as well as protect the Houston dome from winds of up to 180 MPH.
That wind speed is faster than even the most forceful winds of the strongest category 5 hurricane. This brings experts to the conclusion that in combination with the specially-designed steel structure, the Houston Dome project could be successful. True, there will be air conditioning (and boy does Houston need that during the summer), but what about growing plant life? How well will it do under the dome?
What if people in Houston want to actually feel the rain or the sun - you know, the way it feels naturally. What about feeling the warm Houston breeze on my face or picking flowers in a field (or the backyard)?

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?