Intro To Air Domes
An inflatable dome or “bubble” is an Air Supported structure formed from one or more layers of fabric that are welded together. The fabric envelope may be reinforced by Broadwell's patented steel cable harness system. Air blowers continuously pump air into the structure, maintaining the proper air pressure to keep the dome inflated and structurally sound. Cooling or heating HVAC units can also be used to adjust air temperature.
- What Are Air Domes
- Air Dome Components
- Dome Purchase Process
- Funding Your Dome
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What Are Air Domes & What Do They Do?
The Fabric Envelope may be reinforced by Broadwell's patented Steel Cable Harness System if needed to adhere to your local wind and snow load code requirements.
The dome is anchored by a variety of anchoring options, including grade beam concrete footing, earth anchors, sand or water ballast, cement blocks, etc.
Our 50+ engineers and architects are licensed in all 50 United States and in 42 countries. We can sign and seal all of the structural, mechanical, electrical and civil engineering approvals your city will require from licensed engineers. Our North American-based service team has 25+ years of experience installing, servicing and maintaining domes.
Broadwell Air Domes can be made in nearly any shape and size. They can be engineered to withstand up to 150mph wind loads and 50psf snow loads. They can cover most surfaces, including athletic surfaces, pools and water parks, recreational areas and playgrounds, industrial
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Athletic and Recreation
Broadwell air domes are used as permanent athletic facilities or seasonal domes covering artificial turf fields, tennis or badminton courts, basketball floors, pools, or any other athletic or recreational surface.
Our domes can also be attached to permanent buildings, in which some clients house offices, restrooms, etc.
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Industrial and Environmental
Broadwell domes can be used in a wide variety of commercial applications, including housing industrial equipment and supplies, covering a manufacturing facility, or commercial storage.
Our domes can be used for temporary applications as well, if clients need temporary storage or indoor construction environments.
Broadwell has the largest dome in the world—a mining dome spanning the length of 10 football fields in Inner Mongolia.
Our domes can be engineered to be as wide as 300’ and virtually limitless length.
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Our Clean Air, Anti-pollution Domes
These domes are installed in many schools and sports facilities that exist in high air pollution cities.
These domes filter out almost 100% of pollutants and bacteria in the air, significantly reducing the PM2.5 fine particle pollution counts in the air.
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Monolithic Domes
Broadwell also produces these domes which are cement domes that can be used for homes, schools, churches and other structures.
These domes are extremely energy efficient and strong--able to withstand F5 tornadoes and other disasters.
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Events and Mobile
Broadwell provides customized domes for mobile applications such as concerts, special occasions, and marketing events. These domes are most often single-layer fabric Envelope Domes, often anchored by sand, jersey barriers or earth anchors to provide fast installations.
Event domes can be any shape or size, but most often they are square, rectangular or circular. The most versatile domes are our half-spherical video projection domes, which have a smooth surface and a custom interior fabric that is optimal for video projection events.
We can provide a turn-key video projection dome event package that includes state-of-the-art video projection and audio, along with custom created visual content to project on your dome.
We also provide video projection solutions for existing athletic domes for special events. Below are some pictures of an event in one of our ice rink domes.
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Greenhouse & Cultivation Facility Domes
Broadwell provides the most cost-effective solution for a greenhouse or cultivation facility. Our greenhouse domes can be of fabric that allows up to 60% light transmission.
Our air inflation systems can monitor the temperature and humidity of the domes for optimal grow conditions.
One application of these domes in a rapidly growing market is for cannabis cultivation facilities, or marijuana grow farms. Our domes provide one of the lowest cost options for a 15+ year grow facility.
These facilities can be anchored by bolts embedded in concrete, or by more temporary solutions such as jersey barriers, sand or water. We can make these facilities nearly any custom size and shape.
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Air Dome Components
An air dome is a pressurized, air-sealed fabric envelope anchored into the ground.
Air lock doors maintain pressure while allowing occupants to enter and exit. Learn more about each of the various components that makes up an air dome, from what it's made of to its particular use.
Our 50+ engineers and architects are licensed in all 50 United States and in 42 countries. We can sign and seal all of the structural, mechanical, electrical and civil engineering approvals your city will require from licensed engineers. Our North American-based service team has 25+ years of experience installing, servicing and maintaining domes.
Broadwell Air Domes can be made in nearly any shape and size. They can be engineered to withstand up to 150mph wind loads and 50psf snow loads. They can cover most surfaces, including athletic surfaces, pools and water parks, recreational areas and playgrounds, industrial
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About Our Air Domes
An inflatable dome, “bubble,” or air supported structure is a building formed from one or more layers of fabric. Air blowers continuously pump air into the structure, creating the necessary air pressure that allows the fabric envelope to stay inflated. Cooling or heating HVAC units can also be used to adjust air temperature.
The fabric envelope may be reinforced by Broadwell's patented steel cable harness system. The dome is anchored by a variety of anchoring options, including grade beam concrete footing, earth anchors, sand or water ballast, cement blocks, etc.
Broadwell Air Domes can be made in nearly any shape and size. They can be engineered to withstand up to 150mph wind loads and 50psf snow loads. They can cover most surfaces, including athletic surfaces, pools and water parks, recreational areas and playgrounds, industrial equipment or materials, and so on.
Air structures offer great flexibility, and can be used as seasonal, permanent or temporary structures. They are built to meet all local building and safety codes, and they are structurally sound–even in inclement weather.
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Dome Components
Our domes are comprised of various mechanical elements. Click on the following links to learn more about more about what pieces make up our domes:
Air Dome Fabric;
Broadwell's Unique Patented Cable Harness System;
Anchoring Systems;
Inflation and HVAC;
Lighting System;
Doors System;
Ventilation Solution;
Combination of Air Duct Technology;
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Air Dome and Components
At minimum, you will need a single- or double-layer fabric envelope, air inflation units, and air lock doors (emergency, revolving, handicap-accessible, and vehicle/cargo air locks).
You may also need our patented full cable harness system if needed for the dome to achieve your local wind and snow loads. If you need lighting, we have several options of UL-listed LED lights.
If you need heating or cooling, our HVAC engineers will design the most effective and efficient HVAC system to achieve your temperature control requirements.
Our remote monitoring system allows you to monitor your dome pressure and temperature from your mobile device. We can add insulation in-between a double-layer fabric envelope for added insulation value.
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Design and Engineering
Our architecture and engineering team is licensed in all 50 states and in 42 countries.
It includes architects, civil engineers, structural engineers, HVAC engineers, and electrical engineers.
For permanent domes, your city will require licensed engineers to stamp every element of your dome project.
We have every engineer you need to accomplish this and manage this entire design, engineering, and approvals process.
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Foundation and Installation
Your dome will need to be anchored into the ground to counteract the uplift forces generated by pressurization of the dome, and by the wind loads that will be imposed on the dome.
Permanent domes are most often anchored in a grade-beam concrete foundation, while our temporary domes are typically anchored with an earth anchor, sand ballast or concrete block anchorage system.
We can also anchor the dome in an aluminum channel anchorage system.
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Ongoing Operational Expense
Broadwell's air domes are very cost effective to operate and maintain. Utility costs for domes range anywhere from $0.25 - $1 per square foot per year.
Just like utilities in a home, utility costs vary widely depending on the insulation value of the dome envelope you choose, our specific electricity and gas rates, the weather, your usage of lights and HVAC units, etc.
You will need to do regular inspections and maintenance of the dome and its components: fabric envelope, mechanical units, lights and doors, etc.
Our North American based service teams can help to perform regular maintenance and fix damage to the dome or components.
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Safety = $
Broadwell is the only air dome company in the world to have never had a dome catastrophically fail. Dome collapses cost owners a tremendous amount of money in lost revenue and repair costs.
Our domes are safer because we use stronger materials than most other dome companies, and we engineer our domes with safety as the first priority.
We have a more robust monitoring and control system, which will actively send you alerts and which you can check from your smart phone.
We have by far the most on-staff designers and engineers of any dome company in the world, and we have invested millions of dollars in our 15 years of business to refine and improve the quality of our domes.
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Funding Your Dome
Financing: Securing a loan using the dome as collateral. The initial investment is paid off in 3-5 years via rental revenue.
Donor Network:Using donors for these domes is an increasingly popular approach. This includes offering facility naming rights.
Private Investors:The high revenue business case always attracts interest from investors. Investors fund the dome and split revenue for a certain period of time. Then, you take full ownership of the dome after the contract is fulfilled.
Partnership with City Recreation:Partner with your local city recreation department to fund the dome and make use of it as a community center.
Student Funded:Student segregated fees as little as $10 per student per year fund the dome project.
Advertising:Local businesses advertise on both the outside and inside of the dome. Guaranteed rental from local athletic teams, local sports teams, and clubs who enter into a multi-year rental agreement before the dome is purchased.