Dome Technology’s steel-reinforced concrete domes provide a robust and energy-efficient solution for data-center construction, leveraging material science and a superior architectural design to address the industry’s critical energy management and resilience needs.
Enhanced Energy Efficiency and Thermal Management
The primary energy consumption issue in traditional data centers is the cooling (HVAC) system, which can account for up to 40 percent of electricity use. Dome Technology addresses this through a monolithic, insulated shell that optimizes the building’s thermal behavior.
- Superior thermal envelope: The combination of shotcrete concrete and several inches of insulating polyurethane foam creates an airtight, continuous thermal barrier with extremely low heat transfer. This design significantly reduces the cooling load required to maintain stable internal temperatures even in the harshest environments.
- Thermal-mass functionality: The high thermal mass of the concrete shell acts as a “thermal battery.” It absorbs heat generated internally (or gained externally) during peak periods and can release it during off-peak times or use cooler nighttime air (a strategy known as “free cooling”). This passive regulation minimizes the need for active mechanical cooling during high-demand hours, leading to significant energy savings and lower operating costs.
- Integrated hydronic cooling: The concrete shell can be engineered to incorporate integrated hydronic cooling systems, further increasing the structure’s thermal capacity and potentially reducing or eliminating the need for traditional HVAC systems, as seen in some highly efficient dome designs.
Resilience and Security
The dome’s construction method offers unparalleled physical security and operational reliability.
- Monolithic strength: The seamless, steel-reinforced monolithic construction eliminates weak points typically found at joints or corners in conventional buildings, making it inherently resistant to structural failure.
- Natural-disaster resistance: Domes are engineered to withstand extreme events, including wind speeds exceeding 250 mph (EF5 tornadoes), and can be designed to meet stringent ICC-500 storm shelter specifications and resist seismic loads. This ensures continuous operation and data integrity during catastrophic weather events.
- Architectural appearance: Traditional architectural structures can be integrated into the dome design, maximizing flexibility of your project location to meet most jurisdictional design requirements.
Operational Flexibility and Cost Efficiency
- Column-free interior: Nature’s perfectly strong shape provides a free-spanning interior without the need for load-bearing columns or trusses, offering maximum flexibility for server rack layouts and airflow management. Multiple floor levels can also be incorporated into the design.
- Minimal maintenance: The durable, seamless concrete shell with an exterior PVC membrane is built to last centuries and requires minimal upkeep, reducing long-term maintenance costs (OpEx).
- Sustainable construction: Concrete construction produces significantly less material waste compared to conventional methods, aligning with modern sustainability goals and potentially contributing to a lower carbon footprint.
By implementing Dome Technology solutions, data center operators can achieve a lower power usage effectiveness (PUE), enhance physical security, and ensure long-term operational cost savings and reliability.