For storage projects where construction typically demands warmer temperatures, there’s another option: A DomeSilo can be built any time of year, with work marching right through the calendar.

The industry norm is for new grain-storage projects to wrap up right before harvest. In contrast, a dome can be finished early in the calendar year, providing plenty of time for commissioning before product shows up, said Dome Technology sales manager Heath Harrison. “With a winter-build schedule, it can allow for several months of utilizing the new structure, getting staff used to it, finding the efficiencies, (and) fixing any potential issues before farmers start rolling in from the field,” he said.

Making the most of the off season starts with proper planning in the warmer months. Dome Technology then completes foundational concrete work before harvest while temps are pleasant. If new storage is being built in an area that is not impacted by the harvest, construction continues until completed, regardless of the weather. But if the site must be sensitive to the harvest, construction crews leave during harvest, then come back and complete the project during the winter.

The all-weather schedule works because a dome is built from the inside out. Once the outer membrane is inflated to create the dome shape, rebar and concrete are applied to the inside; once rigid, construction continues within the structure. Because of this method, “customers hardly know we’re there because the only impact is concrete trucks coming in and out; other than that, all the construction is inside the inflated airform,” or membrane, Harrison said.