Descriptions of different models: Water tanks

When the City of Shelley in Idaho needed a new water tank, they chose to work with Dome Technology and saved hundreds of thousands in the process.

According to Mayor Stacy Pascoe, Dome Technology was contracted for the job based on this technology and the low bid. The city anticipated spending $1.1 million on a new tank plus a small cushion for change orders. Selecting Dome Technology’s D115 model shaved nearly $400,000 off the cost, allowing the city to use those funds to upgrade an existing well.

shelley water tank

Saving that kind of money is a big deal to a small town with less tax revenue. “We have a lot of older fixed-income people. When I look at spending money, I base it off of needs first, and then if it was my own money, would I spend it on that,” Pascoe said. The D115 tank checked both boxes.

Dome Technology has brought a tank to the market that saves municipalities significant money based on an efficient building method with less waste—a win for taxpayers and local governments alike.

Dome Technology’s AWWA D115 water tanks are built with this process: The foundation is established, and an airform fabricated in the exact shape of the finished tank is attached to the foundation and inflated with high-power fans. Concrete is sprayed directly onto the airform’s interior to form a vertical stem wall and the low-profile domed roof. Post-tensioning cables are attached to the stem wall, along with typical reinforcing vertical and horizontal rebar. Concrete is then sprayed to embed the cables.

After the concrete cures, the water tank is disinfected. A polyurea coating is applied to the entire interior, and the domed roof is closed up with a hatch and ladder up the side for access.

For more information, visit Water Storage Tanks page.