New video features Chile dome’s seismic resistance

Dome Technology has produced a new video highlighting a clinker dome in Chile built to meet seismic resistance the local code requires.

Click on the image above to view video

Dome Technology was contracted to build a dome at the new site where BSA Cementos will increase its production by 950,000 tons per year during the first stage of operation, with as much as 1,900,000 tons a year being processed per year. The contract for the project is with SALFA Montajes S.A., and the final customer is BSA Cementos.

Selecting a dome “has several technical advantages that will eventually be reflected in economic benefits for our final customer,” said Nilo Araya Gonzalez of SALFA Montajes, head of supplies for the BSA project, adding that quick construction time, a smaller construction crew and a low-maintenance final product were key advantages.

BSA Cementos dome

The plant is expected to have a continuous supply of clinker from the port for production, and “this dome allows the customer to have a 50,000-metric-ton stock of clinker in case there is a delay with shipping from the port,” said Dome Technology operations manager Eudaldo Chavez Zazueta said. “This enables them to respond to the local market effectively without disrupting the factory’s production output and increasing reliability of their whole operation.”

Chile is known for its seismic activity, “but even more important than that, we are known to have one of the most rigorous building codes regarding the considerations to be accounted for when doing any type of construction,” Araya said. ”The dome’s geometry gives it excellent stability and load-absorption characteristics; therefore, this design has important advantages in meeting seismic requirements that are mandatory in our country, which will as well translate into savings during construction.”

Every dome is designed specific to its needs and location. But in general, “the dome is such a rigid structure, and it has tremendous redundancies. There are no connections that can fail—it’s continuously reinforced everywhere. It’s ideal in that sense,” Dome Technology vice president of engineering Jason South said.

For more information on this project and its seismic resistance, see the BSA Cementos case study. The video can also be viewed on the Dome Technology YouTube channel.