We get excited about concrete domes. Their inherent strength, low maintenance, energy efficiency, and customizability make them an excellent option for a spacious and secure home. And for the same reasons, a concrete dome storage facility makes the perfect commercial or agricultural solution, too. And one excellent example of the capabilities of these storage facilities is the new storage site for Utah’s Bridgesource, a concrete materials supply company under the Clyde Companies umbrella.
About Bridgesource’s New Concrete Dome Storage Facility
Dome Technology recently published a great article about the commercial application of concrete domes. In this case, their project is a new twin dome structure in Ogden, Utah, for storing fly ash. Fly ash is a byproduct of burning coal in electric power plants, and concrete companies use it to improve concrete mixes in several different ways.
Each dome in the Ogden facility measures 108 feet in diameter and is 120 feet tall, with a fly-ash capacity of 25,000 short tons. Fly ash will be conveyed from the domes to trucks for delivery, but the facility also provides access to rail transportation and an on-site ready-mix concrete factory.
Dome Technologies utilized some unique design features to push the limits of this storage facility past any conventional solution. And Bridgesource plans to use this concrete dome storage facility to its full abilities, whether it’s for fly ash or cement storage, which can be stored after some minor adjustments to equipment.
Key Features of the Ogden Concrete Dome Storage Facility
- 108-foot diameter
- 120-foot height
- 25,000 short-ton fly ash capacity (or 32,000 short tons of cement)
- 96% live reclaim using a DCL aerated floor system and side discharge
- Unique sloped-floor design for vault equipment storage instead of using a hard-to-access tunnel design
- External T-shaped pit with pumping equipment for transporting fly ash to the domes
- Domes can convey to 300-short-ton day bins for truck loading, or directly to the on-site ready-mix facility
- Built for easy access to rail transport, allowing for more economical and eco-friendly collection and distribution
Bridgesource’s Core Principles and Dome Storage Solutions
According to its website, Bridgesource is dedicated to “Building Better Communities” throughout every facet of their operations. But it’s more than just environmental awareness. They want to solve supply and demand issues, improve consistency in quality, and offer fast turnaround for their customers. This is all achieved through their new concrete dome storage system.
A Commitment to Superior and Consistent Quality
Bridgesource has achieved full ASTM C-618 criteria standards for its fly ash. It’s a hallmark of their business model. And storage is a key component of their product’s consistently high quality.
It’s no small feat to keep all the specifications in check, but the right storage solution makes it much easier. Concrete domes are inherently airtight and watertight due to their impermeable outer membrane and thick layer of insulating foam. And with a high thermal mass, concrete domes help maintain a stable internal temperature in any weather.
Reliable Sourcing and Distribution
The twin domes were built to provide access to rail transport from the source factory, a preloading pit for arriving shipments, and shipping containers after reclaim. Bridgesource prides itself in the reliable transportation of their fly ash, both to and from the site. The relatively small footprint of the domes made it possible to have all these different access points close to the fly ash in order to streamline the transportation process.
Unrivaled Workplace Safety
As of 2021, Bridgesource had seen over 4,000 straight days without reportable incidents at their storage facility. That kind of safety doesn’t come out of coincidence. Instead, the company puts great energy into monitoring processes to keep them safe.
Concrete dome storage facilities are part of this safety, since they require almost no internal access or maintenance. And with the unique vaulted floor design of these two concrete dome silos, any required maintenance could be done safely outside of the actual storage area.
Environmental Stewardship
Fly ash, as a byproduct of burning coal, comes with its own carbon history. But by recycling fly ash efficiently, Bridgesource provides valuable environmental benefits for its customers. Each ton of fly ash utilized for concrete products is one less ton that otherwise goes into landfills.
The concrete dome storage facility they designed also provides maximum reclaim, minimal contamination, and even a specialized system to reduce dust emissions during loading and reclaim. Along with rail transport instead of multiple trucks, Bridgesource is improving the environment daily through its unique storage and transport system.
Why Choose a Concrete Dome Storage Facility?
With such close alignment to the company’s vision, it’s no surprise that Bridgesource chose a concrete dome storage facility over conventional steel or concrete silos. But more went into this decision than their vision and mission alone. And the most compelling reasons to choose a dome storage solution have much more to do with its inherent design characteristics.
Year-Round Storage to Meet Demands
One of the pressing issues in fly-ash storage is shifts in demand. During cold seasons, when construction work decreases, demand for fly ash decreases as well. But in the summer, that demand picks up again, sometimes beyond what companies can meet.
Concrete dome storage facilities bypass this ebb and flow with high-capacity storage that remains dry and stable throughout the year. Bridgesource uses this to its advantage, storing more fly ash than most facilities can handle during the off-season. When the summer months return, they’re ready to easily meet that high demand.
More Visually Pleasing
Most conventional silo sites for concrete material storage require multiple silos. And they’re typically much taller than the twin domes in Ogden. Their less-than-beautiful aesthetics become a detriment to the surrounding community.
But the shine of the domes’ airforms, along with their less intimidating size, lets them fit more appropriately with the skylines in which they reside. Bridgesource saw this as a great advantage for public relations, one of the biggest obstacles to overcome when building a new industrial facility.
Reduces Waste
Weak points in conventional steel silos make them less stable for long-term storage. And their design limitations often choke reclaim rates, leaving a percentage of the stored materials unusable.
The custom-engineered floor systems, interior slopes, and airtight interiors of the Ogden dome silos completely solve these commonplace problems. Concrete domes can be engineered to maximize reclaim (in this case, a live 96% reclaim rate) and eliminate contamination. And they won’t sacrifice structural integrity to accomplish these goals.
Flexible Storage
While the primary purpose of the concrete dome storage facility is fly ash storage, Bridgesource designed these two dome silos for easy conversion to cement storage facilities. Both of these concrete materials require moisture-controlled and temperature-stable conditions, and concrete domes provide exactly that.
Higher Capacity, Smaller Footprint
Concrete domes have become popular for port storage sites. And it’s all because of the natural strength in their design. The steel-reinforced concrete throughout the structure, along with the double-curved geometry of the dome, make the structure even stronger under load. This natural strength makes it possible to achieve higher storage volumes within smaller footprints than possible with conventional silos.
Concrete Dome Storage: Industrial Uses
Fly ash storage is just one of many industrial uses for concrete dome storage facilities. The climate-controlled interior, the incredible compressive and tensile strength, and the nearly infinite lifespan of concrete domes allow them to be used for nearly any storage need.
Concrete Materials
Companies have built facilities for ready-mix concrete storage, fly ash storage, cement storage, and even aggregate storage. And for a concrete production facility, these domes could also be used to store water for concrete mixer trucks.
Wood Pellet Storage
The flexibility of reclaim system installation makes it possible to build a dome silo that can handle wood pellet storage and distribution with the same ease as dry concrete materials. Domes can be customized with explosion panels to improve safety against deflagration events. And since there are no flat surfaces to collect dust, the domes reduce the risk of fire within the structure.
Mining Products
With their incredible strength, concrete domes are perfect for storing mining products, ranging from coal and gypsum to titanium. Domes can be built to meet any storage specifications for specific materials, and the handling systems are custom installed to maximize throughput needs.
Fertilizers
Many fertilizers pose serious threats to workers and communities alike. Controlled environments, specialized handling systems, and explosion mitigation can all be customized to best handle the specific fertilizer you plan to store. Add the structural integrity of reinforced concrete, and you have a perfect storage solution.
Concrete Dome Storage: Agricultural Uses
Industrial uses aren’t the limit for a concrete dome storage facility. The same qualities that make them ideal for material storage transfer directly into agricultural use.
Grain and Crop Storage
Wheat, soy, oat, and corn all store well in concrete domes. The three layers that make up the dome keep water, air, and pests out of the dome indefinitely. Agribusinesses can expect less loss, longer storage, and better throughput, no matter what crop is stored.
Indoor Farming
The environment can be quite unforgiving. But with more sensitive crops, concrete domes can provide year-round farming without the damaging effects of seasonal changes. The future of farming may look much different if fruits can be grown in more frigid climates, or if farmers could plant crops throughout the entire year without environmental limitations. And since pests pose no threat, concrete dome growing facilities will provide higher quality and quantity yields.
Solve Your Storage Problems with Concrete Domes
If you need a storage solution that bypasses environmental, practical, and distribution issues in a single move, it’s time to invest in a concrete dome storage facility for your business. Whether industrial or agricultural, we can help you design storage that perfectly fits your needs. Contact us today to start planning your perfect dome storage facility!
