LAKELAND, Fla. – If you have ever driven I-4 between Tampa and Orlando, you likely have seen a set of large, beige domes on the side of the road near Lakeland. Now, those domes, which were constructed by ABC Domes, are going to get a new, experimental partner.
A new 60 foot tall dome that has 12,000 square feet of interior space is set to be inflated Thursday morning.
According to the company, the prototype dome is engineered to withstand winds of from a EF5 tornado or Category 5 hurricane.
The company says inflation of the dome takes around an hour and is the beginning of a construction process known as airforming.
“The airforming process allows for an economical formation and construction of a large span, column-free thin shell structure,” according to a release. “The airform is both the form for construction of the dome as well as the outer roof membrane of the finished shell.”
The airform is then attached to a foundation, which is also inflated.
While many may think that the buildings look strange, other, far weirder buildings exist.