Inflatable Domes or Air Domes are used in recreational venues, sports venues, pubs, concerts, etc. Inflatable domes come in all sizes- from very small (50-60 people) to very large (about 800 people, some even more).

Inflatable domes are portable structures and therefore are used in almost all of the events which require urgent venues or the events which are happening in the outskirts where ‘posh’ buildings are not found.

What are Inflatable Domes?

Inflatable domes are portable structures filled with air. This is why they are also called Air-supported structures. They are like a large tube which covers a specific amount of land and can hold a specific capacity of people inside. They can be imagined as a large inflatable umbrella.

The sizes of the domes vary in accordance to the need. The first inflatable dome was tested at EXPO’70 by David.H.Geiger (an American) in Osaka, Japan.

They are typically dome-shaped structures. Every air-supported structure should be evenly pressurized and therefore this quality limits its shape. The geometric shape of an inflatable dome can be a hemisphere, oval or half-cylinder.

What are Inflatable Domes made up of?

The design of an inflatable dome is such that it operates at atmospheric pressure or more than atmospheric pressure. The interior of the building is always at atmospheric pressure and so the dome is evenly filled with air more than or equal to the atmospheric pressure.

The catch is that the pressure inside the membranes should be evenly distributed throughout the dome, if not so, then the dome can fail or develop wrinkles. The membrane used is very thin (about 1mm thin or less) and so an inflatable dome is very cost-effective. Basically, it is just air and membrane.

The materials used to make the membranes are similar to fiberglass or polyesters. To prevent damage from ultraviolet radiation; the membranes are quoted with PVC or Teflon.

What are some advantages of Inflatable Domes?

There are many advantages of inflatable domes, some of them are:

1) Eco-friendly: Inflatable domes do not require any construction materials for its construction, so the air pollution caused by particulate matter dissipated by cement, sand, etc is practically gone.

Also, there’s no construction involved, so no chances of noise pollution. Inflatable Domes only require a specific amount of land to be planted on and after that, the domes can be removed without practically causing even little damage to the piece of land involved, so possibilities of soil erosion and land pollution are also nil.

Overall, the structure is efficiently eco-friendly.

2) Portability: Inflatable domes are large structures filled with air and can be packed into small packages once the air is let out. So traveling with domes is very easy and efficient.

3) Cost-effectiveness: As inflatable Domes are not permanent structures, the cost of land is already cut-out. With this, there is no cost of construction as the domes are made up of membranes that should be filled with air.

Similarly, the cost of raw materials involved is also less, as membranes are made up of polyesters with Teflon coating and nothing else (there are some structures that require additional layers, but still it contributes to cost-effectiveness).

4) Size: Unlike hotels and auditoriums, Inflatable Domes come in varied sizes. A party can book the dome in accordance with the number of people arriving at the venue.

Conclusion

To conclude, Inflatable domes are structures of the future. We might even see make-shift homes of people made up inflatable domes. Inflatable Domes can comfortably provide protective care from strong winds, dust, and pollution.

They are variable, portable, and strong. The only qualities you might need in a roof covering your head. Inflatable Domes are already being used in recreational events like concerts, make-shift theatres, planetariums, and even in sports events like- tennis, hockey, etc.

Inflatable Domes are good for your surroundings and cost less. It might be the best thing for your wedding ceremony or your birthday party.