shaped houses built to withstand extreme weather such as category five cyclones could begin sprouting across Australia within five years, engineers say.

April 5, 2006 ? Dome-shaped houses built to withstand extreme weather such as category five cyclones could begin sprouting across Australia within five years, engineers say. The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and NSW-based company DomeShells Technology have developed a new building technique which combines the strength of the dome shape with ?composite panel technology? ? one of the strongest building techniques available. The dome houses can be erected in as little as two weeks. Structural engineer and QUT PhD student Grant Gaston said the dome shape allows stress created by strong winds to be distributed across the entire building, eliminating structural damage. He said ?sandwich panelling? ? two outside layers made of polymer-modified, glass-fibre reinforced concrete, separated by a foam core ? makes the houses exceptionally strong. It also gives them highly efficient thermal properties. ?So they can be utilised from anywhere in the tropics down to cold environments,? Gaston said. ?Maybe within five years you might see a few more coming up around in different suburbs and different areas.? DomeShells Technology has been developing the technique with QUT for five years and has already built two full-size prototypes in northern NSW. The technology, a world first, is ready to be used within the Australian housing market. Gaston said laboratory tests had found they could survive cyclonic winds. ?We believe this new invention could help cyclone-prone communities through the world rebuild stronger structures,? he said. The structures could be built up to 10 metres in diameter, giving 78 square metres of floor area. They could also be attached and coloured to suit existing structures. But Gaston conceded the concept was not ?mainstream? and Australians could take a while to adjust to the unusual appearance of dome house. ?Just due to the nature of the dwellings themselves, not everyone will take a liking to it,? he said. Gaston said the structures currently cost the same to build as a normal house equivalent in size, given the technology was still new. Contact: DomeShells TechnologyPO Box 820Billinudgel, NSW 2483Australia  T: +61 2 6680 5500F: +61 2 6680 5511 E: contact@domeshells.com.au Web: www.domeshells.com.au Billinudgel, New South Wales, Australia, April 5, 2006

Publication Date: 05 April 2006