Fire Safety Comes Standard, No Sprinklers Required

A late night fire started next to this 10,000-ton urea storage in Channelview, Texas. It consumed three wood structures built against the dome. Over 300 gallons of transformer oil fueled the blaze. For an hour, strong winds blew the inferno directly over the dome.

The fire destroyed about a third of the roofing membrane. The intense heat ablated the polyurethane foam which reflected the heat so well that only a small, 12-foot square area of concrete was exposed. The high-density concrete suffered no damage. Inside the Monolithic Dome, the concrete wall wasn‘t even warm. The product was protected and safe.

Although blackened by fire, the damage was only cosmetic. The facility continued operations during repairs. Workers cut away the burnt membrane, scraped down the damaged foam, applied new foam over the damaged area, and clad the entire exterior with metal.

This is a typical Monolithic Dome. They are naturally fire resistant — inside and out. No water towers, no catch basins, and no deluge fire sprinklers required.