How big a dome? Are the side walls loaded? The answers to these questions may eliminate some types. For example, if you need a 240-foot diameter hemisphere dome for a product that loads the walls (rather than simply providing a roof over the product), then a wood dome may not work. On the other hand, for smaller domes without product loads on the walls (say an 80-foot diameter hemisphere) an airformed concrete dome may not be the most economical because of the costs of mobilizing specialized equipment and the difficulty in working with large equipment in a relatively small interior space.

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