Posted on January 05, 2024
The TBCo Ft. Myers team had the opportunity to work on an exciting high-profile project in 2023 – the Dali Museum’s new climate-controlled geodesic dome in St. Petersburg, Florida. Standing 60 feet tall and 39 feet wide, the Dome complements the Museum’s free-form glass enigma and currently features Dali Alive 360°, an immersive journey into the work – and the mind – of Surrealist master Salvador Dali.
Jimey Moad was the TBCo sales engineer on the project, working with Page Mechanical Group, out of Ft. Myers. Jimey provided a brief overview of the project’s challenges and solutions.
Dome Design/Location
Challenge: The geodesic dome sits on a concrete slab next to the Saint Petersburg waterfront, so not only did all of the ductwork need to run under the slab - it had to be placed a couple of inches above the Tampa Bay water table.
Solution: Used highly specialized BlueDuct designed to go underground in trenches. The group worked closely with a civil engineering team to know how far to dig and then added a crushed rock bedding and sand just above the water table.
Facility Requirements
Challenge: Next to the Dome and connecting to the main museum, is a large grassy area used for fundraisers and art events. The team needed to ensure the ground could handle the extra weight of heavy equipment used for the setup of these events.
Solution: Worked with experts to determine how much weight the BlueDuct can support - refilling with extra rock and sand to disperse the weight when heavy equipment is used during set up for events held on the grass field outside the dome.
Read the case study for more detailed information, and for additional challenges and solutions presented by this project.
Congratulations to the Ft. Myers crew for a job well done, and for a successful collaboration with the entire project team, including the experts from BlueDuct! The team worked together to overcome significant challenges resulting in a successful outcome for the Dali Museum.