The Domes of Africa

Geometrica's domes and vaults are highly favored for a variety of uses, from raw material storage to worship venues. These long span structures appear from Tunisia in the north to South Africa in the, well, south, of this, the second largest continent in the world.

Geometrica's exclusive Freedome® technology makes it possible to cover areas of any shape: circular, rectangular, or even freestyle. The structure may rise from the ground, or it may rest on material containing walls. A Freedome may be adapted to cover building courtyards or sloping mountainsides. There is no need for costly modifications to existing facilities; a Freedome can be designed to spring from them.

Architectural Wonder in Ghana

Aside from Geometrica's industrial and commercial application throughout Africa, some notable architectural feats have been developed. For instance, the “7th Wonder” of Ghana is located in sub-Saharan Africa.

For a while, the immense 14,000-seat auditorium spanning 59m sat roofless. No contractor in West Africa had the means to design a cover. It took Geometrica’s trademarked Freedome system to lay out a custom-geometry roof that replaced a conventional truss, where the size of every one of the tubes needed to be different. Using bar-coding, tracking and control of the parts quality at every stage in the production process, the  congregation's ambitious design became a reality.

Now known as the Perez Dome, this gold-anodized aluminum-clad structure ranks among Geometrica’s portfolios of houses of worship countries around the world, including places as remote as Honduras and the Maldives. Read more about this amazing structure here.

Mining in Mauritania

The cradle of humanity, Africa also has some of the largest mineral reserves, including bauxite, phosphate, copper, gold, iron ore, zinc, limestone and coal. Top producers in the mining industry prefer Geometrica as their supplier based on the advantages not available from conventional structures: long span, light weight and ease of construction. Galvanized steel offers a clean, strong structure that needs a minimum of maintenance over the years.

Mining is one of the Mauritania's the most important sectors to the national economy, including yields of iron ore, copper and gold. Geometrica designed and installed a circular mineral storage dome for Mauritanian Copper Mines spanning 68m. The Guelb Moghrein copper-gold operation is 100% owned by Mauritanian Copper Mines (MCM), a First Quantum subsidiary. The mine is located 250 kilometres northeast of the nation’s capital, Nouakchott, near the town of Akjoujt.

Geometrica's software generates geometries exactly suited to specific building requirements, resulting in an inherent economy of the dome shape that conserves materials and eliminates wasted space. Freedomes are especially suited for established facilities that may be surrounded by roads or other buildings, making the construction of a new cover difficult. Geometrica can design a Freedome to fit the pre-existing shape of the area, eliminating the need to relocate the stock pile or build a new facility. Only Geometrica can provide this kind of versatility.

Cement Manufacturing

Since 1992, Geometrica has led the world in the manufacture and construction of bulk storage enclosures for the cement industry, specializing in domes and covers for the protection of limestone, clinker, coal, fly ash, and other raw material used in the production of cement and concrete. The domes are made of galvanized steel and/or aluminum and are lightweight, yet incredibly strong and durable. They are an "all-terrain" solution to brutal slopes, typhoon-force winds, corrosive saltwater and torturous snow loads, and can be economically installed in any topography.

Geometrica has provided bulk material storage solutions for the cement industry throughout Africa, as described below:

Carthage Cement, Tunisia

Geometrica supplied three bulk-storage structures at Tunisia’s largest and most technologically advanced cement plant in Djebel Ressas. Carthage Cement required the design and installation of an immense, 300m longitudinal coal storage, a 200m longitudinal dome for additives storage, and a 90m circular limestone dome.

To complete the plant, Carthage Cement entrusted FLSmidth (FLS), a global engineering company based in Copenhagen, to supply machinery and engineering. Turkish contractor, EKON, was FLS's partner for the civil works, including civil design, supply of structural steel and plate work, site preparation, plant erection. The civil work compares in scale to that required to build a small town.

"We learned about Geometrica through an international cement trade magazine and the Internet," said EKON Project Manager, A. Cem Sevük. "We chose Geometrica because, compared to their competitors, they gave us a better price and speedier delivery."

The environment, including its orchards, livestock and nature preserve, are protected through Freedome technology, and Carthage Cement helps Tunisia continue on its growth path. This tri-structure project helped create the plant infrastructure to spur over 400 direct jobs. Tunis, the national capital and source of 50 percent of Tunisia's cement demand, is now well supplied with product. Read more about the project here.

Limestone in Lichtenburg, South Africa

The cement industry in the North West Province of South Africa is ever growing. Building materials producer Lafarge required the construction of two steel domes to cover limestone stockpiles at its Lichtenburg plant after production was being affected by rain.

Of course, cement manufacturers must insure their product has consistent properties over time. Geometrica's expertise in blending bed covers, limestone storage, homogenizing, and dust control made them the ideal candidate to design twin circular domes, which serve several purposes. Each protects the raw material from the elements, safeguards its chemical properties, and protects the surrounding landscape from dust and runoff.

Each dome spans an immense 113m in diameter and stores 60,000t of limestone. Four entrances are included in each dome's design to facilitate easy access. Each entrance consists of an electrical roller- shutter door, with a smaller door built-in for pedestrian access. Both perimeter and area lighting are included and power points are also provided at each entrance for welding and general applications. UPS power is supplied for emergency lighting, and each dome is earthed and designed to withstand severe weather conditions and even lightning strikes.

Domes in Senegal

First Senegal circular limestone storage dome, 73m

In 2002, Geometrica designed a bulk storage dome for Les Ciments du Sahel in Senegal. The circular structure spans 73m and covers a limestone stockpile. Previously, it was not economical to cover the large circular piles of material used in automated stacking/reclaiming or preblending stockyards. But Freedome technology offered a quick, affordable and environmentally friendly alternative to open stockpiles. The stockpile cover improved Ciments du Sahel's runoff and air quality measures.

This installation led to a follow up project in 2010. The company needed an additional 3600 tpd of output and turned to Geometrica for a custom engineered bulk storage and blending solution. The resulting stockpile dome, designed to be self-scaffolding, was anchored to a ring-shaped concrete foundation. It was built over a live operating stockpile with no downtime and spans 94m. Moisture and fine particulate control and process efficiency are among the benefits of this application.

Cement in Morocco

Italcementi Group operates three cement plants in Morocco through Ciments du Maroc: Ait Baha, Safi and Marrakech. Geometrica was hired to design a 74m blending storage dome at the Safi location. Meeting the needs of construction growth while achieving environmental goals has become Ciments du Maroc—Italcementi Group's major focus in the past two decades. The design and installation of a pre-blending and clinker storage dome helps the company achieve this objective.

Interior view of 79m dome in Safi

World Leader in Dome Manufacturing and Installation

Geometrica has built a robust portfolio of domes, vaults and space frames one satisfied client at a time. With domes in over 30 countries, our strongest testament is word-of-mouth recommendations from contractors and clients who trust our expertise and efficient technology. The question is, "What can Geometrica build for you?" To learn more, please fill the inquiry form.