Engineers, architects, and universities have reviewed our building techniques offering oversight and modifications to our original building system including:

Gluing framing members and then gluing the decking to the framing.

Using 3/4" CDX in place of OSB or 1/2"CDX plywood.

Incorporating the use of screws, ring shank nails and nailing patterns that exceed all building codes.

The use of 12- 3/8"x4" galvanized bolts where 6 would pass code.

    The Result- Even here there is differences of opinion among the experts we interviewed. There are various theories as to the overall resistance or performance of our structure in a high-straight-line wind (i.e.. tornado, hurricane, wind shear). There are 2 major dangers or scenarios; sometimes working together, sometimes not, wind shear "mentioned above" and projectiles.

    Wind Shear: This is the force that shears your roof from the walls, and the walls from the foundation. No one can say definitively how much wind shear GoodKarma domes can withstand. Our experts agree the weakest point is how the dome is attached to the foundation. Our experts agreed "That if our dome was to shear at the ground or foundation it would leave in one piece." We have addressed this problem with excellent solutions enlisted from our engineers and experts. We retain these solutions as trade secrets. Resisting sustained winds in excess of 200-250mph winds is realistic. I wish I could tell you with no doubt that research shows this to be the case. Engineers, architects, and building officials can only guestimate. It is all theory. We will only know when one of our domes has proven the theorem in real life.

    Projectiles: The second major danger associated with strong straight-line-winds generated by tornados and hurricanes. There is great misunderstanding as from where these projectiles originate. Picture the tornado/hurricane as a vortex (causing straight-line winds) and a vacuum (that picks everything up depositing everything everywhere) at the same time. In most cases the projectiles are the contents of one's own home. Your knick-knack and the knick-knack shelf, little Bobby's baseball and bat, the kitchen toaster are the projectiles that are most likely to injure you. Not a stray cow from Junior's farm as depicted in the movies. It is possible but odds are your own possessions and family heirlooms will pose the most hazard.

    In conclusion: Keeping family, friends, pets, treasures, financial papers, photographs, clothes, all that good stuff you have worked hard for should be your builder's primary function.