On September 17, we visited a manufacturing facility in Cleveland, Ohio that produces fiberglass architectural elements, including domes for Orthodox churches. We were welcomed by Nicholai Moysaenko, Project Manager, who gave us a tour of the facility, introduced us to the production process, and answered our technical questions.
During the visit, we were able to observe the fabrication of one of the church domes currently in production. The dome is being made from fiberglass in several sections, which will later be assembled into the complete structure.
This particular dome will crown the Chapel of St. Elizabeth and All Military Saints in Savannah, Missouri, one of our projects currently under construction. Seeing the element being fabricated provided an opportunity to examine firsthand how the architectural design is translated into the final manufactured form before installation on the building.
One concern raised during the visit was the possibility that the joints between the individual dome sections could remain visible after assembly. We therefore recommended discussing with the client an alternative fabrication method in which the dome would still be cast in four quarter sections, but fully assembled at the factory before delivery. The joints could then be filled and finished prior to painting, allowing the entire dome to be painted as a single continuous surface—in this case, in a sky-blue color—without visible seams.
Because the dome is only 8 feet in diameter, it may be possible to transport it to the site as a fully assembled unit on a standard truck, without the need for special oversize transportation arrangements. Nicholai Moysaenko will review this option with the fabrication specialist and prepare a proposed solution for the client.
We also discussed the method of attaching the gold stars specified in the design. Since the stars will be mounted directly to the fiberglass dome surface, their fastening system will need to be coordinated with the dome fabrication and finishing process.