Dome Construction Is Nearly Complete for Las Vegas Gypsum Storage
Shell construction is almost complete for a large gypsum storage east of Las Vegas, Nevada. PABCO Gypsum is a vertically integrated mining and manufacturing facility that produces 110 million square meters of drywall per year. The new dome replaces a 50-year-old steel dome.
The Monolithic Dome built by South Industries is 215 feet diameter by 77 feet tall and can store 50,000 tons—almost 1,000,000 cubic feet—of bulk powder gypsum. The gypsum is mined on-site, crushed, processed, and stored in the dome until it’s needed.
The gypsum is removed via four, 4-foot by 4-foot openings along the floor. The material drops through the openings onto a conveyor and moved to the neighboring manufacturing plant. Front end loaders push the pile to the openings to keep the process moving.
PABCO Gypsum manufactures gypsum board—also called drywall, wallboard, Sheetrock—for commercial and residential construction across the west. It’s estimated that 7 metric tons of drywall are used in constructing the average US home.