Building Construction & Materials (3) 11/13/2021

Geodesic Dome Structure

Dr. Hala Nabil

Academic Year 2021/2022 (Fall 2021)

Geodesic Dome Structure

Biosphere

An American engineer called Richard Buckminster

Fuller in the 1940's invented the geodesic dome.

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Building Construction & Materials (3) 11/13/2021

Geodesic Dome Structure

Dome Definition

A Dome is an element of Architecture that resemble the hollow upper half of a

sphere.
Geodesic Dome Definition

A geodesic dome is a spherical shell lattice structure based on a network of

geodesics lying on the surface of the sphere. These intersect to form triangular
elements that distribute the load down through the structure.

Geodesic Dome Structure

Load Distribution: Vector Active.
Materials: Steel.

The Geodesic Dome is the strongest, lightest and most – effective building
because it’s ability to cover space without any interior supports.

It is also easy to construct.

The geodesic system consists of dividing a sphere into equal triangles so that
the surface structure of a dome could be more easily made.
The similarity of the triangles makes the domes easier to construct and benefits
by being structurally strong. The overall strength is distributed evenly.

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Building Construction & Materials (3)
Geodesic Dome Structure
Connectors
The pins are used at vertices to
hold the struts together.
Struts
Struts are the force members
that act in compressive &
tensile forces to resist loading.
Substructure
The foundation transfers loads
from the superstructure down
into the earth.
Geodesic Dome Structure
Schwedler Dome
A steel dome structures having
members that follow the lines
of latitude & longitude, and a
third set of diagonals
completing the triangulation.
Dr.Hala Ali Nabil
11/13/2021
The Geodesic Dome is made in such a
way that the stress is evenly distributed
to all members in the structure.
Applied Load
Connectors
(pins)
Struts (Force
Members)
Differ only in the arrangement of members.
Lattice Dome Geodesic Dome
A steel dome structures having A steel dome having members which
members that follow the circle of follow three principal sets of great
latitude, and two sets of circles intersecting at 60 degrees
diagonals forming a series of subdividing the dome surface into a
isosceles triangles. series of equilateral spherical triangles.
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Geodesic Dome Structure

Geodesic Dome Frequency

Refers to the smoothness or shape of the dome and how many struts it uses.

The higher the frequency, the more struts it uses and more triangles it has,
so the closer the dome it is to a true sphere, making the dome rounder and
stronger.

Geodesic Dome Structure

Geodesic Dome Frequency
Every Dome has 6 pentagons, the shape made of 5 struts, 1 at the top & 5
around the sides.
To find the frequency of the Dome, count the number of struts between the centers
of two adjacent pentagon patterns.

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Building Construction & Materials (3) 11/13/2021

Geodesic Dome Structure Icosahedron Domes

‫ﻗﺑﺎﺏ ﻗﺎﺋﻣﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺛﻠﺙ‬
‫ﻣﺗﺳﺎﻭﻱ ﺍﻷﺿﻼﻉ‬

Tetrahedral Domes

‫ﻗﺑﺎﺏ ﺭﺑﺎﻋﻳﺔ ﺍﻟﺳﻁﻭﺡ‬

‫ﻗﺑﺎﺏ ﺛﻣﺎﻧﻳﺔ ﺍﻟﺳﻁﻭﺡ‬

Octahedral Domes

Geodesic Dome Structure

1 2

4 3

5 6

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Building Construction & Materials (3) 11/13/2021

Geodesic Dome Structure

Geodesic Dome Structure

TELUS world of science

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Building Construction & Materials (3) 11/13/2021

Geodesic Dome Structure

Stunning geodesic domes from Romania can handle

earthquakes up to 8.5 on the Richter scale

Geodesic Dome Structure

Disney’s Epcot Center, Florida.

The largest one in the world. Located in

Canada

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Building Construction & Materials (3) 11/13/2021

Geodesic Dome Structure

Buckminster Fuller’s Gold Dome, Oklahoma

Geodesic Dome Structure

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Building Construction & Materials (3) 11/13/2021

Geodesic Dome Structure

Climatron, a geodesic dome greenhouse

designed by R. Buckminster Fuller, Missouri
Botanical Garden

Thanks… For Your Attention

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