DOMES

WHAT ARE THEY?

 A dome is an architectural element that resembles the hollow upper

half of a sphere.
 A dome can rest upon a rotunda or drum, and can be supported
by columns or piers that transition to the dome through squinches or
pendentives. A lantern may cover an oculus and may itself have
another dome.
 Domes have a long architectural lineage that extends back into
prehistory and they have been constructed from mud, stone, wood,
brick, concrete, metal, glass, and plastic over the centuries.
 The symbolism associated with domes includes mortuary, celestial,
and governmental traditions that have likewise developed over
time
 Domes have been found from early Mesopotamia,
which may explain the form's spread. They are found in
Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, and Chinese architecture in
the Ancient world, as well as among a number of
contemporary indigenous building traditions.
 They were popular in Byzantine and medieval Islamic
architecture, and there are numerous examples from
Western Europe in the Middle Ages.
 The Renaissance style spread from Italy in the Early
modern period. Advancements in mathematics,
materials, and production techniques since that time
resulted in new dome types.
 The domes of the modern world can be found over
religious buildings, legislative chambers, sports stadiums,
and a variety of functional structures.
 Fiberglass dome cottage in Davis, California. This dome
Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem completed in 691 was built in 1972 and is part of the Baggin's End student
housing cooperative
 TYPES OF DOMES

 Beehive dome
 Also called a corbelled
dome, or false dome, these are
different from a 'true dome' in that
they consist of purely horizontal
layers. As the layers get higher, each
is slightly cantilevered, or corbeled,
toward the center until meeting at
the top.
 A monumental example is the
Mycenaean Treasury of Atreus from
the late Bronze Age.
 Compound dome
 Also called domes on
pendentives or pendentive domes (a
term also applied to sail vaults),
compound domes have pendentives
that support a smaller diameter dome
immediately above them, as in the Hagia
Sophia, or a drum and dome, as in many
Renaissance and post-Renaissance
domes, with both forms resulting in
greater height.
 Crossed-arch dome
 One of the earliest types of ribbed vault,
the first known examples are found in
the Great Mosque of Córdoba in the
10th century. Rather than meeting in
the center of the dome, the ribs
characteristically intersect one another
off-center, forming an empty polygonal
space in the center.
 Geodesic dome
 Geodesic domes are the upper portion of
geodesic spheres. They are composed of
a framework of triangles in
a polyhedron pattern.
 The structures are based
upon octahedrons or tetrahedrons.[5] Such
domes can be created using a limited
number of simple elements and joints and
efficiently resolve a domes internal forces.
Their efficiency is said to increase with size.
 Hemispherical dome
 The hemispherical dome is half of a
sphere. According to E. Baldwin Smith, it
was a shape likely known to the
Assyrians, defined by Greek theoretical
mathematicians, and standardized by
Roman builders.
 Onion dome
 An onion dome is a greater than
hemispherical dome with a pointed top
in an ogee profile.
 The examples found in various European
architectural styles are typically
wooden.
 In Islamic architecture, they are typically
made of masonry, rather than timber,
with the thick and heavy bulging
portion serving to buttress against the
tendency of masonry domes to spread
at their bases.
 The Taj Mahal is a famous example.
 Oval dome
 An oval dome is a dome of oval shape
in plan, profile, or both.
 The earliest oval domes were used by
convenience in corbelled stone huts as
rounded but geometrically undefined
coverings.
 The dome built for the basilica
of Vicoforte by Francesco Gallo was
one of the largest and most complex
ever made.
 Saucer dome
 Also called segmental domes (a term
sometimes also used for cloister vaults),
or calottes, these have profiles of less than
half a circle. Because they reduce the
portion of the dome in tension, these
domes are strong but have increased
radial thrust.
 Many of the largest existing domes are of
this shape.
 Masonry saucer domes, because they
exist entirely in compression, can be built
much thinner than other dome shapes
without becoming unstable.
 Umbrella dome
 Alsocalled gadrooned, fluted, pu
mpkin,melon, ribbed, parachute, s
calloped,or lobed domes,these
are a type of dome divided at the
base into curved segments, which
follow the curve of the elevation.
 "Fluted" may refer specifically to
this pattern as an external feature,
such as was common in Mamluk
Egypt.
ADVANTAGES OF DOMES

 Monolithic Domes are highly energy efficient, disaster resistant, cost

effective, relatively low maintenance and attractive. Let's look at
some detailed specifics for these features.
 The high wind resistance for a Monolithic Dome is rated at 200 mph,
allowing it to withstand virtually any hurricane and most tornadoes.
Several Monolithic Domes were in the paths of the 2004 series of
hurricanes that ravaged Florida, and all survived intact.
 Having a dome shaped structure integrated with the foundation
and floor, works to strengthen the entire structure as a unit and,
therefore, makes the Dome highly resistant to earthquake damage.
 Insurance rates for a Monolithic Dome are substantially less. Monolithic
Domes are rated as non-combustible. Due to the Monolithic Dome's non-
combustible rating and resistance to damage in other forms, risk to the
insurance company is very small and premium savings of 75% or more are
quite realistic. This issue should be discussed with your insurance company
in detail to ensure that you receive the appropriate rate.
 Lower total cost of ownership you'll have also includes heating and
cooling bills. Polyurethane is one of the best known materials for insulation.
A high insulating factor is one of the reasons for the particular grade of
polyurethane used on the dome. Beneath the foam, the concrete layer
retains and moderates fluctuations of the interior temperature. Cost
reductions in energy bills of 50% to 75% are common among Monolithic
Dome owners, compared to the equivalent size conventional home.
 Exterior maintenance is minimal. Because the outer PVC skin is available in
colors, painting and repainting is not required, only and occasional
washing off of dust. Other exterior coatings can be applied such as
stucco, which is also low maintenance. Otherwise, typical maintenance
for trim around doors and windows is all that is necessary.
DISADVANTAGES OF DOMES

 They're complex to build, with complexity only increasing very quickly

as you get larger. Also, think about your house. you have lots of 90
degree angles, not curves.
 We know that a geodesic dome has at least 30% less surface area
than a conventional structure, but cutting triangles from sheet material
is very wasteful, there’s not much point in having 30% less surface area
if you’re left with 30% more wastage.
 Fitting doors and windows into a dome structure is much more of a
challenge than fitting them in a rectangle based building.
 Add on porches, dormer windows, extensions and chimneystacks and
we begin to loose most of the benefits of building a dome in the first
place.
APPLICATIONS OF DOMES

 Acoustics
 Because domes are concave from below, they can reflect sound
and create echoes.[26] A dome may have a "whispering gallery" at
its base that at certain places transmits distinct sound to other
distant places in the gallery.
 Cavities in the form of jars built into the inner surface of a dome may
serve to compensate for this interference by diffusing sound in all
directions, eliminating echoes while creating a "divine effect in the
atmosphere of worship.“
 Geodesic dome
 No load-bearing interior walls are required to support the roofs,
resulting in an open spaced plan.
 Partition walls can be directly framed into the dome shell, or they may
be free standing space divisions. Up to 50% of the lowest ring of
triangles can be removed, and these openings can be replaced with
traditional doors and windows. The choice of a geodesic system yields
less material costs. Since the sphere is a mathematical maximum, it
encloses the most area for the least amount of material. An example
of a dome home is shown below:
 Along with the open space plan, the geodesic dome’s structural
stability makes it a valuable resource to resist against excessive loading,
such as winds or seismic vibrations.
 Since spherical shapes amplify light, as opposed to rectangular which
absorb, superior lighting distribution makes a spherical shape perfect
for a greenhouse.
 Other common uses of geodesic domes include:

- Churches - Bulk Storage

- Garages - Office Complexes
- Gymnasiums - Cabins
- Ice Rinks - Aircraft Hangers
STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOUR

 Subsystems and Interactions:

 Struts: Struts are the force members in a geodesic dome that act in
compressive and tensile forces to resist loading.
 Imagine the earth as a perfect sphere, with its longitudinal lines dividing it
into equal halves.
 These longitudinal lines are called great circles. The geodesic dome has
members which follow three sets of principal sets of great circles intersecting
at 60 degree angles, subdividing the dome surface into a series of
equilateral spherical triangles.
 The more complex this system of triangles, the more spherical the dome
becomes. The structure as a whole is subjected to bending moments, but
the individual struts are rigid and only subjected to tension and compression
forces.
 Applied loads are distributed through one strut to the pins. The pins transfer
the loads to the next strut, and this process continues until the loadings reach
the foundation.
Geodesic Load
Distributions
 Pins: The pins are used at vertices to hold the struts together. The pins
must be able to resist the compressive forces transferred through the
struts.
 All of the vertices must have a pin connection, which allows forces to
be transmitted through to the foundation.
 The pins should be weather treated to resist damage due to
environmental conditions.
 Substructure: The foundation transfers loads from the superstructure
down into the earth.
 The applied loads consist of live, dead, wind, seismic, and
gravitational. All of these must be withheld by the foundation.
 Although the geodesic dome is primarily a self-supporting structure, its
foundation must carry the applied loads and anchor it into the earth.
 Typically, a circular concrete slab is poured onto the earth.
 The struts and piers are bolted and welded to the slab
Pier Foundation
Details
THANK YOU