Professional Documents
Culture Documents
HISTORY
TYPES
CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE
CASE STUDY
A dome is an element
of architecture that resembles the
hollow upper half of a sphere.
Dome structures made of various
materials have a long
architectural lineage extending
into prehistory.
Geodesic Domes
Monolithic Domes
Bow Domes
A monolithic dome is a structure cast in a one-piece form. The form may be permanent
or temporary and may or may not remain part of the finished structure.
Forms have been made using nearly every common structural material including air
pressure supported fabric.
Advantages: Very strong efficient structure requiring very little in the way of
heating/cooling.
Disadvantages: The outer airform that acts as a weatherproof membrane can be
damaged easily allowing water into the insulation layer. Both the PVC airform and the
urethane foam insulation are oil based chemical materials, which are not that
environmentally friendly. Most monolithic domes require dehumidifiers or heat
exchange systems due to the fact that they are so airtight.
TYPES
For a start a few different types of bow
domes, derived from the bow bending,
tying and assembling:
Segmental
Hemispherical
Faceted
Pointed
Conical
On Pendentives
On Squinches
Cloister Arch
STRUCTURAL PRINCIPLE
Generality:
A dome is composed of a series of rings, resting on each other
A dome is characterized by a thrust, with pushes on the walls
Two forces are acting in a dome:
The thrust (T), which pushes down with an angle on the walls
A concentric thrust (CT), which acts in every ring and compresses
it
The thrust (T) is composed of 2 forces:
CT : Concentric thrust
A horizontal force (HT), which tends to push the walls apart
HT : Horizontal thrust
The weight (W), which is the weight of the masonry
Technique Basics:
The clay which is present in a soil binds a brick or block
This technique can use adobe (sun dried bricks), stabilized
CEB (compressed earth blocks), or fired bricks
The blocks must be dry before starting the block laying
process
The mortar is like a glue, it is very sticky; clay is the binder
The mortar contains more soil than sand, and some cement
The cement does not help for adhesion, the clay does it
Mortar proportions will vary according to the soil quality
The mortar thickness should not exceed 2-3 mm
SUITABILITY OF DOMES
Hemispherical dome
It often
Plan
Wooden reaper
(4 x 4 cm x 4 m)Supporting
plate with a pipe welded
at 90
Articulation with flat
steel and 2 bolts welded
at 90
1. Setting up the
Compass
2. Detail of a Compass
Sliding pipe (45 x 45 x 45
mm) with a nut welded
and a bolt
Block to support the
6. Wedge the
Joints
7. Laying the
Last Block
8. Starting a
New Ring
Template with
steel pipes
1. Setting up the
Template
2. Soaking the
block and laying
the glue
must be humid
3. Stick the
Block on the
Masonry
8. Starting a
New Arch
Flattened conduit Probably the simplest way to build a geodesic dome frame, all you do is flatten the end
of some metal tubing bend it slightly then drill a hole. Do this to both ends get yourself
a bag of bolts and you can easily build a dome framework in a day. Used for burning
man, climbing frames and other small projects.
Advantages: Really easy to build, easily assembled/disassembled, no special tools
required, just make sure you don''t split the tube when you flatten it and that you
flatten enough so you can put the bend in without interfering with other struts.
Disadvantages: Quite crude, can only be covered with material because joints don''t
finish level.
CONSTRUCTION
It is a simple way to build a geodesic
dome frame, using conduit that has the
end flattened in a vice is a good starting
point. This method may be a bit crude
but its cheap and easy to implement.
Use this technique for building geodesic
tent structures, climbing frames and
other small homebrew projects.
Construction tips
Using a thin wall tube will make
flattening the ends easier but dont go
too thin if youre making a climbing
frame.
Colour coding the struts will make it
easier to assemble, try using different
coloured insulation tape.
Conclusions:
This method is a bit rough and ready but
its cheap and simple to build a dome
framework. Covering is quite difficult to
get crease free and I wouldnt recommend
trying to cover with a hard covering
material. This technique is best suited to
building climbing frames and small
experimental projects to get the feel for
building geodesic structures.
Advantages: Makes a nice neat job with all struts finishing level while still being cheap and
easy to build.
Disadvantages: Great for material covers but there is no easy way to fix a hard covering
material.
Construction
This is a great technique for building a tubular
dome framework, much nicer and more
flexible than the flattened conduit method
but still simple to build.
Making the struts
This is very similar to the flattened
conduit method except youll need to bend the
ends just less than 90 degrees. There are other
ways of connecting the struts to the hubs
Construction tips.
Make sure that the pipe used
for the hub is of sufficient
diameter to allow up to six
connections and still get the
spanner in to tighten the
bolts.
Conclusions:
This is a nice easy way to build a dome only requiring slightly more work than the
flattened tube method but gives a much more flexible and professional looking job. Use
this method for building climbing frames, portable dome structures and even permanent
large domes. Probably not suitable for dome homes or greenhouses (glass doesnt like to
be stretched)
Wood can be bent within boiled water like a steam chamber easily.
Other materials such as aluminium or sheet metal might allow natural bending without
breaking. Modern bow domes have prefabricated struts composed by:
several segments making up a bent bow
multiple layers of thin wooden layers (0.2-0.5 cm) bent and glued together.
CROWN OR CROWNLESS
The bows need to be bind together at the top,
and one good approach is a small wheel where
all bows enter, tied, or fixated with a screw.
CANVAS
The tricky part is the canvas for the outer layer
(e.g. rain canvas) for the bow domes. Along
the bows the canvas forms leaf-like segments
so it rather obvious to compose the canvas by
such, more below.
SECTION-VAULT ENTRANCE
PLAN
ALL DIMENSIONS IN
MILLIMETER
CONSTRUCTION OF DOME
DOME SECTION
PLAN OF THE
DIFFERENT BROCK
COURSES
ALL DIMENSIONS IN
CENTIMETER
CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE
3. Airform
After foundation and tunnel systems are complete, preparations follow for primary
construction activities to complete the Domesilo. Construction equipment and
materials are staged inside the footprint of the Domesilo. The reinforced PVC
airform is unfolded over the top of staged materials and the airform edges are
secured to the ring foundation system. Temporary openings are positioned to allow
access to the interior of the dome structure during construction activities. The
airform is inspected to ensure integrity prior to inflation.
4. Inflation
Inflation of the Domesilo airform occurs relatively quickly and results in a watertight
sheltered environment for the duration of remaining primary construction activities. Large
fans are connected to the airform and when activated inflate the airform to provide
sustained pressure within the airform. Inflation pressures vary by building size, but
typically range from 1.5-2.5 inches of water column. The inflation pressure is maintained
throughout subsequent construction activities until the reinforced concrete has cured.
7. Stickers
During application of the spray-applied insulation, metal sticker rods and
depth gauges are embedded in the foam insulation. The stickers allow for
attachment of steel reinforcing bars during later stages of construction.
Depth gauges provide consistency for the finished thicknesses of both foam
insulation and reinforced concrete.
8. Premat Steel
Premat steel reinforcing is placed over the
final thickness of foam insulation and tied to
the sticker rods. This premat steel is not part
of the required structural reinforcing for the
concrete, but it does aid in the initial
shotcrete applications until sufficient depth is
achieved to provide coverage for the
structural reinforcing steel
INTRODUCTION
HISTORY
TYPES
CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE
CASE STUDY
Masonry vaults are usually composed of wedgeshaped pieces called voussoirs, which are held in
place, like the stones of an arch, by the pressure of
the neighboring pieces.
ANCIENT WORLD
GOTHIC VAULTING
Unlike Romanesque Buildings, in which
continuous mass of wall is necessary to sustain
the load, the Gothic structure is a skeletal
system that transfers roof loads down to the
ground at discreet points , thereby freeing large
expanses of wall to be opened for window.
When the system of using ribs to form a
complete organic supporting skeleton was
developed, it became one of the basic principles
of perfected Gothic architecture.
The pointed arch, which was dominant in
medieval architecture from the 13th cent.
onward, helped to overcome the difficulties of
vaulting oblong compartments exclusively with
semicircular sections and to bring the various
ribs of unequal spans to a crown at the same
height.
Gothic Arch in
RENAISSANCE AND LATER VAULTING
Exter,Devon
The architects of the Renaissance and baroque England
periods abandoned Gothic methods and
Domical
returned to Roman vault forms.
vault in The
Kratochvl
New devices were added to these basic forms,
including barrel vaults of semielliptical section, e Chteau
National
domes mounted on drums, and cross vaults
Cultural
with groins of elliptical section.
Monument
.Cloister Vault .
* A cloister vault has a domed
shape and has a base that is
square or shaped like a
polygon.
* It has curved sections that
rise from the square or polygon
to a centered point.
Annular Vault
* An annular vault uses the
barrel vault as its base.
Instead of a straight line
* the barrel vault has a ring
shape and springs out from
two walls that are concentric.
.Net Vault
* The Another variation of
the rib vault is the net
vault.
* The masonry ribs have a
complex design that
resembles a net.
Rampant Vault
A rampant vault is a
continuous barrel vault
where one side is higher
than the other.
Rrampant vault is used
to support or form the
ceiling of a stairway.
TIMBREL VAULT
* The Brick, stone and concrete are materials
strong in compression, but weak in
* the tensile strength of steel is significantly
more than that of bricks, stone or plain
concrete.
* the weak tensile strength of brick was
compensated for by superior craftsmanship.
* The technique was cheap, fast, ecological
and durable.
* The timbrel vault does not rely on gravity but
on the adhesion of several layers of overlapping
tiles which are woven together with fast-setting
mortar .
Catalan Vault
* The Catalan vault consists of plain bricks
that form a low arch.
*It is also known as the Catalan turn, timbrel
vault,
* It is widely used in Catalonia from which it
derives its name.
STEEL CENTRINGS ARE USEFUL WHEN THE SAME ARCH HAS TO BE BUILT
SEVERAL TIMES. MASONRY CENTRINGS ARE OFTEN USED TO SAVE THE
COST OF A PREFABRICATED CENTRING, AS THEIR COST IS MOSTLY THE
LABOUR WHICH MADE IT.
WOODEN CENTERING
STEEL CENTERING
MASONRY CENTERING
5. PRESSING THE
MORTAR JOINT
4. TRIANGULAR JOINT
OF THE MORTAR
BACK WALL
SPECIFICATIONS
VAULTS AND DOMES BUILT WITH THE NUBIAN TECHNIQUE
THE BINDER FOR VAULTS AND DOMES IS LIKE GLUE AND SHOULD BE MORE CLAYEY
THAN THE ONE FOR WALLS IN ORDER TO STICK THE BLOCKS PROPERLY AGAINST EACH
OTHER. NEVERTHELESS, THIS GLUE SHOULD NOT BE TOO CLAYEY, AS IT SHOULD NOT
HAVE AN EXCESSIVE SHRINKAGE, WHICH WILL INDUCE A LOT OF CRACKS IN THE
STRUCTURE LATER ON. SOIL AND SAND SHOULD BE SIEVED WITH 1 MM MESH.
IF THE MORTAR FOR WALLS (1 CEMENT: 4 SOIL: 8 SAND) GIVES SATISFACTORY RESULTS,
THE FOLLOWING MIX CAN SUCCESSFULLY BE USED FOR VAULTS AND DOMES: 1 CEMENT: 6
SOIL: 3 SAND.
IF THE MORTAR FOR WALLS IS 1 CEMENT: 3 SOIL: 9 SAND, MEANING THAT THE SOIL IS
TOO CLAYEY, THE SPECIFICATION FOR VAULTS AND DOMES COULD BE 1 CEMENT: 5 SOIL:
4 SAND OR, IF NEEDED, LESS SOIL AND MORE SAND.
IF THE MORTAR FOR WALLS IS 1 CEMENT: 7 SOIL: 5 SAND, MEANING THAT THE SOIL IS
TOO SANDY, THE SPECIFICATION FOR VAULTS AND DOMES COULD BE 1 CEMENT: 7 SOIL: 2
SAND OR, IF NEEDED, MORE SOIL AND LESS SAND.
IF THE SOIL IS TOO SANDY, NO SAND SHOULD BE ADDED AND THE MIX COULD BE 1
CEMENT: 9 SOIL.
IF THE SOIL IS REALLY TOO SANDY AND THE MIX 1 CEMENT: 9 SOIL DOES NOT GIVE
GOOD RESULTS, THE CEMENT/SOIL RATIO COULD BE INCREASED TO 1CEMENT: 8 SOIL OR
1CEMENT: 7 SOIL, OR EVEN MORE.
THE FLUIDITY OF THE GLUE IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE ADHESION. THE FLUIDITY AND
THICKNESS OF THE GLUE VARIES ACCORDING TO THE WORK: