Geodesic

Structure
• Abellana, Carlo
• Curyaga, Arlyn
• Sialongo, Hannive
Introduction
 A geodesic dome is a thin shelled arrangements
made out of triangles connected together to form
a true sphere.

 The triangles are architecturally firm and

distribute the stress throughout the dome,
allowing the structure to bear heavy loads for
their size.

 Space frame is the three dimensional framework

that makes the dome stabled.

 The triangles are put as hexagons and pentagons

to eventually form the dome.
History
 Theyear 1919, Walter Bauersfelt who is from Germany has decided to base a
moveable projectors within a still dome.

 The first model ever made was more that half a sphere but Walter Bauersfeld has
fixed the issue of how to make a really huge sphere by approximating it.

 After 30 years, an American architect R. Buckminster Fuller has invented a similar

idea but the difference is that he designed it to be affordable and efficient that can be
made fast. It was R. Buckminster Fuller who called it a geodesic dome.

 The geodesic dome is the strongest, lightest and most cost-effective building that
was ever made because it’s ability to cover space without any interior supports
“such as columns” that usually cover up space in an interior. Not only is it cost
effective but it is also easy to construct.
Richard Buckminster “Bucky”
Fuller (July 12, 1895 – July 1, 1983)
was an American systems theorist,
architect, engineer, author, designer,
inventor, and futurist.

Fuller published more than 30 books,

inventing and popularizing terms such as
"Spaceship Earth", ephemeralization, and
synergetic. He also developed numerous
inventions, mainly architectural designs,
the best known of which is the geodesic
dome. Carbon molecules known as
fullerenes were later named by scientists “We are called to be architects of the future, not
for their resemblance to geodesic its victims.”
spheres. -
R.Buckminster Fuller
Structure
 Domes are the most efficient structures known to man, they use less
material, lighter and stronger than any other types of building bar none.
 They are much stronger than any conventional buildings.
 Domes can built very quickly and economically.
 The nature of the spherical design provide strength because all the
points of the structure share the stress evenly as opposed to the right
angles of typical box structures.
 Domes become super strong when they are fixed to the ground by slabs,
crawl space, or even full basement.
 Geodesic domes are the only man-made structure that gets
proportionally stronger as it increase in size.
 Eco- Friendly
 Extremely “Green” in terms of cost, building materials, and
future maintenance.
 The sphere has the greatest volume given a certain surface
area, it stands to reason that it also is the most economic to
construct in terms of size and available budget.
 The environmental benefits of domes would also play as part,
as its proven to have a lesser footprint and negative impact
than that of a rectangular home.
 In addition, domes are easier to retrofit for energy engineering
such as: radiant heat, solar energy, water collection systems,
compost toilets, and many other alternative utilities.
Weather Resistance
 Domes are naturally hurricane resistant. Tract style buildings
generate huge amounts of turbulence when high winds pass
over them, causing massive low-pressure which pulls the
roofs off. High wind can pass smoothly over a dome because
it has no corners and flat surfaces to cause turbulence high
pressure air presses the dome down towards the ground.
 Domes are aerodynamic, eliminate roof and truss structures
and are made of high-performance green materials designed
to withstand considerable wind loads from severe storms like
tornados, hurricanes and typhoons.
Weather Resistance
 Due to their highly structural integrity, they
perform extremely well in such natural disasters as
earthquakes, floods and severe wind storms.
 Ideal for disaster prone climates.
 Overall, an effective protection from the
environment.
METHODS OF
CONSTRUCTI
ON
Planning the construction
 Designing the dome is the first step to start with. The size and amount of
triangles and their calculation to form the dome is needed.
 Struts: these are the framework for the dome which are made up of rods.
Normal geodesic domes have same length of struts where as complete ones
have struts with different sizes.
 Material selection should be made as different materials create different
kinds of domes.
 Finalizing the structures: several things should be kept in mind while
putting all the pieces together.
 The calculations differs by class of the dome, like 2V,3V,4V,etc.
Calculation sample
Strut preparation

3. Drilling holes for

joints

1. Cutting the struts as per

calculations 4. Bending the
flattened edges

5. Sealing and
painting the struts

2. Flattening the edges

 Dome assembly method
 The assembly should be planned
according to the class and
complexity of the dome
constructed.

 Italso depend on what

arrangement will the triangles be,
for example pentagon, hexagon.

 Itis better to start the assembly

from top pieces and gradually
coming downwards.
Assembly sample
MATERIALS USE IN
CONSTRUCTION
 There are options when building the geodesic
dome, you can choose to cover the triangular
panels with either plastic, wood, drywall or plastic,
you get to decide the material according to the
different categories of geodesic domes. But the
most common material use to build a geodesic
dome is steel as they connect the network of the
beams/struts together.
Advantage and
Disadvantage
Advantage
 Geodesic domes is a stable and easy construction which very
strong, they are ideal for almost any types of spaces.
 the distribution of weight throughout the structure makes its
stable during earthquakes and similar hazards.
 have an aerodynamic shape with protects them against strong
wind or storms.
 domes being spherical has less surface area per unit of internal
volume, reducing the interior temperature and heat gain and
enables uniform air flow
 very quick and easy assembly, making them less labor
intensive.
Disadvantage
 The unusable space inside of a geodesic dome
 Windows and doors: using a normal door can cause a problem,
you’d have to custom make all doors and windows needed.
 the building permit can also be a problem as drainage and fire
escapes can be an issue and they need to meet code requirements.
 the financing and rescale.
 needs very skilled labors
 strong wind will cause separation between the materials between
the nozzle and the point of deposit.
 geodesic knowledge is greatly required for such building.