anyone have a geodesic glass dome greenhouse?

[prost]

[image: £7000 from [image: generally do not need planning permission.

I think they look impressive

-- prost

[Ted Mittelstaedt]

They don't meet earthquake standards or earth subsidence/movement concerns in most places, as a result they aren't that popular with builders or insurers. It's another fad in building design that when it first came in everyone thought it was real cool, then when they started spending money on putting the things up, a few years later on they realized they wern't that great.

The strength of the dome is entirely dependent on the rigidity of the base. For a large dome you need a large concrete slab, which is either going to crack, or to prevent it from cracking you have to put in expansion joints so that the cracking occurs on a controlled boundary. In an earthquake the expansion faults or cracks in concrete can serve as hinges and as soon as the base flexes, the dome will collapse.

Also, for large domes it's really difficult to replace glass panels unless you scaffold from the inside, which of course defeats the purpose of having a large area without supporting posts in it.

Ted

[prost]

thanks

not all of us have earthquakes. anyway I think with more expertise the would work

-- prost

[dr-solo]

I grew up visiting the Mitchell Park domes (which arent geodesic)

have always been interested in domes.

The early domes were not geodesic, but share many characteristics. Perhaps the most earthquake resistant structure on earth is the Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya), Istanbul ... a huge domed Byzantine church and former Ottoman mosque. at least some people are building earthquake resistant domes after earthquakes have destroyed existing homes.

strength of the dome shape is the redistribution of force along the entire structure which reduces stress at any one point.

The early years of Buckminster Fuller geodesic domes coincided with the "Whole earth" movement and many domes were constructed by people unskilled in any kind of construction, using materials that were "scrounged". Like other "tar paper shack" construction, these fell apart.

Geodesic domes were not originally built using cement. They used steel or wood. Domes do not need large concrete slabs, they need concrete footings like any other building. In many places treated wood is used for the foundation and basement walls. What is most important is getting the angles cut correctly so most people doing new construction buy the "kit" from a dome builder. Once the footings, the first floor is in, a wooden dome typically goes up in one day (the sections are prebuilt) using ratchets to bolt the pieces together.

Domes that are now built are typically for commercial uses. But dome homes are now usually pretty high end. People who own them love them and they arent usually for sale. I have been on a "dome tour" up in Minnesota.

Here is a site I randomly found

for greenhouse domes

Here is a site lists some domes for sale across the US

are all kinds of domes, and the more math loving get off on talking about the math of various domes. I just like domes, would like to live in a dome but it is unlikely since I like living in the city. ah well. Ingrid