Project:
To examine and compare monolithic dome construction to other forms of construction such as traditional wood-frame and other types of domes (geodesic). By making these comparisons I will determine if monolithic domes are an efficient building alternative. Different sizes of domes will be considered. A monolithic dome may be better for an arena/stadium than a house or other small building. I will also try to determine if domes are better suited for different climates (specifically Canada and British Columbia)
Thesis Question: Are monolithic domes a more economic and safe form of construction compared to traditional forms of Construction? And what climates in Canada/British Columbia are they best suited for?
Method:
To determine the design ramifications of monolithic dome buildings we need to take into account:
Structural stability: will determine how stable a monolithic dome is compared to other types of buildings,
Costs of: heating, lighting, insulation, materials, labor
Time: how long it takes to build a monolithic dome dwelling unit of a certain square footage.
How much material is required to construct a monolithic dome in comparison to others
Weather conditions: how monolithic domes react to extreme weather conditions, and to the weather conditions in cities like Kamloops
Special Problems:
1. Fewer materials are needed to build a dome, but it is more labor intensive. How will this affect the costs?
2. Multi-floor domes may be difficult to construct
3. Dome houses may have to remain single floor dwellings
4. Domes may be better for larger buildings than residential sized ones
5. Number of windows that can be put on a dome without hindering the structural stability
Also
What locations would monolithic dome houses be more suited for? If any?
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8 comments:
The outline looks good, but did you have a specific thesis question you were going to ask? How important are you going to make Kamloops for your comparison of climates?
Also, you might want to add your references to a list on the side so it stays up near the top of the blog as more posts get put on.
Hey Justin buddy, thanks for a couple bites, these look like good info pools. It also will help me narrow my research down. I found a sweet site for you. It a large network of information about many issues with Monolithic Domes. Such as HVAC issues, Structural detail choices (rebar points) and other problems that are by-passed with these domes.
http://bbs.monolithic.com/
Matt G.
thanks for the tip Morgan. I have added a thesis question into my outline to simplify things.
Hey Justin, I was cruising the net when I came across this site, it looks more towards the psychology in domes. I thought it was neat.
http://www.gldc.ca/advantages.html
The thesis looks good, but I would make a bit more specific, because 'reasonable' and 'affordable' can change vastly depending where you are in the world. If you don't want to confine it simply to Kamloops (because you're looking at different climates), maybe say in Canada? Or British Columbia?
Hey Justin,
Domes would be very effective up north, where there is alot of snow. The natural shape of the dome can withstand alot of force with-out beefing up the structure compared to traditional stick frame roofs (have you tried crushing an egg? same principle) This will be useful when it comes to snowloads, as well, snow is an excellent insulator. So if your dome can withstand a large amount of snow covering it, your dome should be well insulated.
Something to think about.
Jared
check this book out, might help u out. there are pictures and information about european domes.
http://www.amazon.com/Visions-Heaven-Dome-European-Architecture/dp/1568985495/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207847199&sr=8-1
Hey Justin, there is a great example of a monolithic dome on a property on Dairy Rd. in Kamloops that you should check out.
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