Research Process

When looking into the construction of this dome, quite a few methods were found




Steel Conduit 
http://www.byexample.com/projects/current/dome_construction


This method of construction seemed simple enough to be constructed. The only issue with steel conduct was that it's quite costly if we were to buy 70 odd rods priced at roughly $500. With such a small scale project and such a small budget, steel conduit was not the solution for our project. For larger scaled buildings such as AAMI park stadium which was recently built in Melbourne, this method of construction for the skeleton would have been ideal.


We then went onto looking at using PVC conduit, but the problem with this was that it wasn't an ESD product.


We did more research and came across timber dome constructions




Timber
http://www.geo-dome.co.uk/article.asp?uname=blockbeam_dome


and how we could join the pieces of timber together to form the skeleton. This method of using the block seemed too difficult to do.


So we then came across a few posts on a forum which were quite helpful and gave us some ideas into making this dome work


http://www.geo-dome.co.uk/forum/article.asp?uname=297

This became our starting point, which got the ball rolling, with what initially seemed impossible.

(Posted by Hanita Amirkhas-Adeh)

HISTORY

The geodesic dome was founded by R. Buckminster Fuller. It is the lightest, strongest and the most cost effective construction. The larger the project the more effective it becomes as it allows you to create a larger floor space that is not obstructed by internal support. Due to its light weight and simplicity in design it's quick to construct. In 1957, a geodesic dome auditorium in Honolulu was put up so quickly that 22 hours after the parts were delivered, a full house was comfortably seated inside enjoying a concert. Today over 300,000 domes dot the globe.¹

Geodesic Domes are readily accessible to the general public as there are now many companies that provide flat packs that are easy to erect.

1:  Phil Ament, Geodesic Dome, Idea finder, http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/geodesicdome.htm, 19/05/2012

Project: To construct a 1:2 scale model illustrating sustainable construction methods. 

Idea: A Geodesic Dome is the combination of interconnecting triangles to create a spherical object. The skeletal structure has an even distribution of load across the Dome minimizing the need for strong, load bearing material use, and sequentially saving costs and energy. The interlocking triangles with the forces of compression and tension add extra strength to the lightweight structure utilizing an open space without the need for large columns and beams.

(Ref. Wikipedia. Posted by Tahnee Stevens)