Geodesic Construction Research

What is a Geodesic Dome?

First we did some research on dome construction to see what materials would be needed. Geodesic domes are comprised of a network of triangles that form a somewhat spherical surface. We found that there are several dome classes that are referred to as 1V, 2V, 3V etc. The more complex the network of triangles, the more spherical the geodesic dome and the higher the class number. A 1V dome has fewer triangles, uses only one size triangle in its simple pattern, and less closely approximates a hemisphere. A 6V dome has many triangles of multiple sizes that are arranged in a complex pattern to create a more smooth and spherical shape.

Higher class domes offer greater structural stability and are ideal for larger dome frames. After contemplating the challenges of more complex domes, we decided that a 2V dome made from EMT (electrical metallic tubing) conduit would best meet our needs and would be the most economical choice as well.For more information on what a geodesic dome is visit.

I've been trying for some time to design a building system for geodesic domes that is simple and straightforward to build. Anyone who has attempted building a geodesic dome knows that the preparation and execution can be well complicated. With this in mind I've designed a system that uses a block of wood as the hubs and a wooden beam to join the hubs together. There are two types of block, hexagon (six sided) and pentagon (five sided) each block has a set of hinges fixed to the base that are used to attach and swing the beams into place. When the joints are assembled a large screw can be drilled into the top to fix the joint permanently. Building a geodesic dome using this system should be relatively straightforward. Because the construction is all wood, adjustments can easily be made as the dome is being assembled. Fitting a covering is also pretty straightforward, rebates can easily be cut in the beams to accept glass or ply panels. The only thing to be careful with is the blocks, they need to be very strong and not prone to splitting, as this would weaken the dome considerably. I would laminate the blocks making sure that each layer has the grain running at right angles to the one below. Next I'll workout the angles for the beams and maybe build a prototype. If anyone can see a reason why this technique wouldn't work or if I've missed something leave a comment below and let me know, I find the feedback most useful. By: Kailun Liang