DOME

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WHAT IS A DOME

A rounded vault forming the roof of a building or structure, typically with a circular base. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory

Characteristics

A dome can be thought of as an arch which has been rotated around its central vertical axis. Thus domes, like arches, have a great deal of structural strength when properly built and can span large open spaces without interior supports.

dome structures:

Domes can be divided into two kinds:

SIMPLE

compound

SIMPLE DOMES

the pendentives are part of the same sphere as the dome itself; such domes are rare.[

COMPOUND DOME

the pendentives are part of the surface of a larger sphere below that of the dome itself and form a circular base for either the dome or a drum section

CONSTRUCTION

Domes have been constructed from a wide variety of building materials over the centuries: from mud to stone, wood, brick, concrete, metal, glass and plastic.

Using mud and stone

wood

metal

concrete

glass

plastic

General types

Onion dome Corbel dome Geodesic dome Oval dome Parabolic dome Polygonal dome Sail dome Saucer dome Umbrella dome

Onion dome

The onion dome or bulbous dome is a bulbous shape tapering smoothly to a point, strongly resembling an onion, after which they are named, and exemplified by Saint Basil's

Corbel dome

A corbel dome is different from a 'true dome' in that it consists of purely horizontal layers. As the layers get higher, each is slightly cantilevered, or corbeled, toward the center until meeting at the top.

Geodesic dome

Geodesic domes are the upper portion of geodesic spheres. They are composed of a framework of triangles in a polyhedron pattern

Oval dome

An oval dome is a dome of oval shape in either plan or profile or both. The term comes from the Latin ovum, meaning "egg". Although oval domes have been dated at least as far back as the Middle Ages

Parabolic dome

A parabolic dome is a unique structure, in which bending stress due to the UDL of its dead load is zero. Hence it was widely used in buildings in ancient times, before the advent of composite structures.

Polygonal dome

domes which maintain a polygonal shape in their horizontal cross section

Sail dome

Also called sail vaults, pendentive domes, or Byzantine domes it has a circular base for a drum or compound dome, smoothly continue their curvature to form the dome itself. The dome gives the impression of a square sail pinned down at each corner and billowing upward.

Umbrella dome

Also called pumpkin, melon, scalloped, or parachute domes, these are a type of dome segmented by ribs radiating from the center of the dome to the base. The material between the ribs arches from one to the other, transferring the downward force to them.