SPACE FRAMES

AND GEODESIC
DOMES

SPACE FRAMES
AND GEODESIC
DOMES

Objectives:
1.Students will be exposed to the concepts
of point, line, plane and dimensions in
relationship to the triangle.
2.Understand the basic structural
engineering concepts that underlie
geodesic dome construction;
3.Understand the advantages and
disadvantages of modern building
materials in dome construction; and
4.Have an increased awareness of more indepth concepts relating to the study of
architecture, geometry, and structures.

WARM UP
ACTIVITY

Select a team member that you will

plan with to complete this project;

Write a four to six sentence Design

Statement about how your team
think the roof of large structures
(stadiums, gymnasiums, concert
halls, etc.) are built without
columns. Include your definitions of
a geodesic dome and a space frame.

Vocabulary
A polyhedron (many surfaces) is a
geometric solid in three dimensions
with flat faces and straight edges.
A tetrahedron is a polyhedron with four
sides, but is also called a pyramid.
A hexahedron is a polyhedron with six
sides, but is also called a cube.
A polyhedron with six rectangles as
sides also has many namesa
rectangular parallelepided, rectangular
prism, or box.
An octahedron is a polyhedron with
eight faces.

Vocabulary
Tension is a force that acts to expand
or lengthen the thing it is acting on.
Compression is a force that acts to
compress or shorten the thing it is
acting on.

 SPACE FRAME STRUCTURE

SPACE FRAMES CAN SPAN

LONG DISTANCES

SPACE FRAMES
A space frame is a truss-like,
lightweight rigid structure
constructed from interlocking struts
in a geometric pattern.

SPACE FRAMES

Space frames usually utilize a

multidirectional span, and are
often used to accomplish long
spans with few supports.

SPACE FRAMES
They derive their strength from the
inherent rigidity of the triangular
frame; flexing loads (bending
moments) are transmitted as tension
and compression loads along the
length of each strut.

Simplified space frame roof

with the half-octahedron
highlighted in blue

 Space frames are an increasingly

common architectural technique
especially for large roof spans in
modernist commercial and
industrial buildings

Some space frame

applications include:
Hotel/Hospital/commercial
building entrances
Commercial building
lobbies/atriums
Parking canopies

Advantages of space frame

systems over conventional
systems:

Random column placement

Column-free spaces
Minimal perimeter support

Controlled load distribution

Design freedom
Supports all types of roofing

GEODESIC DOMES
A geodesic dome is a sphere-like
structure composed of a complex
network of triangles.

GEODESIC DOMES
Geodesic domes are usually
hemispheres (parts of spheres,
like half a ball) made up of
triangles. The triangles have 3
parts:
the face - the part in the middle
the edge - the line between corners
the vertex - where the edges meet

The triangles create a selfbracing framework that

gives structural strength
while using a minimum of
material.

DOMES

A domes design is
dependent upon many
factors, including:

Needed area and span, or distance

between supports;
Budget and building schedule;
Architects and /or clients aesthetic
preferences;
Forces, such as compression and
tension, acting on the structure; and
Building materials.

EXAMPLES OF GEODESIC
DOMES:
Spaceship Earth, the AT&T Pavilion at
Epcot in Disney World, Florida, is an
adaptation of Buckminster Fuller's
geodesic dome
Tacoma Dome in Washington State
Milwaukee's Mitchell Park Conservatory
Biosphere desert project in Arizona
Des Moines Arboretum, a self contained
ecosphere

Engineering
Disasters
Engineers must be concerned about safety at all
times. Lives are at stake when bridges,
buildings, or structures collapse. Engineers must
design structures to withstand all kinds of
weather conditions and all types of loads. While
the goal is to have no design fail, engineers
examine and learn from past mistakes to avoid
such failures in the future.
Tacoma Narrows Bridge, Tacoma, Washington
(failed in 1940)

10 killed

Engineering
Disasters

Falls View Bridge, Niagara Falls

(failed 1938)

18 killed
Tay Bridge, Scotland (failed in 1879)

29 killed
Quebec Bridge, St. Lawrence River
(failed 1907,1916)

45 killed

Engineering
Disasters

Point Pleasant/Silver Bridge, Ohio

River (failed 1967)

75 killed
Hyatt Regency Walkway
Collapse, Kansas City, Missouri
(failed in 1981)

112 killed

TEAM CHALLENGE
ASSIGNMENT

The team challenge is to build

a 3-dimensional triangle;
Team members must discuss
the concept among
themselves as they each
attempt to build a model.

15 minutes

TEAM SYNTHESIS
Team members must attempt to
join their 3-dimensional
triangles;
Each link should be connected
firmly and completely;
Repeat the process until four
triangles joined together in a
square.

20 minutes

Rubric For Space

Frame
Layout/Project
Design
Information
Contributions
Quality Of Work
Following Classroom
Guidelines

Brief Constructed
Response

Student must complete a responding to

one of the following topics:
You are a hired Engineer designed to
build a space frame for the new town.
Your employers are not convinced that
your space frame design would be
successful. Create a BCR that explains
how your space frame will withstand the
forces placed on space frames:
Compression, Tension, Shear, and
Torsion.

Brief Constructed
Response

Student must complete a responding

to one of the following topics:
You are a space frame inspector that
has been hired to inspect space
frames. Create a BCR that explains
how Live and Dead loads would
be handled in your space frame
design. Use examples to illustrate
how these loads would be supported.

HOMEWORK
1. Research: Buckminster Fuller
2. Write about the
accomplishments and
contributions achieved by
Buckminster Fuller and
explain how they relate to
todays Architectural
structures.
One to Two Pages

EVALUATION
QUESTIONS FOR THE INDIVIDUAL GROUPS:
1.How did you come up with the initial design for
your space frame?
2.Did your design change as you built your space
frame?
3.Which geometric shapes did you use in your
space frame? Why?
4.How does the strength of the space frame
compare to the weight of the space frame?
5.Would you make any changes in the design of
your space frame?

EVALUATION
QUESTIONS FOR THE WHOLE
GROUP:
1.Which space frame was the longest?
Tallest? Strongest? Heaviest? Why?
2.What materials do you envision
being used in future space frames?
3.How can computers help design
space frames?

LETS
START
BUILDING!!
!!!