Step 9: Field Testing
Updated May 7 '012: The prototype is great for backyard use but not wind-proof enough for open desert. To make it more weatherproof, I have just taped all the tab hinges to cover the flutes and keep water out. The tape covers much of the face of each tab to give it extra friction along with spray tack adhesive on all tabs, but in testing this setup still blows apart in strong gusts/dust devils. Using clips to secure the tabs still allows too much slippage and the panels come apart from each other.
Next method to test: heavy-duty staples to secure tabs to each other, which of course would need a staple-puller to minimize damage to tabs. This seems like a fast way to erect the dome, but it would slow the deconstruction process.
Once deployed I add short strips of tape across all joints on the outside of the dome to bolster it against slippage, and around the door joints. I add extra clips to the tabs near the inside of the door.
There is room for improvement in all facets of the “Democracy Dome”, including clips, materials, hinges, weatherproofing joints, etc.
The 4mm coroplast is a little soft, allowing a couple of the lower hexes bow just a little to accommodate surface unevenness. This is also a result of the dome base having 5 'low points' that bend under the load. One could use thicker stock for the base triangles if desired. My next version will use thin plywood for hexes and coroplast for pentagons wlong with some tweaking of the dimensions of the lower panels to make it sit truly flat. I'll post the details once I get a chance to figure it out in SkecthBook.
Putting this up in windy conditions would be problematic; morning while it’s cool and calm is the ideal time.
The dome ventilates well and doesn’t heat up in the sun due to the high reflectivity of the white exterior. With the tall sides there is standing room in most of the interior. More than enough room for queen airbed and a table. The light filtering through the blue and orange gives a stained-glass quality to the interior. Using pure white coroplast would make a really bright interior.
Comments welcome, good or bad.
Next method to test: heavy-duty staples to secure tabs to each other, which of course would need a staple-puller to minimize damage to tabs. This seems like a fast way to erect the dome, but it would slow the deconstruction process.
Once deployed I add short strips of tape across all joints on the outside of the dome to bolster it against slippage, and around the door joints. I add extra clips to the tabs near the inside of the door.
There is room for improvement in all facets of the “Democracy Dome”, including clips, materials, hinges, weatherproofing joints, etc.
The 4mm coroplast is a little soft, allowing a couple of the lower hexes bow just a little to accommodate surface unevenness. This is also a result of the dome base having 5 'low points' that bend under the load. One could use thicker stock for the base triangles if desired. My next version will use thin plywood for hexes and coroplast for pentagons wlong with some tweaking of the dimensions of the lower panels to make it sit truly flat. I'll post the details once I get a chance to figure it out in SkecthBook.
Putting this up in windy conditions would be problematic; morning while it’s cool and calm is the ideal time.
The dome ventilates well and doesn’t heat up in the sun due to the high reflectivity of the white exterior. With the tall sides there is standing room in most of the interior. More than enough room for queen airbed and a table. The light filtering through the blue and orange gives a stained-glass quality to the interior. Using pure white coroplast would make a really bright interior.
Comments welcome, good or bad.
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I also like a "flying" tarp suspended over my tents, keeping 99% of the water off the tent. When kept taught they won't flap in the wind too bad. If no trees available to suspend one, I use 8" tall garden/tree support poles to hold up the corners. A 10' pole would clear the top of the dome pretty well I think.
Thanks for the comment!
components and build a dome in days not weeks months or years. since styrofoam can be had for free at furniture stores as its used to pad shipping
from damage. a cnc router could cut replications of just few shapes. as you have said a geodesic dome caculator gives the rastra demensiions to enter into the cnc machine. another interesting article i had was called geotangent showed an infinate number of shaped structures could be built using the bond beam technology (with proper licences of course) geotangent just did the math using computers. so it be computer generated and fabricated as we call design build. concrete is benign so is styrofoam so ideal interior finish is plaster also benign. no mold ever . the beauty of bond beam is no reinforced re bar except in the slab. so tornado devasted location is idea place to build one. why not just keep cranking out components and build like barn raisng. it amazes me we furnish tents trailers when we could provide real dome homes.
is it from NASA labs, isn't it?
XD