Vaulted dome structure

A method of erecting a clear span dome over a space having a perimeter of selected configuration comprising the steps of:

• a. establishing substantially coextensively with the dome perimeter and over the space a basic dome curvature,
• b. crossing the basic curvature with a network of substantially geodesic lines which intersect on the perimeter and inwardly thereof to define on the basic curvature a plurality of contiguous substantially rhombicly-shaped areas some of which have one corner at the perimeter and the balance of which are inward from the perimeter,
• c. establishing at each intersection of the geodesic lines with the perimeter a foundation for carrying vertical and lateral loads,
• d. defining for each said area a dome structural module which has a rigid four-cornered centrally-open frame in which the frame corners are spatially disposed essentially identically to the spatial disposition of the corners of the corresponding area of the basic curvature and in which the central opening of the frame between main edge members is subdivided by a network of secondary structural members defining a module local curvature which is substantially greater than the dome basic curvature in the corresponding area, and
• e. in a selected sequence, connecting those modules which correspond to areas having corners at the dome perimeter to the corresponding foundations and to two other modules along two edge members thereof, and connecting the remaining modules to four other modules along the edge members thereof,
• f. whereby there is defined a dome over the space which overall has the established basic curvature but which locally has curvature substantially greater than the basic curvature, and in which the frame edge members of the several modules are interconnected along lines which correspond to the geodesic lines for transfer to the foundations of loads due to the weight of the modules and of loads applied to them.

A method of erecting a clear span dome over a space having a perimeter of selected planform configuration comprising the steps of:

• a. providing at spaced locations along the perimeter a plurality of foundations for carrying vertical and horizontal loads,
• b. providing, for each of a plurality of generally rhombicly-configured and four-sided contiguous portions of a basic curvature of the dome, a major dome module which has a structural perimetral frame having four corners and main structural edge members extending between adjacent corners and interconnected to each other at the corners, each module having its corners disposed at positions which correspond to the respective corner points of the respective portion of the dome basic curvature with which the module is associated, the module including a network of subsidiary structural members interconnected between the main edge members across the interior of the frame and subdividing the interior of the frame into a plurality of openings which are closable by closure panels connectible between the members of the module, the module as defined by the main and subsidiary members having curvature convex to an exterior side of the module which curvature is greater than the dome basic curvature over the portion thereof to which the module pertains, the module having a major diagonal between first nonadjacent corners and a minor diagonal between its other nonadjacent corners,
• c. connecting selected first ones of the modules at selected corners thereof to selected foundations in a selected portion of the dome perimeter and temporarily supporting the first modules so that at least one other adjacent corner of each first module is contiguous to similar other corners of others of the first modules, including interconnecting along juxtaposed frame edge members thereof any of the first ones of the modules which have two corners thereof contiguous to each other,
• d. interconnecting frame edge members of selected second ones of the modules to frame edge members of the first ones of the modules in such manner that a positionally stable portion of the dome is created which is self-supporting, such step being carried out so that at least some of the edge members of the interconnected modules lie substantially along intersecting substantially geodesic lines across the dome basic curvature which define said rhombicly-configured portions of the dome basic curvature,
• e. further connecting additional modules along the frame edge members thereof to available frame edge members of previously interconnected modules and to additional ones of the foundations in a selected sequence to enlarge the positionally stable portion of the dome, to extend said geodesic lines between foundations on substantially opposite locations on the dome perimeter, and to create portions of further geodesic lines, and
• f. continuing said further connecting step until, dependent on the location of a module in the dome, all of the major dome modules have been connected either to a foundation and to two other modules along frame edge members thereof or to four other modules along frame edge members thereof to define essentially the entirety of the dome basic curvature which is crossed by intersecting geodesic lines each terminating at foundations and wherein the dome in areas defined by such lines has local curvature greater than the subadjacent portions of the dome basic curvature.