Godesics: bigger means stronger

Nov 302012
 

One of the unique characteristics of a geodesic dome is how the larger it gets,  the more proportionally stronger it becomes. That does not mean you can simply take any design, make it bigger and expect the structure will be stronger. This is why the key words here are “proportionally stronger“.

When building larger domes, the dead weight (the weight of the structure itself) increases, and the length and strength of the struts have less structural integrity (more likely to bend, less ability to support weight). One solution to address these issues is to use lighter, stronger materials. Another option is to increase the frequency of the geodesic dome (more struts per area).

 

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Geodesic math: 2X means 4X

Nov 292012
 

 

This diagram explains a simple geodesic fact: you double the geodesic dome diameter, you quadruple  the interior floor area. For those who plan to cover their geodesic dome, the same rule applies; doubling size results in quadrupling area.

One way to limit the additional costs when making the dome diameter larger is to “truncate” the original dome design; this means to use a less than the traditional 1/2 of a sphere which you see most of the time.

Truncating will reduce the diameter of the dome, but not significantly, if  for example, you only remove one row. Your ceiling height will be less and you will save some money by using less material. Note that if you do not use a flat base calculation, your base will not sit exactly flat on the ground. The Kruschke calculators on Domerama will give you different truncations while keeping a flat base.

 

 

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Uncle Dan: making math interesting and fun

Nov 292012
 

Dan Suttin, a.k.a. Uncle Dan, is the founder of  “Homespun for Homeschoolers”. He is a tutor at the Math Lab at San Antonio College, helping students there with everything from Elementary Algebra all the way though Pre-Calculus.

On November 15, 2012 Dan presented a webinar titled “OCTA-TETRA Constructions and Polyhedron Models” hosted by the  American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges.

Uncle Dan has a special gift: he makes mathematics simple, interesting and fun for all ages. His high-school-level, Algebra-I, video course claims “Master a year’s worth of Algebra in a fraction of the time!””, and this is true as you can see through the webinar video and the impressive collection of polyhedron models he showcases in his museum located in San Antonio, Texas. For more information on Uncle Dan’s OCTA-TETRA MUSEUM, click here.

You can visit Uncle Dan’s website at: http://www.homespun4homeschoolers.com/

You can watch the webinar, YouTube version, below.

AMATYC Webinar: OCTA-TETRA Constructions and Polyhedron Models

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Finally… Creativity with Domes!

Nov 282012
 

I happened to find HiLo Challenge Domes a short while ago, and they fully deserve a mention as innovators of a product using a geodesic dome.

Simply put, HiLo specializes in challenge course domes, similar to those challenge courses we did at summer camp or in school, except for the fact that it all happens inside a dome. Here is a video overview below.

Hilo Challenge Domes www.hilochallengedomes.com

Even more interesting is how special attention is paid to safety and security aspects. This is a professional setup that has been conceived and engineered with, dare we say, vision. Conratularions to HiLo Domes, and for gorgeous images and information, visit http://hilochallengedomes.com/

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