The dome has octahedral symmetry with four triangle areas between the squares.
Struts below the half way point are retained to produce a taller dome (Base
Option).
Ground level struts are adjusted to provide a level Base Perimeter. Base
Perimeter has 16 struts.
Square areas are ideal for doors, windows, and extensions to add floor space.
For size reference: If red struts (longest) were 8 ft, the dome diameter would
be 30' - 6"
There are only 2 sizes of triangles, close to 90° right triangles,
matched in opposite pairs, and only 5 different strut lengths.
Ideal for covering with triangle panels cut from standard sizes of
rectangle sheet material. Working with 90° angles makes for less
sawing of unsual angles and less wasted. You get more dome for your money
a very strong geodesic structure.
You can imagine how elements could be deleted from the above drawing to produce
a simplified version of the dome. Here is a wireframe of the semi-regular
solid that this dome is named for:
Proportions for a 20 ft. dome, made with 4" round tube struts (for illustration purposes).
The dome with ground perimeter at hemisphere.
4 views of the Simplified Version ("RCO-S"):
With only 37 Connector hubs, this is our best low cost dome in the 20 ft.
size, whether using board panels or greenhouse glazing panels or film.
Several more pages on the RCO Simplified
Dome >>>
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