Geodesic Dome Info

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Geodesic Dome Calculator Our geodesic dome calculator will calculate the length and number of struts for 2V, 3V, and 4V geodesic domes based on the specified radius. It's a useful tool for planning the size of your dome. Radius = 500 cm To build a 2V Dome with a radius of 500 cm requires: 35 Struts 309.02 cm each 30 Struts 273.27 cm each 26 Bolts, 26 Nuts, & 52 Washers Total of about 19964 cm of Conduit To build a 3V 5/8 Dome with a radius of 500 cm requires: 30 Struts 174.31 cm each 55 Struts 201.78 cm each 80 Struts 206.21 cm each 61 Bolts, 61 Nuts, & 122 Washers Total of about 34465 cm of Conduit To build a 4V Dome with a radius of 500 cm requires: 30 Struts 126.59 cm each 30 Struts 147.62 cm each 60 Struts 147.27 cm each 70 Struts 156.44 cm each 30 Struts 162.46 cm each 30 Struts 149.3 cm each 91 Bolts, 91 Nuts, & 182 Washers Total of about 39234 cm of Conduit * Strut lengths are from vertex to vertex. When designing and building a dome strut lengths will have to be reduced if using connectors and will have to be increased if using bolts to connect flattened ends of pipe.

Transcript of Geodesic Dome Info

Page 1: Geodesic Dome Info

Geodesic Dome Calculator Our geodesic dome calculator will calculate the length and number of struts for 2V, 3V, and 4V geodesic domes based on the specified radius. It's a useful tool for planning the size of your dome.

Radius = 500 cm

To build a 2V Dome with a radius of 500 cm requires:

35 Struts 309.02 cm each

30 Struts 273.27 cm each

26 Bolts, 26 Nuts, & 52 Washers

Total of about 19964 cm of Conduit

To build a 3V 5/8 Dome with a radius of 500 cm requires:

30 Struts 174.31 cm each

55 Struts 201.78 cm each

80 Struts 206.21 cm each

61 Bolts, 61 Nuts, & 122 Washers

Total of about 34465 cm of Conduit

To build a 4V Dome with a radius of 500 cm requires:

30 Struts 126.59 cm each

30 Struts 147.62 cm each

60 Struts 147.27 cm each

70 Struts 156.44 cm each

30 Struts 162.46 cm each

30 Struts 149.3 cm each

91 Bolts, 91 Nuts, & 182 Washers

Total of about 39234 cm of Conduit

* Strut lengths are from vertex to vertex. When designing and building a dome strut lengths will have to be reduced if using connectors and will have to be increased if using bolts to connect flattened ends of pipe.

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Radius = 300 cm

To build a 2V Dome with a radius of 300 cm requires:

35 Struts 185.41 cm each

30 Struts 163.96 cm each

26 Bolts, 26 Nuts, & 52 Washers

Total of about 11979 cm of Conduit

To build a 3V 5/8 Dome with a radius of 300 cm requires:

30 Struts 104.59 cm each

55 Struts 121.07 cm each

80 Struts 123.72 cm each

61 Bolts, 61 Nuts, & 122 Washers

Total of about 20679 cm of Conduit

To build a 4V Dome with a radius of 300 cm requires:

30 Struts 75.95 cm each

30 Struts 88.57 cm each

60 Struts 88.36 cm each

70 Struts 93.86 cm each

30 Struts 97.48 cm each

30 Struts 89.58 cm each

91 Bolts, 91 Nuts, & 182 Washers

Total of about 23540 cm of Conduit

* Strut lengths are from vertex to vertex. When designing and building a dome strut lengths will have to be reduced if using connectors and will have to be increased if using bolts to connect flattened ends of pipe.

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Radius = 400 cm

To build a 2V Dome with a radius of 400 cm requires:

35 Struts 247.21 cm each

30 Struts 218.61 cm each

26 Bolts, 26 Nuts, & 52 Washers

Total of about 15971 cm of Conduit

To build a 3V 5/8 Dome with a radius of 400 cm requires:

30 Struts 139.45 cm each

55 Struts 161.42 cm each

80 Struts 164.96 cm each

61 Bolts, 61 Nuts, & 122 Washers

Total of about 27571 cm of Conduit

To build a 4V Dome with a radius of 400 cm requires:

30 Struts 101.27 cm each

30 Struts 118.1 cm each

60 Struts 117.81 cm each

70 Struts 125.15 cm each

30 Struts 129.97 cm each

30 Struts 119.44 cm each

91 Bolts, 91 Nuts, & 182 Washers

Total of about 31387 cm of Conduit

* Strut lengths are from vertex to vertex. When designing and building a dome strut lengths will have to be reduced if using connectors and will have to be increased if using bolts to connect flattened ends of pipe.

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Radius = 200 cm

To build a 2V Dome with a radius of 200 cm requires:

35 Struts 123.61 cm each

30 Struts 109.31 cm each

26 Bolts, 26 Nuts, & 52 Washers

Total of about 7986 cm of Conduit

To build a 3V 5/8 Dome with a radius of 200 cm requires:

30 Struts 69.72 cm each

55 Struts 80.71 cm each

80 Struts 82.48 cm each

61 Bolts, 61 Nuts, & 122 Washers

Total of about 13786 cm of Conduit

To build a 4V Dome with a radius of 200 cm requires:

30 Struts 50.64 cm each

30 Struts 59.05 cm each

60 Struts 58.91 cm each

70 Struts 62.57 cm each

30 Struts 64.98 cm each

30 Struts 59.72 cm each

91 Bolts, 91 Nuts, & 182 Washers

Total of about 15694 cm of Conduit

* Strut lengths are from vertex to vertex. When designing and building a dome strut lengths will have to be reduced if using connectors and will have to be increased if using bolts to connect flattened ends of pipe.

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Radius = 100 cm

To build a 2V Dome with a radius of 100 cm requires:

35 Struts 61.8 cm each

30 Struts 54.65 cm each

26 Bolts, 26 Nuts, & 52 Washers

Total of about 3993 cm of Conduit

To build a 3V 5/8 Dome with a radius of 100 cm requires:

30 Struts 34.86 cm each

55 Struts 40.36 cm each

80 Struts 41.24 cm each

61 Bolts, 61 Nuts, & 122 Washers

Total of about 6893 cm of Conduit

To build a 4V Dome with a radius of 100 cm requires:

30 Struts 25.32 cm each

30 Struts 29.52 cm each

60 Struts 29.45 cm each

70 Struts 31.29 cm each

30 Struts 32.49 cm each

30 Struts 29.86 cm each

91 Bolts, 91 Nuts, & 182 Washers

Total of about 7847 cm of Conduit

* Strut lengths are from vertex to vertex. When designing and building a dome strut lengths will have to be reduced if using connectors and will have to be increased if using bolts to connect flattened ends of pipe.

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Radius = 600 cm

To build a 2V Dome with a radius of 600 cm requires:

35 Struts 370.82 cm each

30 Struts 327.92 cm each

26 Bolts, 26 Nuts, & 52 Washers

Total of about 23957 cm of Conduit

To build a 3V 5/8 Dome with a radius of 600 cm requires:

30 Struts 209.17 cm each

55 Struts 242.13 cm each

80 Struts 247.45 cm each

61 Bolts, 61 Nuts, & 122 Washers

Total of about 41358 cm of Conduit

To build a 4V Dome with a radius of 600 cm requires:

30 Struts 151.91 cm each

30 Struts 177.14 cm each

60 Struts 176.72 cm each

70 Struts 187.72 cm each

30 Struts 194.95 cm each

30 Struts 179.15 cm each

91 Bolts, 91 Nuts, & 182 Washers

Total of about 47080 cm of Conduit

* Strut lengths are from vertex to vertex. When designing and building a dome strut lengths will have to be reduced if using connectors and will have to be increased if using bolts to connect flattened ends of pipe.

Radius = 700 cm

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To build a 2V Dome with a radius of 700 cm requires:

35 Struts 432.62 cm each

30 Struts 382.57 cm each

26 Bolts, 26 Nuts, & 52 Washers

Total of about 27950 cm of Conduit

To build a 3V 5/8 Dome with a radius of 700 cm requires:

30 Struts 244.03 cm each

55 Struts 282.49 cm each

80 Struts 288.69 cm each

61 Bolts, 61 Nuts, & 122 Washers

Total of about 48251 cm of Conduit

To build a 4V Dome with a radius of 700 cm requires:

30 Struts 177.23 cm each

30 Struts 206.67 cm each

60 Struts 206.17 cm each

70 Struts 219.01 cm each

30 Struts 227.44 cm each

30 Struts 209.01 cm each

91 Bolts, 91 Nuts, & 182 Washers

Total of about 54927 cm of Conduit

2V Dome

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2V DOME 3V DOME

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4V DOME 5V DOME

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6V DOME

Constructing Our Geodesic Dome

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After a year of living and camping in the desert, Patrick and I decided to build a geodesic dome structure to provide us with shade and shelter from the elements. Simple picnic tents and EZ-up shelters that are commonly used just won't cut it in this desert environment. Strong and gusty winds often blow in unexpectedly and are known to mangle inadequate structures without regard. We chose to build a geodesic dome because of its inherent stability and natural resistance to strong winds.

What is a Geodesic Dome?

First we did some research on dome construction to see what materials would be needed. Geodesic domes are comprised of a network of triangles that form a somewhat spherical surface. We found that there are several dome classes that are referred to as 1V, 2V, 3V etc. The more complex the network of triangles, the more spherical the geodesic dome and the higher the class number. A 1V dome has fewer triangles, uses only one size triangle in its simple pattern, and less closely approximates a hemisphere. A 6V dome has many triangles of multiple sizes that are arranged in a complex pattern to create a more smooth and spherical shape.

Higher class domes offer greater structural stability and are ideal for larger dome frames. After contemplating the challenges of more complex domes, we decided that a 2V dome made from EMT (electrical metallic tubing) conduit would best meet our needs and would be the most economical choice as well.

For more information on what a geodesic dome is visit wikipedia.org.

Calculating the Struts – Dome Formulas

Class 2V geodesic domes are made from struts of two different sizes. We used an online dome formula to calculate the strut lengths and to determine the ideal radius for our dome. We found that a geodesic dome with an approximate radius of 8 ft 7 inches yields the least amount of waste for a 2V structure.

For an 8 ft 7 inch dome we needed:

Strut length A = 5.3 ft. (35 A struts needed) Strut length B = 4.7 ft. (30 B struts needed)

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Because EMT conduit comes in 10 foot lengths, struts cut to these sizes result in practically no waste and much less work. Strut length A plus strut length B equals 10 feet. This means that the conduit sticks only need to be cut once to make 2 struts, and no pipe is wasted. When all of the conduit is cut there will be 5 extra B struts (to be used as spares) and no scrap.

Materials for the Geodesic Dome

We bought 40 sticks of 3/4 inch EMT (electrical metallic tubing) conduit to make the struts. We needed exactly 35 ten foot EMT sticks, but we bought extra in order to make a few spare A struts also. We chose 3/4 inch conduit over 1 inch because it was more affordable and in the end it turned out to be plenty strong for our small dome.

The other major dome components are the nuts, bolts and washers. We bought 3/8th inch bolts, 2 inches long; 3/8th inch hex nuts; and 3/8th inch flat washers. There are 26 joints in our dome when it is fully assembled, but we need extra hardware for the assembly process. We have determined that a minimum of 36 bolts and nuts, as well as 72 washers are needed to assemble our geodesic dome.

Before making our geodesic dome we also bought a vice, a pipe cutter, and several 25/64 inch titanium drill bits.

Constructing the Dome

All in all, making the dome was pretty simple, once we completed our dome calculations.

Cutting the Struts

The first step in constructing the dome was to cut the EMT conduit into appropriately sized struts. We planned to cut the EMT with a pipe cutter, though it turned out that the one we purchased was broken and completely unusable. Luckily our new vice came equipped with a pipe clamp and we used the vice to hold the EMT conduit, while we cut with a hacksaw.

Flattening the Ends

Because we had just bought our vice we were afraid to damage it flattening EMT. Instead we used a sledge hammer to pound both ends of each strut. It made a lot of noise, but was quite effective. The most important aspect to this step is to make sure that the flattened ends are on the same plane. It is also critical to flatten the ends without splitting the conduit along its weld seam. To do this, identify the pipe seam (a dark line running the length of the pipe) and rotate pipe so that the seam does not fall directly north/south or directly east/west when flattening the end.

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Our friend Jonathan used a vice to make his geodesic dome with a lot less noise and no apparent damage to the tool, I wouldn't risk it though. However, I highly recommend a hydraulic press to flatten the EMT. If you have access to one it will make the job go much faster and easier.

Drilling the Holes

Next, we drilled 25/64 inch diameter holes at the end of each strut. The strut lengths calculated by the dome formula allow for the holes to be drilled 3/4 of an inch away from each end. Instead of measuring 3/4 of an inch from each end, we set up a jig so that the length between holes was consistent between struts. We drilled our struts with a cordless power drill without problem, though a drill press would have made the process go a little quicker. To get the hole in desired location, we first used a punch to make a guide for the drill bit.

Bending the Struts

To make a dome out of straight lengths, each strut must have a slight angle on each flattened end. Though there are formulas to determine the exact bend, we found that the bends did not need to be precise at all. In fact, when the dome is assembled the bends will adjust themselves to the appropriate angles. To be precise a 2V dome requires the following bends: A = 18˚ and B = 16˚. We clamped each end in the vise, giving the struts a pull to make the bend.

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Painting the Struts

To prevent rusting we spry painted the ends of the struts, though I've recently read that EMT conduit is plated and will not rust even when left untreated. However, I recommend painting struts in order to color code the various lengths. It may not seem like a big hassle to sort the dome struts by length, but color coding really helps when assembling the dome, especially if you plan on building it with a group.

D.I.Y Geodesic Greenhouse Book Review

How to actually build a 40′ geodesic dome greenhouse using using everyday materials you can buy at any lumber yard.

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A $500 Geodesic Greenhouse Frame?

First a little about Kacper. He is the grandson of a master tomato gardener, has a lovely wife and an amazing little daughter who loves veggies! I guess gardening runs in Kacper’s blood because the moment he saw the potential of geodesic greenhouses he started building one.

That is one thing I admire so much about Kacper, he doesn’t wait around, he just goes and starts building! So after he created a small “test dome” he started pouring concrete for the foundation of a giant 40′ dome.

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Kacper and His Daughter

While he was doing this so many people started bugging him about dome construction both online and off he finally wrote down (he can type at 80 words per minute too!) the exact methods he used to save over $16,000.00 on building his dome, how he cut the struts, how he planned his dome using free tools, in fact he did a complete brain dump of all his mistakes, challenges and ultimately exactly how to build your own geodesic greenhouse biodome.

Kacper’s book is called: Biodome Revolution and in it you will find not only very detailed instructions on how to actually build your own biodome but exact pictures of each step! Here are some more things he talks about in this amazing book:

The amazingly low cost involved. In fact you can build your own dome for pennies compared to the cost of normal green-houses using regular 2x4s from your local lumber yard.

How simple and inexpensive they are to heat. With proper design and covering you can have tropical temperatures, even in the dead of winter.

The amazing strength of the geodesic form. It is one of the strongest structures (being based on a sphere) in the world. Geodesic domes have withstood earthquakes, pretty much any amount of snow and hurricane force winds.

Geodomes are scalable. You can build to any size no matter what space you have to work with there is a dome that will work for you.

You can grow an incredible amount of fresh organic food inside your bio-dome, year round. (Here on the farm my dad picks fresh lemons every couple of days in the dead of winter!)

For the amount of growing space you get domes are incredibly light & transportable, because of this you can easily move them if needed. Depending on the size and where you live you probably don’t even

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need a permit to build a temporary structure, so can have your own whether you own land or are just renting!

Geodesic Tent or Amazing Greenhouse? The amazing German geodome engineers from ZenDome have created a full line of bespoke custom geodesic structures for your every day back yard camp out of a full blown season of caviar and Champaign doing penguin research at the South Pole!

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Or if you are more the summer season camper or maybe you just want to have your prize orchid collection well displayed in your backyard geodome greenhouse, well then, look no further than this masterpiece of organic dome design.

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Geodesic Greenhouse Biodome Construction Pictures!

We’re right in the middle of constructing our 40′ diameter geodesic greenhouse biodome, we’re not quite done yet but I couldn’t help resist sharing some of the pictures and the fun we’re having with building this structure!

It just hailed and it’s freezing outside, but this time next year we’ll be eating fresh strawberries and delicious vegetables from our geodesic green-house dome, as it will allow us to grow year round!

If you’d like to learn how to build one of these yourself in your own back-yard, check out my biodome revolution eBook

The base of the dome being assembled!

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We’ve had a lot of great friends helping us put together the struts, it’s as easy as putting together lego peices, but definitely goes faster if you have help!

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My little girl can’t speak in sentences yet, but she says “DOM!” whenever I tell her we’re building a dome. She also knows that we eat plants and make smoothies out of them, so she’s looking forward to playing inside and growing food!

We’ve finished the first 2 layers and are about to finish the 3rd, should have everything done soon! I’ll post pictures when it’s finished.

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PS. Check out the Eden Biodome Revolution if you’d like to learn how to build one of these yourself and have your very own “Food factory” to grow food year round! Click here.

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Like so many things if you have to ask how much they cost, you know the rest. But, if having the absolute most stunning geodesic tent in the pristine alpine meadow is a, cost no object experience, then you may have found your new best friend!

I have talked about these geodomes in the past, but I guess I just can’t get enough of the look. So polished, so… sexy! Makes me want to go camping with my orchid collection too!

Build a Dome

Geodesic domes are elegant and sophisticated structures. Lightweight and strong, they make very efficient use of materials. They are an ideal structure for use in remote areas like the Arctic. Some day we may even see dome structures on the moon or covering cities.

This site will take you, step by step, through the process of constructing a geodesic dome from paper. Information is also included for designing domes of different sizes.

This project supports the structures and mechanisms component of the science and technology curriculum in many provinces and states. Curriculum expectations often include constructing a geodesic dome or shell structure. Geodesic domes demonstrate tension and compression in a unique structure. You can construct a geodesic dome out of a variety of materials, this dome is constructed of paper. Use the design concepts outlined here to construct domes of different sizes. Try materials like Bristol board, corrugated cardboard, plywood even ice!

For students in grade 6 or grade 7 some teachers have combined this activity with art class, turning the domes into vibrant, colourful sculptures.

The math component of this project is very suitable for applied math in grade 8 or grade 9. Check your state or provincial curriculum documents under "Structures and Mechanisms" and applied math.

Construct a Geodesic Dome:

Geodesic domes, popularized by Buckminister Fuller, incorporate the structural integrity of triangles into the inherent strength of a dome or shell structure.

Following are the instructions for constructing a geodesic dome with a diameter of 50 cm.

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If you want to build a dome of a different size, follow this link - DOME MATH

Start by producing accurate drawings of the triangles shown below, you need 30 of the B-A-B triangles and 10 of the A-A-A triangles. These triangular building units are called elements. You must create these triangles accurately, the dimensions shown are very important. Use a compass and ruler . Note that the dimensions A and B, are the lengths of the sides of the triangles, the glue tabs are extra.

Triangle A-A-A is equilateral.

Triangle B-A-B is isosceles.

This is an excellent exercise in geometry! Work with ruler, compass and pencil to create precision technical drawings of each triangular element.

After drawing one of each triangle, photo copy enough to create the dome. Most types of paper are suitable. Use two colours of paper, one colour for the A-A-A triangles, another for the B-A-B triangles. Colour coding makes construction easier and makes your dome more dramatic.

I don't want to draw these triangles. I just want to build a dome! OK, follow the links to a printable page with a template for the elements already drawn.

Note: After printing the elements, measure the "A" and "B" sides to ensure they are the required lengths, not all printers print with the same resolution. You may be able to correct the size by downloading the templates (right click on the template jpg) and then rescale it with a graphics utility.

Cut out the triangles and carefully fold along the tab lines. A crisp fold is important. Join 5 of the A-B-B triangles to create a pentagon. Do this by gluing the "B" edges together using the glue tabs. Glue sticks are fine for this project.

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Make sure that the "A" sides of the triangles form the outside of the pentagon.

A completed pentagon should look look like the upper right image. Note that it is raised in the center. Create 5 more pentagons.

Create a circular base for your dome by cutting a 75 cm diameter circle from cardboard. Draw a 50 cm diameter circle in the center of the base.

Cut a 25 cm circle out of the center of the base. This allows access to the interior of the dome.

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Important: Carefully draw a series of chords around the circle. Each chord is "A" in length.

For our 50 cm dome A = 15.45 cm. Align these chords so that 10 of them fit perfectly around the circle.

These lines indicate where to place the base of each triangle.

Join two pentagons by gluing one of the "A-A-A" triangles between them. Add another triangle as shown.

Glue this completed section to the base. The edge of each triangular element aligns with one of the chords.

Continue adding pentagons and triangles, joining them with glue.

Glue equilateral ( A - A - A ) triangles between pentagons on top.

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Glue final pentagon on top.

Your dome is completed. To learn more about domes, follow this link to Dome Math.

Dome Math

Geodesic Domes

Dome builders call this type of dome a 2V Icosa Alternate. It is created by fitting 4 triangles inside each triangular surface of an icosahedron. What is an icosahedron? An icosahedron is one of the 5 solids created by the ancient Greeks. Here are all five of them:

Can you name them? The last one on the right is an icosahedron, it has 20 triangular sides.

If you are really, really curious, follow this link to find out how the triangles are fitted inside each triangle of an icosahedron - Icosahedron Domes Explained!

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To create a dome similar to the one shown at top, you must create 40 triangles, 30 isosceles triangles and 10 equilateral triangles.

Let's design a dome!

Step 1:

Decide on the diameter of the dome you would like to create. Let's build a small model, 30 cm in diameter.

Step 2:

Determine the size of the triangles needed. The triangles we are going to create, require glue tabs on their edges, they will look like this:

The 10 equilateral triangles have each side equal to a length "A". To determine "A" we use a number called a "Chord Factor". The chord factor for "A" is 0.61803. To determine the length of "A" multiply the chord factor times the radius of the dome you are designing. Remember that radius = 1/2 of diameter. Our dome has a diameter of 30 cm and a radius of 15 cm.

A = radius of dome x 0.61803 A = 15 cm x 0.61803

A = 9.27045 cm A=9.27 cm

The 30 isosceles triangles have one side "A" and two sides "B". We know "A" is 9.27 cm, to calculate "B" we use a different chord factor, the cord factor for "B" is 0.54653

B = radius of dome x 0.54653 B = 15 cm x 0.54653

B = 8.19795 cm B = 8.20 cm

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Step 3:

To construct this dome you must create triangular elements using the dimensions "A" and "B". Draw a 30 cm diameter circle on a solid cardboard base then follow the instructions for constructing the 50 cm dome.

You can create a dome of any size, just multiply radius times the chord factor. Then follow the assembly sequence for the 50 cm dome.