IaaC Blog

For this dome the intention was to create a self supported sructure with a simple system of joints based on assemblage of plannar sections in diferent angles.

The development of every single piece of this scale model dome came directly from Top Solid, since all the joints system is part of the main component; we constructed a perfect half sphere dome to try the joints and structure before generating new forms. We realized that the thickness of the material should be taken in consideration because it influences the accuracy of the whole model.

This proposal is made out of individual planar surfaces which are being connected through tabs with plastic bands creating a fast assembly system.

The system of identical connectors seemed to work, although some other tryouts were made with different materials than cardboard. Until this time we were still working on the efficiency of the assemblage and trying to reduce these secondary elements.

By creating individual cells and using a triangulated pattern, this tryout is showing the idea of having a cardboard surface, since we calculated the estimated time for laser cut, the cardboard seems a very good option because it is fast and has the possibility to bend itself, leaving us the issue to connect each piece.

For this test we used in the first place plastic bands to join each face together, this made the corners inaccurate, so we implemented a system of assemblage in which every single cell is connected between itself like a puzzle, and the connections between cells is solved by identical connectors made of cardboard which also make possible to disassemble it at any given time and take it somewhere else.

This joint is constructed with identical pieces that could remain or not like this. Each panel would be on top or above the other creating the curvature this time adjusted by screws; the outcome was that we were using a light material in comparison with the screws used for joining it together. We realize that it was more important to have a structure in which all the elements, the panels and the joints could work evenly.

The idea was to create a structural skin capable of take the double curvature by having identical pieces and at the same time control the three-dimensional shape by adjusting the high of the screws, this tryout was constructed with methacrylate, a material easy to cut but with the disadvantage of the extreme flexibility. We concluded that the dome would not be able to stand by itself due to this and its main weight.

In this tryout we built a flexible joint for individual panels with double faces, a layer of rubber was embedded between the two cardboard layers and everything was fixed with screws. The outcome did not work as we thought and the joints between elements turned out to be too flexile and heavy, which would carry several problems in the whole dome because of the weight and the stiffness required for the structure.

Detail proposal - simple example, which can work and make our assembling easier