Domical Space Trusses and Braced Domes: Shaping, Ultimate Strength and Stiffness

Abstract

A comparison is made of the responses of a domical single-chorded space truss with out-of- plane web members and a single-layer dome of the same chord configuration. The responses considered are the shaping of the domes from an initially flat condition to possible domical shapes, and the testing to destruction of a dome representative of each type. The tests allow the ultimate strength and stiffness of each type to be compared, and highlight the large strength and stiffness advantages to be gained by the use of an out-of-plane web system rather than a single chorded system without webs.