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Merits
The Geodesic Dome is a very strong stucture due to the use of triangles in the design. It is rigid and stable and transmits any stresses evenly through the structure.
They are are extremely strong for their weight, and encloses the greatest volume of space for the smallest surface area.
They can resist extremes of storm and wind, and has been tested in extreme weather condition around the world.
The Distance Early Warning Line Domes in Canada, and During 1975, a dome was constructed at the South Pole, where its resistance to snow and wind loads is important.
Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station (1975-2003). The Dome was 50 meters (164 ft) wide and 16 meters (52 ft) high, with 1424 m (46x79 ft) steel archways, modular buildings, fuel bladders, and equipment.
Detached buildings within the dome housed instruments for monitoring the upper and lower atmosphere and for numerous and complex projects.
The "Pillow Dome" was invented by James Tennant Baldwin the American industrial designer. This transparent, insulated structure of aluminium and Teflon is used in the Eden Project in Cornwall, England.
This is a steel frame with an inflated skin of hexagonal cells stretched over it. The hexagons are sealed at the edges and form a thermal blanket, which insulate the buildings.
Two huge enclosed domes are linked together, and with several smaller domes, they provide habitats for plant species from around the world.
The first dome has a tropical environment, and the second a Mediterranean environment one.
A computer-controlled environmental control system that regulates the temperature and humidity in each dome
Drawbacks
Geodesic domes have many drawbacks, especially where they are used to provide living accommodation.
The construction has a great many intersecting surfaces, compared with conventional structures, and all of these must be waterproof.
The surface covering is a problem due to the continuous series of flat areas which fall away in all directions.
Access for repair and maintenance is difficult as nothing is flat, there is no ridge, and depending on the materials, may need even greater than normal care to avoid damage.
The need to let light in and lack of suitable flexible materials is a problem. Flexing of structures due to normal atmospheric heating and cooling again puts much more stress on the waterproof seals.
The curvature of the sides makes the inside space slightly more difficult to use.
The most effective roofing method is the tile or shingle. This runs into problems near the top of the dome as the angle flattens - keeping water out here is difficult.
One method is to arrange a single piece cap', or arrange a steeper pointed top, to cover this area.
Some domes have been constructed of plastic sheets arranged to overlap and shed water.
Lloyd Kahn (pioneer of Green Building and Green Architecture) was influenced by Buckminster Fuller, and during 1968 he started building geodesic domes.
He became coordinator of the building of 17 domes at Pacific High School, an in the Santa Cruz mountains.
Experimental geodesic domes were made from plywood, aluminium, sprayed foam, and vinyl. Children built their own domes and lived in them.
Having lived in a dome for a year, Kahn decided domes did not work well: He calls domes "smart but not wise".
He lists problems -