Can you put a dome on a peir n beam foundation? If we want around 1100 sqft of actual ground floor living space and we want to do the 12" thick outer walls what size of Dome would we need? Michelle from Texas
A dome with a diameter of 37.5' will yield 1,104 sq ft of floor space at the equator of the dome. I'm no engineer, but I imagine that as long as your footings are properly sized to bear the weight, and that the beams are distributing the load evenly then you would be fine. There are several other factors to take into account though, like your climate, the soil and slope you're building on, etc etc. I saw one dome enthusiast construct a radial joist setup atop pier blocks and it looked rock solid. He also fashioned the radial elements like large wedge shapes so that they could easily be moved into place one at a time and then bolted/sistered together to form one solid deck. Granted, his build was half the size that you're aiming for, but the principal is the same. Of course, it would behoove you to have an engineer check your plans and calculate stresses properly before moving ahead. Also, while lumber is beautiful and seemingly more cost effective, much thicker planks are required to frame with do to the way wood fibers distribute loads. I imagine that having to replace a rotting frame member would be pretty challenging. Just something to consider. Btw, I have no affiliation with this channel. Just saw a question that I could begin to answer. Maybe they will shed more light on the subject or correct me if I'm wrong. ✌️ I share the dome dream too. Good luck with your build 👍
Can you put a dome on a peir n beam foundation? If we want around 1100 sqft of actual ground floor living space and we want to do the 12" thick outer walls what size of Dome would we need?
Michelle from Texas
A dome with a diameter of 37.5' will yield 1,104 sq ft of floor space at the equator of the dome. I'm no engineer, but I imagine that as long as your footings are properly sized to bear the weight, and that the beams are distributing the load evenly then you would be fine. There are several other factors to take into account though, like your climate, the soil and slope you're building on, etc etc.
I saw one dome enthusiast construct a radial joist setup atop pier blocks and it looked rock solid. He also fashioned the radial elements like large wedge shapes so that they could easily be moved into place one at a time and then bolted/sistered together to form one solid deck.
Granted, his build was half the size that you're aiming for, but the principal is the same. Of course, it would behoove you to have an engineer check your plans and calculate stresses properly before moving ahead.
Also, while lumber is beautiful and seemingly more cost effective, much thicker planks are required to frame with do to the way wood fibers distribute loads. I imagine that having to replace a rotting frame member would be pretty challenging. Just something to consider.
Btw, I have no affiliation with this channel. Just saw a question that I could begin to answer. Maybe they will shed more light on the subject or correct me if I'm wrong.
✌️ I share the dome dream too. Good luck with your build 👍