Abstract

MINKE, Gernot. Adobe brick domes. Apuntes [online]. 2007, vol.20, n.2, pp.336-341. ISSN 1657-9763.

At the Building Research Institute, University of Kassel, Germany, a construction technology was developed to build domes of large span without formwork. The section of the domes was optimized and developed by a computer programme, which avoids all kind of ring forces, so no bending force will occur and a free span of up to 13 m can be reached by a wall thickness of only 30 cm. To construct these domes without formwork a special rotational guide wad developed. In order to optimize the acoustic behaviour of the dome, special "acoustic adobes" were developed, which create an effect of sound distribution and absorption. The first dome of this kind was built in 2000 at La Paz, Bolivia with a span of 8 m, the largest dome of all Americas and the first one covered with a green roof was built in Brazil in 2005 with a diameter of 9 m. The largest adobe dome has a diameter of 11 m, a height of 7 m and stands in Germany. More domes built for residences and multipurpose halls are shown. Measurements proofed that adobe domes with green roofs reduce heat intake in summer and heat less in winter, to a large extend, thus saving a high amount of cooling and heating energy. It was also proofed that the indoor air humidity was extremely good balanced. The dome at La Paz showed furthermore that domes of this kind can be earth quake resistant.

Keywords : Adobe bricks; domes; green roofs.

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