Helical Ringforcement can be made with continuously looping, 7 strand cable or in segments of one loop each. Tiers of these loops have been colored to show arrangement around dome. Naturally other building shapes are feasible for this scheme of reinforcement. Segments can be made from short sections of bamboo, metal, etc... In this CAD model my count of loops were as follows: bottom = 67, 2nd up = 63, 3rd up = 60, and 4th up =57. Each loop is about 40 inches or 240 cm. The Dome is 24 ft or just over 17 m. In reality this will vary. A ferro concrete method is contemplated here. Ferro cement users can add much smaller loop sizes of wire, to fill in gaps. Email for more configuations.The brown frame which defines the dome shape can be free form rods or poles. Recomended but not drawn are internal temporary bracing. One the other hand, mud, brick and ice domes have been made without temporary bracing as follows. The stone, ice or mud is laid up a short hieght at a time. In the case of cement, the hieght should be just under slumping. Progress is entirely dependent on temperature. In warm conditions, each layer can harden quickly, but actual conditions must be tested continuosly.

Too little is known about actual comparisons between traditional reinforcement, flat spiral loops and individual "O" rings. Rings appear to have interesting test possibilities. As a low budget single handed developer, I have very little opportunity to test the many ideas presented in these www pages.

Around year 2000 I began planing and sporadically building a ring reinforced, ferrocement dome.

The content on this website, http://harmoniouspalette.com, is placed in the public domain only as a free exchange of ideas and as a "hard studied wish to serve life". The author assumes no responsibility for the improper use of the concepts in these web pages, as all relevant laws of life and local codes should be verified and observed before any building or experimentation proceeds. discussion is welcome, please write.  Bo Atkinson

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