Strength and Stability of Earth Covered Dome Shells

Abstract

Earth sheltered housing is a viable means of achieving superior energy performance, lower maintenance cost, and protection from extreme weather. Despite demonstrated potential for large‐scale acceptance in the housing market, initial costs are currently too high to realize this market potential. At least part of the cost problem in earth sheltered construction is attributable to the common practice of using conventional, rectilinear structural systems intended primarily for lightly loaded aboveground buildings. Thin concrete dome shells are logical alternative structural forms to efficiently support relatively massive soil loads. This paper evaluates the strength and stability of 50‐ft (15‐m) diameter, 4 in. (102 mm) nominally thick concrete spherical domes under 3 ft (0.9 m) of saturated soil cover. Domes having diameter‐to‐rise ratios between two (hemispherical) and twenty are analyzed for stress levels and buckling characteristics. Neither stress levels nor stability considerations severely limit the range of feasible dome profiles, making the thin concrete dome shell an effective structural system for earth sheltered residential applications. From the perspectives of both structural and architectural design, thin concrete dome shells offer significant potential for application in earth sheltered housing.