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Dome Building Competition

Information Pack

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Introduction & Objective of the Competition: It is time to test your engineering knowledge and skills at the Dome Building Competition organized by Engineers Australia (EA), Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering at Qatar University (QU) and Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC). You are invited to the Dome Building Competition. The event will be a great opportunity to test your skills, network and have some fun. It is going to be a great day with snacks and drinks provided. The competition will involve Engineering and architectural students from QU, practicing professional engineers in Qatar and interested members of the public to form teams and compete to construct the biggest and strongest paper structure dome, you can build a giant dome out of newspapers. In this competition, you will build your very own dome by taping together tubes made from rolled-up newspaper and then investigate your domes. Our aim and interest is sustainability so you need to maximize efficiency in design by "doing more with less".

Figure 3. Aspire Dome Figure 4. Doha Tower

Figure 1. Muhammad Bin Abdulwahhab Mosque Figure 2. Katara Village

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In the engineering and architectural fields the dome is hemispherical structure evolved from the arch, usually forming a ceiling or roof. Nowadays, domes are frequently used for government buildings, shopping malls, museums, stadiums, residential buildings, palaces and villas. In Qatar domes are becoming part of the local architectural identity, domes are obvious and visible in many places in Qatar like the Aspire Dome, Museum of Islamic Art, Pearl Towers, Katara and many high-rise towers in West Bay.

Figure 5. Arabian Cap

The dome is a cosmic symbol in every religious tradition and it is a symbol of power. In Islam the dome represents the vault of heaven and most mosques feature one or more domes.

Figure 6. Doha’s Al Thumama Stadium

Domes are curved architectonic structures with no angles or corners, similar to the upper half of a sphere. Despite their apparent fragility, domes are strong structures and have been used in buildings since ancient times. In Europe, the earliest domes were made of stone. The Roman Pantheon, built almost 2,000 years ago, is a good example of early dome engineering. Indigenous peoples in Ethiopia and other places have used curved bows to create their huts, creating a primitive yet effective dome.

A geodesic dome is a dome formed by joining triangles together. The struts of a geodesic dome are joined together in triangles, with the points of the triangles being approximately on the sphere's surface. The edges of the triangles form great circle-like shapes, or geodesics, over the surface of the dome. The struts form a rigid network that transmits stress forces throughout the structure.

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The Challenge: Teams of 3-4 people will be given three hours to construct a dome using supplied materials listed below. The winning team will construct the biggest dome that most efficiently balances height, strength and weight.

How to Register: Hurry, Spots are limited.

Click this link: EA Registration Form

Or email mustafa.elcherkawi@aecom.com

Registrations close: 31st of October 2018

Entry commitment fee: 80 Qatari Riyals per team

All fields are welcome

Date, Time & Location:

Date: Saturday 3rd of November 2018

Time: 9:00am – 1:00pm

Location: Oxygen Park – Picnic Area – Education City – Qatar Foundation

Competition will commence 9:15pm Testing & judging will commence 12:15pm

Picnic Area

Car Park

Car Park Male Student Housing

Oxygen Park – Education City – Qatar Foundation

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Materials and Equipment:

5 × Newspapers 1 × Measuring tape 3 × rolls of sticky/duct tape 1× Scissors A4 paper & pencil (for sketching and making plan)

Testing the Constructed Dome:

1. Loading/testing platform to be done at the top of the dome. 2. Books will be used for loading/testing the dome 3. Measuring the diameter (d) and height (h) of the dome and record its dimensions (cm). 4. Test how strong your dome is by seeing how many books you can load on top. Add books,

one at a time, on the top of the dome. 5. Observe the dome carefully for signs of failure. 6. Record how many books the dome could support before failing. 7. Weigh the books that the dome could support. Record the mass (in g). 8. All loads shall be applied at top of the dome. 9. Dome will be loaded/tested by team members only. 10. Loads may be removed and replaced by the team during loading. 11. Each dome will then be tested to failure, loads shall be applied in any order. 12. The dome shall not be touched by any team member during loading. 13. A maximum of two team members are allowed for testing.

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Prizes: 1. First Prize: The Biggest Dome - largest diameter and largest height.

Minimum diameter = 0.8m

Volume of Dome a = Major Axis b = Minor Axis C = Height

𝟒

𝟑× 𝝅 × 𝒂 × 𝒃 × 𝒄

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If 2 teams have the same results (or biggest diameter or height), the above formula will be used to determine the dome with the largest volume.

2. Second Prize: Strongest Dome - carrying the heaviest load. All teams to ensure loading

platform at the top of the dome. Minimum diameter = 0.8m

3. Third Prize: Authentic Dome shape. The decision of the judges/expert engineers shall be

final – no discussions will be entered into. (Egg shape, round shape, star shape, onion shape, symmetrical aligned members dome. Minimum diameter = 0.8m

Trophies for each category. Participation certificates will be issued to all attendees.

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Important Tips for participants: Do your research and plan.

Ask – Imagine – Plan – Create – Test

Draw your plan with dimensions.

Remember it is paper structure.

Domes are curved structures with no angles or corners.

The initial step is to create paper struts/members.

Use double/triple or more sheets for your struts/tubes.

Stack double/triple or more flat sheets of newspaper together and roll them.

Rolling the newspapers is time-consuming.

Use pencils to roll the tubes around.

You get better at it as you go along.

You can cut the struts/tubes.

Remember, joints are weak points, they are really the trickiest part, since they tend to collapse at stress points.

The wide, flat tape-joint works better.

Remember, the smallest the triangle the stronger.

You might need to stand inside the dome to tape them together, make sure you can reach all members.

Remember domes cannot support much of a live load.

Triangles are a stable shape because compression acting at one joint is balanced by tension along the opposite side.

Ensure not to damage the completed dome.

Distributes loads over all of the different triangles.

Materials shall not be shared between teams.

There will be no spare materials available.

No other tools or materials will be allowed.

Tools cannot be incorporated into the dome structure.

Definition of “Failure”: The dome shall be judged to have failed if any one of the following occurs:

The dome structure deflecting such that any part of the dome touches the ground or any other member.

The fracture of any material or member.

The de-bonding or separation of any joint.

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The structure warping/twisting such that it is unstable on the supports.

Safety: Keep in mind safety first.

Put on sunscreen.

Wear sunglasses and a hat.

Stay hydrated.

Always keep your free hand away from the line of cut.

Never leave a scissors unattended.

Do not run or climb while carrying a pair of scissors.

A first aid officer will be available.

Additional Information: For any questions please contact Mustafa El Cherkawi on:

o Mobile: +974 3392 8127 o Email: mustafa.elcherkawi@aecom.com

Photos of Previous Events:

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