Building Domes with Flat Panels

I found this picture and when I began to analyze it I became very impressed.     Take a close look at this dome and know that it was made by sawing flat panel material into  somewhat "triangular" orange slices  and screwed together with bands of some sort overlapping each  orange slice panel.
I dont have it figured out and I am surprised that there is only one screw in the band on the exterior to somehow join the orange slice panels ?
Help me figure out the construction details.     Could there be two bands,  interior and exterior ...  nut and bolted together to form a slot into which
the orange slice panels are inserted  ?    If it were me I would select the aluminum  trim material that siding and gutter contractors use  that has a "forever" coating.   If it were me....  I would have a lot more visible screws holding it together .....  so how did they build it and what holds it together?

There are numerous other kinds of flat panels that could be used ......   what would you use ?     The beauty of using the rolled trim is that there would be very little waste as when cutting the "orange slices"   you would alternate the direction for each piece and waste almost nothing.

LOOK  AT THE PIC CLOSELY and figure how you would build it !

another try to upload photo

I remember bits and pieces from seeing these years ago…

The top band is just a trim batten for rain. The panels were connected together under that, but there weren’t many connectors, mostly spray foam or caulk sealant. If I remember correctly, they are connected at the floor and the top ring mainly.

What kind of material are those panels made from?

What kind of material can be bent like that?

Anne Miller wrote:What kind of material are those panels made from?

What kind of material can be bent like that?

Note that while the dome is a sphere curved in 3 dimensions, each of the "orange slices" are flat panels bent in only 2 dimensions.

There are materials that are made to line shower stalls that are waterproof.  Also plastic material that is used to make signs.  Thin quarter inch plywood could be used ... preferably waterproof or marine grade.    

For me,  I would choose the coated aluminum coil material used by siding and gutter specialists.    Looking at the dome further and noticing the four screws in each of the vertical bands,.....   I think  the vertical orange slices overlap and a metal screw is used at the overlap to punch through the sheet metal ( or whatever )  or  a screw that has a hole pre drilled  and then a washer and nut are then applied on the inside.    The fact that there is only one screw almost guarantees there is an overlap.    

So the next step is to figure out how to put it together ?  Would you need a jig to lay out all the pieces on ...and then begin to screw them together ?
How many people required to hold the pieces while it is being screwed or bolted together ?    I wish I remembered where I obtained the photo so questions could be asked.   One thing stands out,  this may not be a one-off do it at home project from plans.   This could have been assembled in a
factory  on a production line with many jigs and custom holders for all the parts.    The sophistication of the door assembly  sort of says this is not a
weekend project by a hobbiest.   Also, look at the legs of this structure.  This is not simply set on the ground with any kind of conventional foundation.

Poly
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The one I saw goes up like a yurt—they built a temporary post to hold the skylight ring. That door slice is obviously molded on that drawing and would be difficult to replicate in other materials for the untrained, but it can be done.

There are programs to build the patterns, for aircrete domes and parachutes and hot air balloons, etc.

The issue is your pieces get to be really long, longer than most materials are readily available.

It strikes me from the background forbs and trees, that this seems more like a playhouse for children than a practical even temporary shelter for adults.

I am not convinced most "flat" material that wasn't some sort of plastic, would bend well enough. I have seen people bend solid material by slicing a *lot* of thin slices part-way through the wood/foam to give it that flexibility. One guy I saw doing so for a "tear-drop" trailer, had special tool bits to do so, then he put glue in the cracks, then attached it to a frame to dry.

The exception would be metal. I have some metal roofing that would do this job with the exception of the door overhang. However, our metal shed gets crazy hot if the sun is out, then cools off fast at night fall, causing all sorts of condensation issues. I've read this about motor homes as well - black mold can be a serious issue. A standard, pre-fab, assemble-it-yourself from a kit, wooden shed was recommended as a better alternative, despite the issue that they tend to rot in my climate... sigh... nothing survives in a part-time rainforest!

I live in earthquake country on the wet coast. If I need outside shelter, a Quonset shape, or standard rectangular with a simple peaked roof would be my go to. Yes, the one in the picture is cute as a button if you want something that will look good in the meantime, but true dome emergency shelters are usually done with bendy branches, followed by moss, tree bark, leaves for insulation, and whatever else is available in the ecosystem.

Glazing expands and contracts with temperature. Therefore, a general engineering principle typically applied to glazing, allows the sheets to float freely between the frame and the retaining clip. I would not expect holes (or screws) to penetrate the glazing.