Are geodesic homes catastrophy resistant due to their shape or concrete material construction?
Answer Debra: Thanks for your question! The geodesic dome structural system was invented by the self-styled inventor and architect Buckminster Fuller. He was looking for a way to construct simple shelters, easily built by untrained labor, and that would be exceptionally structurally sound. Fuller’s domes aren’t made from concrete. Rather, they’re made from short lengths of steel (and in some cases wood) rods that are connected into hexagons linked together. There are some concrete domes structures, but they’re different from the geodesic dome concept. Geodesic domes gain their strength from the connections; concrete domes from their weight and reinforcing steel. Dome shapes in general have some added resistance to natural disasters. Since they are generally low, ground-hugging structures, and don’t present a flat face to the wind, they tend to hold up better in hurricanes and tornadoes (and floods). And concrete domes, because of their mass and monolithic construction, hold together be
