Design and installation of a large pneumatic dome in Brazil

Abstract

This paper presents the design and production of a set pneumatic domes recently installed in the south of Brazil, intended for theater performances and 3D cinema projections, during the 2022 Christmas and 2023 New Year celebrations. The domes are constituted of single layer polyester-PVC envelops, with the larger unit reinforced by a set of 40 steel cables arranged radially, converging to a cable ring at the top of the dome and anchored to a perimetral base ring made of reinforce concrete. Since the main dome was intended for highresolution cinema projections, the creases of the membrane surface should be as small as possible, and the reinforcements cables were installed with low prestress forces. However, the location is susceptible to intense wind gusts, requiting that the domes to be designed for a normal operation wind speed of 70km/h and an ultimate wind speed of 130km/h.

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