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The project uses LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) as a structural system.
The difficulty of the project was to create the form of a 20 m x 20 m oval
dome. Since LVL is a difficult material to mold into a three-dimensional
shell figure, the first suggestion was to curve the LVL into a two-dimensional
arch, and set many of them in such a way as to form a tree-dimensional
oval form. The structural point of the material was also a challenge. The
question was how this arch could span 20 meters with the load of snow that
this structure would have to bear during the winter. To provide stronger
support, the solution was to compose a space frame with LVL. In the short
direction a pair of arches are set parallel to each other and placed to
form the oval dome. In the longer direction, another set of arches along
the long side are sandwiched in between the paired arches along the short
side. The arches along the long side are set at such an angle so that they
work as lattice members. Just as paper could surprisingly be a structural
member depending on how it is used, thin plywood (LVL) can also be a structural
element, which spans a distance beyond expectations. With this solution
much less wood is used than in an ordinary dome structure using other wood
lamination. |
