A SIMILAR DOME WITH A TENSILE SKIN                                                               


The struts and tendons 
in the models of tensegrity systems 
represent
patterns of force, 
and they can be replaced by other components, 
provided
those components can accommodate the forces.  
It is easy to recognize
that the tendon network 
of the dome just described 
could be replaced with
a plastic skin 
into which the struts could be slotted 
to produce a structure
which could be erected very quickly.
The skin for the figure
shown in photograph 31 
was made from pieces of polyethylene sheet, 
each piece representing a
hexagonal, pentagonal, or triangular face of the final figure. 
The individual pieces 
were heat-sealed to each other with a soldering iron.
Since polyethylene stretches very easily, 
the skin was reinforced by
running a nylon thread within a double seam 
(made with the soldering iron) 
along each edge of the figure, 
as in diagram ___ , 
and connecting the threads to the nodes 
which connected the struts to the skin. 
The nodes are similar to the ones used for the mast 
and the dome described earlier, 
as can be seen in diagram ___ . 
Since wires are not tied to the screws, 
their heads need not project on the outside. 
The screws should not project too much on the inside either, 
as long ends could damage the skin 
when it is rolled up for storage. 
The 2 plastic roofing washers 
should be screwed tightly together 
to prevent the screw 
from tearing the plastic skin.
Once the skin has been completed, 
the dome can be erected very quickly
by slotting the struts into the nodes. 
A version of this dome ,
approximately 20 feet in diameter, 
has been built 
and successfully erected.

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