Michael F. answered • 09/09/19
B.S. from UI, #1 Engineering School. 100's hrs. tutoring.
A monolithic dome is one of the most stable forms. Witness how difficult it is to break an egg by compressing it in your hand, squeezing the ends. The Pantheon is still standing after about 2000 years, and at least one cathedral in Italy was built with a dome top completed by concentric rings which did not need supporting scaffolding at any stage in construction. The form of a spherical dome has only outward stresses at the base. Therefore the Pantheon has rings of iron chain around the building at the base of the dome. Several dome houses have been built by spraying concrete on an inflated bubble. THey are basically impervious to damage by hurricanes and, with a proper foundation, earthquakes.
