Passive Thermal Performance of Earth-Sheltered Thin-Shell Concrete Dome Structures

The objective of this research was to evaluate an insulated concrete thin-shell dome structure for thermal flux with various depths of soil coverings. Computational thermal analysis was performed to model temperature fluc- tuations inside a representative section of an experimental concrete dome structure during typical winter and summer seasons in northern Utah. The results are compared against the baseline of a traditional insulated wood-framed building envelope and indicate that thermal flux is significantly reduced in the earth-sheltered concrete dome structure with foam on the outside of the concrete. The addition of soil dampens the amplitude of the flux and increases the time lag between maximal exterior and interior temperatures.