we need an investigation into the crash

[Dick Fischbeck]

https://artlyst.com/buckminster-fuller-flys-eye-dome-sculpture-crushed-in-east-coast-blizzard/

I guess this is real.

[Dx G]

Thanks for posting this Dick, I was not aware of it.  

From the pattern of the collapse, it looks as if the top buckled down and then failed just above the first row of openings, right where the curvature changes past the equator, if you will.  One might have thought with all those holes, the snow load on the roof would have been diminished, although those holes may have also reduced the general structural strength.  Then, of course, there would be the issue of wind speeds, in addition to asymmetric snow load they may have prompted, as the collapse my have originated off the top center.   Too bad there wasn't a side-by-side opportunity there to see how a closed roof, made of the same materials, may have fared in comparison.

Considering how many snows it survived in the past, it would be interesting to know what the snow density was, such as pounds/square foot, and whether that was higher than that in the past.   Perhaps there is data on other roof failures or collapses in the area that had the same track record...until that one hit.  If so, evidence of any directionality in those collapses might shine some light on the issues.   We get wet snows here which can really pile up on the upwind side before the "beak" breaks off and/or the structure puckers inward on that side. 

Dx G

[Dick Fischbeck]

Did it delaminate and fail or the other way around.

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[Curt McNamara]

Says it was made of fiberglass, which degrades in the sun.

                 Curt

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[Eric Marceau]

My own opinion is that the failure stems from

* pre-condition of extreme cold during the storm, 

* increasing the sensitivity to stress-fracture

* decreasing the material's elasticity

* structure already "under load" from weight of snow, but likely not excessively so

* over-stress event triggered by high-wind gusts adding transient dynamic load to the pre-existing static snow load

Very sad to see that it failed, but maybe exposure to UV also might have had a factor in undermining the integrity/elasticity of the structure.

Does the above sound right?

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[Bryan L]

Curt,

quite possibly although the fibreglass itself doesn't degrade - it is the resin that degrades. There are UV stabilized resins though.

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[Levente Likhanecz]

fiberglass boats become brittle on long UV exposure.　

but the boats frequently treated, sanded, new coat etc...

this garden structure may not received as much maintenance, as a hobby boat.

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[Curt McNamara]

Google summary:

Fiberglass typically withstands UV exposure for 20–30+ years, with high-quality, gel-coated, or specialized UV-resistant products lasting longer before requiring resurfacing or showing significant structural degradation

This dome was created in 1997.

     Curt

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