St. Elias Church is designed in the architectural style known as ‘Boyko’, from the western part of Ukraine. This distinctive style features iconic copper clad domes, 23 metres high at their peaks and visible from a great distance around the church.
The structure is a combination of long‑span glued‑laminated timber trusses and large dimension solid sawn lumber. The large, open nave has a 13 metres clear span and supports the largest of five domes.
Four dome structures (two are identical) were entered as 3D models in RSTAB and loaded with self‑weight, snow and wind. A parametric analysis using the model helped to determine the optimum geometry of the main domes, trusses and diagonal struts.
Structural Engineering:
Moses Structural Engineers Inc., Toronto, Canada | www.mosesstructures.com
Architect:
Zimmerman Workshop Architecture + Design, New York, USA | www.zimmermanworkshop.com
Photos and model:
© by Moses Structural Engineers
