WWW.TSPMA.ORG  |  25 
Its original architectural design 
was cutting edge, a visually striking 
Lamella dome structural design where 
intersecting arches form a diamond 
pattern. The original wood members 
utilized were coastal Douglas Fir beams 
of various sizes.
In 2021, Thompson and Litton was 
tasked by Kingsport City Schools 
(KCS) to reroof the existing Dobyns-
Bennett school building. As part of 
this reroofing project, the Buck Van 
Huss Dome would require a new roof 
coating to be provided. However, due 
to previous experience with the dome 
roof, Thompson and Litton proactively 
requested to have the existing wood 
roof structure tested to verify its load 
carrying capacity.
This testing occurred in June 2022, 
with results provided in August 2022. 
The results of those tests indicated the 
wood members at the top of the dome 
had lost a substantial amount of their 
load bearing capacity due to the heat 
continually trapped at the top of the 
dome structure throughout its 55-year 
existence. Out of an abundance of 
caution, KCS then immediately closed 
the Dome for public use and engaged 
with Thompson and Litton to develop a 
plan to address the issue.
Given the Buck Van Huss Dome’s 
—continued on page 26

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