Detail design and construction plans for a dome for the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT)

As a continuation of the Preliminary Design of the Dome for the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) proposed by IDOM, the Detail Design for the E-ELT Dome has been developed with the objective of optimizing the design to minimize the manufacturing, erection and operation costs. The proposed design is based on a hemispherical dome tightly fitted to the dome design volume to minimize the enclosed volume and consequently the cost. The large observing slit, large as compared to the dome diameter, is covered by means of two horizontal biparting doors. This paper summarizes the most significative changes in the design and the approach followed by IDOM for the detailed design process, with emphasis in the construction process. The design work presented in this paper has been performed under contract with the European Southern Observatory (ESO).