[logfromblammo]

The only success stories I have heard about with respect to dome construction do not use any sheet material at all.

They use inflatable forms, flexible basalt fiber composite rebar or basalt reinforcement mesh, spray foam, and gunnite (sprayed concrete).

As far as I am aware, even those still have moisture problems.

As mentioned by parent, the article includes cutting patterns for rectangular sheets. All the edges and corners are waste. Every edge is a cut. If you make a dome shell out of panels, you have an incredibly high amount of joints and cracks for that volume, and every one of them could move water or air through the wall. The article itself mentioned that polypropylene breaks down in UV. Maintenance.

So I guess the intrepid geodesic dome builder should sew a big balloon out of pentagonal and hexagonal nylon panels, inflate it with one of those bounce-castle blowers, and spray it with gunnite. Then saw through the top of the shell and add a stick-built cupola for ventilation control and roof pitch. You lose the portability, but if you really need that, most people make do with a tent. Those come in dome shapes, if you really need your living space to be round.