How A Yurt Works

The structural integrity of a yurt is based on compression and tension working together to form a freestanding, clear span structure. At the top of the yurt, the hub or compression ring is under pressure from the rafters, which radiate out from it. The rafters span out and down from the ring at a thirty-degree angle, and hook onto the main cable— which is under tension. The main cable is a continuous loop, preset to the exact circumference of the yurt. It is supported by the lattice wall and doorjamb, which bolt together to form a continuous circular wall. The roof material, the fabric walls, the dome and the door enclose the framework.