600 gallon tank

did not remember if you posted a vid or not but im pretty sure I saw it on you tube today. Looks good. Pic are always welcomed and appreciated.
 
Derringer said:
Most residential buildings (homes/apartments) have floor live-loads designed at around 40psf - you've got almost 4x that. Not even considering what kind of foundation + soil you have. Hope you don't experience any settling or worse yet catastrophic failure.

Good luck!
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if that was the case, at 40lbs psf, you'd fall through the floor, I have been a custom home builder for 7 years, I do strongley suggest inspecting the framing, on a tank that size , if the joists are more than 16" on center, or running with the tank, or less than 2x10 it will need to be reinforced.
 
aoscar said:
if that was the case, at 40lbs psf, you'd fall through the floor, I have been a custom home builder for 7 years
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Though I'm not a structural engineer, nor a custom home builder <wink>, my background is in architecture and the "live load" design for "floors" in residences is typically 40psf.

And no you won't fall through the floor because your weight is theoretically distrubuted uniformally over the entire floor and not just the area of 1' ... That 40psf design specification/code is not the maximum load, again its a theoretical average. It's also the "minimum" that the floor needs to be designed for ...

I don't know where the OP lives, so I dont know which code applies, which saftey factors are involved etc, but if its the run of the mill residence I am certain that it wasn't built for that live load.

Considering the LL Code of 40psf and the size of the tank 8x4 thats 1,280# that the floor was most likely designed to support, on average, over that area. Can it support more? Say 4-5x that? Sure, it is standing there isnt it, but I wouldnt call it safe UNLESS the floor was structurally designed for that increased live load; PRIOR to it being placed.

Personally, I'd love to know the framing layout beneath that aquarium - size, spacing, orientation of framing + the aquariums location in a span etc - hopefully this is something the owner took into consideration.
 
JustLooking said:
I think its on a slab...Not a framed floor
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That would certainly make a difference, a 5" slab on grade would have double the minimum live load of a typical framed floor.
 
Derringer said:
Though I'm not a structural engineer, nor a custom home builder <wink>, my background is in architecture and the "live load" design for "floors" in residences is typically 40psf.

And no you won't fall through the floor because your weight is theoretically distrubuted uniformally over the entire floor and not just the area of 1' ... That 40psf design specification/code is not the maximum load, again its a theoretical average. It's also the "minimum" that the floor needs to be designed for ...

I don't know where the OP lives, so I dont know which code applies, which saftey factors are involved etc, but if its the run of the mill residence I am certain that it wasn't built for that live load.

Considering the LL Code of 40psf and the size of the tank 8x4 thats 1,280# that the floor was most likely designed to support, on average, over that area. Can it support more? Say 4-5x that? Sure, it is standing there isnt it, but I wouldnt call it safe UNLESS the floor was structurally designed for that increased live load; PRIOR to it being placed.

Personally, I'd love to know the framing layout beneath that aquarium - size, spacing, orientation of framing + the aquariums location in a span etc - hopefully this is something the owner took into consideration.
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ok, I would like to know the layout as well , and you obviousley know your stuff after reading what comes across as greek to me:) you probabley would call my 150 g unsafe too.(5'x2'x2') as a framer I checked my joists and being as my tank spanned 2 joists running longways, 16" on center, and right by(6") from the bearing point, I called it "safe", I don't know all the theoretical stuff, but if it on a floor system, I agree with you that the framing would definatley NEED to be inspected.
 
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