Help Needed - 3.2m Stand

Hi Guys

I want to make a stand 3.2m x 700 by 2m high. its sort of a racking to hold 2* 1.8m tanks and 2* 1.2m tanks. the tanks are going to be place 1 above the other with one 1.8m and one 1.2m side by side. i need help on what Strenght steel to use as dont want to any uprights for the top stand. hopefully this pic helps

thanks guys

 

try see if you can get industrial shelves
if you weld one up would use 50X50X2 square tubing min and would do a middle leg as well

 

i was considering using 100mmx50mm for the length but its 3 times the price of the 50x50 tubing. i was thinking of using 2 50x50 and welding them together. i'm really trying to avoid the middle leg for the upper stand.

 

never going to handle the weight on that span recon it will sag bad without middle leg or some thick tubing

 

What's the width of the tanks? I can help you a bit if you want. Super busy right now, but can try do a quick calculation for you at home this weekend. Lemme know. I did a quick check on my stand, which is not nearly as complex as yours... Deflection in a stand is a killer - and in my opinion the #1 reason for broken tanks. I'm no expert with finite element analysis, I must state that. But this is better than nothing. I can do a quick hand calculation as well for a simply supported beam too. This kind of stuff interests me...(mechanical engineer :laugh Cheers, Adrian

 

I'm with top dog on this one. By the looks of things you are looking roughtly by normal standards at 1200kg per level. If you go with the 100x50 ... maybe... but I would not take the change on a 3m lenght.

 

Sho.... that will be about a ton of water!

That top shelf will not hold, without sagging, especially with that kind of span.

the only way you could span that without central supports will be either using some lekker big I-Beams or pre-tensioned concrete lintols or pre-tensioned concrete slab. What you think @AdrianT, since you are an engineer... i'm just a QS... so if you work it out, I'll work out the costs... hehe.

 

.... and how know's a bit more for gravel and decore ...

 

Best to do examine it properly. Doing what others have done before and guessing is a recipe for breaking the bank, never mind the tank

Any reason why no central column is wanted? Purely aesthetics? Buying a 6 metre 203 x 133 i-beam is probably becoming serious overkill, but we'll see

 

the tanks are 1800 x 700 x 700 and 1200x450x450, thanks AdrianT

 

How you going to do maintenence? I'm guessing you will be running sumps at the lowest level. and therefore would require a minimum space of 700mmH there, plus mid section (700H + 200H for working space = 900mmH) and then the thickness of the shelf, then to the top of the top tank... it will be in excess of 2.5m or even more... do you have the head room?

 

@Donovan_21: I would get a structural engineer to give it the once over and only let a decent workshop fabricate it. That is approximately 1400 kg of fragile glass and water per level. The base will be supporting a lot of weight. What is the floor? You can't put 3000+ kg on any old surface either. It is unlikely to be a cheap project.

 

That is a lot of weight... and without a centre beam it is going to be rather risky. You will probably need to look at decent thick angle iron if you want to save some money on the steel contruction, but doing this without a centra load beam is definitely going to be difficult... and more expensive. And as mentioned you will need a frame of some sort to spread the weight on the ground... as a start.

 

i will be keeping this racking outside its on soild concrete, i have head room of about 2.5 to 2.6m. @AdrianT i dont want the centre beam as it would be insight of the tank. its just for the look of the tank. @Chongkie i will try and get Canisters for the tanks or i will get them plumbed into 1 sump. its all going to be the same species of fish just different Varients.

 

Sorry, it should be Precast concrete slabs or even precast concrete lintols that should be able to span that length and hold that weight. Not too expensive but heavy! your standard outside concrete slab is between 150 - 200mm thick. If it does weigh that amount, your slab will not hold without footings underneath each foot of the stand.

Yoh, 4 x canisters @ about R1500 per canister = 6K!!!

I don't think you will have enough head room to maneuver. and at 700mm deep, you will need space to work, except if you have it all bare bottom.

May I suggest, if you have the room, rather have both 1.8m tanks next to each other.

 

i dont have the room to put them side by side, hence i want them one above the other. so should i rather build up side walls and use lintols to cover the span?

 

PM me if you're serious about going the steel route. I am unfollowing this - too many e-mails

 

Can't you make the frame that the tank slides I'm from the side?

Then you can have a brace or few braces in the middle. Unfortunately it will not make viewing the tank very nice.

So the create the bases of the tanks from steel. 50x25x25 will work. Then weld a min of 4 vertical supports to the bases on the out side so you can slide in the tanks from the side.

Means you will have a support every 1m.

 

Or do 2 stands. One to take the 2x1.2m and one to take the 2x1.8m tanks. The 1.8m you just put an extra vertical brace in the middle.

All vertical braces must extent and rest on the floor themselves.

The 1.2 m will be easy with 50*25*25 tubing. Build 18 stands like that, that carried 1 ton of water each. Two 1.2*07*06 tanks.

Also a good 25mm weld can carry 1 ton as long as there are no side to side rocking. Just straight down gravity.

 

I would not recommend any tank be placed on a shelving system higher than say 1.4 meters ... Take this example 1.8 meter stand - build - Page 6 - and now my actual work desk rather than the grand 1.8 I planned to build.

Problem with the top tanks, maintenance - looks cool when you walk in but man not when you work on. These days I just stand on the desk.

Also creep on an unsupported span is your biggest problem - the stand will be fine but glass has no give, very glad I ended with the twins and not a single 1.8 over that creeping span.

If you have to do this to scratch the MTS itch (since the cream did not work) then split it and make a double-decker for the two 1.2's and the 1.8's. That gives you more flexibility with arrangement and moving things around.

Oh and go 3mm wall - makes the world of difference for stability and assembly (minus the cutting).


Later Ferdie