Structural Reinforcement for ~600g

[baloo6969]

Ok, first off. My wife and I have closed on a house. We currently have a 100g system in our living room…that needs upgraded haha! But in all seriousness, the house is ‘ready to move in’, so odds are money in the next 2 years will not be spent on major upgrades. We plan on adding a larger system as a focal point to the house. This will no doubt be a multi-phase project that will take 2-3 years before the first piece is added, to minimize “the big hit in the pocket” and to give time for life’s other projects.
After crunching some numbers, I’m confident in saying $23K is a safe number to do all of this without any pieces/fish even being added.
The conceptual plan is a 600-800g acrylic display (i need some name’s of reputable acrylic dealers/makers. in theory I’d like to be as close to NE PA as possible, but I’d go to CA if I had to)
The display would be on the first floor, while the sump and fuge (and other tanks and equipment) will be in the basement.
Obviously, I plan on having engineers and contractors come and do the structural upgrades, to avoid any problems. But after talking to 4 different guys, and explaining to them what I’m looking to do, they all look at me like “WTF, that’s too much weight, you need to do it completely in the basement”…but I know this is not true.
I know the easiest thing to do is when the house is being built, to drive in telephone poles into the ground…but the house in already there, so this is not an option.
Can any of you with larger system take some pics, so I can give some idea’s to the contractors.
-Chris

 

[veni vidi vici]

Thats going to be 5004 pounds of water.A lot is going to depend on where in the house you plan on putting this indoor swimming pool.The easiest way to beef up you floor joist will be to add flinch plates to the sides of the joist.Flinch plates are usually 1/4" to 1/2" steel plates the same height as your floor joist(9-1/4"...11-1/4".....) that will be bolted at staggered intervals to you wood joist.They are going to have to run from your footing walls to your steel beam in your basement.
Another option is steel and lolly columns under you tank,the down side to this is your going to have columns in the middle of your basement but this way will be cheaper.If you choose this route,make sure your carpenter puts squash blocks above the footing wall or over steel.
BTW im a carpenter and have been building homes for 20+ years

 

[baloo6969]

ok, i was thinking that this was the best idea, but is using lolly columns "OK" for the long haul?
what about the base? i assume it's probably the standard 4 inch thick basement floor, should i rip up the area to which the columns will rest, and pour a thicker layer? 8-10 inch?

 

[crimzy]

I have a pretty similar system, but my tank is only 450 gallons. Pics and details are posted on this thread:
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/319365/just-picked-up-my-450-gallon
Each floor jack is rated to handle over 11,000 lbs at maximum extension. The guy who had my setup prior to me had the same type of setup but he was using only 1 floor jack.

 

[veni vidi vici]

Originally Posted by baloo6969
http:///forum/post/2713841
ok, i was thinking that this was the best idea, but is using lolly columns "OK" for the long haul?
what about the base? i assume it's probably the standard 4 inch thick basement floor, should i rip up the area to which the columns will rest, and pour a thicker layer? 8-10 inch?
I wouldnt think a footing should be necessary,unless your base underneath settled and there is a void.If your concrete cracks then you will know.However its not hard to cut a square hole and use a post hole digger to dig down a foot or two and pour a footing,just make sure you tamp down the soil after you dig so it dosent settle on you if you choose this route.

 

[chilwil84]

if you are going to set loly columns i would recomend putting in a footing 12X12X12 (24 X 24 would be better and is minimal code for a load bearing footing for a lolly colmn in new construction)would suffice (your slab may not even have wire reinforcing it let alone stone under it with wire reinforcingand it allows you to put concrete back around the columns and not have to have a plate mounted to the floor. a flitch plate that is 10" (actual would be 9 1/4 - 9 1/2)would work (better header makes nice ones) with a lolly on either side. you could also use lvl (laminated veneer lumber) they are 1.75 inches wide so doubleing it would be optimal are they are usually a stock item in places like 84 lumber (being in pa figuered you might know them). i am actually building my own house now(basement just poured) and work as a carpenter/framer. i am only going for a 180 but i desigend a layout so it sits inches from my main girder so i am just doubleing my 2x12 floor joists that already have to be 12" on center.

 

[baloo6969]

I'm thinking that it would be easiest to just dig up a 96x36 square and pour a new slab, than try to cut out 6 holes
What do you think?

 

[chilwil84]

you dont need to cut six holes just 2 for 2 lolly columns and a beam above it would be enough maybe a third column in the middle. either way a 1-2 foot wide would be enough

 

[mr_x]

i'd put a big footer under that setup. i would do a large cutout (96x36), and probably go a couple feet down. it's not much more work or money, and you know for sure you'll never have any trouble. you could form and pour the supports/beams as well. i sometimes run a concrete pump for my boss, and this would be the perfect tool for the job. a 2" pipe with 4000psi mix with pea gravel. you could pull the forms and finish it, and it would look alot nicer than some steel beams.

 

[chilwil84]

an entire house with a full basement sits on an 8" thick by 24" wide footer and a pump truck costs a grand to have come to a job with the mix truck