Can my first floor support a 250 gallon tank

Then how is it different from taking the total weight of an adult (195lbs) standing on the floor and dividing it by the total footprint of said adult of 1 sqft?

Maybe we should put on adult per every sqft and allow them to stand their for a while, then we observe what happens to the floor?

I am not a structural engineer, but I had the same problem as the OP. I talked to many people and found a solution. I shared my solution with him, and he will do what he wants with it.

If you know any better, you can help him out if you want. I don't see a point of argument, if none of us is a structural engineer.
 
Guys, the photo shows a beam, not a joist, running left to right. It looks like a steel I-beam with wood reinforcement in the chord. I assume it is running the length of the house parallel to the roof ridgeline. The beam is holding up the ends of wood 2-by joists that span half the width of the house. By definition it supports half they weight of everything on the first floor. The other half of the weight is supported by the basement walls.

If the tank is parallel to the beam then by definition it will rest on multiple joists. Yeah?

This is the way most houses are built. If the aquarium is across that many joists it should be OK as long as it is not in the center of the span of the joists. If it is right on the beam or right next to a basement wall then it then it is ideal, no better place to site an aquarium.
 
Guys, the photo shows a beam, not a joist, running left to right. It looks like a steel I-beam with wood reinforcement in the chord. I assume it is running the length of the house parallel to the roof ridgeline. The beam is holding up the ends of wood 2-by joists that span half the width of the house. By definition it supports half they weight of everything on the first floor. The other half of the weight is supported by the basement walls.

If the tank is parallel to the beam then by definition it will rest on multiple joists. Yeah?

This is the way most houses are built. If the aquarium is across that many joists it should be OK as long as it is not in the center of the span of the joists. If it is right on the beam or right next to a basement wall then it then it is ideal, no better place to site an aquarium.

That beam could also be under a Load bearing wall that goes up thru a 2 story house and be carrying the load of two floors and maybe even Center for trusses or Ridge of the home...

I Have stopped commenting on will this hold up my tank post because to be honest without seeing the whole house and so on there is NO way to answer this.

This I beam is not as strong as it looks and they usually only use them when they either 1. want more open space in the basement 2.it has a load bearing wall above it packing the floor joist of a second floor or its center line of roof trusses...

sometimes all of the above applies.....

Since i did comment

OP
FRAME A 2X4 wall below the beam in the area of the tank with two rolls of blocking to keep them 2x from warping.. then use double 2x6 with 2 jack post put each jack post under one of the floor joist. This will give you 4 feet between the jack post.. Or Build a second wall the length of the tank under the other length of the tank out from the beam... also include two rolls of blocking... If you want it even stronger sheath one side with plywood
you can put the wall 12 inch on center to add even more strength..

All of the above is DUE TO having NO IDEA WHAT that beam is holding up. I see how nobody can make any recommendation to rather it will hold or not without knowing what is sitting on this beam


My Aggressive 2 pennies..But what do i know I am just a Woman...:thumbsup:

Who Owns a Construction Company.. Gigges
 
A few things I would consider when looking at potential reinforcement.

This is all about deflection - not about a tank crashing through the floor. If you have enough deflection, your tank will typically fail long before you have a catastrophic failure of the floor joist, beams, etc. Split seams, cracked glass, damage to your stand, all possibilities if you have too much unwanted deflection.

You have several areas where there appears to have been water damage. Nothing to panic about, but it will make any structural calculators useless to even get a ballpark figure (which is all they can do on older construction). You can play with them, but it will be difficult since most as plugging in OSB, or 3/4" ply for the deflection calcs.

Also keep in mind many contractors will be concerned with overall structural failure of the floor - not taking into account a small deflection on a tank this size is really what you need to worry about.

So what can you do.... Here is what I would do before calling any contractor. Simple, sounds stupid, but put as much weight as you can in the spot you will be placing the tank. Then have a couple friend jump up and down right in front of the weight. "Feel" the deflection, is it spongy, do you see the pics on the wall vibrate, can you see the weight moving around?

I know this sounds incredibly un-scientific, but as a structural engineer, I can tell you not one person can reasonably calculate the exact deflection based on the water damage, age of wood, quality of qood, etc. We can easily come up with a 95-98% confidence level that you floor will not fail, but that is not what you care about.

While checking for deflection, if anything is moving, if anything is spongy, if the pics on the wall just vibrate any, you have a serious issue for a tank that size. Not saying an issue for a 55g tank - but an issue for a tank this size and as long as it is.

We just don't know enough about the structural setup to give you perfect advice so I will give general ideas to help guide you to a potential solution.

First, you need to be thinking about reinforcing on the actual floor, and underneath in the basement. They are both going to be critical if deflection is noticeable. If this is possible - I would laminate 2 maybe 3 pieces of 3/4" or greater plywood up on the first floor directly under the tank. This could be cutting the carpet back, removing the tile, etc. But you would want to get to the base floor. Using construction adhesive and rated screws to the joists, you will install each layer. This would be a minimum on the first floor - assuming you have deflection. Perfect world - you would do the entire room with at least 1 sheet, glued and screwed.

From the basement, there are too many unknowns to give a great answer. But I will tell you any work I do in a basement, I would want to see adjustable supports. Yes, a 2x6 wall is a great support structure, but seeing the water damage, I am concerned if that is recent enough to cause yearly movement of the wood - meaning swelling or contraction. The adjustable posts will take care of that.

If you go a beam route - use an exterior rates laminate beam, or a steel beam in a basement. Again, typical construction could care less if something contracts a 1/4", but your tank will require tighter specs. Basements are notorious for moisture fluctuations, so plan for that.

I know this sounds like another typical engineer over engineering something - and I totally get that. If this was a 90g tank and no signs of water damage, I would give you different advice. But there is a lot going on here and you need to take some time to gather all the advice and make a decision.
 
I should probably state the the top that is going left to right is a steel beam supported by 2x6's on top and below .
So basically in is a steel beam that forms the letter T

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no way id have that size of a tank on a first floor without adding some support. I just reinforced my floor for my 180.
 
Sorry you asked yet?

(Had I not already reinforced my floor three years ago, I know who I'd listen to in this thread. Hint: he's a she :lol:)
 
The comments in the link sound solid to me.
This I beam is not as strong as it looks and they usually only use them when they either 1. want more open space in the basement 2.it has a load bearing wall above it packing the floor joist of a second floor or its center line of roof trusses...
The reason they run an I-beam down the center of just about every basement is because it is a lot cheaper to install an I-beam, posts and 2 bys that span half the width of the house than the alternative, which is to install 2 by something a lot bigger lam beams that are twice as long and span the entire width. McMansions even have two parallel beams to divide the span by 3 or 4. Nobody wants to spend an extra $10K to get a basement with no posts. http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/floor-joists-span-d_1479.html
 
The problem with lally columns, or jacks as people in this thread are calling them, is that they need to be placed above a footing, as they become a load bearing point on the floor. If placed on a standard slab, they will create stress on something not designed to carry load.

They're also typically placed on footings a few inches below the slab, then concreted into place. Best answer I can give you is don't ask for advice about structural engineering online, pay the ~$100 fee and have an engineer answer your question in person.
 
I agree with ericarenee. Everything she says is true and right on the money.

I think that since it is an unfinished basement there is no reason not to reinforce the area the tank is being placed except for the sole reason of laziness.

If you are not willing to reinforce then you should get really good home owners insure fill the tank and see what happens...

I'm not it wont hold but I don't see a reason you wouldn't reinforce to be safe.
 
the money you would spend to have a structural engineer design a plan for you is worth its weight in gold. last thing you need is an insurance company denying a claim because your system is not designed correctly.
 
The problem with lally columns, or jacks as people in this thread are calling them, is that they need to be placed above a footing, as they become a load bearing point on the floor. If placed on a standard slab, they will create stress on something not designed to carry load.

They're also typically placed on footings a few inches below the slab, then concreted into place. Best answer I can give you is don't ask for advice about structural engineering online, pay the ~$100 fee and have an engineer answer your question in person.

I think the application of some common sense is required here. First of all, we're talking about 3,000 pounds, max; not the many tens of thousands that most lally columns are tasked to support in a typical home installation (if memory serves, the ones I use are rated to 20,000 lbs). As I posted out early in this thread, it's not so much floor failure to be concerned about, but floor deflection. Divide 3,0000 by four, and you're talking less than 800 pounds per column. I put a couple of thicknesses of plywood under the column, but a footing is really not necessary. By all means hire a structural engineer (would cost me $500-$1k, not $100) if you want, but it's unnecessary in this case I think.
 
The problem with lally columns, or jacks as people in this thread are calling them, is that they need to be placed above a footing, as they become a load bearing point on the floor. If placed on a standard slab, they will create stress on something not designed to carry load.

They're also typically placed on footings a few inches below the slab, then concreted into place. Best answer I can give you is don't ask for advice about structural engineering online, pay the ~$100 fee and have an engineer answer your question in person.

5 month cured concrete used for basement floors and walls are rated at about 5000 lbs per square inch...

the jack post .. JACK POST IS A BRAND NAME by the way and are what they sell at home-depot

Has a plate that is 4x5x6 inch.... Just saying.. Do the math
 
5 month cured concrete used for basement floors and walls are rated at about 5000 lbs per square inch...

the jack post .. JACK POST IS A BRAND NAME by the way and are what they sell at home-depot

Has a plate that is 4x5x6 inch.... Just saying.. Do the math

Yes BUT... Jack Post has a max rating at full extension of... 9100 lbs
 
All you have to do is look at the pic and the wood along with the beams. Sorry dude, you gotta beef that up. As has been mentioned by numerous posters it's best to get somebody knowledgeable, preferably a wise old carpenter familiar with code. Your support looks weak for the house, let alone adding a big tank to it. I beefed up my basement for a 120 gallon even though it's all new construction simply because I didn't want sagging that might cause cracking near the ceiling as the floor might settle.

That aside, have fun with the new tank, and post pics once your finished!
 
wise old carpenter familiar with code. Your support looks weak for the house,

That aside, have fun with the new tank, and post pics once your finished!


I Resemble this Comment 30 plus years experience had have had Contractor license in 7 states due to my old occupation. Now just where i live .. :bounce2:
 
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