How much weight is too much for a concrete slab?

Dolphins18 · Nov 10, 2021

Hello
I am in the planning process of a few additional frag tanks, I plan to support the floor under them with steel jacks as the other tanks are. I am wondering if I should worry about too much weight on the concrete slab under the home?
I do not know much about this stuff, its a standard slab in a 1980s home.
There will be a total of around around 600 gallons and rock once the new frag tanks are added, do I need to worry about the foundation of the home?

SlugSnorter · Nov 10, 2021

well, the slab will be fine, if your foundation is a concrete slab it'll be fine, IDK about the floor itself as thats really more of structural question you should get someone to evaluate it. If its on a floor above the basement (if you have one) especially

Dolphins18 · Nov 10, 2021

SlugSnorter said:
well, the slab will be fine, if your foundation is a concrete slab it'll be fine, IDK about the floor itself as thats really more of structural question you should get someone to evaluate it. If its on a floor above the basement (if you have one) especially

I have used steel jacks to reinforce the floor. There is no basement and the tanks are above a crawlspace under the home. I have 4 jacks currently and plan to place two more under the new tanks.

SlugSnorter · Nov 10, 2021

Dolphins18 said:
I have used steel jacks to reinforce the floor. There is no basement and the tanks are above a crawlspace under the home. I have 4 jacks currently and plan to place two more under the new tanks.

idk your floor strengths the jack strengths or how it was reinforced. should be fine(?) idk, we cannot really answer this question without detailed information on how it was built and its structural composition

workhz · Nov 10, 2021

Do the jacks sit on the concrete floor and then support joists or beams above and then above that you have a floor of some kind that your tanks sit on?

Any idea on depth and type of concrete slab? Is it there just go keep things clean and all the weight on the footers where the walls rest or is there some substance to this slab?

mrlavalamp · Nov 10, 2021

Dolphins18 said:
There is no basement and the tanks are above a crawlspace under the home. I have 4 jacks currently and plan to place two more under the new tanks.

So this sounds nothing like a standard slab under an 80's home. A slab doesn't have a crawlspace or basement.

A total volume of 600 gallons is likely going to weigh in excess of 5,000 lbs once everything is considered.

If you had slab on grade (where the floor beneath the tanks is a single solid concrete surface with dirt beneath it). then no problems and no reinforcement necessary.

If you have a crawlspace or basement, then you will definitely need to reinforce the floor sections where these tanks are sitting.

What reinforcement is necessary and where it must be placed, weather its jacks or additional bracing, or both it all going to depend on the exact construction of your home and where the tanks are in relation to existing load bearing supports.

This is the point where you want to get someone with some engineering credentials involved to help you. Either that or go WAY overboard with added support and cross your fingers that it is enough and correct.