starting me next build...my metal frame/ polypropelene/pond liner 650gal has been running succesfully for 2 years so its time to put it on a bigger scale... My ? is how much weight can a normal basement floor support? Id much rather have the 4k, i have plenty of space but am worried about my foundation sinking. Id appreciate any knowledge of this subject. Currently have around 3,000 gal down there and a 1700 intex pool
Hello; The question may be more along the line of what can be considered normal with regard to a floor. You did not say, but many basement floors are cement slabs. My guess is that many basement slabs are around 4 inches thick and this is usually enough for parking cars. For heavier vehicles it has been suggested to me that I consider a thicker slab for a planned garage floor. If you can find a place where the thickness of the floor can be determined, this will go a long way to answering the question.
To be more certain a core can be drilled and that core tested to destruction to find the strength of the actual cement. While there are often minimum codes for these things, the actual strength will vary depending on how the slab was mixed and applied. On several episodes of the home repair shows feartuing Mike Holmes the strength of cement in floors and walls was found to be inferior. Some were very old homes but one was just a few years old. I have found a good deal of variation in the strength of cement myself.
There can be voids under a floor from erosion or poor quality fill. I passed up buying a place due to a large section of a cement floor having sunk from being undermined by water.
As near as I can tell, the only way to know for sure is to have someone who knows to actually have a look at the floor in question. I understand that the average person is about 5' 10", but I know many people who are not.