large tank in a pier and beam house?
- Thread starter Leebtattoos
- Start date
If it were me, I'd have a structural engineer look at it. Pier and beams are certainly meant to be good, sound structures, but you really are dealing with some potential issues:
1) although the house is still there, the original construction may have used older methods that are now considered less reliable. This is always a potential issue with older homes.
2) the assumptions of what the soil is, how it's graded, it's moisture level, and how it works may have been in error or changed over many years such that the house is now less stable or structurally sound. Pier and beams (especially in Texas) are often done to deal with soil issues.
3) the home's owner's may have made changes in the soil or structure that reduced it's structural integrity. Again, the older the home, the more likely this is a potential issue.
4) the original structure may have weakened from weather, water, soil erosion, insects, dry rot over time. This is true for all structures, but becomes more of an issue with older buildings rather than newer ones.
Yes, the house is there and may appear sound. Indeed it could be quite sound. But it doesn't mean that it's currently at the standards that one would use if it was built today. It might be stronger or weaker using today's standards. If weaker, it doesn't mean that it will fail since all structures are meant to be built with a large safety factor. The home may indeed still have a large safety margin. But a large tank may take the structure beyond that limit.
In addition, if you decide to reinforce the structure for the tank, a structural engineer might be able to provide the most efficient and/or least costly method.
Regardless, it can be done but imo a note of caution isn't a poor choice.
1) although the house is still there, the original construction may have used older methods that are now considered less reliable. This is always a potential issue with older homes.
2) the assumptions of what the soil is, how it's graded, it's moisture level, and how it works may have been in error or changed over many years such that the house is now less stable or structurally sound. Pier and beams (especially in Texas) are often done to deal with soil issues.
3) the home's owner's may have made changes in the soil or structure that reduced it's structural integrity. Again, the older the home, the more likely this is a potential issue.
4) the original structure may have weakened from weather, water, soil erosion, insects, dry rot over time. This is true for all structures, but becomes more of an issue with older buildings rather than newer ones.
Yes, the house is there and may appear sound. Indeed it could be quite sound. But it doesn't mean that it's currently at the standards that one would use if it was built today. It might be stronger or weaker using today's standards. If weaker, it doesn't mean that it will fail since all structures are meant to be built with a large safety factor. The home may indeed still have a large safety margin. But a large tank may take the structure beyond that limit.
In addition, if you decide to reinforce the structure for the tank, a structural engineer might be able to provide the most efficient and/or least costly method.
Regardless, it can be done but imo a note of caution isn't a poor choice.
if your beams are running with the tank put a support at the end right there, as long as the end wall is properly supported should be good to go after that.
i used jacks similiar to these and left them under the tank on my old house. I put 4 jacks under it i think. It held a 360 gallon without any issue. House was built in the 1940s.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...ci_sku=14438&gclid=CNHM-M7D3MMCFZCEaQodqxkAFw
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...ci_sku=14438&gclid=CNHM-M7D3MMCFZCEaQodqxkAFw
Update!.
Here's a pic of the beams under the area where I'm going to put the tank... can someone tell me is good?
I'm planning to put 2 floor jacks on the left and right
Here's a pic of the beams under the area where I'm going to put the tank... can someone tell me is good?
I'm planning to put 2 floor jacks on the left and right
