1" thick enough???
- Thread starter rottbo
- Start date
Glass is greatly stronger ( tensile and yield strength) than acrylic,however it has much lower fracture toughness ( like ductility or crack tolerance).Acrylic also has lower modulus; it distorts more under the same load as glass.
This is not the first time this has been done. I suggest getting technical info from a manufacturer or fabricator or ,as has been suggested, a user like a municiple aquarium. I think anchoring to the frame/frame design is the important factor (not strength). The frame needs to be compatible with the acrylic (stiffness/flexabilty).
On the other hand, if the acrylic fails , where does the water go? ( don't have any children or small pets in front of it when you fill). You will have roughly one ton /square ft, or 20 tons for 20sq ft of submerged acrylic.
I think I need to check this calc, sounds scary.
This is not the first time this has been done. I suggest getting technical info from a manufacturer or fabricator or ,as has been suggested, a user like a municiple aquarium. I think anchoring to the frame/frame design is the important factor (not strength). The frame needs to be compatible with the acrylic (stiffness/flexabilty).
On the other hand, if the acrylic fails , where does the water go? ( don't have any children or small pets in front of it when you fill). You will have roughly one ton /square ft, or 20 tons for 20sq ft of submerged acrylic.
I think I need to check this calc, sounds scary.
Sorry, I was very wrong.( it dawned on me a little later but I was driving). I used 1728 for cubic inches/ft instead of 144 for square inches /ft. So divide by 12 . 20 square ft of window is about 3,000 # or 1.5 ton. Even the maximum 32 sq ft would be only 4,500 # total (2.5 ton).
well its in my basement and my daughter is way to young to be down there (4 months old) plus none of the other pets are allowed were the tank is being built I dont want to come down and find a dead cat floating in my tank... as for the frame i am haveing a friend weld one for me out of stainless angle
