1000gal "cube" pre-thoughts before build

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
There was a place I had asked that could sell me a eight foot wide four foot tall sheet of two inch thick aylic sheet for $1300.


One of the mods on the glass thickness thread told me that a four foot deep tank would need have two inch thick aylic.
 
So when I looked in to it the glass came from a bank vault that collected all teh money from regular banks in the area. This was a staging point for money before it went to the federal reserve or was distributed back to banks in the area. All the glass in the place had to be replaced because it was determined that something that cold take 3 50 cal hit in x# sq inches was not enough protection. So the building manager and I had similar ideas on what to do with free super thick bullet proof glass. I came to MFK and everyone said build a monster tank, I even called some manufactures that said if I bought their product it would hold.

I started a buy list for what i needed to build a tank when the installers of the bullet proof glass came back to replace more on the inner vault. I talked with them and was told it was a bad idea. One of them tried building a deep tank and it failed miserably, due to only as strong as its thickest layer. The glass was also not very clear because the laminate made it darker and harder to see.

Now not to say it wont work but there is a risk and it turned out to be a risk I was not wiling to take. The laminate does make it some what stronger but there is zero scientific data on how much because it is made to stop bullets not wold back water. So the long answer is no, it has been tried and failed.
 
check out local garage sales, flee markets, thrift stores, etc. here where i am i could go out and get anything from 1'x1' to 4'x8' for less than $50 any time i want. sometimes when i find a really cheap price i just buy it and stack it behind the shed for future monster builds.
 
Submit it to Mythbusters for testing. :D
 
since that isnt going to work the new plan is to take the 7 piece of 3/8thick tempered that has already held up to my 30 inch tall 320gallon and go buy two more peices that will be 3x2. going to build a 13x4x30in tall with 3 divided front viewing windows :) it will still be almost 1000 gallon but not near as expensive in glass. lets discuss this, i have talked with glass companies who have tested and say 3/8 tempered will hold as much water psi as 3/4 plate and i already have proven that this exact piece of glass held the water in my 90x30x30 so technically there should be about the same water psi on the glass in a 156x48x30 tall correct?????
 
wheatgerm;4730774; said:
since that isnt going to work the new plan is to take the 7 piece of 3/8thick tempered that has already held up to my 30 inch tall 320gallon and go buy two more peices that will be 3x2. going to build a 13x4x30in tall with 3 divided front viewing windows :) it will still be almost 1000 gallon but not near as expensive in glass. lets discuss this, i have talked with glass companies who have tested and say 3/8 tempered will hold as much water psi as 3/4 plate and i already have proven that this exact piece of glass held the water in my 90x30x30 so technically there should be about the same water psi on the glass in a 156x48x30 tall correct?????
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I'd have to find numbers on tempered to verify.

BUT yes water depth determine the thickness requirement. I think with 30" deep your looking at about 0.6" thick requirement with 2.5 safety. Not sure where the tempered would fit in.

I would consider a healthy bracing system from front to back to help take some of the stress off the 13 foot span. A few quick calculations show that a tank of 13 x 4 x 3 of all glass would weigh about 1300 pounds empty. Hold about 961(US) gallons and weigh between 9,000-10,000 pounds when full. A tank that large should be on a concrete floor.

Just food for thought.
 
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