I'm looking to build an 8 x 5 x 3h tank, and am hoping to get some insight on glass thickness with bracing.
The plan as it stands is to have a welder make a frame for the bottom, which would be bolted into the stand and sealed - no movement possible. At the top, the same thing - a steel, u-shaped track which will perfectly fit the glass, with bracing that will allow no deflection at all.
This is all being drawn up by an architect friend of mine, through suppliers he normally uses, and will be done with templates to ensure that every fit is perfectly without the slightest gap.
Here's my question that I can't seem to get answered by anyone: how does solid bracing affect glass thickness? I have found the formulas online, and done the math myself, and with a safety factor of 3.8, I need just under 1" of glass, but that's with bracing that seems a lot less rigid than mine.
So what's the right way to do this?
The plan as it stands is to have a welder make a frame for the bottom, which would be bolted into the stand and sealed - no movement possible. At the top, the same thing - a steel, u-shaped track which will perfectly fit the glass, with bracing that will allow no deflection at all.
This is all being drawn up by an architect friend of mine, through suppliers he normally uses, and will be done with templates to ensure that every fit is perfectly without the slightest gap.
Here's my question that I can't seem to get answered by anyone: how does solid bracing affect glass thickness? I have found the formulas online, and done the math myself, and with a safety factor of 3.8, I need just under 1" of glass, but that's with bracing that seems a lot less rigid than mine.
So what's the right way to do this?
