steel frame question

[davocean]

316 stainless steel will not rust. 15,000 pound weight bearing capacity per each of 8 vertical stand legs will not fail. The legs and feet are not a problem if you design and construct them properly.

Your underlayment will be your main problem to solve. You have total control over everything but the flooring construction but you may be able to beef it up if you need to, whether you build a steel stand or not. My tank stands on level ceramic tiles laid carefully over a reinforced concrete slab, rated at a static carrying capacity of several times the maximum weight of my fully loaded tank and stand. The dynamic load rating is very high. I don't recall the actual quantitative rating for dynamic loading.

The only metals that do not corrode are gold, platinum, and palldium, stainless steel can and does rust.

http://www.estainlesssteel.com/corrosion.shtml

 

[davocean]

Be sure you use high quality porcelain ceramic tile. Its compressive strength (psi) is huge.

While it does help to have good tile, any voids or deviations are where it has potential to fail regardless of quality of tile.

 

[Mark Shelly]

I agree with fab. I think 316 stainless is the best option in salty or marine environments. Weldments should be passivated after fabrication. It is possible for you to gall the threads (making them so hot during turning that they melt and fuze together) so adjust slowly. For buildings, 316 stainless is the material recommended for fasteners within 3000 ft of salt water. And yes, cheaper grades of stainless corrode more than good grades. Some high strength stainless steels (17-4 PH) can become brittle. But zinc plated fasteners that have corrosion inhibitors may not corrode if not directly exposed to salt, and may be perfectly acceptable in a "install 1 time and leave alone application" such as a stand, but I would use 316 stainless if I could. Don't mix stainless and non stainless.

 

[fab]

316 stainless steel will not rust.

Folks, please read posts more carefully. I never claimed that stainless steel does not corrode. Also, in my post I specifically cited 316 alloy of stainless steel which has a dose of molybdenum that specifically increases its resistance to corosion by contact with chlorides, and thereby with salt, above all other stainless steel alloys.

It will not rust in our application as an aquarium stand to any noticeable extent. This is a statement of practicality, not one of theoretical physical chemistry.

Of course it will corrode. I take serious precautions to reduce the chance of galvanic and electrolytic forms of corrosion by separating different types of metal to keep them from touching each other, particularly where their areas of contact are likely to be wetted, splashed, or be subject to salt creep...just as would gold, platinum and palladian.
fab

 

[ochriso]

Definitely love the feed back ,ideas and information. I have decided to go without feet after much research and digesting of information provided by you guys I feel for our application that is the way to go.
Turns out I will be the one installing the new tile floor so I will give extra attention to the levelness and full coverage of the thin set and proper materials are used.

Where is the best place to start build thread on the forum ? DIY?

 

[davocean]

Folks, please read posts more carefully. I never claimed that stainless steel does not corrode.

Well, not trying to start a feud or anything but since folks obviously means me, just to clarify this was the first line of your statement...

"316 stainless steel will not rust"

This is not true

 

[davocean]

Where is the best place to start build thread on the forum ? DIY?

Scroll down a little further to Member tanks forum

 

[ochriso]

Looked at the forum home page hundreds of time and never noticed that forum. DUhh . Thanks!