Basement Slab Concrete Strength

[chuck172]

Considering 1-500 gallon propane tank filled with water will weight 5,250#, One-thousand gallons of storage is well over 5-tons.
Is a poured 4" basement slab concrete floor strong enough? The house is 12 years old. I neglected to put in expansion joints and I do have some cracking.

 

[Titus]

4" concrete slabs are generally poured with 3000 or 4000 psi concrete. Could easily take your car or truck. 5 or 6" slab could handle motor homes or garbage trucks.

So the weight of the water tank isn't really a problem. What is the tank's base like? Several small feet will be tougher on the slab than many wide skids. In other words, the more the base spreads out the weight, the better.

 

[chuck172]

Not sure what propane tank bases are like, I suppose I could always pour a small "slab on slab" to spread out the load right?

 

[MrEd]

I don't think you need to pour a slab, maybe a piece of thick steel under each foot, just enough to disperse the load a bit.

I have 4 x 330 gallon oil tanks in my cellar, all right next to each other, all on very little "pointy" legs, and they have been fine for decades on a regular floor. Not a crack anywhere. Thats 1320 gallons.

 

[sdrobertson]

Wood 4 x 4 or 6 x 6 would be better than a additional slab. You could even use small steel beams. If your concerned, spread out the weight but a 4" slab should hold up fine

 

[chuck172]

Thanks all for the info.

 

[jebatty]

Use a couple of 4" solid concrete blocks under the tank feet to spread out the load.

 

[Bob Rohr]

I used pressure treated blocks under my 500 gallon. this allowed me to adjust it to level, insulated a bit from the cold slab, and also raised it up more to ease insulation wrap. It also allowed easier access to bottom fitting connections.

Your slab should be plenty strong. Slabs crack, and sometimes move, due to improper soil or prep conditions below them.

hr

 

[Ron Lloyd]

Do you have a railroad track nearby? If so take a walk along the tracks and keep your eyes open for discarded heavy steel plates that were used between the rail and the ties. When the railroad replaces rotted ties they often leave these plates behind. It didn’t take me long to find more than I needed. That stretch of tracks now has less “debris” lying about than it did before I came along. They are roughly 9” x 16” and 5/8” thick. They will spread the load nicely without raising the tank much. That may be important if you intend to stack another tank on top.

I’m now leaning toward using 3 - 500 gallon tanks standing on end. I had planned to have wide “hoops” made from flat steel for the “stands” but thanks to leaddog (in a different thread) I may look into the truck rims. Regardless, I will place those heavy steel plates (at least 4 for each tank) under the stand to distribute the load over more square inches. Overall height is a concern in my case.

Yippie, my solo 60 arrived on June 26th. As you can see in the background I didn’t have to go very far to find a railroad track.

Ron

 

[chuck172]

I know exactly the plates you mean. I have a few. By the way, is that train behind your loader delivering your storage tanks?

 

[leaddog]

I know exactly the plates you mean. I have a few. By the way, is that train behind your loader delivering your storage tanks?

No I think that is his water storage tanks. He only has to fire up the boiler once a month. Ha Ha Or it might be his Oil tanks and if that is the case he need to go to wood. Sorry just couldn't resist.
leaddog

 

[Ron Lloyd]

By the way, is that train behind your loader delivering your storage tanks?

I wish. I'll have to make at least 2 trips (to Fishers) and thats if I can put one on my pickup and one on a trailer. I do have a full length bed on my truck so I think it will work as long as I can leave the tail gate down and not interfere with the trailer. I'm glad he's only about 45 minutes away.

Ron

 

[chuck172]

A 500 gal. Propane tank is 10' long. I have a short-bed. If I lower the tailgate I'll have 8'. 1 1/2' overhang is O.K. You'll be fine with a long bed.
You're lucky you have a source nearby.