So the first step was the structural engineer. At 8.6 pounds per gallon we're nearing 4000 pounds just to start, add the glass weight, rock, sand, beams, etc and we're easily approaching 6000. The tank is 3/4 sapphire glass and the bottom can't deflect more than 1.5mm over the 12 foot span.
Now luckily the room sides are directly over the foundation so we came up with a plan to embed two sets of 16 foot LVL beams into the walls on each side.
Now with the structure figured out it was time to try and find someone to build it. This proved a lot harder than you would think, after having a bunch of people look at the job we finally found a company that could pull it off.
And so it began:
The beams were so large they only could be moved by crane.
How do you get two 16 foot 1000 pound beams in the house? Well you cut a hole in the side of it
They had to cut through the floor and make sure the weight was directly transferred onto the foundation:
Each beam was tied together along the full length. Here is a shot from below.
When it was all done we had a floating shelf spanning from wall to wall.
And finally here is a mock up of what we're planning to do on the face of the beam. With the bottom open and lit up with a led strip.
