Temperd Glass Tanks Question

Hello all, I asked my professos about the tensile strength of temperd
glass and other questions about stress, loads, strain/sheer tests for
any given thickness.

Does anyone here have some ideas on specifications and structural
limits for aquarium tanks using temperd glass.

I've emailed several manufacturers over the weekend and they havent
responded yet. This might be the wrong group to ask, but since it is
about aquariums, I thought people here could remark or provide me with
some links covering such data / specs.

Thanks

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John Rippen wrote:
Hello all, I asked my professos about the tensile strength of temperd
glass and other questions about stress, loads, strain/sheer tests for
any given thickness.

Does anyone here have some ideas on specifications and structural
limits for aquarium tanks using temperd glass.

I've emailed several manufacturers over the weekend and they havent
responded yet. This might be the wrong group to ask, but since it is
about aquariums, I thought people here could remark or provide me with
some links covering such data / specs.

Thanks

DO NOT use tempered glass in aquariums. It does have the structeral
integrity of float glass. I have worked with many manufacters over the
years, and they always have told me to never use tempered glass.

Carl

"carlrs" wrote in message
oups.com...

John Rippen wrote:
Hello all, I asked my professos about the tensile strength of temperd
glass and other questions about stress, loads, strain/sheer tests for
any given thickness.

Does anyone here have some ideas on specifications and structural
limits for aquarium tanks using temperd glass.

I've emailed several manufacturers over the weekend and they havent
responded yet. This might be the wrong group to ask, but since it is
about aquariums, I thought people here could remark or provide me with
some links covering such data / specs.

Thanks

DO NOT use tempered glass in aquariums. It does have the structeral
integrity of float glass. I have worked with many manufacters over the
years, and they always have told me to never use tempered glass.

Carl


Correct. Tempered glass explodes when it stresses. Standard tanks fail but
at least they give you warning as in a leak or a seam running across the
surface. If it gets an innocent knock or hit by anything with a halfway
sharp edge it will shatter quite violently.


Sean

carlrs wrote:


DO NOT use tempered glass in aquariums. It does have the structeral
integrity of float glass. I have worked with many manufacters over the
years, and they always have told me to never use tempered glass.

Carl

Hey Carl.
I have to wonder then....
When I bought my All-Glass 75g the bottom is made from tempered glass.
You could get a version that wasn't, but since I wasn't going to drill
the bottom, I got this one.
So now you're freaking me out. = O
If it's not good to use in a tank, why would they make them with it?
There is a sticker on the bottom that says "Bottom is made from
tempered glass for stregnth and reliability. Do not drill."

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 21:12:05 -0500, Tynk wrote:


carlrs wrote:


DO NOT use tempered glass in aquariums. It does have the structeral
integrity of float glass. I have worked with many manufacters over the
years, and they always have told me to never use tempered glass.

Carl

Hey Carl.
I have to wonder then....
When I bought my All-Glass 75g the bottom is made from tempered glass.
You could get a version that wasn't, but since I wasn't going to drill
the bottom, I got this one.
So now you're freaking me out. = O
If it's not good to use in a tank, why would they make them with it?
There is a sticker on the bottom that says "Bottom is made from
tempered glass for stregnth and reliability. Do not drill."

Perhaps because the greatest load is on the bottom plate. From the
comments above, I thought it strange to read that tempered glass was a
no-no when I've had numerous tanks using tempered glass. But maybe the
float (plate) glass are used for the walls only. I couldn't remember the
stickers I read being specific to which part of the tank was tempered.

The op didn't make it clear on stress/strain factors or ratios. But if it
helps, within a given dimension, tempered glass is far stronger than
stainless steel and the stress/strain ratios are linear.

HTH.
-ED



--



.... Save The Planet For Another Day -

Perhaps because the greatest load is on the bottom plate. From the
comments above, I thought it strange to read that tempered glass was a
no-no when I've had numerous tanks using tempered glass. But maybe the
float (plate) glass are used for the walls only. I couldn't remember the
stickers I read being specific to which part of the tank was tempered.

The op didn't make it clear on stress/strain factors or ratios. But if it
helps, within a given dimension, tempered glass is far stronger than
stainless steel and the stress/strain ratios are linear.

HTH.
-ED


I look at it in a very simple way. Would you rather 100 gallons of water in
a steel box or a tempered glass box? Steel flexes, just as normal glass
does. Tempered glass shatters into a million pieces at the slightest
bending out of shape. Take a look top down at your tank. You'll see the
glass bulging out near the center. If that was tempered glass your feet
would be wet and perhaps missing a toe or two The reason they use
tempered glass on the bottem of tanks sometimes is because normal glass
flexes. Being at the bottem there is a lot of pressure and normal glass as
stated above will flex quite a bit. This isn't good on the bottem because
the seams and seals with soon part and now you have a leak. I know this is
contradictory to what I said above, but if you stop step back a minute and
think about it...What is under that tempered piece of glass just above the
stand? It should be wood or some other semi-tough material bracing the
glass above between the stand below. The glass doesn't flex because of the
brace and it won't shatter.


Sean