Large Aquarium Viewing Tank Wall

A new aquarium is being designed and the owner wants a clear, 3 meter high wall for visitors to view the fish. It has been decided that the minimum spacing for the support columns is 2 meters to maximize the viewing surface.

What is known:

• The water level will be a maximum of 3 m.
• The vertical beams will be spaced 2 m on center.
• The length of the wall is not known.
• The top of the wall is not supported.
• The beams are mounted through the floor (can assume a fixed joint condition).
• A factor of safety of 3.0 is required.
• The I-beam yield stress is 250 MPa.

What I-Beam (S-shape section type only) should be specified to minimize the vertical beam weight and still hold? Use the beams listed in the Structure Shapes appendix.

• Water density is 1 g/cm³.
• The vertical beam can be considered as a cantilever beam (fixed at base).
• Find the maximum moment on the beam.
• Use the section modulus equation
       S = M / σ_allow