Angle Aluminum Supporting Wall-Mounted Panel

[stevemccooper]

Need: Mount a 350 lb panel to a wall using a length of aluminum angle to support the vertical load.

Materials and Configuration:
Aluminum Angle: 6061-T6, 1" x 1" x 1/8". 64" long
Panel: 64" x 64" x 1", 350 lbs distributed uniformly across area with ~80% @ 1/2" to 5/8" from back surface
Panel Support: Vertical load is fully carried by aluminum angle. Top bracket will hold panel against wall.
Wall Construction: 1/2" sheetrock, 16" O.C. 2x4 fir studs
Aluminum Angle Orientation: Long dimension horizontally against wall with vertical leg facing down
Aluminum Angle Attachment: Qty 4 TBD lag bolts or structural screws through vertical leg into fir studs

1. Will the materials and configuration listed above be sufficient to meet the stated need with a minimum 2x safety margin?
2. If No to #1, would a thicker aluminum 6061-T6 aluminum angle meet the need, and if so, what thickness?
3. What type and specs would be recommended for the 4 fasteners?
4. If this is request is inappropriate for this forum, I would appreciate recommendations of where to pursue this topic

Best Regards,
Steve

 

[driftLimiter]

The IBC references the Aluminum Design Manual(ADM) which contains required specifications and design aids for aluminum design aid.

Following the load path from the unit to the wall there are at least (3) checks needed.
1) Outstanding leg of the angle to resist bending
2) Bearing type connection on the angle from the lag screws
3) Dowel Type connection for the lag screw into the wall stud.

Outside of doing all these calculations, I'm not sure how else I could help you. If your doing alot of these from a mechanical side of things perhaps paying a structural engineer to help develop some standard details would go along way for you?

 

[stevemccooper]

Hello driftLimiter, Thanks for the quick feedback. All very good points. This is a one-time task that exceeds my analytical and modeling capabilities. Can you recommend a resource that has the knowledge base or experience that could indicate if I'm significantly under- or over-designed, or more importantly, if it's in a gray area that is too close to call and therefore must be accurately quantified by modeling/calculations?

 

[XR250]

I would consider a longer vertical leg to reduce the prying action and bearing issues at the sheetrock.

 

[stevemccooper]

Thanks XR250. That's a good idea. It's sure to add some margin. Now I just need to determine if the angle aluminum is sufficient to carry the load without the top leg bending down relative to the vertical leg. I'll check our local libraries to see if the Aluminum Design Manual that was referenced by driftLimiter is available and can provide some guidance.