How to design & weld a water butt tower?

[JT102]

Hi guys

I have several water butts which I intend to use for a low pressure watering system, but one way or another I need to raise the height and therefore need a tower. The plastic bases provided aren't tall enough, and the timber ones I built, collapsed or are close to collapsing. I also don't really have space for a masonry structure.

I have both 100L and 200L butts with base diameters of 350 and 500mm respectively.


I have a bunch of angled steel 45 x 3mm to make the tower. See attached image. Looking to create a tower around 1.2m tall.


How do I design the strongest frame. Obviously 45 degrees braces seem strongest but can't figure out how best to arrange it. Do I do 1 brace at 45, or criss cross braces? Do I just weld one rectangle with a >45 degree brace, or a 45 degree braced square plus a smaller rectangle? Tapered or straight column?

I've done a few sketches to show what I mean


Thanks

 

[RPGs]

Well, if you're using steel, probably any one of those options would work just fine in terms of being strong enough to support the water reservoir. To know for sure, you'd have to analyze each frame and check each member, which can be made relatively easy with an appropriate finite element modeling program and a basic knowledge of statics/mechanics of materials. If you're really worried about it, try talking to a local engineer or fabrication shop.

Obviously, Option 6 is the most stable with the wide base. In terms of which one can support the most weight, I would guess it'd be Options 5 with the long verticals being braced at mid-height and the X-bracing every bay, but I suspect it's overkill.

That said, I think what you're actually setting the frame on (e.g. soil, pavers, concrete pad, etc.) is more important for keeping the reservoir reliably supported, rather than worrying about building the strongest possible steel frame, but I'm just some guy on the internet.

It might be annoying to get all that welded up and looking nice using angles. A fabrication shop could probably build it out of tube steel pretty easily and it would look quite nice with a coat of rust-inhibitive paint.

 

[LittleInch]

Assuming you use a large block of wood / ply on the top and build a small square frame, then why not just build 2 X frames on two sides and then add mid point brace between each X

If yo think is a bit wobbly, add an upside down V between the square frame and the midpoint of your cross connection.

Or connect two or three large brackets to the wall?

Looks like overkill to me.


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