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from the better-lilo-when-parents-find-out dept.
The Daily Mail reports that teenagers combating a 34°C heatwave have converted a living room into a swimming pool. Commentators note that it could be dangerous move for many reasons:
As well as posts congratulating the boys' creative way of keeping cool in the summer heat, there were others who branded them 'idiots'.
'The water is about half a metre high, which means it is about half a ton for every square metre. I wonder if their neighbours will gather altogether to give them a good lesson?,' one said.
'I hope the electric plugs are way above the water level,' another added, while a third person said: 'I hope they cut their nails really well before going inside...what if they break the film.'
Regardless, the pictures are funnier than the hottub Cadillac.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 02 2014, @02:36PM
Living rooms are designed to have a load capacity of about 40-50 psf (can't remember exactly) and this water depth is just over 100 psf. So, good luck with that. Jump up and down a few times and they may end up in the basement.
I remember when landlords complained about waterbeds and they were only about 30-40 psf over the size of the bed, not the whole room.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 02 2014, @06:59PM
It depends on construction methods of course. Modern stick houses and office buildings are 50 psf however 200 psf is considered normal for older homes with plaster walls, lathe, and all that. Even relatively light concrete structures that can be found in dorms and apartment complexes can often handle 1000 psf. These high numbers are reached because the original building was made by a conservative architect with no structural engineer involved. The most standout case was an old abandoned two-story elementary school that was built in the '20's. A structural engineer came in to verify the building was safe and he calculated the second floor (but oddly not the main floor over a basement) as being 10,000 psf. It was built just like wooden structures of the time except contained steel beams and reinforced concrete slabs instead of lumber and board construction.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 03 2014, @07:07PM
Sounds like BS. Or you'd have more obese people falling through floors.
The amount of water they have is probably the equivalent of 5-10 fat americans. And the weight is spread out not concentrated to a few foot-sized areas.
Should probably be illegal to build a living room that can't handle a few obese people that aren't jumping up and down[1].
[1] Especially if they synchronize their jumps - most living rooms aren't designed to have many people jumping up and down together to music. So a rave party in your living room is more likely to break stuff than kids swimming in a living room pool.