Will my Porcelain Tile driveway support my 3500kg campervan ?

[Laughing Gravy]

Here is a an interesting question (for me anyway !) …

My campervan is around 2940kg (unloaded but full tank of fuel and one person)
Rear axle is 1260kg
Front Axle is 1660kg

My tyres are 60PSI each

My Porcelain tiles can withstand around 200IIbs per sq inch

Is there a way of estimating whether the porcelain tile driveway could withstand the weight of the camper ? I appreciate there are other factors at play such as how they are laid etc

Thank you !

 

[Jim]

Maths might help, but you know there's only one way to find out don't you

 

[Minxy]

Assuming that the tyre contact is say 6 inches x 6 inches for each of the 4 wheels, that's 36 square inches per wheel x 200lbs = 7200 lbs approx 3260 kg, your MH heaviest tyre weight is 1660÷2 = 830kg so they should take the weight without a problem but if they aren't fully supported throughout then the tiles will likely crack.

As Jim says there's only one way to find out! You could consider some spreader plates on the drive but how long they'd need to be could be as issue.

You could reduce the tyre pressure to spread the weight more on a larger tyre surface then stop on spreader plates and reinflate the tyres but that faffy!

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Hollow spots will soon become apparent. Maybe, some random gentle tapping [ Porcelain tappers and shunter's social club ] over the driveway will give an idea of the presence of any suspect area? It'll take less time than repairing it.
Mike.

 

[Minxy]

Porcelain tappers and shunter's social club

Omg I feel old!

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[Jev88]

Were they dab and dot or a proper layer of mortar and hard core beneath that?

Good porcelain tiles are immensely strong.

 

[Minxy]

Oh, one thing to check before any test run is ... Have you got any spare tiles!

 

[Bolti]

Do you drive on it with your car?
If Yes, it may take the van, if they crack and are newly laid, get them back to put right. It is a driveway after all.

 

[RowleyBirkinQC]

Mr Chrysalis - you like maths, fancy a go at this one?

 

[swemmy666]

Maths might help, but you know there's only one way to find out don't you

please tell me your van is named "Percy"

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[dazandandrea]

Could you use tyre mats to spread the wright a bit more?
Ive just had a 2" thick concrete slab crack at the top of our drive which i need to replace.

 

[Jim]

please tell me your van is named "Percy"

That one went over my head

 

[Lenny HB]

How are your tiles laid?
If on a solid sharp sand & cement bed they might be OK.
As Jim said only one way to find out but make sure you have some spare tiles.

 

[dunnah01]

My maths says yes you can. Max pressure under front wheel is 0.4 N/mm2 but allowable on tiles is 200psi which is 1.4N/mm2

 

[Lenny HB]

My maths says yes you can. Max pressure under front wheel is 0.4 N/mm2 but allowable on tiles is 200psi which is 1.4N/mm2

Depends how they a laid they only need to rock a tiny bit and they will crack.

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[PaulW2]

If the tile is properly supported underneath you could park a bus on it. If not it will crack.

 

[Simon Meadwell]

It all depends on the substructure but i would doubt it. Spread plates would be best , planks or plywood sheets. Wont look too good but would prevent breaking them. I have just postponed a job because i can’t guarantee the skip not damaging the drive.

 

[ericroy]

If the tyres are at 60psi, that will be the average pressure applied to the tiles - so if they are rated to 200psi, it is a fair margin. While the van is moving the 60psi might be exceeded slightly.

However, I have just had to replace the porcelain tiles in our kitchen/diner which had cracked with only foot traffic! It does all depend on what the tiles were laid on. In my case we had inherited a floor with some areas where only five dabs of tile cement had been used and this was where breakages occurred.

 

[Driventemple]

That one went over my head

You have never been told to 'point Percy to the porcelain' (to avoid splashes)

 

[Jerrywh]

If the tyres are at 60psi, that will be the average pressure applied to the tiles - so if they are rated to 200psi, it is a fair margin. While the van is moving the 60psi might be exceeded slightly.

However, I have just had to replace the porcelain tiles in our kitchen/diner which had cracked with only foot traffic! It does all depend on what the tiles were laid on. In my case we had inherited a floor with some areas where only five dabs of tile cement had been used and this was where breakages occurred.

The pressure exerted by the human foot is much more than you might think; and almost certainly more than the van in question. Too many variables and too little time to do any math, but I remember being told once that elephants exert less pressure than a human, on account of spreading the load so much better..

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[chain driven]

Here is a an interesting question (for me anyway !) …

My campervan is around 2940kg (unloaded but full tank of fuel and one person)
Rear axle is 1260kg
Front Axle is 1660kg

My tyres are 60PSI each

My Porcelain tiles can withstand around 200IIbs per sq inch

Is there a way of estimating whether the porcelain tile driveway could withstand the weight of the camper ? I appreciate there are other factors at play such as how they are laid etc

Thank you !

It’s quite simple drive it on if they break there,s your answer

 

[ericroy]

‘The pressure exerted by the human foot is much more than you might think;

Good point! There are some heavy footed humans carrying far too much weight. However, we are both < 55Kg (each) and neither of us wear stilettos….

 

[Mikey RV]

Did you have the camper van before the tiles were laid and if so did you not ask the builders the question.

 

[Guigsy]

It's probably a situation where someone in high heels has more chance of cracking that tiles than a campervan.

 

[Langtoftlad]

Can you lift one to see whether they have a proper foundation?

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[Brains]

If it's had cars driving over it for a while and has not cracked, a 3500kg campervan will be fine.

I'd still be inclined to put some sort of spreader under the wheels where its normally parked though.

 

[L' Hobo]

Omg I feel old!

It's back on late, late telly!

I saw it advertised a couple of days ago.

 

[L' Hobo]

Here is a an interesting question (for me anyway !) …

My campervan is around 2940kg (unloaded but full tank of fuel and one person)
Rear axle is 1260kg
Front Axle is 1660kg

My tyres are 60PSI each

My Porcelain tiles can withstand around 200IIbs per sq inch

Is there a way of estimating whether the porcelain tile driveway could withstand the weight of the camper ? I appreciate there are other factors at play such as how they are laid etc

Thank you !

Like many other things in life, it all depends on the foundations.
If they are supported correctly, the answer to you question is, Yes!

 

[bigwood]

Not that this will help but a friend of ours was complaining his drive was slippery because it was sheets of slate. I thought this strange but when he had the drive re laid they found it six tops of snooker tables.

 

[L' Hobo]

Not that this will help but a friend of ours was complaining his drive was slippery because it was sheets of slate. I thought this strange but when he had the drive re laid they found it six tops of snooker tables.

What did he do to stop the slipping, cover it in green cloth?

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