LHPC Rain Barrels

About the project

I spent several months designing and constructing a large steel stand to support two 55-gallon rain barrels and collect rainwater from a local church's gutter to use in the church's garden. The stand consists of 41 unique pieces of 1"x2"x3/16" rectangular steel tubing and was designed to support 918 pounds of water with a safety factor of nearly 14x. It was finished with several coats of latex-based outdoor paint to protect the steel from weather and corrosion. A large removable wooden facade hides the "ugly blue" barrels while allowing access for maintenance, and each barrel feeds a water line to a spigot on the front leg of the stand.