Silo Construction Blogs

Storage silos, bins, and silo buildings fail at a higher rate than almost any other form of industrial equipment. That's because silo failure can include minimal events that do not cause safety concerns and catastrophic events where the silo and stored material are lost, neighboring structures are damaged, and serious injuries or death occur. To help ensure your silo can withstand daily stresses from stored materials and adverse weather, selecting the most durable silo construction material is essential.

 

Both steel and concrete silos are commonly used in industry to store ash, coal, lime, aggregate and more. Yet there is a clear winner when it comes to the durability of steel versus concrete for silo construction. Steel structures are notoriously susceptible to costly corrosion issues, especially with corrosive or moist stored materials. They are also highly susceptible to catastrophic failure from extreme weather conditions, including high winds. Concrete silos are favored over steel silos because they can withstand various harsh weather conditions and pressures that would cause steel silos to buckle. Concrete silo construction also provides better corrosion resistance, including corrosion of internal walls due to the stored bulk solid and external corrosion caused by moisture.

 

Concrete offers numerous advantages over steel in silo design and construction, resulting in minimal maintenance to sustain overall function and safety. However, all silos, regardless of construction material, are still susceptible to deterioration and wear due to environmental conditions and structural stress from normal usage. Periodic inspections can locate areas of concern and prevent issues, such as wall failure, cracking, and structural deterioration, that could lead to workplace injuries or deaths. Silo failure can happen for a number of reasons that are often preventable and easily corrected if caught early. A proactive inspection program can safeguard your team members and ensure your structures' safety and continued operation.

 

Ready to move forward with the construction of a new silo? Learn how to choose a silo contractor or schedule an inspection of your existing structure.

Concrete silos have four different flow patterns depending on the construction, cone angles, and stored material. These flow patterns dictate how stored material moves through your silo.

 

Mass Flow

 

Funnel Flow

 

Expanded Flow

 

Fluidized Flow

 

Once a silo begins to lose flow, this accelerates the buildup over time and can lead to additional blockages. While these are the standard flow patterns for concrete silos, the unique shape of concrete domes creates a non-standard flow pater that can increase the likelihood of material buildup. The shape also makes removing said buildup from dome walls and fluidizing equipment more difficult. In both concrete domes and concrete silos, however, once material flow begins to slow, material buildup accelerates and can lead to additional blockages.

 

Proper material flow in silos is important for more than just production schedules. Issues with material flow can cause increased stress on silo walls that may go beyond what the silo was designed to withstand, causing cracking, spalling, wall separation, or structural failure.

 

Proper cleaning and care will increase your silo's useable lifespan and minimize big-ticket repair and cleaning costs. It can also allow you to recover stagnant material that has built up inside the silo.

 

Find out more about the different types of concrete silo flow patterns or schedule your next silo inspection.

 

Schedule a Silo Inspection

Silo construction has been an integral part of Marietta Silos services since 1916. Stave silos are among the types of silo construction methods that are used to create a silo that is suited for your current material handling needs. Other silo construction methods include jumpform and slipform silos.

 

Marietta Silos developed the technology for stave silo construction back in 1920 and is the only company today that produces stave silos at a thickness of 5 ¾" which creates added durability. Reinforcements like galvanized hoops are often used to help compress the silo walls and introduce tension for increased stability.

 

Stave silos utilize an interlocking technology using precast concrete blocks which enables the stave silo to manage your silo needs for years to come. Internal joints of stave silo interior and exterior walls need to be sealed using cementitious coatings which creates a smooth outward appearance when the stave silo is completed. Multiple discharge types may be used when constructing a stave silo including flat floor, cone, tunnel discharge, and side discharge.

 

If you're thinking about starting your own silo construction project, contact the experts at Marietta Silos. Marietta Silos brings over a century of silo construction and design experience to walk you through the steps of deciding what silo type and sizes will work best for your particular application.

 

Links:

Watch our Silo Construction Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFRzM86qDyA&t=73s      

 

Start Your Silo Construction Project:
https://www.mariettasilos.com/silo-construction#stave-silos