Tower Silo

There are three basic types of Tower Silo each with its own unique characteristics. Be it Stave, Monolithic or Steel, they all have one thing in common, they are all Tower Silos. As you will see, they are not all the same; but that&#;s ok as not all farmers have the same needs or wants. You can choose between these three depending on what works best for your farm your circumstances.

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Wall thickness will range from 2&3/4&#; to 3-1/4&#;, depending on the block type. If a silo is needed quickly, can be ordered and built within a short period of time. Price tends to be more competitive than with Monolithic and Steel/Glass Lined silos. You can see how much steel has been used on the silo as the steel rods are on the outside. Stave silos can be extended if more storage is needed later on. Stave silos can be taken down and moved if necessary.

Monolithic Silo:

Wall thickness will range from 5&#; to 7&#; (depending on the size and application) and is &#;Poured in Place&#;. Monolithic Silos have no &#;seams&#; and tend to have a smoother wall surface. Sold as an extremely &#;strong&#; silo, it&#;s used frequently in industrial as well as larger agricultural applications.

Steel/Glass Lined Silo:

Built from &#;Glass Fused&#; steel panels, interior wall is very smooth and is sold as &#;oxygen controlled&#; by using air bags. (Note: Oxygen controlled does not mean &#;Sealed&#;). Glass Fused silos are designed to unload from the bottom. Thus: &#;First In &#; First Out&#; technology. Steel/Glass lined Silos tend to be more expensive when built to their original design, but will work better in certain applications. Steel/Glass lined Silos can be taken down and moved if necessary.

Regardless of what type of tower silo you choose, you can be confident that a tower silo will work best for your application especially if you are currently automating, or plan to be automating your feed system in the future.

Nothing works quite like a Tower Silo!

Note: Concrete Stave and Monolithic Silos are built to strict construction standards developed by the International Silo Association. For more information, please contact us.

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A silo is a pit structure used to store bulk materials like cement, carbon black, woodchips, etc. in large industries. Based on the bulk material it carries, the silos can have several types like bunker silos, tower silos, etc. The engineers design and construct the silo structure to gain maximum life and storage duration.

The main features and types of storage silos used in industries are explained below.

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Features of Storage Silos

• The silos can be used in the agriculture field to store food products, chemical industries use to store plastic resins, cement factories use to store cement, calcium oxides, and many other materials like activated carbons, etc.
• The most common geometry of silos is a cylinder that has a metal support. Other than cylinder-shape, the silos can take the shape of a rectangular or a square.
• The silos are constructed using wood, reinforced plastic, reinforced concrete, or stainless steel.
• The construction and design of silos are dependent on the quantity of product to be stored, the environmental conditions, and site conditions. 
• Silos have an opening and closing provisions for loading and unloading the materials. The interior surface of the silos is made smooth and lined with special coatings to avoid any reaction with the content stored.

Types of Storage Silos

There are three main types of silos, namely Tower Silos, Bunker Silos, and Bag Silos.

1. Tower Silos

Tower silos have a diameter of 4 to 48 meters with a height of 3 to 40m. Tower silos are constructed using wood, steel, or concrete. The most commonly used silos are tower silos. Air slides or augers facilitate the unloading of cement or woodchips or grain from the silos. It can be unloaded into trucks or conveyor belts or rail cars. 

Tower Silos

2. Bunker Silos

Bunker silos are trenches, which are filled and packed with the help of tractors and loaders. Bunker silos are made from concrete walls. Plastic tarp covers the fully packed bunker silos to make it airtight. Loader or tractor can unload the materials from the bunker silos.

Bunker Silos

Agriculture and large manufacture industries demand bunker silos to store a high quantity of materials. A critical application of bunker silos is in the military. The military adopts bunker silos to deposit and handle missiles.

3. Bag Silos

Bag silos are used to store grains and fodder. It is made out of plastic or hermetic bags or tubes. Bag silos have a diameter of 2 to 21m. The height of the silo depends on the quantity of material intended to store. Bag silos are one of the most economical silos.

Bag Silos for Grain Storage; Image Source-Silos Cordoba

Advantages of Storage Silos

1. Storage silos consume less storage space compared to horizontal storage warehouses.
2. The materials or products are stored under optimal conditions.
3. Storage silos cost less compared to other storage options.

Disadvantages of Storage Silos

Storage silos face few issues when it comes to their handling. Some of the problems of storage silos are:

1. Storage of fumigants and pesticides in the silos results in intoxication.
2. Silos result in the accumulation of carbon-di-oxide, which causes suffocation while opening it.
3. The decomposition of grains stored in silos results in inflammable vapors. These vapors bring suffocation and may result in poisoning if inhaled.

Important Highlights 

1. What are Storage Silos?

A storage silo is a pit structure used to store bulk materials like cement, carbon black, woodchips, etc. in large industries

2. What are the types of Storage Silos and their design diameters?

There are three main types of silos, namely Tower Silos, Bunker Silos, and Bag Silos. The Tower silos have a diameter of 4 to 48 meters. The bag silos have a diameter of 2 to 21m

3. What are the disadvantages of storage silos?

The disadvantages of storage silos are:
Storage of fumigants and pesticides in the silos results in intoxication.
Silos result in the accumulation of carbon-di-oxide, which causes suffocation while opening it.
The decomposition of grains stored in silos results in inflammable vapors. These vapors bring suffocation and may result in poisoning if inhaled.

4. What are the application of Storage Silos?

The silos can be used in the agriculture field to store food products, chemical industries to store plastic resins, cement factories to store cement, calcium oxides, and many other materials like activated carbons, etc. The military adopts bunker silos to deposit and handle missiles.

5. What materials are used to construct silos?

The storage silos are constructed using wood, reinforced plastic, reinforced concrete, or stainless steel.

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For more information, please visit Dry bulk storage silos.