Flat-Bottom Steel Grain Silo System

Overview

How it works

A flat-bottom silo is a cylinder of bolted corrugated steel sheets with a concrete floor and a roof. Corrugation and external stiffeners give the wall strength against grain pressure. Grain is filled from the top by a bucket elevator or conveyor. For unloading, grain flows out under gravity, and the rest is cleared by a sweep auger or a similar device.

Size range

The silo family runs from about 4.57 m (15 ft) to 32 m (105 ft) in diameter and from 100 t to 15,000 t in capacity. These are ranges for the family, not the size of one silo. The silo diameter and height for your project follow from the grain type, the capacity you need and the wind, snow and seismic loads at your site.

Equipment around the silo

Grain keeps best when it is dry and cool. Aeration fans and an aeration floor help control temperature and moisture. Unloading augers and conveyors move grain out, and temperature monitoring can be added. Which of these are included is written into the quotation, since a drawing of components does not mean that every one is included in every offer.

Where it is used

Silos are used by farms, grain depots, flour and feed mills, and port terminals for wheat, corn, rice, soybeans and other bulk grain.

Choosing a configuration

• Grain type and total storage capacity
• Number and diameter of silos
• Foundation conditions and local wind and snow loads
• Aeration, unloading and conveying equipment
• Temperature monitoring

Installation and site

We supply the steel sheets, stiffeners and accessories with drawings for the foundation and erection. The foundation design must be checked by a local civil engineer. Our engineers can guide installation.

How to choose between flat-bottom silos and ventilated stores

A flat-bottom steel silo is built for dry bulk grain such as wheat, corn, rice and soybeans where you want large volume at a low cost per tonne and can empty it with a sweep auger. Capacity ranges from 100 t to 15,000 t, so you can start with one silo and add more as the farm or depot grows. Choose it when the product pours freely and the main need is safe storage after harvest and drying.

Our potato and onion ventilated store (MM-VCS) is a different system for crops that need controlled airflow, humidity and temperature rather than only dry bulk storage. Do not use a grain silo for tubers or bulbs.

The main choices for a flat-bottom silo are diameter and wall height against available land, aeration (floor or duct), and how you load and unload. Soil bearing, wind and seismic loads set the foundation and plate thickness, so drawings are issued against your site data.