Your company may need to handle bulk amounts of material, and it can be difficult to determine what kind of storage equipment is best for your needs. Your requirements will vary depending on whether you store aggregates, chemical powder, wood chips, plastics, sand, minerals, food or grain. In any case, an off-the-shelf silo will probably not provide an ideal solution.
To help determine what kind of silo is best for you, consider your specific requirements before engaging a supplier as they will be able to tailor a solution according to your needs. Silos can come with a variety of support options including nozzles, flow control, stairways, interior maintenance platforms as well as vibrators and pumps that can be managed by a timer and a microprocessor which can be programmed as required.
What Materials Are Being Stored?
The type and amount of material getting stored will dictate the kind of silo and features you need. Important information includes particle size (e.g. powder or granular), abrasiveness, hygroscopicity (how it will react to moisture) and compacted bulk density. Silos can be built to the dimensions you need for storing your materials.
Silos are typically made from fabricated steel or concrete. Steel is easier and cheaper to construct and suitable for carrying cement, minerals and most dry products, with a capacity of up to 2000 tonnes. If your materials are resistant to flow, you have to make sure the silos interior surface is smooth and corrosion resistant. Obstructions can be avoided using a special baked on, dry powder coating.
Site Location
Attributes of the site will determine the silo type and construction, including the climate, size of the area, topography, whether it is being added to a new construction or existing facility etc. It’s essential for the supplier to know about space restriction as accommodating a crane can require a great deal of space or otherwise cause interruption to your operations.
Whether a horizontal or vertical silo is better suited depends on site restrictions as well as your requirements. For example, horizontal silos can be installed without cranes. Do you want a fixed or mobile silo? The latter is popular for large scale roadworks and urban construction projects.
Discharge Height
How materials are discharged affects the design of your silo. For example, if your silo is used for loading trucks, it’ll need to be a particular height and may need a loading spout and positioner. The type of flow will dictate the silo’s hopper slope. Mass flow (first in, first out) requires a steeper hopper slope and first in, last out funnel flow.
Tailored Mobile Concrete Plants and Equipment
If you’re looking for a fixed or portable cement silo for sale or require other manufacturing plant, get in touch with the experienced team at Batchcrete. From mini concrete pump hire to screed mixer hire and much more, we understand the complex nature of the industry and provide concrete equipment to suit a variety of needs, with the option of tailor-built solutions. Call us today on 08 9463 5355 or contact us online for high quality, cost effective concrete supplies.
