What are primary advantages and disadvantages of storing grain in concrete silos ?
Concrete silos are vertical storage, with much greater grain depth than storage diameter. Most concrete silos have 40-45 degree sloped, hopper bottoms for self cleanout. Grain stored in silos can be easily moved. Some grain managers move or turn their grain to breakup insect populations and moisture hot spots by moving the grain from full or partially full silos to empty silos. If grain has a serious insect population, it may be fumigated using aluminum oxide pellets which produce phosphine gas, to kill the insects. Primary advantages of concrete silo grain storage are: • Ease of unloading and transfer. • Ease of fumigation while turning. • Greater number of separate storage units for a given volume of stored grain, allowing segregation of grain with different market quality and storage characteristics. • Blending of grain from several silos into a common conveyor allowing grain managers to optimize grain characteristics to meet market contracts more precisely. • Separation of differen
I should think that concrete is one of the cheaper materials with which to build a silo with for grain storage. Considering the big amount and volume that the grain is going to come at, it’s best not to spend too much money on building the housing. IN any case, I think the material itself plays a part in the benefits because it’s slightly porous and yet can keep the wet out while keeping it dry within. Also, the architecture of the building will also be an important fact to consider.
