Behavior of a Large Steel Field Silo Structure Subject to Grain Loading
Publication: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 31, Issue 5
Abstract
Silos are structures made of steel commonly used as storage facilities for grains and other bulk foods. This study presents monitoring of the structural behavior of a recently constructed large field silo structure subjected to a static grain load. Challenging full-scale tests were conducted on a steel silo that measured 14.55 m in diameter and 23.27 m in height. It was located on open farm land near Bothwell, Ontario, Canada. The silo’s internal pressure from static grain loading and its wall’s displacement and strain were measured. A complex finite-element model of the silo was then successfully developed and validated. This finite-element model furthered understanding and insights concerning the structural behavior of silos when loaded with bulk corn. The finite-element model showed that the critical stress occurred at the connection point between the silo’s vertical stiffeners and its wall; the model also showed that the maximum lateral deformation of the silo occurred approximately 1.47 m above the top surface of the silo’s concrete foundation. However, the stresses and displacements were small and within the elastic stress limit; hence, they do not pose any threat to the structural integrity of the field silo.
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Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the financial support received from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Lambton Conveyor Ltd., and Ontario Centers of Excellence (OCE).
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Published In
Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 31 • Issue 5 • October 2017
Copyright
©2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 8, 2016
Accepted: Dec 21, 2016
Published ahead of print: Mar 10, 2017
Published online: Mar 11, 2017
Discussion open until: Aug 11, 2017
Published in print: Oct 1, 2017
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