STORAGE SILOS

What is a Storage Silo?

 are structures designed to store grain and other material in bulk or powder.
 are also used for storing other elements such as cement, calcium oxide, calcium
hydroxide, activated carbon or plastic resins, among others.
The most common storage silos are cylindrical with a metal support although there are also
rectangular and square ones. They are similar to a tower and the material with which they are
built can be metal, stainless steel, reinforced concrete, wood, reinforced plastic, fiberglass, etc.

Types of Storage Silos

Tower silos, Bunker silos, and Bag silos.
1. Tower Silos
They are the most common structures and can measure from 4 to 48 meters in diameter and 3 to
40 meters in height. They can be constructed of wood, cement, concrete or steel, among other
materials.
Silos storing grain, cement and woodchips are typically unloaded with air slides or augers. Silos
can be unloaded into rail cars, trucks or conveyors. Tower silos containing silage are usually
unloaded from the top of the pile using mechanical unloaders.

2. Bunker Silos
Bunker silos are trenches, usually with concrete walls, that are filled and packed with tractors
and loaders. The filled trench is covered with a plastic tarp to make it airtight. These silos are
usually unloaded with a tractor and loader.
They are recommended when large quantities of material have to be stored and are used in
agriculture and in other types of industries. In fact, nowadays, the military has also adopted the

use of this type of silos for the deposit and handling of missiles.
 3. Bag Silos
They are plastic and hermetic bags or tubes that are used for the storage of grains and fodder in
the field. They usually measure from 2 to 21 meters in diameter. The length varies according to
the material that is going to be stored.
They are usually very heavy and they are compacted using a machine made for the purpose, and
sealed on both ends. These silos are also the most economical.

Advantages
The use of storage silos presents several advantages:
– They need less area to store the same amount of material than if it were stored in a
horizontal warehouse.
– Products are stored in optimal conditions.
– Its cost is lower than that of other storage systems.

Disadvantages
One of the biggest disadvantages of storage silos is that when it comes to handling them,
there are many risks involved. The most common are:
– The risk of fire and explosion, unfortunately very common in grain elevators.
– Accidents due to suffocation and risks of poisoning. This circumstance occurs when
inhaling the flammable vapors that are generated with the decomposition of grains.
– Risk of intoxication due to the use of fumigants and pesticides.
– Risk of suffocation when opening the silos by accumulation of carbon dioxide.