Fundamentos: Propiedades “bulk”solids

The most important properties of bulk solids .Wall friction coefficient (related to wall frict. angle)

. Lateral pressure ratio K

Relation between vertical and lateral pressure. In the
experiment the horizontal normal stress is based on
the external wall strain.

. Internal friction (angle)

s

K can be approx. as:

. Angle of repose

Geotechnics/Soils: shearing strength is attributed to

two mechanisms:
- Frictional resistance : follow friction law (N) (φ …
“angle of friction”).
- Cohesion C /Adhesion: shear resistance independent
of normal stress
Fundamentos

. Presión barril (Confined Granular Flow in Silos. Jacek

Tejchman)

Equilibrium in z:

A bulk solid at rest can transmit shear stresses

In general:

using:

The max. pressure is proportional to the diameter.

𝜇=tan ⁡(𝜑 ) Thus, silos are usually slender (small d) and tall. In
contrast, fluid tanks are usually flat and have a large
diameter because of the hydrostatic pressure.

. Presión Tolva (“Hopper”) (Confined Granular Flow in

with: Silos. Jacek Tejchman)

Solving: Conical Hopper: silo radius R = z × tan θ

-At great depth z=inf :

𝛾𝑎
𝜎 𝑛(𝑧= ∞) =𝐾 𝜎 𝑧 =
𝑚𝜇

-At great depth, mean pressure /p depends only on

radius a and wall friction coefficient µ, not on the
depth below the surface.
-smooth walls lead to higher pressures than rough. A
rough wall carries a larger part of the weight of the
bulk solid than a smooth wall.
 Equilibrium in Z .Silo Filling/Storage & Discharge

=>

Or in general, m = 1 for a wedge & m = 2 for a conical:

Using:

=>

with:

Solving (under the condition mN1 ) has the form

wall normal stresses,  σ w, and assumed

trajectories of the major principal stress,  σ1

a. Filling/Storage state
b. Right after discharge starts
c. Discharge
d. (Discharge in Funnel flow)

En comparación con la eqn. del Eurocódigo, se

usa n=-N y m=1 (y los cálculos se hacen basados en
diametro caract. y no en el radio)
EN 1991 - 4 ACTIONS ON SILOS & TANKS
. Scope
- cross-section shapes are limited to

area (A), perimeter (U)

- limited to

- Max. particle diam. < 0.03dc

- Inertia effects & impact loads are ignored
- Silo has not internals (cones, pyramids etc…)

https://news.bulk-online.com/bulk-solids-handling-archive/stresses-in-silos-
part-2-stresses-in-hoppers-disturbances-to-the-stress-distribution.html

.Silo Clasification

Actions on silos
Loads on barrels due to filling and discharge with small eccentricities => symmetrical + unsymmetrical patch. If
large eccentricities => unsymmetrical load.
For silos in classes 2 and 3 , the load magnifiers C should be used to represent only unfavourable additional loads
associated with discharge.
For Class 1 silos, load magnifiers C are used to represent unfavourable additional loads associated to discharge
flow and the effects of variability of the stored solid.
For combinations, loads are classified as Variable
EN 1991-4 Actions on: silos & tanks

For class 1 silos, the mean factor can be used for all calculations
Flow in the Silo

Where a manhole or access opening is made in the

wall of a silo structure, the pressure acting on the
cover should be assessed as two times the highest
value of the local design pressure on the adjacent
wall. This pressure should be used only for the design
of the opening cover and its supports.
Loads on vertical wall (Barrel)
. Slender
Calculated according to the slenderness .. Filling
Slender … Symmetrical loads
Intermediate Slender
Squat
Retaining

The compressive force in the wall per unit length

… Patch load (Represents low usual eccentricities)

Where internal pipe flow is guaranteed the design
may be based only in filling loads Only normal pressures (no change to frictional
traction associated)
Ignore for Class 1 silos
Patch for Non circular:
… Discharge loads for circular silos with large outlet
eccentricities
Analyze a SEPARATE LOAD case for silos class 2/3, if:
Outlet eccentricity > 0.25 or max.
filling eccentricity > 0.25 &

.. Discharge
… Symmetrical loads

… patch load

Ignore for Class 1 silos. Form & location is the same as

in filling patch but use Ppe instead of Ppf.

Class 2:

For Class 3 -> See code

. Squat and intermediate slenderness silos .. Discharge
.. Filling … Symmetrical loads
… Symmetrical For & use the same as for filling
For

If unloaded from the top

For class 2 or 3

For class 1

For Circular:
For Rectangular:

… Patch load
Same as discharge patch for slender
Ignore for class 1, and for
For outlet eccentricity > 0.25 analyze a SEPARATE
LOAD case similar as slender ->See code

… Patch load
. Retaining
Ignore for & .. Filling

For apply the same as in slender silos (The discharge load can be less than the filling load)

For top surface filling eccentricities > 0.25 in class 2 /

3 -> see code
Loads on Hoppers

β, &
. Classification
- Flat bottom (inclination < 5°)
Get Pvf(z= )(filling Classification
- Shallow
vertical pressure at the
- Steep barrel bottom) from
wall friction low value barrel calculations
K Low lateral pressure ratio
Load according to the
hopper type

. Flat bottoms (Filling & Discharge)

.. In slender Silos

Steep: solids slide down the wall when filled and the .. In Squat & intermediate silos
solid above causes consolidation. The wall shear
traction is related to the normal pressure by (“fully
mobilized wall friction”)
Shallow: solids don’t slide down the wall when filled
(slope is too low or friction too high). The wall shear
traction is not related to the normal pressure by , but
by a lower value (“wall friction not fully mobilized”),
which depends on the slope, the stress state & the
compressibility of the solid.

. Mean vertical pressure at transition barrel-hopper

Pvb=Pvft

Pvf = filling vertical pressure at the barrel bottom Pvho =Janssen vertical pressure at the base
of . the top pile, obtained at z = ho ;
Cb = 1.0 (classes 2 & 3) & Cb = 1.3 or 1.6 (class 1).
If dynamic loading (slender barrel for low cohesion
solids; stored solid susceptible to mechanical . Shallow (Filling & Discharge)
interlocking (e.g. Clinker)) Cb =1.2 or 1.6.

. Mean vertical stress/pressure

. Steep

Thermal load
.. Steep (Filling/Storage)

Earthquake load
. Circular:

. Rectangular:

.. Steep (Discharge)
. ∆Ph,so

𝑠𝑖𝑙𝑜 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛(𝑧)
If φwh is > φi ,=> use φi and μ=tan φi . 𝛼=
𝑔
Always, φwh ≤ φi, since the material will rupture
internally if slip at the wall contact demands a greater could be a function of z. Or if not available use
shear stress than the internal friction can sustain. the acceleration at the center of gravity

For hoppers:
 https://www.dlubal.com/en/support-and-learning/support/knowledge-base/001399
Ejemplo

Como el Coef. de fricción es en este caso igual para el

cálculo de phf y pwf => Zo, ho y n son los mismos =>
Fallos en Silos
Silos: ejemplos & apoyos