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tkt_tang
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 3

Aboveground Storage Tank and Grain Silo

07/18/2010 6:57 AM

Could an Aboveground Storage Tank be substituted for a Grain Silo ?

meaning, can an AST be used for the safe-keeping of grains ?
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Anonymous Poster
#1

Re: Aboveground Storage Tank and Grain Silo

07/18/2010 8:32 AM

well, yes and no

the biggest problem with grain storage is ventilation

most grains will begin to rot and create heat if air isn't blown through to remove excess moisture

another thing to consider is the removal of the contents

how would you gain access to shovel the grain into the unloading device (auger) at the floor?

I'm sure the tank could hold the grains, but I'd talk to someone in the agriculteral field before doing so.

after working for a company building grain bins for three years, and now an electrician in rural Minnesota working for farmers at harvest time on their grain handling equipment, I've seen most of everything, and I probably wouldn't do it.
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lyn
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#2

Re: Aboveground Storage Tank and Grain Silo

07/18/2010 12:04 PM

The only thing I'd add to guest's good answer is that the tank should not have been used to store anything else if you choose to do this.
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ronseto
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#3

Re: Aboveground Storage Tank and Grain Silo

07/18/2010 2:14 PM

One of the other things to consider is explosion from dust.

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Tornado
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#4

Re: Aboveground Storage Tank and Grain Silo

07/18/2010 5:38 PM

Traditional grain elevators, so far as I know, are above ground (lots of them in my native Washington State). Ronseto correctly calls attention to the problem of flammable dusts produced by the handling of the grain. Static electricity is possible also.

Another problem, quite different, is the fractally complicated bridging that can occur in grain towers. As grain is removed from below, voids can form. Later the overhang can collapse, leading to shock loads. Or the bridging can produce horizontal archway stresses that deform/rupture the silo walls.

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Jack Marcotte
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#5

Re: Aboveground Storage Tank and Grain Silo

07/18/2010 10:37 PM

Only if you control the moisture in the grains and bin. The moisture content of the grain before it is put in the storage tank is critical. Keeping it dry and ventilated? can also be critical. It will spoil and ferment otherwise. Check with the dept of agriculture at Beltsville, MD. USA.
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BigPete
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#6

Re: Aboveground Storage Tank and Grain Silo

07/19/2010 4:00 AM

An above ground storage tank can be used for grain storage provided that it is dry and provided the grain has a low moisture content (ie, is too dry to self combust, or heat up due to spontaneous combustion). One of the things that must be considered however is the internal stress on the tank walls that will be generated by the grain. By this I mean that the grain itself will exert a hydraulic like force, depending on the type of grain (wheat and corn probably "run" better than most) and the height of the grain in the tank. For example, if the tank is made of corrugated iron and has been used to hold water it will be fine provided that the tank fastenings and joints are in good condition. If the joints are not in good condition the tank will burst the same way a tank full of liquid will burst. You should also consider what the tank has been used for previously, as possible contamination of your grain is potentially a serious concern. I was the manager of a large rural silo complex in Australia about thirty years ago and I would assume that the physical management of grains would not have changed much in that time.

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TimKI
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#7

Re: Aboveground Storage Tank and Grain Silo

07/19/2010 7:48 AM

Hi,

Old above ground water tanks work admirably for grain storage, we do it all the time.

If the tank holds water it will hold grain. The density of grains vary between 600 to 850kg per cubic metre- which is much less than water at 1000 kg per cubic metre.

The catches are;

1. filling the silo unless you have a cone roof and centre fill.

2. emptying the silo as it will not have a sloped floor.

If you do not mind a bit of shovelling to get the last in or out, go for it!

As for weavil damage,

1. only put in dry and cool grain sourced from clean machines.

2. If you plan to store infested grain or have higher moisture content (which is prone to weavil breeding) and want to keep the grain for longer than just a few months, then add an abrasive earth such as "Dryacide" (which is non toxic) which causes the exoskeleton of bugs to wear out as they crawl through the grain, and they desicate and die.

As for dust issues, this applies to any silo.

Always buy grain below 12% moisture for longer term storage, but 14% moisture will not go fermented unless you live in the tropics.
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halskinner
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Ceres, CA.
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#8

Re: Aboveground Storage Tank and Grain Silo

07/19/2010 11:06 AM

Hi,

I am no expert on grain storage. However, we have sold many sea going containers of our insulating paint to China, for coating the outside of huge grain silos, to keep the grain cooler inside the silos.

We have also coated stainless water storage tanks to keep the water cool.

I was not involved with the China silos myself but was told it made a huge difference in the loss by the man who was.

Good luck.

Hal Skinner

http://www.ct-texas.com
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tkt_tang
Participant

Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 3
#10
In reply to #8

Re: Aboveground Storage Tank and Grain Silo

07/22/2010 6:53 AM

Big Thanks to All of You having participated to provide Enlightenment to this query.

Aboveground Storage Tank and Grain Silo are both API (recognized) Tankage.

You have provided information to show that Aboveground Storage Tank and Grain Silo are designed and constructed for their respective functions (although one may be tempted by the apparently voluminous AST to store more grains than a Silo would).
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JCS
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 50
#9

Re: Aboveground Storage Tank and Grain Silo

07/20/2010 7:19 AM

Safety is definetly an issue as the tank venting for liquid storage is different to that of the Grain Storage Silo. Configuration (Flat Bottom) is also not advantageous in this case. Also verify the Bottom Shell Thickness with the new type load you'r planning.

JCS
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Anonymous Poster (1); BigPete (1); halskinner (1); Jack Marcotte (1); JCS (1); lyn (1); ronseto (1); TimKI (1); tkt_tang (1); Tornado (1)

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