PREVENTING SILO AND EQUIPMENT FAILURES THROUGH PROPER DESIGN
Hundreds of industrial and farm silos, bins and hoppers experience some degree of failure each year. In fact, these structures fail with a frequency that is much higher than almost any other industrial equipment. Sometimes the failure involves complete and catastrophic collapse of the structure. Other failures are not as dramatic or as obvious. For example, cracks may form in a concrete wall, or dents in a steel shell, either of which might appear harmless to the casual observer. Nevertheless, these are danger signals, indicating that corrective measures are probably required.
The economic cost of a silo failure is never small. The owner faces the immediate costs of lost production and repairs, personnel in the vicinity are exposed to significant danger, and the designer and builder face possible litigation because of their liability exposure.
What causes a silo to fail? There are many possible reasons since, in each phase of a silo’s life (Design, Construction, and Utilization), there are numerous opportunities for errors that can result in failure.
A silo that is designed, built, and operated properly will have a long and safe life. Unfortunately, if any one of these areas is overlooked, silo failure may occur. If this happens, the cost almost always adds up to several times the cost of doing the job properly in the first place.
Jenike & Johanson is prepared to assist
you with diagnosing or preventing a silo failure. Our team
of experienced consulting engineers have the knowledge, necessary
skills, and state-of-the-art tools available for addressing
your unique applications.
Jenike & Johanson can apply proven, practical technology to ensure a reliable and safe handling and storage system. Act now to prevent costly mistakes that may occur later on.
