What Are the Benefits of Round Silos?

Large Storage Area

• Silos first originated as a way to store silage. Essentially, silage consisted of fodder that was harvested, then immediately placed in a storage container, where partial fermentation allowed the plant material to stay moist and succulent. By constructing a circular building that was very tall, the farmer created the situation where a large quantity of feed could be conveniently located close to a barn, without taking up lots of square footage at the ground level. This in turn saved both time and labor, when the silage was removed from the silo and fed to the livestock.

Content Removal

• An important function of a silo is to efficiently remove the agricultural material at the appropriate time. For stored cow silage, it is necessary to withdraw contents from the tower over the course of a winter, while a soybean farmer may just use the specialized building to hold the product until it is time for market. In either case, silos come equipped with an unloading auger that empties the stored material from the center of the circular floor. This situation allows for an equal flow from all points located anywhere on the interior of the vertical walls.

Aeration System

• Since partial fermentation takes place within a silo, the structure must be designed in a way where the interior organic matter can release excess gases, created during biochemical activity. At the same time, the design of the structure must allow the contents of the silo to remain unaffected by the outside weather elements. A circular wall system enables even gas pressure from the gaseous byproduct, created during fermentation. Eventually, the gas will escape through a vent in the top of the silo, but in a round silo, the pressure should be equal at all points on the exterior wall.

Interior Pressure

• As a silo is filled with material, the weight of the matter first makes for downward pressure on the foundation of the silo. Therefore, it is important to have a strong cement floor and footing. Then, as the silo fills, the pressure on the outside walls increases. To withstand this pressure, the silo is built with cylindrical walls that are often reinforced with exterior metal hoops. The circular design ensures that the weight of the interior fill exerts equal pressure in all directions. A correct filling procedure is also important in maintaining equal pressure at all points.