Design Implications of Measured Pressures and Strains in Silos

Abstract

An ongoing program to measure silo pressures and frictional wall loads in full‐size silos has been conducted over the past 17 years. The paper summarizes some of the more recent findings of the work. These include observations of the nature of pressures and strains in silos during filling and the changes that occur at the start of emptying. Pressures and strains for silos may be nonuniform around the perimeter, and are dependent on thermal effects. Suggestions are made as to how these observations could be incorporated into design procedures for silos.