Though silos now regularly dot both agricultural and industrial landscapes throughout North America, they have only been in use since the late 19th century. From their origins as silo cellars that were dug into the ground to the first vertical silo developed in the early 1880s, silo construction methods have changed a great deal over time.

 

Early tower-style silos lacked their now-signature round shape and were often constructed of either wood or stone. Structural issues with these rectangular designs, including corner air pockets that allowed for spoilage, high susceptibility to bowing from internal pressure, and susceptibility to wind damage, quickly lead to developments. Silos constructed with a round design were found to withstand pressure from stored materials better.

 

By the 1900s, concrete became a common construction material and opened the doors to concrete stave silo construction methods still used today. Since developing the technology used for concrete stave silos in 1920, Marietta Silos has remained an industry leader in construction, inspection, and restoration. Concrete stave silos are constructed using precast concrete blocks, or staves, that are at least 2" thick and interlock. These staves are reinforced with exterior galvanized steel hoops that provide the necessary tension to compress silo walls and ensure structural integrity.

 

Marietta Silos relies on more than 100 years of concrete stave silo construction experience to design and build superior stave silos. We're also the only company in the U.S. that produces staves that are 5 ¾" thick for increased durability. Concrete stave silos from Marietta Silos offer versatility and flexibility, as well as economy. We can design concrete stave silos with many discharge types, including cone, flat floor, side discharge, and tunnel discharge.

 

When your silo suffers from built-up debris, your operations can be slowed or stopped and your storage capacity greatly reduced. Build-up also leads to poor material flow characteristics that can lead to increased strain on silo walls and cause cracking and other damage that can result in structural failure. Yet, removing material build-up through professional silo cleaning does more than protect your silo and save you money long-term. It can also pay for itself or even put money back in your pocket.

 

Removing your material build-up allows you to recover lost material that can then be sold. USA Silos removes debris and relocates it during the silo cleaning process through our high-performance industrial vacuum truck services. We then assess recovered material for usability and handle it accordingly. As a result, useable materials can be sold while lost materials are properly disposed of by us. This lets you reap savings through recovered stagnant material that was previously written off.

 

Once professionally cleaned, silos can return to running at full, original capacity, allowing maximum efficiency and leading to more consistent production schedules with no unplanned downtime. In short, the benefits of a professional cleaning every year far outweigh the initial costs.

 

Whether you have bridging, caking or plugging of any stored material, it’s essential to contact silo cleaning company USA Silo Service, a division of the Marietta Group, which includes Marietta Silos and Marietta Inspection Services, to have the build-up removed quickly. Our silo cleaning techniques utilize The Boss proprietary cleaning system, which delivers maximum cleaning efficiency in a safe environment while minimizing downtime and delivering cost savings to the customer.

 

To learn more, be sure to check out our full library of videos on silo cleaning, construction, inspection, and repair on

Regular silo inspections and routine silo maintenance help you increase the useful life of your silo, reduce unplanned downtime, and uphold production goals. In-house examination of the silo exterior is a good start in making sure silo walls are sound, but it should never replace a professional inspection.

 

Silo walls undergo an enormous amount of stress horizontally and vertically during their normal useful life. This stress can result in cracks or, for stave silos, offset stave joints. Cracks can allow moisture intrusion into the silo and cause additional issues inside. They can also signify delamination, which can compromise steel reinforcement integrity and lead to structural failure.

 

Determining the severity of exterior wall damages is an easy task for professionals. Yet, there can be limitations due to site hazards or other obstacles that can make visibility a challenge. Artificial intelligence (A.I.) supplemental inspections, offered exclusively by Marietta Silos, remove any guesswork when it comes to exterior silo inspection.

 

Drone capture technology allows faster, more accurate exterior inspections by obtaining images and videos of the entire silo or bulk storage container exterior. These images are then run through A.I. algorithms that can detect even small defects (smaller than 0.1 mm) and map the precise location onto the captured silo image for future examination.

 

Learn more about Artificial Intelligence, 3D Damage Tracking Silo Inspection in our video or view our full library of videos on silo inspection, silo maintenance, and silo restoration on