World Cement - North America 2019

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silo and prevent hydration or compacting
from material resting in one place. When
the materials become stagnant, the cleaning
process is much more involved and more time
investment is required to remove compacted
material.
If a silo is filled with cement and left for
multiple years, that cement will end up
compacting. And if there is ambient moisture
from the outside air, or if there is an air
handling system that pumps moist air through
the stored material, hydration occurs. The risk
of hydration is also affected by different types
of silos, namely mass-flow vs funnel-flow.
In the mass-flow silos, all material draws
down uniformly as a column, so there is not
much stagnant material. A funnel-flow silo,
however, can stagnate material if the silo is not
completely emptied. Here, compaction occurs
at the intersection of the cone and the wall,
creating a dangerous condition.
Cleaning processes, which are usually
proprietary to the cleaning service provider,
share the same goal in removing compacted
or hydrated materials. The process at
Marietta Silos is simple, and at least 50% more
powerful than conventional systems, resulting
in less downtime. A unique cleaning device
is lowered into the silo from the top, using
compressed air to remove residual buildup.
Case study
Recently, Marietta Silos was called in to
inspect a silo for a customer who wanted the
assurance that its silo was safe. A detailed
level three inspection was performed. When
the team went inside the silo, they found that
both its roof beams and bearing seats on the
walls had deteriorated. The beam had fallen
out of a critical beam pocket, resulting in an
unsupported, lightly reinforced concrete slab
supporting the silo roof.
The team was able to enter the silo, find the
problem, and design a simple repair to lift up
the roof beam to re-establish the connection.
The roof beam pockets were rebuilt and the
silo put back in service. This avoided the risk
of the roof collapsing into the silo, which would
have had significant implications to facility
operation and safety. The proactive effort by
the customer minimised more costly repairs.
About the author
Dennis Blauser is the CEO of Marietta Group,
which includes Marietta Silos,
Marietta Inspection Services and USA Silo Service.
SILO/BIN
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(740) 749-3328
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(740) 373-2822