Hopper Bottom Silos

Assembled from individual corrugated steel sheets with vertical stiffeners. The effective height of each ring of sheets is 1.2 m. Sheet thickness varies according to the load experienced in different parts of the silo Brice-Baker design the wall make up using sheets from 0.8 mm thick, while the bottom ring can be up to 8.0 mm thick, which is achieved by doubling 4.0 mm individual sheets.

All Brice-Baker silo sheets have metric corrugation for improved product flow inside the silo. Each silo cylinder generally has two rows of vertical external stiffeners per wall sheet. Taller silo walls have three rows of stiffeners per wall sheet.

Conical roof with 30° slope, assembled from individual trapezoidal panels.

Brice-Baker has self supporting roofs on standard silos up to 9.0 m in diameter (category 1). For category 2 silos we offer rafter supported roofs from 6.0 m to 28.0 m to include explosion relief as standard form ATEX applications.

The roof-to-wall connection on category 2 silos has been designed in accordance to VDI-3673 explosion venting regulations. All electrical equipment used in Brice-Baker silos can be supplied for use in explosive atmosphere according to ATEX directives.

Silo roofs can be fitted with vents, temperature cable brackets, inspection hatches and high-level indicators. The roofs fully protect the stored product from the weather and vermin.

All Brice-Baker silos are designed and can in most cases bear the full load of the catwalks with even the heaviest handling equipment on top of them. Therefore in most cases no ground supports are needed for the structure above silos which can offer significant savings compared to our competitors.

Standard Brice-Baker Group hopper bottom is a 45° cone. On some diameters other discharge cones are available i.e. 50° or 60° cone as an option subject to review by our engineering department. Brice-Baker hopper silos have a smooth wall-to-hopper transition with no steps or flanges and the cone is assembled with special round-headed bolts to offer the cleanest possible product discharge from the silo.

An bolted door is fitted in the hopper bottom at allow easy access and safe access.

Brice-Baker silos are assembled with sherardized hardware. This type of coating provides high corrosion resistance while preserving the nominal dimensions of the threads, making for easier silo assembly. Neoprene-linedwashers protect the zinc coating of the sheets during assembly and seal the bolt connections.

A low-volume ventilation system prevents moisture condensation and formation of fungi inside the silo and gradually cools the grain down to the optimal temperature to stop any insect and mite activity.

Ventilation system consists of:

• Centrifugal fans with inlet adapters
• Roof vents
• Roof fans (optional)
• Aeration laterals fixed inside the hopper bottom

* Lateral and fan sizes calculated to provide 8.5m³ of air per hour per tonne of grain in any silo model.

Optional Ventilation System

All stored crops respire in storage and therefore a rise in temperature within the silo is inevitable. Low volume aeration systems maintain the stored crop at temperatures close to that of the ambient air, so preventing the build up of heat which would allow insect reproduction activity to increase, moulds to grow and so damage the stored crop.

The design of ventilation systems are specific to each silo size and the crop stored in the silo. Brice-Baker specify the correct ventilation channels, and fans together with the necessary roof vents to ensure the correct airflow and distribution throughout the stored crop.

Automatic digital temperature monitoring system consists of temperature cables suspended from the silo roof, junction boxes and computer software.

Optional Temperature Monitoring

The optional temperature monitoring systems enable the operator to know what is happening to the crop within the silos. Sensors are suspended from the roof of each silo to give an accurate picture of the temperature gradient throughout the silo.

Choose from simple digital hand-held monitors to sophisticated systems to control the aeration fans and keep the crop in a safe condition. Records of storage can be kept automatically for future use if required and the systems can be displayed on the SCADA control system if installed.

Moisture monitoring sensors are also available within the same suspended cables to give even more monitoring power to the system.

Brice-Baker's industrial grade hopper bottom silos are supported on a rolled ring beam, rather than on extensions of the wall stiffeners as offered by some of our competitors. The entire support structure and the ring beam are hot-dip galvanized. A double ring beam support structure is fitted to the larger diameter hopper bottom silos to ensure stability of the cone.