The Islamic University of Gaza

Department of Civil Engineering

Analysis of Reinforced
Concrete Silos

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 1

 Concrete Silos

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 2

Silo or Bunker ?

Empirical approximation are preferred by many engineers. Tow such approximation are:

a ) H > 1.5 A
b ) H > 1.5D for circular silos
H > 1.5a for rectangular silos

The present ACI 313 Silos standard, however, uses the same method for
both silos and bunkers

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 3

 Design of Silos

Slipformed silos are constructed using a typically 4 ft. (1.2 m) high

continuously moving form.
Jumpformed silos are constructed using three typically 4 ft. (1.2 m)
high fixed forms. The bottom lift is jumped to the top
position after the concrete hardens sufficiently.
hopper is the sloping, walled portion at the bottom of a silo.
Stave silos are silos assembled from small precast concrete units
called “staves,” usually tongued and grooved, and held
together by exterior adjustable steel hoops.

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 4

Properties of Granular Materials

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 5

Vertical Pressure

γR  − µ kY / R 
= −
'
q 1 e
µ 'k  

Where
R = ratio of area to perimeter of horizontal cross section of storage space
γ = weight per unit volume for stored material
µ` = coefficient of friction between stored material and wall or hopper surface

k = 1 − sin φ

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 6

 Hydraulic Radius R

For Circular silos R=D/4

For polygonal silos R=D/4
for a circular shape of
equivalent area.
For square silos a or shorter wall
of rectangular silos use R=a/4

For the long wall b of

rectangular silos use R=a`/4
where a` is the length of side of
an imaginary square silo
2ab
a'=
Dr. Mohammed Arafa a +b 7
Horizontal Pressure and Vertical Friction

Horizontal Pressure

p = kq
Vertical friction per unit length of wall perimeter

=
V (γY −q )R
Note:
µ`, k vary, the following combinations shall be used with maximum:
(1) Minimum µ` and minimum k for maximum vertical pressure q.
(2) Minimum µ` and maximum k for maximum lateral pressure p.
(3) Maximum µ` and maximum k for maximum vertical friction force V
Dr. Mohammed Arafa 8
Pressures and loads for hoppers
q=
y q0 + γ hy

The initial pressure normal to the hopper surface at depth h y

below top of hopper shall be the larger of:

q y tan θ
Pn = and V n Pn tan φ '
tan θ + tan φ '
or
q y ( sin 2 θ + k cos 2 θ )
Pn = and q y (1 − k ) sin θ ⋅ cos θ
Vn =

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 9

Square and rectangular silo
Horizontal Forces Due to Stored Material

Fa = pb ,des (b 2 ) for wall a

Fb = p a ,des ( a 2 ) for wall b
Dr. Mohammed Arafa 10
 Regular Polygonal silo
Horizontal Forces Due to Stored Material

 sin θ 
T = pdes ( a 2 )  
 1 − cos θ 
Dr. Mohammed Arafa 11
Sections with combined tension and bending

Mu h
Small eccentricity e= < − d ''
Fu 2
Fu e ' Fu e ''
As = A 's
φ f y (d − d ') φ f y (d − d '')

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 12

hopper Types

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 13

Properties of Granular Materials

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 14

 Over pressure Factor c d
Pdesign = 1.7 x C d x Pinitial

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 15

Earthquake forces

Earthquake loads may affect stability and strength.

The UBC or IBC may be used. Seismic forces are assumed to act
in any horizontal direction, but vertical acceleration forces are
usually neglected.
In computing lateral seismic force The reduction of lateral force is
allowed because of energy loss through inter-granular movement
and particle-to-particle friction in the stored material.
ACI 313 use not less 80% of the weight of the stored material as
an effective live load, from which to determine seismic forces.

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 16

Wind forces

 Wind may affect the stability of empty silos, particularly tall,

narrow silos or silos group.
 Foundation pressure and column stresses, however, may be worse
with wind acting on the full silo.
 Wind load reduction may be applied for cylindrical shape may be
applied to single circular for cylindrical
 The pressures shall be not less than required by the local building
code for the locality and height zone in question.
 Wind pressure distributions shall take into account adjacent silos
or structures.
Dr. Mohammed Arafa 17
Thermal Loads
Temperature and shrinkage steel requirement of ACI 318
apply to silos.
In addition, hot stored materials may cause thermal
stresses too high to be ignored.
The approximate method illustrated below was
developed specifically for cement storage silos. In this
method:
Tensile strength of the concrete is neglected
Wall temperatures are assumed to vary only radially.

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 18

 Thermal Loads

In building, the usual practice is to ignore a certain amount of

inside-outside temperature difference (80oF or 27oC for silos).

E c h αc 2
=Mt ∆T
12 (1 −ν )

∆T = (T i −T 0 − 80o F ) K t = (T i −T 0 − 27o C ) K
0.08h
Kt =
4.09 + 0.08h

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 19

Additional Steel due to Temperature Gradient

 The additional horizontal steel Ast to resist moment due

temperature gradient should be located near the colder
face.
 In singly reinforced walls, it should be added to the main
hoop steel, ordinarily near the outer face.
 In doubly reinforced walls, the entire amount Ast should
be added to the outside layer

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 20

Minimum wall thickness

The thickness of silo or stacking tube walls shall be not less than 6
in. (150 mm) for cast-in-place concrete, nor less than 2 in. (50 mm)
for precast concrete.
The following formula can also be used in service loading

ε sh E s + f s − nfct
t= T
100f s fct

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 21

 Crack Width

the design crack width computed at 2.5 bar

diameter from the center of bar (dc = 2.5
bar diameter ) shall not exceed 0.010 in.
(0.25 mm). The design crack width (inch)
shall be computed by:

w = 0.0001f s 3 d c A

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 22

Load factors and strength reduction factors

Load factors for silo or stacking tube design shall conform to those
specified in ACI 318.
The weight of and pressures due to stored material shall be
considered as live load.
For concrete cast in stationary forms, strength reduction factors, φ,
shall be as given in ACI 318.
For slip forming, unless continuous inspection is provided, strength
reduction factors given in ACI 318 shall be multiplied by 0.95.

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 23

Allowable ultimate Compressive load

The compressive axial load strength per unit area for walls in which
buckling (including local buckling) does not control shall be
computed by

Pnw = 0.55φ f c '

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 24

 Additional Load at Openings

Flat Bottom
The simplest flat bottom is a slab of uniform thickness. The flat bottom
may also be a ribbed slab or beam-slab system.
For a slab without hopper-forming fill, the design loads are dead load
and pressure, qdes computed at the top of the slab..

=
W u 1.4DL + 1.7q des
With earthquake vertical friction at the wall is assumed to be zero, so
that the ultimate vertical pressure on the bottom is:
Wu 0.75 (1.4DL + 1.7γ H )

Slab
Dr. Shear stresses
Mohammed Arafa should be checked. 25
 Additional Load at Openings
Conical hopper

 qy D WL   Wg 
Fmu = 1.7  +  + 1.4  
 4sin α π D sin α   π D sin α 
 qα D 
Ftu = 1.7  
 2sin α 
q=
α p=n P sin 2
α + q cos 2
α

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 26

Additional Load at Openings
Pyramidal hopper

1.7 (c aW L + Aaq a ,des ) + 1.4cbW g

Fmau =
a sin α a
1.7 (cbW L + Ab qb ,des ) + 1.4cbW g
Fmbu =
b sin αb

b  a 
Ftau =
1.7   αb ,des
q sin α a and Ftbu 1.7   qα a ,des sin αb
2 2
Dr. Mohammed Arafa 27
Additional Load at Openings
Pyramidal hopper

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 28

Circular Concrete Ring-Beam and Column System
Supporting a Steel Hopper

Ring-beam cross Section

Silo-Bottom: Steel hopper supported on concrete ring Beam

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 29

Circular Concrete Ring-Beam and Column System
Supporting a Steel Hopper

Fmu cos α Fmu sin α

=
Fx and =
Fy w beam +
1.7 1.7

The WSD uniform torsional moment is

Mt = Fm e
The Cross sectional Area of the ring Beam is

b 2a2
=
A r a1b1 −
2

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 30

 Circular Concrete Ring-Beam and Column System
Supporting a Steel Hopper
The Cross sectional Area of the ring Beam is
b 2a2
=
A r a1b1 −
2
Coordinate of the centroid
measured from the origin O are:
a1b12 / 2 − ( a2b 2 / 2 )(b1 − b 2 / 3)
x =
Ar
b1a12 / 2 − ( a2b 2 / 2 )( a1 − a2 / 3) Ring-beam cross Section

y =
Ar
An equivalent rectangle of height a a = 2y
and b is substituted for the pentagon b = Ar a
Dr. Mohammed Arafa 31
Circular Concrete Ring-Beam and Column System
Supporting a Steel Hopper

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 32

Details and placement of reinforcement
Where slipforming is to be used, reinforcement arrangement and
details shall be as simple as practical to facilitate placing and
inspection during construction.
Reinforcement shall be provided to resist all bending moments,
including those due to continuity at wall intersections, alone or in
combination with axial and shear forces.
Horizontal ties shall be provided as required to resist forces that tend
to separate adjoining silos of monolithically cast silo groups.
In no case shall the total horizontal reinforcement area be less than
0.0025 times the gross concrete area per unit height of wall.

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 33

Details and placement of reinforcement
Vertical reinforcement in the silo wall shall be (φ10 diameter) bars or
larger,
The minimum ratio of vertical reinforcement to gross concrete area
shall be not less than 0.0020.
Horizontal spacing of vertical bars shall not exceed 18 in. (450 mm)
for exterior walls nor 24 in. (600 mm) for interior walls of
monolithically cast silo groups.
Vertical steel shall be provided to resist wall bending moment at the
junction of walls with silo roofs and bottoms.

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 34

Miscellaneous Reinforcement Details

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 35

Miscellaneous Reinforcement Details

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 36

Typical Conical hopper Reinforcement with circular Beam

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 37

Design Example

Design the wall and hopper of a wheat silo with an internal diameter of
10 meter and with the height of cylindrical portion of 40 m. The central
hopper is supported by eight columns monolithic with the lower walls.
The Roof load ( DL = 150 kg/m2 and LL= 100 kg/m2)
Use the following parameter
f c' = 350 kg / cm 2
f y = 4200 kg / cm 2
γ = 800 kg / m 3
φ = 25o
µ ' = 0.444

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 38

Design Example

1.5m

D= 10m

D=40m

60m
D=20m

D=10m

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 39

Design Example
Overpressure Factor C d

Assume angle of response ρ =φ =25

2
=hs 5= tan 25 2.33 ⇒ hs  1.5m
3
k =1 − sin 25 =
0.577

=
R
(π 4D 2 )
= D= 4 10=
/ 4 2.5m
(π D )
H= =
/ D 40 /10 4

H=/ D 40= /10 4

upper H1 cd = 1.35
lower 2/3 H cd = 1.75
Hooper c = 1.5 d
Dr. Mohammed Arafa 40
 Design Example

At the bottom of the silos

At the bottom of the silos Y=40-1.5=38.5m

γR
q = 1 − e −( µ ' kY R)
=
 7.65 t/m 2

µ 'k
= = 4.42 t/m 2
P kq
Ring Tension
C p Pu D 1.75 (1.7 × 4.42 ) ×10
=T = = 65.74 ton
2 2
T 65.74
=A st = = 17.4 cm 2 /m ie. 8.7 cm 2 /m for each side
(φ f y ) 0.9 × 4200
use φ12@12.5 cm

If slip for ming will be used:

T 65.74
=A st = = 18.3 cm 2 /m ie. 9.2 cm 2 /m for each side
0.95 (φ f ) Arafa
Dr. Mohammed
y
0.95 × 0.9 × 4200 41
 Design Example
Minimum Thickness

ε E + f − nfct
t = sh s s
(=
0.0003 × 200 ⋅10 + 1680 − 8 ( 35 ) )  4.42 ×10 
4

T   7.5cm
100f s fct 100 ×1680 × 35  2 

The thickness of silo walls shall be not less than 150 mm for cast-in-place concrete.
Use Wall thickness t=20cm

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 42

 Design Example
Vertical Loads
Weight of the wall Wt = 2.5 × 0.2 × 60 = 30 ton
Friction =
V (γY − q ) R
atY = 38.5 V = ( 0.8 × 38.5 − 7.65) × 2.5 = 57.9 ton
Roff DL=0.15 (π ×102 4 ) =
11.8 ton
LL = 0.10 (π ×102 4 ) = 7.85 ton
Pver= 1.7 ( 57.9 + 7.85 ) + 1.4 ( 30 + 11.8=
) 170.3ton
Check for Buckling
170.3
=f c ,vert = 122 kg/cm 2
0.7 × 20 × 100
Pnw = 0.55φ f c' = 0.55 × 0.7 × 350 = 134.75 > f c ,vert

The buckling does not control

A = 0.002 × 20 ×100
Dr. Mohammed Arafa
st = 4 cm 2 /m 43
 Design Example
Design for the hopper
q=
y q0 + γ hy 5.0m
at h y = 1.0 m
q=
y 7.65 + 0.8 ×=
1 8.45 t/m 2
W L = weight of the material in hopper
0.8π  4.1
( 4.1) + ( 0.75 )  ( 5.8 ) =
2 2
WL= 84.4 ton
3  
2.5π 5.8m
Wg = [ 2 × 4.1× 0.2 + 2 × 0.75 × 0.2] ( 5.8) =29.5 ton
3
Merdional forces and required reinforcing
0.75
 qy D WL   Wg 
Fmu = 1.7  +  + 1.4  
 4sin α π D sin α   π D sin α 
1.5 × 8.45 × 2 ( 4.1) 84.4   29.5 
F= 1.7  +  + 1.4  =  59.2 ton/m
mu
 4sin 60 π ( 2 × 4.1) sin 60   π ( 2 × 4.1) sin 60 
59.2
A st = 16.5cm 2 /m
0.9 × 4200
Dr. Mohammed Arafa 44
 Design Example
Hoop Reinforcement
1.5 × qα D 
Ftu = 1.7  
 2sin α 
=qα P sin 2 α + q cos 2 α
where P =kq =0.577 × 8.45 =4.87 t/m 2
qα = 4.87 sin 2 60 + 8.45cos 2 60 = 5.765t/m 2
assume φ ' = 25
q y tan θ 8.45 tan 30
or q=
α p= = = 4.67t/m 2
tan θ + tan φ ' tan 30 + tan 25
n

use q=
α =
p n 4.67t/m 2

1.5 × 5.765 × ( 2 × 4.1) 

Ftu = 1.7   = 59.6 ton/m
 2sin 60 
69.6
=
ADr. Mohammed = Arafa 19.4 cm 2 /m 45
0.9 × 4200
st, hopper
 Design Example
Design of the Circular Beam

a1 = 100 33
b1 = 90 28.5
100cm r=467cm
a2 = 100 32.9

b 2 = 57 90

A r = 6150
=x 32.9= cm , y 42.3cm
a = 87.2cm 33cm

b = 74.5cm
M t = 0.285 × 684 = 19.5 t .m 28.5
90cm R=4.67m
32.9
Dr. Mohammed Arafa 46
90cm
 Design Example
Design of the Circular Beam

R=
5 − 32.9 /100 =
4.67 m 33cm

7.65 + 0.8 (100 − 42.3) /100 =

qy = 8.1 t / m 2
π
( + 0.75 ) ×=
28.5
=
W L 0.8 4.67 2 2
6.24 116.5ton 90cm R=4.67m
3 32.9

π
=
W g 2.5 ( 2 × 4.1× 0.2 + 2 × 0.75 × 0.2 ) =
× 5.8 29.5 ton 90cm
3
 qy D WL   Wg 
Fmu = 1.7  +  + 1.4  
 4sin α π D sin α   π D sin α 
1.5 × 8.1× 10 116.5   29.5 
Fmu 1.7  +  + 1.4  =68.4 ton
 4sin 60 π (10 ) sin 60   π (10 ) sin 60 
= mu cos α
Fx F= =
68.4 cos 60 34.2ton
Fy= 0.615 × 2.5 ×1.4 + 68.4sin 60= 61.5ton
Dr. Mohammed Arafa 47
Design Example
Design of the Circular Beam

Location Shear Comp. Force Bending Moment Mt due

due to Fx to Fy
due to Mt Due to Fy

Support 112.5 159.4 91 69.4 0

Midspan 0 159.4 91 34.86 0

9 33 form support 64.7 159.4 91 0 5.34

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 48

Design Example 2
If the silo’s bottom in Example 1 is a circular slab with central opening on
the lower walls and carrying hopper forming concrete fill.

Load on the slab

Load from wheat in hopper 10m
π 3 ( 5 ) ( 5 )( 0.8 )
2

WL = 1.3 t/m 2 40m

π ( 5)
2

at y=38.5 m ie. h=40m

5m
q=7.65 t/m2
p=kq=4.42 t/m2 φ50cm
Total LL=7.65+1.3=9 t/m2 7m

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 49

 Design Example 2

Dead Load
Weight of hopper forming fill
2π 3 ( 5 ) ( 5 )( 2.5 )
2

Wg = 8.33 t/m 2
π ( 5)
2

Slab weight assume 40 cm slab thickness

W slab = 0.4 × 2.5 = 1.0 t/m 2

DLtotal = 8.33 + 1.0 = 9.33 t/m 2
W u = 1.7 × 9 + 1.4 × 9.33= 28.4 t/m 2

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 50

Design Example 2

Design of the slab Holes

Slabs with holes may be designed in two ways
 By computing bending moments for slabs with no holes and
reinforcing with a steel member with adequate strength and of
stiffness equal to that of removed slab.
 By considering the hole and reinforcing for bending moments
obtained using tables or Timoshenko equations.

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 51

 Design Example 2
Check for shear on slab

28.4π ( 5 − 0.35 )
2

Vu = 66 ton
2π ( 5 − 0.35 )
φV c = 0.53 ( 0.85 ) 300 ( 35 ) ( 2π ( 5 − 0.35 ) ) = 798 ton >V u

Total Reaction
Total reaction at the bottom wall must includes
From Roof, Material above the hopper, Material in the hopper,
hopper filling form, Bottom Slab, Upper Wall, and Lower Wall

Dr. Mohammed Arafa 52

Design Example 2
Design a single rectangular concrete silo for storing peas. The bottom is a
symmetrical pyramidal Hopper. The silo walls rest on the Hopper base
which is supported by four columns. The Roof load ( DL = 150 kg/m2 and
LL= 100 kg/m2). b=6m

f c' = 350 kg / cm 2 a=4m

f y = 4200 kg / cm 2 30m

γ = 800 kg / m 3 An Above Hopper

b=6m
φ = 25o
µ ' = 0.296 5m
a=6m

3m
7m

Openning0.5x0.5m
Ground Floor Plan
Dr. Mohammed Arafa 53