Design Example 1

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
  800 kg / m 3
  25o
 '  0.444

1.5m
D= 10m
40m

60m
20m
10m

1.5m

ENGC6353 Dr. Mohammed Arafa Page 1

Solution
Assume angle of response  = =25
2
hs  5 tan 25  2.33  hs 1.5m
3
k  1  sin 25  0.577

R
 4D 2 
 D 4  10 / 4  2.5m
 D 
H / D  40 /10  4

Overpressure Factor Cd
H / D  40 /10  4
From Table 1
upper H1 cd  1.5
lower 2/3 H cd  1.85
Hooper use cd  1.5
ACI313-4.4.3.2 allows to use cd =1.35 for the Hooper

At the bottom of the silos

At the bottom of the silos Y=40-1.5=38.5m
R 
1e 
R
q
  ' kY
  7.65 t/m 2
 'k  
P  kq  4.42 t/m 2

Ring Tension
C d Pu D 1.85 1.7  4.42   10
T    69.5 ton
2 2
T 69.5
A st    18.4 cm 2 /m ie. 9.2 cm 2 /m for each side
 f y  0.9  4200
use 12@12.5cm

If slip forming will be used:

T 69.5
A st    19.4 cm 2 /m ie. 9.7 cm 2 /m for each side
0.95  f y  0.95  0.9  4200

Minimum Thickness

t=
ε sh E s  f s  nfct
T 
 0.0003  200 104  1680  8  35    4.42 10 
  =7.5 cm
100f s fct 100  1680  35  2 

ENGC6353 Dr. Mohammed Arafa Page 2

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

Vertical Loads
Weight of the wall Wt  2.5  0.2  60  30 ton / m
Friction V   Y  q  R
atY  38.5 V   0.8  38.5  7.65   2.5  57.9 ton/m
0.15   D 2 / 4
Roff DL= =0.15 10 4   0.375 ton / m
D
LL  0.10 10 / 4   0.25 ton / m
Pver  1.7  57.9  0.375   1.4  30  0.25   141.4 ton

Check for Buckling

141.4
f c ,vert   101 kg/cm 2
0.7  20  100
Pnw  0.55 f c'  0.55  0.7  350  134.75  f c ,vert

The buckling does not control

A st  0.002  20 100  4 cm 2 /m 5.0m

Design for the Hopper

q y  q0   hy
at h y  1.0 m
4.1
q y  7.65  0.8 1  8.45 t/m 2
W L = weight of the material in hopper 5.8m
0.8 
 4.1   0.75    5.8   84.4 ton
2 2
WL=
3  
2.5 0.75
Wg=  2  4.1 0.2  2  0.75  0.2  5.8  29.5 ton
3
Merdional forces and required reinforcing
 qy D WL   Wg 
Fmu  1.7     1.4  
 4sin   D sin     D sin  
1.5  8.45  2  4.1 84.4   29.5 
Fmu  1.7     1.4    59.2 ton/m
 4sin 60   2  4.1 sin 60     2  4.1 sin 60 
59.2
A st   16.5cm 2 /m
0.9  4200

ENGC6353 Dr. Mohammed Arafa Page 3

Hoop Reinforcement
1.5  q  D 
Ftu  1.7  
 2sin  
q  P sin 2   q cos 2 
where P  kq  0.577  8.45  4.87 t/m 2
q  4.87 sin 2 60  8.45cos 2 60  5.765t/m 2
assume  '  25
q y tan  8.45 tan 30
or q   p n    4.67t/m 2
tan   tan  ' tan 30  tan 25
use q  p n  4.67t/m 2
1.5  5.765   2  4.1 
Ftu  1.7    59.6 ton/m
 2sin 60 
69.6
A st, hopper   19.4 cm 2 /m
0.9  4200

ENGC6353 Dr. Mohammed Arafa Page 4

 Design of the Circular Beam

a1  100
33cm
b1  90
33 a2  100
28.5 b 2  57
100cm
28.5
r=467cm
100 R=4.67m
A r  6150
32.9
32.9
x  32.9cm , y  42.3cm
a  87.2cm
90 90cm
b  74.5cm
M t  0.285  684  19.5 t .m

R  5  32.9 /100  4.67m

q y  7.65  0.8 100  42.3 /100  8.1 t / m 2

W L  0.8
3
 4.67 2
 0.752   6.24  116.5ton


W g  2.5  2  4.1 0.2  2  0.75  0.2   5.8  29.5ton
3
 q D WL   Wg 
Fmu  1.7  y    1.4  D sin 
 4sin   D sin    
1.5  8.1 10 116.5   29.5 
Fmu  1.7     1.4    68.4 ton
 4sin 60  10  sin 60    10  sin 60 
Fx  Fmu cos   68.4 cos 60  34.2ton
Fy  0.615  2.5 1.4  68.4sin 60  61.5ton

Location Shear Comp. Force Bending Moment Mt due

due to Fx due to Mt Due to Fy 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

ENGC6353 Dr. Mohammed Arafa Page 5

 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

a) Load from wheat in Hopper (assume uniform)
 3  5   5  0.8 
2

WL   1.3 t/m 2
  5
2

at y=38.5 m ie. h=40m

q=7.65 t/m2 10m

p=kq=4.42 t/m2 40m

Total LL=7.65+1.3=9 t/m2

b) Dead Load
5m
Weight of Hopper forming fill
50cm
2 3  5   5  2.5 
2

Wg   8.33 t/m 2 7m
  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

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.

ENGC6353 Dr. Mohammed Arafa Page 6

Check for shear on slab

28.4  5  0.35 
2

Vu   66 ton
2  5  0.35 
V c  0.53  0.85  300  35   2  5  0.35    798 ton V u

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

ENGC6353 Dr. Mohammed Arafa Page 7