How to build a wooden grain bin/silo?

[Arielle]

For anyone who uses tons of grain, I would like to construct a 4 ton square grain storage shed. I found one set of plans from a university but the plans seem too flimsy to handle the outward force of the grain. How can I reinforce the walls to withstand the high pressure?

Also not sure of the dimensions to handle 4 tons pelleted feed.

 

[Neil Grassbaugh]

Quote:
Pelleted feed weighs about 40 lbs per cubic foot

6' x 6' x 6' = 216 cubic feet x 40lbs = 8,640 lbs

4' x 4' x 12.5' = cubic feet x 40 lbs = 8,000 lbs

Band the ouside of the bin with dimensional lumber to reinforce.

How are you going to get the fed out of it?

 

[Dublin21]

The dimensions from the first reply seem great. Maybe you can try and build a separate extension for the feed and build a funnel from there into the grain storage shed. It would be extra work, but it might reduce some of the weighted stress on your original layout.

 

[sweetrootfarm]

We too are interested in building a 4-ton bin, to hold our grain screenings which is our primary feed source for our flock of laying hens that we will scale up to about 130 this coming season. I found the plans below online, but I'd like to modify them, so I can fill just 5 gallon buckets at a time, so we can fill the buckets with water (for soaking, to prevent weed seed from sprouting in the field) and fermentation to allow for more protein accessible to the birds. I'm interested in comments, opinions, and better plans. http://www.public.iastate.edu/~mwps_dis/mwps_web/plans/73217.pdf

 

[sweetrootfarm]

We too are interested in building a 4-ton bin, to hold our grain screenings which is our primary feed source for our flock of laying hens that we will scale up to about 130 this coming season. I found the plans below online, but I'd like to modify them, so I can fill just 5 gallon buckets at a time, so we can fill the buckets with water (for soaking, to prevent weed seed from sprouting in the field) and fermentation to allow for more protein accessible to the birds. I'm interested in comments, opinions, and better plans. http://www.public.iastate.edu/~mwps_dis/mwps_web/plans/73217.pdf

I'd be interested to hear if anyone has followed these plans to build a bin. We still haven't built a bin, but need a design that will hold many tons of grain, with different compartments. I'm still considering this design.