Seeing Silos Differently: How AI Is Transforming Silo Maintenance
Silo maintenance has always depended on identifying problems before they become costly failures. Today, advances in drone technology, artificial intelligence, and 3D modeling are giving facility owners a new way to evaluate silo conditions and make smarter maintenance decisions. At USA Silo Service, AI-powered inspections provide a detailed look at silo conditions without the […]
How Silo Design Helps Improve Energy Efficiency
When assessing your facility's operational overhead, bulk storage silos are frequently overlooked. They carry a reputation as simple, passive structures (concrete or steel) that do little more than hold material between process steps. Because of that reputation, few operations teams recognize that an unoptimized silo can be a massive, invisible drain on utility bills. […]
Gypsum Byproduct Silo Cleaning
Size: 26′ diameter by 52′ tall Issue: Material build up caused a lack of flow and decreased the material storage space. Project Background:This customer experienced a significant issue with product build up around the walls of their gypsum silo. The build up created a ‘rat hole’ down the center that allowed for some product flow, but it […]
Coal Build Up Cleaning
Market: Mining Material: Coal Issue: Multi-discharge hopper clean out for improved material flow. Project Background: This customer reported coal build-up in the silo above the cone level pictured here. Some of the discharge chutes are plugged at the bottom of the cone causing material build-up and slower throughput when discharging material causing process issues with delays. This build-up also […]
Water Intrusion Maintenance
Market: Manufacturing Material: Cement Issue: Water intrusion from the silo roof Project Background: This customer reported water intrusion from the roof of their silo. Pictured here, the roof is in two stages. At the bottom of the photo shows the roof as it is prepared for the bonding, rubber coating to seal the roof. Preparation of the roof prior […]
New Roof Coating
Market: Manufacturing Material: Cement Issue: Removal of existing roof and applying new roof coating Project Background: The customer reported that the urethane foam roof coating on three silos (50′ diameter by 110′ tall) were leaking. The roof remediation, pictured below, was managed in two stages. At the bottom of the photo the roof is being prepared for a bonding […]
Do your bolted steel silo joints leak?
Market: Manufacturing Material: Any material Issue: Do your bolted steel silo joints leak? Project Background: If your facility has bolt together steel silos, tanks or vessels, they may be leaking. If so, they might look like the examples pictured below. Here's why. Over time, if the gasket placed between the flanges that […]
Multi-Discharge Hopper Clean-Out
Market: Energy Material: Fly Ash Issue: Multi-discharge hopper clean-out for improved material flow Project Background: This customer reported fly ash build-up above the silo cone level. The example below illustrates voids commonly referred to as "rat holes" above the discharge points. Due to restricted material flow material built-up is slowed during discharge, […]
Does your concrete silo roof leak?
Market: Manufacturing Material: Cement Issue: Does your concrete silo roof leak? Project Background: Does your facility have leaking concrete silos? A lot of concrete silos have either a membrane cover or consist of just the concrete slab or other material covering the silo roof. Over time, roof covers develop holes, allowing water […]
Concrete Silo Inspection
Market: Manufacturing Material: Raw materials in granular and powder form Issue: Exterior wall, spalling concrete exposing reinforcing steel. Project Background: The first image to the right shows an experienced silo engineer performing an exterior inspection of a Slip Form concrete silo. To check for exterior wall delamination, the engineer performs a concrete […]