How to install a silo for horticulture?

How to install a silo?

Step by step explanation on how to build a silo

Many horticultural companies use silos or water tanks. To prevent cracking, skewing, rust and leakage, it is important that you build the water tank in the right way.

Determine the center point of the silo. Choose a flat surface.
Do some preparations for the sunction line. The raised area must extend at least 300mm above the bottom of the silo. Also make sure that the length of the suction line is longer than the radius of the silo.
Then stabilize the sunction so that it cannot move during construction.
For the foundation you can use concrete tiles or concrete. If you choose concrete tiles, make sure you place the tiles as close as possible to each other and that the tiles are levelled. Also make a small trench around the suction valve.
Cover the surface with enough sand and remove all stones or other sharp objects.
Then compact the sand. Draw with chalk where the silo should stand.
Then put all the materials in the middle of the tank and unpack everything.
Leave the plates in the same order; the top plates form the bottom silo ring.
Place the first plate on the chalk line. Then place the second plate on the outside over the first plate and make sure that the screw holes overlap.
Now attach the bolts. Start with the second highest bolt at the top right. Work zigzagged from right to left. The bolts are fastened by sliding them from the inside out through the screw hole and fastening the ring and nut from the outside. With a screwdriver or chisel you can keep the bolt in position. Tighten them by hand. The threaded rods must never be on the inside of the silo.
Place the other silo plates in the same way. Slide the last plate into the plate you placed first. Use a battery drill to tighten all nuts. Work zigzagging downwards.
Then apply the second layer of silo plates. Place the plates over the sheets of the first layer and make sure that the center is at the level of the separation line of the two underlying plates. Screw the nuts into the holes of the lower and upper ring except for the most left and right holes. Place the second plate on the outside of the tank over the first and plate and secure it the same way. Continue until the ring is complete and then tighten all bolts firmly.
Then place the next layers in the same way. If you have ordered a silo with a tensile structure or cover, use longer bolts to fix the plates together.
Attach all plates. Do not screw nuts into the upper holes of the plates; these are later used for mounting the polyester protection blanket.
When all plates are attached, walk around the tank to see if everything is securely mounted and if you have not skipped any nuts.
Now roll out the polyester protection blanket. Place it along the wall at the bottom of the silo. Put the polyester protection blanket over the edge of the silo. Fold it to over the second wave, but make sure it does not touch the third wave. You can use clamps to hold the wall felt in place. Make sure that the polyester protection blanket hangs straight, without folds. Do this for all loose parts and make sure that the parts overlap by 10 centimeters.
When all parts are pulled over the silo wall, take a included clamping profile and click it on the edge. Make holes in the polyester protection blanket polyester protection blanket with a tie wrap and cut it to size. Do this for the entire tank and remove the clamps.
Then roll out the polyester bottom protection blanket, as close as possible to the suction line. Note: The polyester bottom protection blanket is prefabricated in the diameter of the silo.
Cover the entire bottom so that you can no longer see sand.
The suction line is now covered with sand and a polyester bottom protection blanket. Make an opening. The easiest way is to cut an X and then fold the corners around the exhaust pipe.
Roll out the silo liner in the same way. Do not stand on the foil with your shoes and make sure that the conical part is on top of the suction line. Note: The foil is always larger than the silo, this is to avoid tension on the foil.
Distribute the silo liner evenly over the bottom and spread the folds as much as possible. Find the weld seam of the foil and pull the foil at this point over the edge of the silo. Use this weld seam to determine whether the foil is hanging straight.
Then place the silo liner over the edge until the third wave. Temporarily secure it with clamps. Do this for the entire silo and distribute the extra space of the silo liner.
Then locate the ratchet buckles in the open seam. The steel cable must be installed in the third wave. In the seam there is a stainless steel cable attached to a stainless steel ratchet. Insert the end of the loose cable into the stainless steel ratchet and rattle tightly.
Gently pull the ratchets around the silo one by one. Don’t pull them tight at once, but do this bit by bit by walking several rounds around the silo.
Pull the conic sleeve over the suction line, until it does not continue. Don’t force it.
Cut the upper part of the cuff trunk approximately 1 cm above the wall duct tube.
Now pull the conical end of the cuff’s trunk with some force over the wall duct tube, so that folds are formed at the bottom (harmonica shape) and you can see about 10 centimeters at the top of the tube.
Then use the mounting tape to attach the cuff to the tube. Start on the flat part of the sleeve, 50% overlapping to the wall duct tube. Wrap the tape tightly around the cuff, partially overlapping. Always use one piece of tape, never two pieces.
Then apply a vertical strip of tape over the end so that the tape cannot release over time.
Then remove everything from the tank.
Attach the drainage system to the silo wall by using clamps. Then fill the tank with water for at least a third and check that the silo liner is seated properly, without tension.
When the tank is filled for at least a third, you can secure the tank to the concrete. Use a battery drill to make holes with a depth of 60 mm. Now use a hammer to place the cone bolt in the hole. Then insert a ring and a nut and tighten it when the tank is full so that the tank can set itself to the total diameter.

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Hortispares provides you with all the horticultural spare parts you need, also for a water silo. Easily find the right spare parts through exploded views!