MONOLITHIC SILOS. 83 



Monolithic Concrete or Cement Silos. 



The monolithic silo has reference to the one continuous solid 

 mass or "as one stone" silo where the concrete is poured in forms. 

 Wherever the old forms of silo construction are well established 

 it is but natural that opposition to newer types should arise. 

 The concrete silo, therefore, in common with some of the other 

 types described in this chapter, had to gain headway in the 

 face of much adverse criticism. 



Among the arguments against concrete were that the walls 

 were not air or moisture-proof; that they failed as heat re- 

 tainers and allowed the contents to freeze very easily; and that 

 the silage acids affected the concrete causing soft, crumbly walls 

 that were easily cracked. In fairness to all concerned it may 

 be said that these arguments were greatly overworked. If 

 properly built and painted inside with a wash of pure cement, 

 concrete can be made both air-proof and moisture-proof; where 

 the wood silo gains as a non-conductor of heat, it loses in having 

 much^thinner walls, and the double wall concrete silo largely 

 overcomes freezing. As to acidity, the experience of thousands 

 proves this to be practically a negligible quantity where a pure 

 cement or coal tar wash is applied every two or three years, 

 the acids having less effect on cement than on either metal or 

 wood. Among other claimed advantages of the concrete silo are 

 these: they neither shrink in hot, dry weather nor swell up in 

 damp weather; they maintain a more even temperature; they 

 are vermin proof; they will last practically forever and need 

 no repairs, and they are fire-proof. 



Concrete grows stronger and tougher with age, outlasting al- 

 most every other known material. Reinforced concrete, selected 

 for great engineering projects such as long bridges, massive 

 dams and lofty skyscrapers, is considered the strongest and 

 most enduring construction known. 



"Reinforced concrete or concrete steel is very much stronger 

 than ordinary concrete," say Bulletin No. 125 of the University 

 of Wisconsin. "Reinforced concrete is concrete in which steel 

 rods or wires are irn.bedded in such a way as to take the strain. 

 By placing wire rods in the concrete it is possible to make the 

 walls or beams much thinner or lighter than would otherwise 

 be possible and obtain the required strength. By reinforcing the 

 concrete with steel much cement is saved. 



