CHAPTER IV 



ADVANTAGE OVER OTHER KINDS OF SILOS 



In addition to concrete there are five materials 

 which are sometimes used for the construction of silos 

 stone, brick, structural tile, wood and iron. 



In every one of these concrete is 'almost invariably 

 used at some point: for the foundation wall, the floor, 

 the mortar with which the units are held together, the 

 surface finish, or the roof. This being the case, it is 

 coming to be more and more asked, Why, if concrete 

 is a good material for these parts of a silo, should it 

 not be used for the entire structure. It would be 

 worth while thus to do away with the complications 

 arising from the use of two or more different materials, 

 if for no other reason. 



None of the materials enumerated has any advan- 

 tages over concrete as a material for silo construction. 

 Some of them have decided disadvantages, as a careful 

 study of them will show. 



Of all the above materials, stone comes perhaps 

 nearest to having the high percentage of efficiency of 

 concrete, so far as most of the requirements are con- 

 cerned ; and yet, in the face of this, it is the one mate- 

 rial which has been almost abandoned for silo con- 

 struction. This is not to be wondered at when one 

 comes to consider the matter; for it is a slow and 

 expensive construction, giving no increased benefit for 

 its increased cost. There are comparatively few farms 

 which are situated advantageously with respect to a 

 supply of stone suitable for building purposes; while 



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