CONCRETE SILOS 
Water Supply Tanks 
The top of a monolithic silo is a convenient place for the farm water 
supply tank; in fact, if one were about to build a large concrete tank no 
better construction could be chosen than that of building the base in the 
shape of a monolithic silo, whether it could be put to any other use or not. 
Where both silo and tank are necessities, as on large stock and dairy farms, 
the two may well be combined. 
Every farm should have a water supply tank large enough to take care 
of all the needs about the house and barn and still leave a reserve for use 
^ in case of fire. Fire protection can best be obtained by a supply 
^ank of water under pressure. The water tank on top of the concrete 
silo supplies this need. The table below shows the capacities of 
tanks for silos with diameters of from 8 to 16 feet, assuming the tanks are 
filled to a height of five feet. It is hardly practical for inexperienced per- 
sons to build tanks of greater diameter than 16 feet, erected on top of 
silos, unless these tanks are especially designed for each particular silo. 
Detailed plans of larger tanks will be designed by the Universal Informa- 
tion Bureau, however, to fit individual cases and will be furnished upon 
request. 
Where a tank is to be built on top of a silo, no additional rein- 
. forcing is required in the silo walls, as the weight of the tank and 
the'rank ^he water in it will have no effect on a well reinforced concrete 
silo. The reinforcing for the tank is shown on the chart on 
page 86. 
In silos with continuous doorways, it is necessary to bridge across 
the top of the doorway before laying the tank floor. The door-frame should 
. extend up Avithin one foot of the bottom of the floor, and as soon 
Across^ the walls have been built up to the level of the top of the frame, 
Continuous a reinforced concrete beam ^14. feet long, 12 inches high and 4 
Doorways inches wide, at least 28 days old, should be put in. This beam 
should be reinforced with four 3^-inch round rods in the top and bottom, 
and may be made in a small mold-box. It should be placed in the inner 
side of the wall and the concreting then resumed up to the level of the 
tank floor. 
Capacity of Water Supply Tanks * 
Diameter of Capacity in 
tank in ft. barrels 
8 60 
10 95 
12 135 
14 185 
16 240 
*Depth of water — 5 feet. 
One barrel equals 31.5 gal. or 4.21 cu. ft. 
