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OUR HOLLOW CLAY, CURVED BLOCK SILO.
By L. E. Potter, Springfield.
In building our silo, we, in the first place, dug a trench, about 18 inches wide and 4 ½ feet deep around where we wanted the foundation; and filled this trench with stone and concrete, raising this about 1 foot above the ground. By cutting the inside of the trench smooth, we were able, after the wall was hard, to dig out the inside of the circle, and make about 3 ½ feet of silo below the ground. We then bought circular, hollow clay blocks, burnt hard, and hired masons to construct the silo.
The Blocks.
The blocks are 1 foot long, 8 inches wide and 5 inches deep. The door-jamb was of the same material, only long enough to make the doors about 2 feet square. We used a lime-and-cement mortar, and reinforced the wall with wire cable, using 30 strands of cable in the silo. We had 1 1/2-inch bolts set in the wall on each side of the doors, to hold a 2x4 to fasten on the chute. We also had some iron steps made and placed in the wall, for a ladder to use in going to the top of the silo on the outside. This is under where the main hole is in the top.
We built this silo 37 feet high from the floor, and then laid out a course of brick
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and jamb blocks. To make a cornice on top of the wall, we laid an iron hoop of ¼”x3” wire inside of this. They started with common brick, and laid an arched roof over the top, and plastered the top with cement. We had a heavy iron ring made for a manhole, and put it in near the wall, or just after we started the arch.
This silo is 16 feet in diameter inside and 37 feet deep. We have filled it and it seems O.K.
We think we have one of the best of silos.
The cost was as follows:
| 3500 silo blocks; 130 jamb blocks; | |
| 100 4x8 blocks, making 25,600 | |
| brick measure, at $7 per 1000 | $179.25 |
| 2000 common brick | $14.00 |
| Iron bend | $5.00 |
| Wire cable | $9.00 |
| 15 barrels lime | $13.28 |
| Ring for man-hole, bolts and step | $6.00 |
| Cement, 14 barrels | $22.00 |
| Mason work | $90.63 |
| $339.16 | |
| Capacity of silo, 16'x37', in tons | 149 |
| Cost per ton capacity | $2.28 |
The above statement of cost does not include sand-hauling, board of men or labor in tending masons.
Source:
Minnesota Farmers’ Institute Annual
Number 24, 1911
Jones & Kroeger Company, Winona, MN
Source:
Minnesota Farmers’ Institute Annual
Number 24, 1911
Jones & Kroeger Company, Winona, MN
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