St. Landry democrat., 1886-05-15
CONSTRUCTION OF sILos.

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Three silos are built together, side to
side. These are each is feet wide, 80
feet long and 16 feet deep, and the three
have capacity of $50 tons. If two or
one is all that is wanted they can be
built, but if a capacity for more than one
is needed it is cheaper to build another OF
equal size along side Of the first than to
build onto the end, for in the first case
but one long wall and two short ones
will be wanted, while in the latter it will
take two long walls and one short one.
Other silos may be added as the need
increases by building one long and two
short walls.
The roof for silo of this plan would
span the length. and as each silo is
added the roof can be extended over it.
By this plan one can build the first Sec
ton as a trial silo and if satisfactory can
add two without changing his plan. The
walls are intended to be built of con-
crete as generally this will be found
cheaper than stone work.
For convenience of filling the silo
may be sunk half of its depth or more
in the earth, where the situation per-
mits this to be done with good and easy
drainage. 1t is better not to 90 deeper
in any case than can easily be drained.
The excavation should be at least eigh-
teen inches beyond the proposed wall
for convenience of working. Having
got the bottom leveled, set up standards
of 2x6 scantling 10 inches apart, against
which the boxing planks are to be
placed and between these the wall built
up. Care should be taken to have the
inside of the standards next the boxing
straight. To hold the standards firmly
in place lath may be nailed across the
under ends. then they should be set
plumb and firmly stay-lathed so that
they will not possibly move and get out
of plumb. After the standards are all
set about the proposed wall the boxing
planks IA inches wide can be put in and
all is ready for the cement.
The first tier on the bottom of the
wall should be made wholly with water
lime concrete, as follows: Mix well one
part of Akron Or Rosedale cement with
three parts of fine sand while dry.
Then mix in three parts Of clean gravel;
now mix into them mortar and place on
layer of this two or three inches thick,
in the bottom of the wall box, and any
rough, irregular stones that may be
bedded in the mortar, taking care that
they do not come quite out to the
boxing plank. Put in all the stone that
can be used, but have layer of mortar
between them; lamp them down solid
so as to have no spaces in the wall.
Fill the boxing to the top, using layer
of mortar and layer of stone alter
nately. After the mortar has set,
which will be in from twelve to twenty
four hours, the boxing plank can be
raised foot and another layer laid.
Above the first layer .quick-lime can be
used to mix with the cement, as it is
cheaper. To one part of cement and
six of fine sand add, while dry, four
parts of gravel. Have vat of quick
lime that has been well-slacked under
water for some days previous to using,
and use this thin milk of lime to wet up
and mix into mortar the water-lime,
sand and gravel. There should be
about one part of quick-lime to eight of
sand used.
If the silo is to be below the surface
and particularly if the situation is
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In the top-layer three-quarter-inch
bolts 21 inches long are imbedded II
inches in the wall projecting 9 inches
above and with a thread and nut on the
upper end and square bent on the
lower There should be one in the GEN.
ter and one II inches from each end
wall, and in line. Eight by ten-inch
plates are placed on the top of the wall,
having holes through which the bolts
pass, and the nuts screwed on. The
plates are framed for short posts or 5
feet long upon which the roof is placed.
The space between the wall and roof is
boarded up excepting such space as is
wanted for doors. The doors should be
double, one hung inside and the other
outside. The inside door should be
hung so as to close even with the wall
and felt put between the jams SO as to
make it air-tight, and the outer door
should be so made that the space be-
tween the two can be filled with saw
dust to the more perfectly exclude the
air after the silo has been filled.
The inside of the walls of the silo is
given an even coat of cement thor
oughly troweled down, so as to be
smooth, and the bottom is also cemented
SO as to be water-tight The concrete
wall will cost about 10 cents per cubic
foot, and the entire silo should not cost
over $3.50 per ton Of capacity. -CoI-