## 4 Applications of Equation (1)  
Equation (1) can be applied to designing new silos, repair existing silos and conditional monitoring of existing silos, similar to how the traditional equation of motion can be applied to designing new structures, repair existing structures and conditional monitoring existing structures. It is important to note, the established scientific principles, fundamental of engineering mechanics and experimental data suggest that the structural response and the dynamic force generated by the flowing granular material are interrelated and cannot be determined independently--mathematically shown in Equation (1) and graphically illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. As such, in designing a new silo or repairing an existing silo, the parameters such as the material properties, structural properties, acoustic properties, supporting ground properties, external accelerations induced by nearby equipment, flow rates, and rate of change of the total mass of the silo need to be evaluated to ensure there is equilibrium between the granular material, silo structure and surrounding air for the entire duration of the discharge cycle. Since the granules are subjected to 'g-forces', such equilibrium is critical in ensuring the silo is structurally safe, because it enables the engineer to alter the mass, damping and stiffness of the silo structure; and material properties such as particle size and moisture content to minimise the generated dynamic force.  
Since dynamic forces generated during discharge are unavoidable, dependent on the motions of the structure, and the motions of the structure are dependent on the properties of the silo structure--to ensure that the silo is structurally safe for the entire duration of its design life, the silo needs to be designed for fatigue with consideration given to time-dependent structural degradations such as corrosion. As such, site specific operational parameters such as frequency of use, duration of each discharge cycle, environmental conditions, structural deteriorations, induced accelerations from moving vehicles and operating equipment nearby, material properties and all the variations in those parameters need to be considered for the entire design life of the silo. In particular, structural deteriorations cause changes to the properties of the silo structure, such as stiffness, damping and mass, thus will lead to redistributions and amplifications of dynamic loads, as suggested by Equation (1), which may adversely affect the integrity of the silo.  
Similar to the traditional equation of motion, which is widely used in the context of structural health monitoring, Equation (1) is also applicable in the context of structural health monitoring to address the time varying nature and interdependency of the dynamic loads, properties of the structure, properties of the materials and other influencing factors, such as environmental factors, site specific operational parameters and induced accelerations from plants operating nearby which cause complex stresses and fatigue failure modes. This is achieved by mounting an array of sensors in signal communication with a computer to detect the flow rates, the mass inside the silo, displacements of the silo structure and granular materials over a plurality of time. The data captured was analysed with computer software configured to solve Equation (1) and logged. Any anomaly can be automatically reported to the designated personnel for review and maintenance planning. Emergency alerts can be sent to the personnel working near silos to evacuate. The logged data can be used later by emerging technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence to better maintain and design silos. Such technology can be retrofitted to existing silos to make them safer and better maintained.