PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS IN A RECTANGULAR SILO

The pressure exerted by the material stored in rectangular flexible-wa ll silos is investigated during filling. Tests on a large-scale steel model silo with a pyramidal hopper showed that the stress state of the material stored is influenced significantly by the wall flexibility a nd boundary conditions. The measured wall pressures were very differen t from pressures predicted by traditional theories and existing design codes. This is because most traditional theories were developed for r igid-wall circular silos and ignored the effects of interaction betwee n stored material and structure. The causes of the observed pressure r edistribution are explained.