Silo Construction

[Red Horse]

Not sure if this is the place for this but its a start. Our local Ag fair is in the process of building a new exhibit building that will be a barn used to display small animals as a primarily kids attraction. Someone has given us a 10' dia. silo dome. My task is to figure out how to construct a 25' +/- structure to go underneath it. This thing will not be functional but must of course withstand the town's building inspector as well as typical New England weather conditions.

Anyone have any thoughts/suggestions?

 

[zzvyb6]

5' high cement block base wall, then 20' tongue & grooved 2x6's. Make your own T&G with a dado cutter and tipped slightly to give you the 10' diameter AND a good, tight fit. Hex internal framing to brace in middle and top. Metal banding at bottom, middle and top to contain the boards in place.

Add a circular staircase to get up to a 'viewing deck' near the top. Wish I had added a hot tub, but I believed the weight was too much.

Does the dome have a filler port? Great observation deck at that height if you put enough casters on the upper ring. The real project will be to get the dome up there: Either piece by piece or use a rental manlift or crane to pick up the fully assembled dome. Piece by piece takes too much rigging and too many elbows and #&%^'s A utility company's boom truck is perfect if you can find someone to donate the time & trouble.

I currently have an old Bahlen corn crib reuse project that begins as soon as Spring arrives. It's gonna be a gazebo. It's a 12' x 16' with a flat sectional top. We want to wrap it in screen wire to keep the bugs out and put a firepit in there somewhere. Upper deck with central staircase AND some gun ports AND a telescope.

 

[jimmysisson]

Whenyou say a 25' structure under, do you mean 25' tall, plus the dome? Or 25' diameter or rectangle with the dome on top. My first reaction is the dome is pretty small for containing an exhibit. With 3' wide spiral stairs (residential scale) plus railings you'd have maybe 42" between. Or were you thinking no stairs, with access from another part of the building?
Maybe if you told us your ideas first we'd have some guidance?
Jim

 

[Red Horse]

Guys,
Thx for your response. this thing is not going to be functional in any way-its just an attraction to compliment the barn. as for height, I was thinking that WITH the dome, total height would be in the area of 25' So assuming the assembled dome height is 5' (I'm guessing steel dome plates did a perfect sphere) that would mean sides would be 20'.

My thought was we would pour a concrete ring wall (we have big frost issues) and then sink anchor bolts or any of the Simpson tie products to hold the structure down.

My first thought was vertical 2 x 6 's on edge at 0, 90, 180 and 270 degrees with 3 2 x 4's between each 2 x 6. these would be blocked horizontally with 2 x 4's that I would give a slight radius to on the band saw. then side the thing with either sheet steel (same grade you would use on a barn roof) or 1 x 6 boards that I would give a slight bevel edge to. It would also have cross bracing internally tieing the 2 x 6's together.

Any and all ideas are appreciated. Ive built a lot of things-but never a silo!

 

[powerstroke444e]

Check with local precast concrete plant. They may have some miss match pipe that you could set on end and build it with.

 

[Duffster]

Not sure if this is the place for this but its a start. Our local Ag fair is in the process of building a new exhibit building that will be a barn used to display small animals as a primarily kids attraction. Someone has given us a 10' dia. silo dome. My task is to figure out how to construct a 25' +/- structure to go underneath it. This thing will not be functional but must of course withstand the town's building inspector as well as typical New England weather conditions.

Anyone have any thoughts/suggestions?

Kind of seems obvious but concrete silo staves?

 

[SandburRanch]

Search red brick silo. Maybe there are some stone masons willing to donate their time for a neat community project.

 

[BHD]

OK If I am reading things correctly, some one gave you a top to a silo, the dome, now your wanting to build a round structure under it mostly for looks, to set besides a building,

(now this is a thought, I bought a used tank, (this one was clean and was used for emergency fire fighting water) and is now being used for potable water, but many times tanks will rot there bottoms and the end result is nearly scrap, if you have a tank dealer or fabricator, maybe one can get a lead on a used steel tank, and put the dome on it, even if the bottom is rotted out it may be more than serviceable for your needs, one could still cut a hole in so kids could look in and hear it echo,

I bought a second tank and cut the bottom off and used it for a cellar roof,

below is a picture of my water tank, but if one would put the dome on it, and the building more barn like, I think you would have it, the tank is 20 foot tall, in the picture

 

[jimmysisson]

Do you know the weight of the half-dome? That might indicate the type of construction you need to hold it up. The BI will be very interested, esp. if it's for a public setting. Your 2x6 with 2x4s sounds like it would work if the top is not heavy. Do you want metal-roofing walls? What kind of appearance are you thinking about?
Sometimes these projects are dictated by what's free or easy to get and the thing can be an eyesore or not fit in with its surroundings. Not saying yours is that, but I'd start with a design, get everyone on board with that, then see what you want to make it out of. Everyone will have an opinion!
Keep us posted.
Jim

 

[zzvyb6]

See attached pix.. These are easy to put up. Build sections on the ground and stand up with a loader.