[AT] Silo roofs

[Al Walker]

Having been employed by a silo company at one time, I fully agree with Carls 
description.  Around here, there are dozens of no longer used concrete stave 
silos.  Mostly with roofs.  Not very many livestock producers anymore.
Al in NW MN


-----Original Message----- 
From: Carl Gogol
Sent: Sunday, October 26, 2014 6:43 PM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] Silo roofs

Dean-  Manly silos where I grew up did not have roofs, they were an extra
cost item at the time of construction.
A roof on the typical concrete stave silo is a no-fastener lock together
assembly of curved aluminized steel (?)  sheet wedges that can structurally
support themselves, shed snow and not blow off in most storms.  They were
captured at the top of the silo behind the top most hoop and further shimmed
with driven aluminum u-shaped wedges to conform to the flat sided staves
more tightly.  They were assembled once the silo was constructed and the
interior elevator scaffold was still in place.  Seems like wooden roofs went
out with wooden silos.  The aluminum / metal roofs did not have a skeleton
and the tripod was, as has already been mentioned, the support for the top
unloading silage auger/blower.  I remember this from the construction of our
own silo in about 1959.
Carl