3 Recommendations for Cement Silo Storage

Cement plants rely heavily on efficiency in operations (no downtime) and storage (holding capacity). Most plants have large capacity silos for storing the finished cement waiting to be packaged and shipped when needed. However, cement is prone to moisture infiltration which can cause hardened blockage, uneven product buildup and structural issues. 

What can be done to guard against costly downtime and lost storage capacity?  

Our recommendations for improved cement storage operations:

1. Structural Silo Inspections – While silos may appear structurally sound on the outside, many of these older silos have hidden dangers due to deterioration from weather, age, and usage. A weakened structure can lead to material leakage, wall or roof failure, or falling debris. A Structural Silo Inspection assesses the integrity of the structure and identifies areas that are at risk for further deterioration and damage. To understand more about what a silo inspection includes, read our explanation about “What to Expect During a Mole∙Master Inspection”.
2. Preventative Maintenance – Everything in life functions better with preventative maintenance. Cement silos are no different. Periodic silo cleaning and maintenance not only removes dangerous buildup of material, but also can alert your team to potential structural issues that may be forming. Mole∙Master offers both the purchase and rental of silo cleaning equipment to allow your team to tackle lower degree of difficulty projects on their own. Higher degree of difficulty jobs or companies that require turnkey cleaning services rely on. Mole∙Master to provide on-site cleaning services utilizing our proprietary Big•Mole™ Silo Cleaning Service.
3. Professional Silo Cleaning – If you’ve ignored steps one and two, chances are you will need step three sooner or later. Cement storage can be problematic and dangerous with blockages, clogging or structural damage. These jobs should be handled by professionals, as the instability of the compounded cement can lead to serious injury or death if not handled safely.Mole∙Master provides silo cleaning that has been vetted across industries and continents, proving that we can decrease downtime and optimize storage capacity immediately and efficiently.
4. One such job recently performed in collaboration with Skookum Technology Ltd. in New Zealand was a successful cleanout and restoration despite numerous challenges. The company operates on the moist, salty coast of New Zealand and their cement storage had built up with severe blockage. To learn more about the project, the methods used to eradicate the problem and the outcome of the job, we’ve provided a case study entitled “Mind Over Matter. A silo cleanout case study in New Zealand.”

  If you are in need of any cement silo cleaning or inspection services, fill out our Quote for Services form or call us today at 740.374.6726.