Silos (2024)

A silo is a structure for storing bulk materials. Silos are used in agriculture to store grain or fermented feed known as silage. Silos are more commonly used for bulk storage of grain, food products.Three types of silos are in widespread use today: tower silos, bunker silos,bag silos and silage piles.

1. Tower Silo:

Storage silos are cylindrical structures, typically 10 to 90 ft (3 to 27 m) in diameter and 30 to 275 ft (10 to 90 m) in height. They can be made of many materials such as wood staves, concrete staves, cast concrete, and steel panels. Silos can be unloaded into rail cars, trucks or conveyors.

Advantages;

  • Tends to pack well due to its own weight

  • Lower Storage Losses

  • Requires less area for construction

  • Allows greater mechanization during filling and feedout

  • Convenient to unload in winter

Disadvantages;

  • Higher initial cost

  • Unloads more slowly

  • Silage moisture cannot be as high as compared to other silo types

2. Bunker Silo:

Bunker silos are trenches, usually with concrete walls, that are filled and packed with tractors and loaders. The filled trench is covered with a plastic tarp to make it airtight.

Advantages;

  • Holds large capacity
  • Can be filled with conventional farm equipment
  • Offers faster unloading rates
  • Forage quality changes occur gradually if filled using the progressive wedge
  • Inexpensive
  • Well suited to very large operations.

Disadvantages;

  • Higher initial cost
  • Requires greater care in filling and packing
  • Will not work for smaller herds
  • Need usually unloading with a tractor and loader.
3. Silo Bags:

Bag silos are heavy plastic tubes, usually around 8 to 12 ft (2.4 to 3.6 m) in diameter, and of variable length as required for the amount of material to be stored. They are packed using a machine made for the purpose, and sealed on both ends.

Advantages;

  • Lower capital investment
  • Flexible storage system
  • Feed is easily inventoried
  • Can be used for small and large herds
  • Fewer safety and health hazards
  • Lower Storage Losses

Disadvantages;

  • Specialized equipment may be needed
  • Plastic disposal creates extra labor and environmental concerns
  • Bags must remain intact, compromised bag can result in a complete loss
4. SilagePiles:

A silage pile is constructed by unloading silage into an elevator and piling up the silage, much as a quarry piles sand or gravel.

Advantages;

  • Inexpensive
  • Good for short term storage needs

Disadvantages;

  • Large amount of exposed surface area
  • Greatest loss of dry matter during storage
  • More difficult to pack
Web Segments:

https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/cwas/files/2010/07/ForageStorageOptions.pdf

https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/forage/drive-over-silage-pile-construction/

Silos (2024)

FAQs

What does in silos mean? ›

Working in silos describes a situation when individuals and teams are working on the same objective but don't communicate enough. The term 'silos' itself refers to containers used to store grains. So, it's just like having individuals locked up in containers doing their work separately without coordination.

What is silo in business? ›

In business, organizational silos refer to business divisions that operate independently and avoid sharing information. It also refers to businesses whose departments have silo' system applications, in which information cannot be shared because of system limitations.

What is the meaning of Siloed? ›

si·​loed ˈsī-(ˌ)lōd. : kept in isolation in a way that hinders communication and cooperation : separated or isolated in a silo (see silo entry 1 sense 3) The top team at Mars [Inc.] was siloed and replete with unspoken agendas.

What is the simple definition of silos? ›

1. : a trench, pit, or especially a tall cylinder (as of wood or concrete) usually sealed to exclude air and used for making and storing silage. 2. a. : a deep bin for storing material (such as coal)

Are silos good or bad? ›

Silos cause communication breakdowns, hinder productivity, and turn employees into narrow-minded thinkers. Here's how to break them down once and for all. Breaking down silos is a core way to improve cross-team collaboration. That's why leaders should pay attention to this problem.

What does sitting in silos mean? ›

Working in silos is a work culture where teams or departments operate in isolation without actively sharing information and resources or collaborating across organizational boundaries. When teams work in silos, they function as separate entities rather than interconnected parts of a larger whole.

What are the 3 major types of silos in business? ›

Here are three kinds of silos:
  • Organizational silos. Most company organizational structures consist of several departments and sub-departments. ...
  • Information silos. When departments don't properly record, share, and integrate new information, it creates information silos. ...
  • Silo mentality.
Feb 13, 2023

Why are silos a bad thing for a company? ›

Silos can often lead to organizational paralysis when one department waits for another to take action before it can move forward. Silos can also make it difficult for employees to share knowledge and learn from each other.

What does silos mean in sales? ›

DEFINITION. Breaking down silos in B2B marketing and sales refers to the process of enhancing communication and collaboration between marketing and sales teams. It involves eliminating barriers that prevent these teams from sharing information, aligning their goals, and working together towards a common objective.

What is an example of a silo? ›

Organizational silos can form according to an employee's: Department: Employees who have similar roles may create an organizational silo within their department. For example, at one website company, the copywriting team may have a separate silo than the editing team.

What is a synonym for silo? ›

Synonyms: granary, crib , pit , storehouse, storage area, food storage. Sense: Underground missile site. Synonyms: rocket launcher, missile silo, missile launch site, launch pad.

Why is it called a silo? ›

Archaeological ruins and ancient texts show that silos were used in ancient Greece as far back as the late 8th century BC; the term silo is derived from the Greek σιρός (siros), "pit for holding grain". The silo pit, as it has been termed, has been a favorite way of storing grain from time immemorial in Asia.

How do silos work? ›

Once your goods have been brought to the silo, gravity will naturally control the flow at which the grain reaches the bottom of the silo. At the bottom of the silo, there is an opening that connects to an auger—a device used to safely transport grain from one place to another.

What does silos mean in project? ›

Silos in business refer to individuals and teams that are cut off from each other, with each working in their own little bubble. Just as physical silos store material and keep it separate, siloed teams work in isolation and withhold information from others in the organization (often unintentionally).

Why do farmers go into silos? ›

Silos are used in agriculture to store grain or fermented feed known as silage. Silos are more commonly used for bulk storage of grain, food products.

What does silos mean in big data? ›

A data silo is a collection of information isolated from an organization and inaccessible to all parts of a company hierarchy. Data silos create expensive and time consuming problems for businesses, but they are relatively simple to resolve.

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