DECATUR, INDIANA
One of the greatest concerns (and headaches) for a grain or feed storage facility is the protection of its product from water and contamination. Most of these facilities use large concrete silos or bins to store their materials. However, weather, lack of maintenance and faulty construction can lead to the deterioration of these silos, resulting in moisture intrusion and structural damage. The operator is usually forced to take then that silo out of service, which is a direct loss of revenue as well as an interruption to the operation.
Central Soya has one of its largest operations in Decatur, Indiana and is one of the largest complexes in the Midwest. Time and weather had taken its toll on a number of their silos and Trisco Systems, Inc. was hired to evaluate and correct existing problems and add service life to their silos.
The varied and difficult scope of work performed required Central Soya and Trisco to develop a master schedule to get their currently defunct silos back into operation for grain season, while working on and around approximately one hundred other silos. The work included removing large sections of the concrete silo walls (some as large as 25×40 ft high), replacing all reinforcing, and pouring new 6-inch thick walls. Thousands of square feet of deteriorated concrete was replaced, tens of thousands of linear feet of structural fracturing was repaired. Hundreds of thousands of square feet were cleaned and coated with waterproofing materials. The significant size of this project along with the varied and sometimes-dangerous work items performed are an excellent example of Trisco’s capabilities. Coordination and cooperation by both Central Soya and Trisco is a testament of how good planning, project control, and a professional approach to difficult situations can ensure project success.
