Steel Grain Silos South Africa
Aquadam manufactures corrugated steel grain silos in Pretoria for on farm storage, from 50 to 2 750 tonnes. Built from the same G550 Zincalume steel and the same bolted panel engineering as our water tanks, and erected by local installation partners.
On farm storage changes when a crop has to be sold. Without it, grain moves at harvest, when everyone else is selling and the price is at its lowest. With it, the decision moves to the farmer.
Smart-Silo specifications
| Capacity | 50 to 2 750 tonnes |
|---|---|
| Shell material | G550 Zincalume corrugated steel |
| Diameter | 5.2 m to 15.0 m |
| Wall height | 2 to 20 rings |
| Base options | Flat bottom, or 30 degree discharge cone |
| Roof | Clear span |
| Manufacture | Pretoria, South Africa |
Why bolted steel for grain storage
Built on site
Panels are rolled in the factory and bolted up on the farm, so a large silo does not need abnormal load transport or a crane big enough to lift a finished shell.
Sized to the harvest
Diameter and ring count are chosen together, so the silo matches the tonnage actually grown rather than the nearest catalogue size.
Erected locally
Installation is carried out by partner teams in the region. Contractors can apply to join the network on our installer partner page.
Silos and water storage on the same farm
Most farms that need grain storage also need water storage, and the two are built from the same engineering. Aquadam supplies both: see agricultural and irrigation water tanks for irrigation, livestock and rainwater harvesting storage, and steel water tank sizes and capacities for the full water tank range from 10 000 litres upwards.
Aquadam delivers and installs across all nine provinces from its Pretoria factory. See coverage and locations.
Sizing a silo to your harvest
Silos are specified in tonnes rather than litres, and the tonnage a given shell holds depends on the bulk density of what goes into it — maize, wheat, soya, sorghum and sunflower all pack differently, so the same diameter and ring count will not hold the same weight of each. Tell us the crop and the tonnage you need to hold and the shell is sized from there.
Diameter and ring count are chosen together. A wider, shorter silo suits a site with height restrictions or softer ground; a narrower, taller one uses less footprint and less foundation area. Aquadam builds from 5.2 m to 15.0 m diameter and 2 to 20 rings, which covers roughly 50 to 2 750 tonnes across the range.
Flat bottom or discharge cone
A flat bottom silo stores more grain for the same shell and suits long term storage where the crop is moved out with a sweep auger. A 30 degree cone empties fully under gravity, which suits faster turnaround and blending, at the cost of some capacity and a taller support structure. Which one is right depends on how often the silo is filled and emptied in a season.
Grain storage and water storage are built from the same bolted panel engineering, and most farms that need one need the other. See agricultural and irrigation water tanks for irrigation, livestock and rainwater storage, or use the tank size calculator to size the water side.