When Duynie, industry leaders in 100% natural animal feed products, came to us with a damaged GRP food storage silo, time was not essential as the focus was to get it fixed and regardless of time.
The Ø3m (3m circular) dry grain storage silo had developed a tear across the circumference of the tan lane, splitting the side wall from the top dish, rendering it out of action. This downtime incurred costs to Duynie in having to find alternate storage for the produce until the vessel was repaired.
The inspection
Our on-site inspection revealed that the split had formed due to seam degradation, separating the two GRP sections. This separation manifests as a tear, in this case, caused by heat and moisture swelling.
We determined that repairs were of moderate difficulty, on arrival to site it was noted the tear had progressed further along the line, enhancing the deformation of the body creating an imposable repair job on site, requiring the storage silo to be transported to PDFL facilities.
As approximately less than 25% of the top remained intact, a full replacement of the storage silo was not needed in this case, a repair of the 2 GRP sections would suffice in having the silo back in operation.
The repair method
We decided the best course of action would be to cut off a top section of the GRP food grain storage silo to maintain the existing circular shape.We removed the top dish, cleaned up the silo.
Once the silo vessel arrived at our facilities,
bracing inside the vessel was added to return the vessel to its cylindrical shape, assisting in aligning the dished end to the body of the storage silo in the PDFL fabrication shop.
The vessel was cradled for ease of rotation, allowing us to repair the lid, refit it and re-glass it, permanently repairing the original tear. The repaired silo was then delivered back to the site, creating a single unit stronger than when it was new. A quality guarantee covers the repair. We specialise in GRP, this includes repairs to silos and bulk vessels, including partial replacements and linings
The result
In Duynie’s case, we determined that a repair of the silo was necessary to achieve a high-quality product by avoiding major capital outlay and strengthening the connection of the 2 section greater than that of original lay-up. GRP is an exceptionally strong material, and it is a misconception that it is not repairable – most damage is repairable.
We had Duynie’s GRP grain storage silo back up and running within 14 days, ensuring minimal downtime. The deformation of the body was corrected accurately, extending the lifespan of the silo by another 3-5 years at least.
