Support construction for silos

Abstract

 Support construction for silos (2), more particularly for one or more silos (2), which support construction (1) consists at least of upright-standing columns (3) and one or more struts (5), carried by the columns (3), for supporting the silo (2), silos (2), respectively, characterized in that, on one hand, the columns (3) consist of beams (4) of reinforced concrete which are provided with coupling means (9) for attaching the struts (5), whereas, on the other hand, the struts (5) consist of metal, more particularly steel.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a support construction for silos, more particularly to a support construction for one or more silos.

[0002] Substantially, the intended support construction is intended for silos which are formed substantially of a cylinder-shaped tank, provided with a hopper outlet at the bottom, and which, as known, are used for the temporary storage and transit of bulk products. Hereby, the silos are mounted in height by means of said support constructions, such that trucks, tank trucks or such can move under the hopper outlet in order to be loaded.

[0003] Such silos mostly are arranged in a group, adjacent to each other, on a common support construction; however, a mounting with only one silo is not excluded.

[0004] It is known that such support constructions consist of upright-standing columns, which, in the case of several silos, are erected in a grid-like pattern, and between which struts are provided according to vertical directions, for supporting the silos, in particular for supporting the carrying constructions 7 in which the silos are suspended.

[0005] With known support constructions, both the aforementioned columns as well as the struts and carrying constructions 7 substantially are made of steel.

[0006] Such known support constructions, however, show all ciassic disadvantages of a steel construction, such as susceptibility to corrosion, deformations as a result of alterations in the ambient temperature, considerable permanent deformations due to fire, a low resistance in the case of collisions, high cost price and maintenance costs, and the like.

[0007] The present invention aims at offering a remedy for these and other disadvantages.

[0008] To this aim, the invention relates to a support construction for one or more silos, consisting of at least upright-standing columns and one or more struts, carried by the columns, for supporting the silo, silos, respectively, with as a characteristic that, on one hand, the columns consist of beams of reinforced concrete which are provided with coupling means for attaching the struts, whereas, on the other hand, the struts consist of metal, more particularly steel.

[0009] Thereby, a support construction is obtained which provides for an optimum combination of concrete and metal parts. By using concrete columns, a subconstruction of the support construction is obtained which is shock-proof, very stable and relatively inexpensive to realize, whereas, due to the use of metal struts, a comparatively light-weight bridging-over between the columns can be realized, which offers good mounting possibilities for the silos.

[0010] In doing so, also less parts will be necessary in comparison to known support constructions.

[0011] Moreover, for the beams, use can be made of prefabricated beams. Due to the ideal manufacturing circumstances in which such prefabricated beams are realized, the advantage is created that these beams are high-quality beams. Moreover, they allow for a fast erection at the location where the support construction must be installed, as a result of which there will be less hindrance due to the works for realizing the silo support construction.

[0012] In particular, it is possible to use beams made of pre-tensioned concrete, with, apart from the aforementioned advantages of the prefabricated beams, the additional advantage that the beams can be made more slender and less deformations will occur.

[0013] Said coupling means preferably comprise head pieces, more particularly steel head pieces, which are attached to the upper extremities of the beams concerned, more particularly are fixed by means of anchoring means cast into the concrete, and which enable an ideal connection between, on one hand, the beams of reinforced concrete and, on the other hand, the steel struts.

[0014] Preferably, the steel struts are formed of each time a frame, more particularly in the shape of a framework, which offers the advantage that an inexpensive and still sufficiently solid construction can be obtained for transferring the loads, which are a result of the weight of the silos and their contents, to the beams of reinforced concrete, with moreover less parts to be mounted on site, as such strut can be mounted and/or welded together beforehand.

[0015] A particularly suitable form of a strut is obtained by realizing the framework with an upper beam, in the shape of a first horizontal sectional bar, which is attached between the head pieces of two columns, and a lower beam, in the shape of a second horizontal sectional bar, which is attached between said beams, at a distance below the head pieces. Due to the connection by means of the upper beam and the head pieces, a very stable coupling between the different columns is created, whereas by the connection by means of the lower beam, the rigidity of the support construction against tilting is increased.

[0016] Preferably, a support construction for a single silo is formed by four columns and four struts, whereby the columns are erected in a square pattern and each strut is carried by the two columns of one side of said square. Hereby, a simple extension towards support constructions for several silos is possible by having one strut and the columns carrying such strut also serve for the support construction of an adjacent silo. Thus, in the case of several silos, a support construction is obtained whereby the columns are erected according to a grid-like pattern and the struts are provided thereupon according to vertical directions. Such support construction offers the advantage that between the columns, streets are formed between which the trucks and such can ride in order to position themselves below a certain silo and, moreover, whereby due to the fact that certain columns and struts are common thereto, a less expensive construction can be obtained than in the case that each silo would be mounted on its own support construction.

[0017] According to a particularly preferred from of embodiment, the support construction comprises for each silo, for suspending this silo, a carrying construction which is carried by the struts, whereby this carrying construction preferably consists of carrying elements, in particular of simple sectional steel bars, which are situated in a substantially horizontal plane and which are combined such that they form a seat for the silo to be supported, this preferably in the shape of an octagon. Such carrying constructions 7 form a solid and stable base for suspending substantially cylindrical silos, and due to the octagonal shape, they can join with four sides perfectly against the struts which are erected in a square pattern in order to transfer in this way the forces of the carrying construction to the struts in a uniform manner.

[0018] Preferably, the carrying elements will be dismountable in respect to each other, and each strut of the support construction will comprise at least one carrying element, either in the form of an additional carrying element attached to the strut, more particularly at the location of the upper beam, or in the form of a carrying element which forms a part of the strut itself, such that, after mounting the struts and intermediate carrying elements, a closed carrying construction is created. In this manner, the carrying construction can be composed in rather a simple manner during mounting on site, whereas the struts beforehand still remain separately transportable. Also, a modularly designed whole is created, which can be expanded at all times, when additional silos must be installed.

[0019] According to a very suitable form of embodiment of the invention, said head pieces comprise, on one hand, a horizontal base plate on which, at the upper side, an upwardly directed tube-shaped coupling part for the struts is fixed, and, on the other hand, anchoring means for anchoring the head piece in the beam, preferably in the form of anchoring rods fixed at the underside of the base plate, which rods extend in the concrete beam. In this manner, a good anchoring of the head piece is obtained and the forces exerted upon the struts are transferred onto the columns of reinforced concrete in a uniform manner. Moreover, by this form of embodiment the head piece can be integrated into a prefabricated beam, at the manufacturing thereof, and, when a pre-tensioned beam is intended and when a passage is provided in the base plate, the pre-tensioning means hereby applied can be housed in the upwardly directed tube-shaped coupling part.

[0020] In a recommended form of embodiment, each strut is attached to the columns by means of flanges and bolt connections. Consequently, the mounting of the struts on the columns is rather simple, and a support construction can easily be expanded for additional silos without necessitating dismounting works, such as with known support constructions. Moreover, possible manufacturing and mounting deviations of the columns, in horizontal as well as vertical directions, easily can be counterbalanced, as a result of which a perfect horizontal mounting of the struts, in particular of the carrying constructions 7, can be realized very easily.

[0021] With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, hereafter, as an example without any limitative character, a preferred form of embodiment is described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 in perspective represents a support construction according to the invention, for multiple silos, whereby, for clarity's sake, only several silos are mounted;

figure 2 represents a support construction for one silo, more particularly of the part indicated in figure 1 by F2;

figure 3 represents a view according to arrow F3 in figure 2;

figure 4 represents a view according to arrow F4 of figure 3.

[0022] As represented in figure 1, the invention relates to a support construction 1 for silos 2, more particularly a support construction 1 for mounting such silos 2 at a certain height above the ground.

[0023] The support construction 1 represented in figure 1 substantially consists of vertical columns 3 which are erected in a square grid pattern, and of struts 5 provided between those columns 3 according to two vertical directions, such that between these struts 5 substantially square compartments 6 are bordered.

[0024] Between the four surrounding struts 5 of each compartment 6, octagonal steel carrying constructions 7 situated in a horizontal plane are provided, in which silos 2, more particularly cylinder-shaped silos 2, are suspended vertically, which silos are provided, for example, at the bottom, with a not-represented hopper outlet and which, in this case, rest upon the carrying construction 7 with a funnel-shaped extremity 8.

[0025] As clearly represented in figures 2 to 4, the columns 3 are formed of beams 4 of reinforced concrete, possibly of pre-tensioned beams 4, at which, at the upper extremity, coupling means 9 are provided for attaching the struts 5, whereas said struts 5 are realized in metal, more particularly steel.

[0026] For each beam 4, said coupling means 9 comprise a steel head piece 10 which rests with a horizontal base plate 11 upon the upper surface of the column 3 and upon which, at the upper side, an upwardly directed tube-shaped coupling part 12 is attached, preferably welded thereto, more particularly a coupling part 12 having four coupling sides 13 which are situated opposite to each other two by two, in particular in the form of a vertical tube with a square cross-section. In the coupling sides 13, pre-formed openings 14 may or may not be provided.

[0027] Each head piece 10 is connected to the beam 4 by means of anchoring means which preferably consist of anchoring rods 15 which are attached to the underside of the base plate 11 and which, as represented in figure 4, extend in the concrete beam 4, for example, are cast into the concrete during the construction of the beam 4.

[0028] According to a not-represented alternative, also wire rods can be cast in which protrude with their ends from the upper extremity of the beam 4 concerned, upon which the head piece 10 then can be fixed, for example, by means of the base plate 11.

[0029] The struts 5 which are provided between the columns 3 are formed, as represented in figures 2 to 4, by a frame, more particularly a framework, which comprises an upper beam 16 and a lower beam 17, both consisting of a horizontal sectional bar, in this case with an I-profile, whereby the upper beam 16 is fixed between the respective coupling sides 13 of two adjacent head pieces 10, whereas the lower beam 17 is provided between the concrete beams 4, at a certain distance below the upper beam 16, and whereby the upper beam 16 and the lower beam 17 are connected to each other by means of upwardly directed sectional bars 18-19. As represented, these upwardly directed sectional bars 18-19, preferably tubular bars, comprise, for example, two vertical sectional bars 18 situated at a certain distance to the columns 3, as well as two inclined sectional bars 19 which, respectively, extend beween the places where the vertical sectional bars 18 adjoin to the lower beam 17, and places which are situated next to the respective extremities of the upper beam 16.

[0030] The struts 5 rest with the underside of the upper beam 16 on the upper side of the columns 3, more particularly by the intermediary of filling plates 20 which, as represented in figure 4, are provided between the upper beam 16 and the base plate 11 of the head pieces 10, such in order to mount the struts 5 horizontally levelled and/or to transfer the weight of the respective silo 2, resting thereupon, onto the columns 3 in an optimum manner.

[0031] At each extremity, of the upper beam 16 as well as the lower beam 17, the struts 5 are provided of a transverse flange 21-22 with which, on one hand, the struts 5 adjoin to the columns 3, more particularly, with which the upper beams 16 adjoin to the coupling sides 13 of the head pieces 10 and the lower beams 17 to the flanks 23 of the beams 4, and with which, on the other hand, the struts 5 are fixed at these columns 3 by means of bolt connections. In the represented example, these bolt connections consist of bolts 24 and not-represented nuts with which the transverse flanges 21 of the upper beam 16 are tensioned against the head pieces 10, and bolts 25, such as key bolts, with which the flanges 22 of the lower beam 17 are fixed at the flanks 23 of the beam 4.

[0032] Said carrying constructions 7, in which the silos 2 are suspended, consist of carrying elements 26-27, preferably in the form of sectional steel bars, which are combined such that they define an octagon 28 which is situated in a substantially horizontal plane and forms a seat 29 for the silo 2 to be supported.

[0033] In the represented example, said octagonal carrying construction 7 is formed by means of eight carrying elements 26-27 which form the respective sides of said octagon 28, and which are dismountable in mutual respect, to which aim they are provided at their extremities with transverse flanges 30, provided in a mitred manner, with which these carrying elements 26-27 mutally adjoin to each other and with which the carrying elements 26-27 are connected to each other by means of bolts 31.

[0034] Each carrying construction 7 is provided between four surrounding struts 5 of a compartment 6 of the support construction 1, preferably such that, as represented in figure 2, four carrying elements 26 of the eight carrying elements 26-27 are situated parallel to respectively one of said four struts 5, more particularly are attached to the upper beam 16 thereof, for example, welded thereto, whereas the remaining carrying elements 27 are mounted therebetween.

[0035] It is clear that when using such support construction 1, the weight of each silo 2 and, possibly, also of the contents thereof, is distributed equally over the carrying construction 7 and is transferred from the struts 5 onto the columns 3 by means of the upper beam 16 and the lower beam 17.

[0036] The vertical forces are transferred almost integrally onto the beams 4 of the columns 3, by the intermediary of the filling plates 20, such that the bolt connections 24-25, with which the struts 5 are fixed at the columns 3, are almost not loaded by shearing forces.

[0037] It is clear that the described support construction 1 also can be applied for one silo 2 by erecting four columns 3 in a square pattern and connecting those in the aforementioned manner by means of four struts 5 which each are situated along the sides of said square. Of course, other arrangements, for example, triangular, pentangular, and the like, are not excluded.

[0038] Due to the modular design, an extension of the support construction 1 in order to support additional silos 2 is rather simple. Thereby, already existing beams 4 and struts 5 may serve as common parts for the additional support construction 1. To this aim, for each additional silo 2 one or maximum two additional columns 3 are erected in order to be able to form a new square compartment 6 by means of additional struts 5. The struts 5, which are already provided with a carrying element 26 of the carrying construction 7, are laid with the upper beam 16 between the head pieces 10 upon the beams 4 and set horizontally levelled by means of filling plates 20 and subsequently are fixed by means of bolts 24-25. Finally, the carrying construction 7 is completed in order to form an octagon 28 by providing and fixing, by means of bolts, additional carrying elements 27 between the carrying elements 26 of the struts 5.

[0039] In a deviating form of embodiment, certain parts of the struts 5 may serve as a carrying element 26 of the carrying construction 7. So, for example, may a carrying construction 7 be realized by providing four carrying elements 27 directly between, for example, the upper beams 16 of the struts 5 of one and the same silo compartment 6, such that these carrying elements 27, together with the upper beams 16, represent an octagon 28.

[0040] Of course, other forms of struts 5 and carrying constructions 7 are not excluded. Also, the carrying constructions 7 can be omitted when the silos 2 are supported directly on the struts 5 and/or the columns 3.

[0041] Depending on the free height which has to be realized below the silos 2, thus, depending on the length of the columns 3, additional support elements 32, as represented in figure 1, can be provided in order to connect the columns 3, for reinforcing the support construction 1.

[0042] It is clear that by beams of reinforced concrete, beams are intended which, except the usual reinforcement, substantially consist of concrete, thus contrary to metal tubes or such filled with concrete.

[0043] The present invention is in no way limited to the form of embodiment and represented in the figures, however, such support construction 1 may be realized according to different variants, without leaving the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. Support construction for silos (2), more particularly for one or more silos (2), which support construction (1) consists at least of upright-standing columns (3) and one or more struts (5), carried by the columns (3), for supporting the silo (2), silos (2), respectively, characterized in that, on one hand, the columns (3) consist of beams (4) of reinforced concrete which are provided with coupling means (9) for attaching the struts (5), whereas, on the other hand, the struts (5) consist of metal, more particularly steel.

2. Support construction according to claim 1, characterized in that the beams (4) of reinforced concrete consist of prefabricated beams and/or pre-tensioned beams.

3. Support construction according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said coupling means (9) of each beam (4) comprise a head piece (10) made of metal, more particularly steel, which is attached onto the upper extremity of the beam (4).

4. Support construction according to claim 3, characterized in that each head piece (10) concerned, on one hand, comprises a horizontal base plate (11), on which, at the upper side, an upwardly directed tube-shaped coupling part (12) for the struts (5) is fixed, and, on the other hand, comprises anchoring means (15) with which the head piece (10) is anchored in the beam (4).

5. Support construction according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the head piece (10) shows four coupling sides (13) which are situated opposite to each other two by two.

6. Support construction according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the struts (5) are formed of frames, more particularly in the form of a framework.

7. Support construction according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the aforementioned coupling means (9) consist of head pieces (10) provided at the upper side of the columns (3) and that the struts (5) consist of frames which comprise at least an upper beam (16), in the form of a first horizontal sectional bar, which is fixed between the head pieces (10) of two columns (3), as well as a lower beam (17), in the form of a second horizontal sectional bar, which is fixed between said beams (4), at a distance below the head pieces (10).

8. Support construction according to claim 7, characterized in that between the upper beam (16) and the lower beam (17), two vertical sectional bars (18) are provided at a distance to the columns (3), as well as two inclined sectional bars (19) which extend between the locations where the vertical sectional bars (18) adjoin the lower beam (17), locations which are situated next to the respective extremities of the upper beam (16), respectively.

9. Support construction according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a support construction (1) for one silo (2) is formed by four columns (3) and four struts (5), whereby the columns (3) are erected in a square pattern and each strut (5) is situated along one side of this square.

10. Support construction according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that a support construction (1) for several silos (2) comprises columns (3) which are erected according to a grid pattern and at which struts (5) are provided according to perpendicular directions, such that, for support constructions (1) of adjoining silos (2), the columns (3) and struts (5) situated between the silos (2) are common.

11. Support construction according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises for each silo (2), for suspending said silo (2), a carrying construction (7) which is carried by the struts (5).

12. Support construction according to claim 11, characterized in that the carrying construction (7) consists of carrying elements (26-27), in particular sectional steel bars, which are situated in a substantially horizontal plane and form a seat (29) for the silo (2) to be supported.

13. Support construction according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the carrying construction (7) is composed of carrying elements (26-27) which define an octagon (28).

14. Support construction according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that certain carrying elements (26-27) can be dismounted in mutual respect and that each strut (5) of the support construction (1) comprises at least one carrying element (26), either in the form of an additional carrying element (26) attached to the strut (5), or in the form of a carrying element forming a part of the strut (5) itself, such that after the mounting of the struts (5) and intermediate carrying elements (26), a closed carrying construction (7) is created.

15. Support construction according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the struts (5) are fixed at the columns (3) and head pieces (10) possibly pertaining thereto by means of flanges (21-22) and bolt connections (24-25).

16. Support construction according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the struts (5) are laterally fixed at head pieces (10) which are placed upon the columns (3), whereas, below the extremities of these struts (5), also filling plates (20) are provided with which they are supported towards the bottom on the aforementioned columns (3), whether by the intermediary of other parts or not.

17. Support construction according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that below the struts (5), additional support elements (32) are provided in order to connect the columns (3).

Drawing