Re: Concrete for grain bin pad?

Posted by andy r on June 25, 2014 at 20:59:27 from (75.91.149.15):

In Reply to: Concrete for grain bin pad? posted by tomstractorsandtoys on June 25, 2014 at 15:32:49:

Many good ideas and they probably will all work. I have seen square grain bin pads, but they are not common. If you are pouring the pad yourself use the 7/16" masonite 12" lap siding for the form which is available reasonably at all lumber yards. You may know someone who has the steel grain bin forms, but I have built three grain bin pads with the masonite siding and it works well as it bends to make a perfect circle. I think your diameter was 24 feet. So, you would want a minimum of 6" to as much as 8" beyond the grain bin all around the outside. So, you are looking at 25' to 25' 4". To be on the safe side and depending on the type of hold downs you have maybe 25' 6". Strip the sod and fill with something that won't settle if fill is needed. Waste lime, gravel fines, etc. are fairly cheap and pack well. Spread in layers and pack each layer. I packed with a tractor. When the base is completed find the center and drive a stake. 1" to 1 1/2" water pipe works good for the stake. Tie some heavy cord around the pipe and 25' 6" out from the center tie the cord to a piece of 1/2 rod. Holding the rod straight up and down while keeping the line tight scratch a mark in the fill. Make sure the cord doesn't wrap on the center pipe. You can also use some 2 by 4's nailed together with one spike near the end centered in the water pipe and another big nail at the 25' 6" distance. Use the big nail at the end to scribe a line. Either way the line becomes the inside of the forms. Cut some 1 by 4's into 24" stakes with points at one end. Drive these stakes 7/16" outside of the line you marked in the fill. One every foot and a half driven 12" into the fill. Now dig a trench 1 foot wide and 6" deep into the fill. This will give you an outside wall one foot wide and one foot deep. Make sure the top of the center pipe is 6" above the fill. Run a screed board from the pipe to the tops of the stakes making sure each stake is level with the center pipe. When the stakes are driven and level with the center pipe attach the masonite siding to the inside of the stakes with nails bending and pulling the siding up to the top of the stakes. On the first stake center the siding 1/2 way so when you finish the last piece of siding has something to attach to. You have to start at one end nailing so using some "shims" under the siding towards the loose end helps everything fit and be level. At the very end you might have to cut the siding to fit. Verify that the 1) form is level with the center stake all around the outside, 2) that you have 6" between the bottom of the screen board and the fill, and 3) that you have a one foot wide trench which is one foot deep around the outside. Using some cable or log chains go around the outside and pull it together with a come-a-long. Make sure the cable is about 1/2 to 2/3 the way up. The cable makes it so the forms can handle the pressure. Lastly the re-rod. I think this is based off of Conrad America recommendations. Two re-rods around the outside in the trench. Both four to five inches in from the outside of the form. One four to five inches from the bottom of the trench and one four inches down from the top of the concrete. Drive vertical pieces of re-rod in the trench to wire tie to. Lastly, re-rod north and south every 2 feet and re-rod east and west every two feet. All tied together with wire and sat on pieces of rock or brick midway up into the 6" floor. Forming is the hard work. I used a garden tiller to help cut the outside trench. I was told plastic under the concrete is not needed if there is an air floor in the bin. Grain on concrete - yes. I did put plastic under the ones I have built even with floors. A couple bins I put the hooks into the concrete while wet. The last one I used the expanding lag bolts after the concrete had hardened. The trench is necessary to support the weight and to keep rats out. The bigger the bin the deeper and wider the trench. I believe the one foot by one foot works for bins up to 27 feet. Even on the 18 foot diameter bins I have used the 1' by 1' trench. If you already have a level and firm site you could set the 12" masonite forms on top of the ground and then fill the inside with good fill leaving the 1' by 1' trench and 6" for the floor. There are alot of ways, just sharing mine. Bin crew would probably charge at least 2 times the concrete bill for a complete job especially with all of the re-rod. Good luck.

Replies:

• Re: Concrete for grain bin pad? Russ from MN 06:05:40 06/26/14 (0)

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