STORAGE
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Modular silos
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and the benefits of a ‘flat pack’ design
Andy Vanparys, Managing Director, SCE - Silo Construction & Engineering, Belgium
he global demand for food is becoming greater and greater with an everincreasing population, which is why companies will have to produce more efficiently and effectively. SCE are playing an active part in helping companies with this by designing silos that take up little space and are quick to assemble in any production unit. SCE’s first silo was constructed in Belgium 26 years ago and is still in use daily – a testament to the quality of build and design. The company now boasts an impressive global portfolio, of which silos for animal feed are also a part. SCE have completed projects in China, Denmark, Indonesia, Switzerland, Poland, Great Britain, and the Netherlands.
Flat-pack wins - fair and square
SCE square (flat pack) modular silos have achieved global recognition within the feed industry. Time is the biggest risk and cost-driver in a construction period, regardless of whether it’s a feed mill or a flourmill. Through experienced engineering and new technologies SCE offer the fastest erection cycle in the business. A square silo offers 25 percent more storage than a round silo on the same ground surface. The mill building can also be attached directly to a square modular silo, resulting in great efficiency profits to the customer. “We have gained the trust of many milling companies and machine manufacturers because of our long experience within the grain-processing and mixed-feed industry,” says Andy Vanparys, Managing Director. “My father - the founder of the company - was born and raised in feed mills so the passion to keep on improving feed mill buildings is in the genes of our company.” 58 | Milling and Grain
Strong, swift steel
The selection of structural steel for a building’s framing system brings numerous benefits to a project. All other materials are measured against the standard of structural steel and it is still the material of choice. Little surprise, then, that it is the favoured material for SCE silos. The rapid design, fabrication and erection cycle with structural steel allow the structure to be finished sooner and available earlier to other construction partners. The building process can start and finish earlier which leads to a lower total cost of ownership. 3-D interoperability technology allows close cooperation between the erection crew and the mill designers, thereby saving both time and dollars in the construction process.
Light and renewable
Not only is structural steel a stronger material, it also has a much higher strength-to-weight ratio than other materials. This results in the building being lighter and therefore requiring less extensive and costly foundations. Sustainability is structural steel’s middle name: It is the most recycled material on our