Leaning Silo Inches Its Way To Oblivion

Leaning silo inches its way to oblivion AG WORLD Ag World 10-6-17 There was more traffic than usual on Center Road near Alliance, Ohio, this fall with folks driving by the Ed Kibler dairy farm to catch a glimpse of a leaning silo that gradually inched its way to the ground at a rate of some-times as much as a foot a day. A light-hearted comparison to Pisa, Italy's famous Leaning Tower, was the only humor in the otherwise financially tragic situation since the silo, which had been filled with corn silage only a few days before it began leaning, threatened to fall on a recently built specially-designed free-stall barn. The story began to unfold in September when the silo ù one in a row of four ù developed a definite tilt. Kibler speculates that "a terrible wind the night before may have started the thing moving." The silo, built by Superior, which has since gone out of business, was only 12 years old. Kibler immediately called in a host of specialists, including silo company representatives, engineers, and wrecking companies and reports everyone who inspected the silo recommended that he "just stay away and let it go." When the silo first started leaning, livestock housed in the endangered free-stall barn were taken out in anticipation of the impending crash, electrical service to the fated barn was shut off, and family and farm workers avoided traveling between the leaning silo and barn. In early October, Kibler called in Advance Drain Inc., of Canton, Ohio, to begin suctioning silage from the top of the silo. The firm suctioned off about 30 ft. of silage, using their big industrial "Super Sucker" vacuum. Kibler and helpers then dismantled the leaning silo to the silage level and he's now feeding out the rest with a silo unloader at the rate of about 1 ft. per day, dismantling the silo as it's emptied. (Excerpted from Farm and Dairy, Salem, Ohio.) Editor's Note: As this issue of FARM SHOW went to press, The Kiblers reported that the silo was almost completely emptied and torn down. They estimate their total loss at $17,000 for the silo, silage that had to be thrown away, and the expense of having it emptied and torn down. Bob Kissling, president of Advance Drain Inc., told FARM SHOW that this was the first time the firm's "Super Sucker" industrial vacuum had been called to help out in a farm emergency. He notes that there are other similar giant vacuums scattered throughout the country that could feasibly be called in for farm emergencies, such as a silo fire where the owner wanted to get a smouldering structure emptied as quickly as possible. The going rate for the machine is right at $100 per hour. The machine, rated at 6,000 cfm, can suck up most any type of material, including liquids or slurry, via its 8-in. dia. hose, moving it into a self-contained 17 cu. yd. dump box at the rate of about one load per hour. The $159,000 machine, powered by a 300 hp. Cummins engine, can suck up material from 600 ft. away. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Advance Drain Inc., 2004 11th St. NE, Canton, Ohio 49705 (ph 216 455-6966).

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