FAQs
Who is Marietta Group and how does it relate to USA Silo Service?
Marietta Group houses Marietta Silos and USA Silo Service. We lead the industry in silo servicing as the only full-service company that addresses all your silo needs under one roof. We offer silo engineering, silo construction, silo restoration, silo inspection, silo maintenance, silo cleaning, coating, air-pad replacement, vacuum truck service, and other maintenance services for a variety of industries. Marietta Group has a strong work ethic and customer-centered approach. We focus on identifying your needs, developing a cohesive plan, and executing the job to your satisfaction.
What industries do you service?
USA Silo Service, and Marietta Group, serve a variety of industries that require bulk storage of cement, coal, fly ash, lime, clays, aggregates, glass, and sand. To learn more, visit our Silo Services by Industry page.
What steps can be taken to avoid concrete deterioration in buildings, surfaces, and silos?
The best way to prevent concrete deterioration is to start with quality construction. Additional steps to protect your concrete structures and silos include regular, professional silo inspections and following through with the recommended preventive and restorative maintenance.
What types of silos do you service?
USA Silo Service offers inspection, cleaning and maintenance services for a variety of silos, including poured-in-place, cement stave silos, Jumpform, Slipform, bolted steel, and welded steel silos.
The silos and bins we service typically store bulk materials in the coal, aggregate, cement, and grain industries and include carbon black, clinker coal, fly ash, palletized fly ash, soda ash, cement, borax, clay, gypsum, lime, salt, foundry sand, flour, and grain products.
Is safety a top priority and why?
Safety should always be considered a top priority by both the contracted company and the customer. When silos are improperly maintained they are a danger to everyone around them. There are numerous examples of catastrophic silo failures that resulted in severe injury or loss of life. USA Silo Service puts the safety first without compromising the quality of service. Our experts know that safe silos have a longer useful life and lower operating costs for you in addition to reduced liability.
What geographical locations do you service?
USA Silo Service offers fast service throughout North America. The mobile staging trailer saves additional time by allowing small repairs to take place in the same mobilization as an inspection or cleaning service.
What should I look for in a silo company?
When selecting a company for your silo, inspection, cleaning, or maintenance needs you should look for demonstrated experience and a history of customer satisfaction and on the job success. Going with a full-service company gives you the greatest variety of offered services and ensures well rounded technical experience. In the event of an issue with your silo, a full-service company can work with you to build a solution to the problem. In partnership with our sister company, Marietta Silos, we are able to assist with all aspects of silos, including engineering and design, construction, and restoration/repair.
What are grain silos and how do they store perishable materials?
Grain silos are commonly constructed of poured in place concrete or galvanized steel. Concrete is the construction material of choice, as it provides additional strength and safety benefits vs. steel. Grain silos are constructed to be sealed airtight, reducing the risk of spoilage. A removable silo base allows for the easy retrieval and removal of the stored materials whether the silo is used for flour or other grain products. For more details, visit Grain Silos.
Why should I choose your company to service my silo cleaning needs?
Your needs are at the heart of what USA Silo Service does. We use proprietary technology to clean silos and bins more effectively than any other method in the industry. The Boss cleaning technology not only cleans better than the competition, it does so faster. USA Silo Service consistently minimizes time on site to provide better results with less downtime. Fewer days on site, less downtime, and greater silo efficiency provide you with the highest possible return on investment.
How do I know if I have an issue with my silo?
External signs of silo issues can include cracking concrete, bulging walls, or signs of corrosion in steel silos or hoops on concrete silos. Silo foundations that have cracking concrete, indications of differential settlement, deteriorating concrete, and/or erosion are also problematic. From small to major silo issues, our experienced technicians can help you with your silo repair.
Which indicators suggest that there are issues with a concrete silo roof?
Concrete silo roofs can begin to see issues where the steel beams underneath the concrete slab meet the silo walls. They can become susceptible to movement. If the beams start moving, the concrete slab is not reinforced. If there is ponding of water on the roof, that is a good indication of the roof settling and that it requires silo repair.
How do I know if my poured-in-place concrete silo walls have problems?
Horizontal or diagonal cracking in a poured concrete silo wall can signify problems, as can wall bulges or leaks. To determine the extent of the issues, it is essential to schedule a professional silo inspection. During the inspection, a silo expert will sound the silo walls with a sledgehammer to determine if the silo walls are properly reinforced.
What issues are common on a stave silo?
Concrete stave silos have steel hoops that stabilize the structure of the silo. Cracks in the staves, bulging walls, or corroding steel hoops are all possible issues with stave silos. If you see problems with your hoops, it is essential to schedule a professional silo inspection as this could be a sign of silo failure.
What is included in a professional silo inspection?
Silo inspections are performed based on the type of silo that is being inspected and the discharge configuration. Generally, an interior silo inspection is recommended to get a good understanding of the silo condition. We offer three different levels of silo inspection. We bring all the equipment necessary to perform a thorough silo inspection.
When should I schedule a silo inspection?
We typically recommend that silos be inspected annually or every 2-5 years, depending on the stored material and your loading/unloading practices. However, if your silos are having problems or starting to show signs of deterioration, it is important to adjust your silo inspection schedule accordingly. Ultimately, the best silo inspection interval is determined on a case-by-case basis. Some silos could need to be inspected every 6 months.
Is it okay to skip or delay a silo inspection?
Silo safety is one of the most important things we address. Professional inspections are the most effective, preventive method to ensure concrete and steel structures, surfaces, and silos remain safe and fully operational. Best practices recommend professional inspections at two- to five-year intervals to help identify any issues that could lead to silo failure. Regular silo inspections and routine silo maintenance help you increase the useful life of your silo, reduce unplanned downtime, and uphold production goals. Delaying or skipping your silo inspection altogether creates risks that are simply not worth it.
How do I know if my silo roof needs repaired?
Silo roof inspections have become increasingly important as we have seen many issues with silos arise from the silo roof. Look for distress on the concrete slab, ponding of water on top of the silo roof, or cracking around the silo roof. Marietta Silos and USA Silo Service have a good solution for silo roof repair.
How do silo blockages happen?
Silo blockages can happen for several reasons. One of the main causes of blockages is from water intrusion into the silo. USA Silo Service has developed a unique silo roof and silo wall sealing method that bonds directly to the silo, rather than acting as a floating membrane. It covers cracks, holes, and equipment attachment areas and prevents water intrusion. The rubberized coating is thermally stable and has a high tolerance for both hot and cold weather extremes. It resists cracking and peeling due to ozone and ultraviolet exposure.
How are silos cleaned?
There are three different silo cleaning methods for cleaning silos. The first method is whip cleaning which can be a slower cleaning method with limited capabilities. The second is the pneumatic cleaning system used by many silo cleaning companies throughout the US. The third method (proprietary by USA Silos) is called The Boss silo cleaning machine. The Boss is two-thirds more powerful than conventional cleaning methods. The Boss moves more material per hour saving time, money and downtime.
How can you keep a silo clean?
Keep your silo clean to prevent silo compaction by ensuring there are no roof leaks that could cause hydration. Keeping materials within the silo dry and making sure that materials flow easily through the silo are key to keeping your silo clean.
What happens if you don't regularly clean a silo?
Why is it important to keep a silo clean? A regularly cleaned silo not only maintains optimal storage capacity it also remains safer. Material buildup within a silo can lead to structural issues or damaged loading equipment located within the silo. It is important to keep your silo clean because a plugged silo will cause blockage and buildup in your silo not allowing material to freely flow through the silo as it is intended. USA Silos specializes in silo cleaning all types of silos to prevent any blockages within your silo.
