Equivalent Fluid Pressure Due to Fertilizer

[bpstruct]

Have a project involving fertilizer storage bins. Having trouble making my client's idea work...I know, it is backward anyway. But he has a bunch of material on-hand that he ordered prior to getting the building engineered. Anyway, this project is a rebuild of a building that burned. What is going back up (on the surface) appears to be MUCH better than what was there. The problem I'm having is understanding how the other building didn't have major issues. The bins were separated by walls comprised of various sizes of wood poles (5" to 8"). They were spaced at 5 feet on center and connected with tongue and groove decking (full-height). The fertilizer can reach up about 9 feet on the poles (fertilizer is dumped in from roof - so there would also be some slope at the top). The tallest poles are around 20 feet tall. My calcs show that those poles would have been overstressed by an inordinate amount. Any thoughts on what I should use for an EFP? I used 30 pcf.

 

[Splitrings]

You might look at ASABE EP545, "Loads exerted by free flowing grain". ASABE may have other more appropriate references that I am not familar with too.

 

[ztengguy]

Is it because the fertilizer is dry?

 

[paddingtongreen]

surely you can get the bulk density and measure the angle of repose of these prills.

Wiki gives the bulk density of ammonium nitrate prills as: "bulk density of approximately 840 kg/m3."

Michael.
Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

 

[BAretired]

Fertilizers vary quite a bit in density. 30 pcf seems low. See the attached link.

http://www.fluidfertilizer.com/pdf/Fluid Characteristics.pdf

BA