Kirill, Lead Design Engineer, DCC CHIEF
The Bespalivsky grain storage’s tipping bunker is an example of a solution in which the design directly determines reliability and ease of operation. Below, I will describe how we approached its design and how we envision the engineering implementation of this unit in practice. I will review the key design decisions and explain how they are implemented during the installation phase, taking into account actual operating conditions. All design details, engineering, and technical solutions are fully reflected in the video.
Therefore, the receiving pit is made of monolithic concrete. At the initial stage, it is cast in this configuration. The embedded parts are shown in green. I will separately submit these embedded elements to the technical specialist of the structural part of the project in the form of a task for the reinforced concrete structures section.
Next, support elements, platforms, and ladders are installed inside the pit. The supports are welded directly to the embedded parts in the concrete. Essentially, these are free-standing metal posts. The red color indicates fragments of concrete structures — they will be either at the level of the floors with these overlaps or in the area of the foundations on which the pump of the tilting mechanism is located.
After that, the hopper itself is installed. If you remove the unnecessary elements, the diagram looks like this: the hopper is installed on the racks and, if possible, welded to them. The racks serve as support elements for installing the hopper. At the same time, the hopper is 30 mm away from each wall of the pit. Thus, its total dimensions are 60 mm smaller than the internal dimensions of the receiving pit.
After installing the bunker, metal corners are mounted. During installation, these corners are welded so that their shelves rest against the walls of the pit. The corner is simply placed against the wall and welded along the contour. Similar corners are installed around the entire perimeter and on all belts of the structure. In addition, these corners are provided in both the upper and lower parts — that is, both at the top and bottom.
The bottom shelf must be braced against the wall of the pit, as must the top shelf. This horizontal bracing allows for a reduction in the calculated cross-sections of the belts. Otherwise, under horizontal forces, the shelves will not work as designed and will not provide the necessary load-bearing capacity of the structure. Similar solutions are provided for both end and longitudinal walls. The principle is the same: the corner is attached to the wall and welded along the contour.
Next, inclined elements (slopes) appear. They are welded to embedded parts in concrete and to the bunker shelf. These slopes have a slot for installing a beam, which is mounted at the next stage. This is the support beam of the tipping mechanism. The beam has a complex design: a double I-beam, stiffeners, platforms for installing equipment, as well as inclined elements for unloading grain. This is a supporting element, so there are many design nuances associated with it.
Next, struts are installed on this beam, on the stiffeners. The strut rests against the embedded part, is welded along the contour, and is welded to the beam through a shaped element. The struts themselves are installed in the form of rhombuses to ensure effective grain discharge. On the other hand, the scheme is similar — a longer strut, but the principle is the same: resting against the embedded part and welding through the shaped element.
After that, small sheet elements appear. These sheets are welded to the beam, but not to the bottom plate. This is necessary so that when the beam deforms, they can move freely along the bottom plate and not transfer force to it. That is, the sheets are fixed here and here, have a specific curved shape — this is structurally justified.
Next, the drive beams are installed. They are all the same. The only nuance is that it will be inconvenient to perform further concrete finishing in this place. Therefore, we add a rib along the edge of the concrete, to which an inclined chute for grain discharge is welded. This will allow the formwork to be brought up to the rib along a straight edge and this area to be concreted without any problems.
After that, the beams of the pedestrian walkway are installed on top. Next, metal corners are mounted, which are filed down so that they fit onto the channels of the walkway, reach the drive beam, and are welded to both elements. This is necessary to prevent grain from accumulating in this area.
After that, the remaining areas are monolithically filled to the upper mark. Next, the decking is installed: grating decking for the passageway and bar decking for the pedestrian area. A hinged hatch of the appropriate design is also provided.
Next, the ladders are installed. The main ladder is made in the same way as the customer’s ladders — from double rods. It is welded to the channel bar of the passage platform and to the sheathing. The inclined ladder is made as follows: it is welded to the main ladder, has an intermediate support on the sheathing and a lower support also on the sheathing. A single rod is used deliberately, since the use of a second rod is structurally impractical.
Next, the deflector plates are installed. The canopy is not displayed correctly in the visualization, but the principle is clear. Beams with welded corners are installed opposite the walls of the canopy. A small gap to the column is provided. The beams are placed at the required level, after which the corners are welded to the column — both upper and lower.
After that, a sheet is placed and welded from above to the intermediate channel and to the platform beam. On the other hand, intermittent welding is allowed, since this element practically does not carry any load.
The only thing to consider is to tie the installation of the profiled sheet canopy in such a way that there is access from the street side for welding the sheet to the middle channel. In general, I believe that this option is the most convenient and economical compared to the construction of full-fledged frames, which require a much larger amount of welding work. The proposed solution allows for faster and more efficient installation.
Next, the ladders are installed on their mounting elements, and, in principle, this completes the installation. This is my vision of the implementation of this node and the general installation scheme.
The considered option of the Bespalovsky grain storage’s gravity bunker clearly demonstrates how critical the role of design solutions is in ensuring the reliability, durability, and operational convenience of agro-industrial facilities. In this case, we are not talking about individual units or metal elements, but about an integrated engineering system, where each solution is interrelated with the next stage of installation and further operation.
The key principle underlying this project is a clear division of functions between concrete and metal structures while ensuring their joint operation. The monolithic concrete pit serves as a base that absorbs the main loads and ensures geometric stability, while the metal structures form a flexible, adaptive system that compensates for deformations, simplifies installation, and minimizes the risk of rework on the construction site.
Particular attention in this solution is paid to the logic of installation. The design was developed taking into account the real conditions of construction: the availability of welded joints, the sequence of installation of elements, and the possibility of pre-casting without complicating formwork operations. It is this approach that allows us to avoid situations where a project looks good on paper but is difficult or ineffective to implement.
It is equally important to consider operational factors. Struts, slopes, shaped elements for grain discharge, compensation gaps, and movable sheet elements are designed to ensure that the structure performs predictably under load, does not transfer excessive stress to concrete elements, and does not create areas where grain accumulates. In the long term, this directly contributes to reduced wear, simplified maintenance, and increased personnel safety.
From an engineering point of view, this version of the gravity bunker is an example of how design ceases to be a secondary addition to technology and becomes its foundation. It is precisely through the design that the possibility of stable equipment operation, reliable interaction of mechanisms, and predictable behavior of the facility as a whole is formed.
For DCC CHIEF, such solutions are fundamental, since we consider an agro-industrial facility not as a one-time building, but as an investment asset with a long life cycle. A well-designed structure at the design stage reduces risks during construction, avoids costly modifications in the future, and ensures stable operation for many years.
That is why I believe that the detailed engineering approach demonstrated in this project is not only important but critically necessary for modern agricultural construction. It creates the level of reliability and predictability that the market expects from complex agro-industrial complexes today.