The challenge
Raw meal normally flows when aerated, but moisture, temperature differences and dead zones had caused heavy caking, rat-holing and bridging on the silo walls and discharge cone.
The deposits reduced capacity, choked the feed to the raw mill and loaded the silo shell unevenly. Unstable hang-ups also create a serious engulfment risk for anyone entering the silo.
Scope of works
- Full lockout/tagout of feed conveyors, aeration blowers and discharge gates before entry
- Continuous multi-gas monitoring, forced ventilation and a rescue team with medical oxygen on standby
- Dual-rope rope access from overhead anchor beams; top-down work so no one is ever below a hang-up
- Controlled breakout with pneumatic and mechanical lances, protecting the aeration system
- Controlled discharge of the material into sealed trucks
Outcome
All consolidated deposits were removed, restoring the silo full capacity and even wall loading, with the aeration working again and zero LTI. Read more about silo cleaning and material flow restoration and our cement silo unblocking case study.
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