Comparison between Spiral Storage Tanks and Traditional Storage Tanks

1.    What Is Spiral Steel Silo Tank Technology?

The spiral storage silo is also called lipp tank, it was invented and named by a Germen engineer in the 1970s. Through decades of development, it has already become the most advanced tank construction technology around the world. It uses a double seam system, this technology created a special way to build a storage tank.

2.    What Are Traditional Tank Construction Technologies?

The traditional storage tanks include concrete tank, welded tank and bolted tank.

• 1) The concrete tank is the oldest storage tank. The materials  used to build a concrete tank include steel bar, cement, sand, gravel and water.
• 2) Bolted tanks are steel made, with 6mm-10mm steel bolting, they can be very strong.
• 3) Welded storage tanks are also called welded steel tanks. they are made of welded steel plates whose thicknesses can range from 4mm to 10mm.

3. The Advantages of Spiral Storage Silo

Compared to the traditional storage tanks, spiral storage silo tank has some superior advantages in these aspects:

1)  Construction

• Short construction period. The construction process of steel spiral storage silos are performed on site, and the tank roof is loaded on the ground. The speed of forming and bending the steel plate can reach 5m/min, and it does not require any scaffold or other auxiliary equipment, thus the construction period of this kind of storage tank can be very short.
• Low space requirement. Different from other storage tanks, its height and diameter can be selected in a wide range. The minimum distance between two storage tanks can be 500mm, which can make full use of space and lower the space requirement of storage tank construction.

2)  Material

• The material of the spiral storage silo mainly uses high-quality hot-dip galvanized steel sheet with absolute bending performance. The specification of the steel sheet is in the range of 2.0mm-4.0mm,  and its strength and durability are both extremely high.

3)  Storage Performance

• Excellent obturation, leak-proof performance and moisture-proof performance.
• The material storage is mechanized, the degree of automation is high, the supporting system is complete, the process is reasonable and the operation is convenient, so it can meet the needs of the development of the steel plate.

4)  Application

• Spiral storage silo can store granular, powder and liquid materials, it has been widely used in agricultural and industrial storage. On the other hand, the storage materials of concrete tanks are relatively simple, and the scope of their application is quite limited. Other types of storage silos, however, are not well sealed.
• Compared to other types of storage tanks, the steel spiral storage tank is easy to manage and use, and it is easy to achieve the scientific, systematic, automatic and rational material management.  
• With the continuous development of science, to rebuild on the original basis of spiral steel silos has become much easier. The application of new technologies and new construction materials and the abandonment of old technology and equipment not only improve the constructing efficiency, but also meet the market trend and the requirements of business development.

5)  Economic Efficiency

• The traditional storage tank has high total investment and high operation cost. Its outgoing rate is relatively low, only around 70%. It is easy to cause accumulation of materials in the storage tank after a long period of use. The double seamed construction technology adopted in spiral storage silo construction can effectively reduce both the cost and the constructing period, however, the maintenance fee of the spiral storage silo could be a little higher than the other tanks’.