ABSTRACT

A tank is generally either a circular cylinder with end closures, or a sphere. See Figure 22-1. Tanks are buried with the axis horizontal. Silos (and basins and caissons) are buried with the axis vertical. Silos may or may not have closures at the top. They are used as access ways, mine shafts, and bins or hoppers for storage of ore, coal, aggregate, etc. Bins have an outlet at the bottom for feeding a conveyor in a pipe or tunnel below. Tanks are used to store fluids, but are also used as bunkers for hazardous materials.