ABSTRACT
This showed that pressures in silage silos could more than double as a result of small changes in moisture and crop type. When proprietary silos designed for US crops (maize and alfalfa) were imported to Europe with a wetter climate and softer grass crops, failures occurred. This lead to some increases in strength and improved detailing. However the major safeguard came from developing clear guidance to farmers on the materials which could be safely stored and the consequences of filling with unsuitable materials. This was included in BS5061 and provided a demarkation between failures which were the responsibility of the manufacturer and those which resulted from misuse by the owner. A factor of safety on usage was included by assuming a margin for 'normal abuse' between the recommended usage and that assumed in design.
