Silo installations for hygroscopic bulk materials are exposed to high levels of stress over many years. Moisture and corrosive influences can affect the condition of surfaces and coatings. To protect product quality and the structural integrity of the installation, continuous corrosion protection is required.
A 55-metre-high silo installation required refurbishment. The objective was to completely remove corrosion and existing residues, prepare the surface for a new coating and establish long-term protection against further corrosive influences.
The refurbishment was completed within four days. Full scaffolding or enclosure of the silo structure was not required.
Refurbishment at a Height of 55 Metres
The work was carried out at heights of up to 55 metres. Mobile work equipment was used throughout the project. This removed the need for time-consuming and costly scaffolding around the silo installation.
For high silo installations, access, work organisation and technical preparation have a significant influence on the scope of a refurbishment project. In this case, the work was completed without the need for additional enclosure of the silo structure.
Silo Inspection Before Refurbishment
Corrosion protection measures generally begin with a technical assessment of the installation’s condition. Visible corrosion, damaged coatings or surface residues may indicate that silo refurbishment is required.
A professional silo inspection helps to identify refurbishment requirements at an early stage and assess the technical scope realistically. This is particularly important for high silo installations, as access methods, work requirements and safety measures must be coordinated before work begins.
Sandblasting with Direct Extraction
In the first stage, the entire surface of the silo installation was sandblasted. This removed corrosion and existing residues in full.
The sandblasting process used continuous extraction directly at the blasting nozzle. According to the project specification, this enabled clean, emission-free work without environmental impact.
Surface preparation formed the basis for the subsequent silo coating. The new corrosion protection could only be applied once the surface had been fully prepared.
Condition before refurbishment
Rust on the silo cover
Heavy contamination
Cleaning of the surfaces
Extraction of deposits and paint residues
Result after application of the specialist resin
Silo Coating with Specialist Resin
Following sandblasting, a high-quality specialist resin was applied to the prepared surface. The coating provides the silo installation with long-term protection against corrosive influences.
Reliable corrosion protection is particularly important for silo installations storing hygroscopic bulk materials. Moisture can increase the demands placed on surfaces and coatings. The refurbishment was therefore designed to protect the installation technically against these stresses once again.
Four Days Instead of Two Weeks
Depending on the scope of work, quality requirements and access conditions, corrosion protection measures and silo refurbishment projects can take two weeks or longer.
In this project, the complete work was finished in just four days. This was made possible by careful planning, the use of mobile equipment and the coordinated combination of sandblasting and coating.
The comparison shows that the lowest price alone does not determine the cost-effectiveness of silo refurbishment. Technical preparation, coating quality, the selected access method and the related downtime and ancillary costs are decisive.
Corrosion Protection as Part of Silo Maintenance
Silo Refurbishment with Corrosion Protection is an important part of silo maintenance. When damage to coatings or surfaces is identified and addressed at an early stage, more extensive refurbishment work and longer periods of downtime can often be avoided.
For silo installations storing hygroscopic bulk materials, the condition of surfaces and coatings should be assessed regularly. This allows corrosion protection to be planned in good time and helps preserve the technical integrity of the installation over the long term.
Completed Successfully and Without Incident
The work was completed as planned, successfully and without incident. The customer responded positively to both the quality of workmanship and the short project duration, as well as the resulting invoice.
This project shows that corrosion protection work on high silo installations can be carried out cost-effectively, even under demanding conditions, when methods, materials and work processes are coordinated precisely.
Request Technical Advice
NT Service GmbH supports companies with silo refurbishment, corrosion protection, sandblasting, silo inspections and work on high silo installations.
Request your technical consultation now – together, we will determine which measures are appropriate for your silo installation.
