Part of a silo

Marian Perera

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Bolero

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A shed - or that is what we'd call it in the UK. Sorry, not very helpful, but to me looks like a new shiny shed added onto the main building. What you'd call it in the UK varies - some areas you say "shed" for anything out of corrugated iron, no matter how large and in others if it is small it is a shed and if large a barn, or just maybe a plant building (plant meaning industrial plant ie machinery).

Not totally sure it leads through to the other building, maybe it does, maybe not. If you are really sure it does, then you might describe it as a drive-in porch or something like that.
 

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So we would call that building a shed here in Canada. I doubt it would be connected in any way to the other buildings, which look like a typical mishmash of grain-storage building added on throughout the years. The tall buildings we wouldn't call silos (which are cylindrical), but grain elevators. The red buildings are old granaries, which might have started out life as houses or sheds. Anyway, YMMV in the U.S. Hope that helps a bit! :)
 

ironmikezero

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Shed works just fine in the U.S. Even if its use is to house large equipment, it's still a shed (tractor shed, harvester shed, combine shed, etc.).
 

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Note the concrete elevators in the background are significantly newer construction than the old wooden shed structure in the foreground. The receiving pits for the new elevators in the background aren't visible. The older wooden structure was probably an old elevator converted in to an equipment storage structure, and the metal shed up front appears to be a later addition to it.

Modern (as in later than early 20th century) elevators and silos are made out of concrete or steel due to fire hazards.
 

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Shed. Why didn't I think of that? :)

Not totally sure it leads through to the other building, maybe it does, maybe not. If you are really sure it does, then you might describe it as a drive-in porch or something like that.

I want a character to blow up the silo, and I'd written him dashing out of the shed. I suppose even if the shed doesn't lead into the silo, if the back of the shed is flush with the silo's wall, gunpowder detonating in the shed could cause an explosion in the silo.

Thanks also for mentioning corrugated iron, because I'm trying to describe parts of the building being flung far and wide by the explosion.
 
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Marian Perera

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The tall buildings we wouldn't call silos (which are cylindrical), but grain elevators. The red buildings are old granaries, which might have started out life as houses or sheds. Anyway, YMMV in the U.S. Hope that helps a bit! :)

Granary! There's another word I should have used. And given how much Civ III I played, I have no idea why I didn't think of it.

In my story, I didn't actually specify the shape of the silo, but it can be cylindrical, because this is a pre-industrial setting and "grain elevator" sounds kind of modern.
 

Marian Perera

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Note the concrete elevators in the background are significantly newer construction than the old wooden shed structure in the foreground. The receiving pits for the new elevators in the background aren't visible. The older wooden structure was probably an old elevator converted in to an equipment storage structure, and the metal shed up front appears to be a later addition to it.

Good details. I'll mention in the story that the various buildings have been constructed at different times. Makes it more authentic.

Modern (as in later than early 20th century) elevators and silos are made out of concrete or steel due to fire hazards.

Oh, I need this baby to be mostly stone and wood. And to go out with a bang.

Thanks to everyone for your help!
 

Al X.

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Good details. I'll mention in the story that the various buildings have been constructed at different times. Makes it more authentic.



Oh, I need this baby to be mostly stone and wood. And to go out with a bang.

Thanks to everyone for your help!

I'm sure you know that granary explosions are a thing (grain dust can be explosive) but they are usually only moderately destructive - the ensuing fire is a bigger issue. You might consider setting off a bulk storage ammonium nitrate bin (which could be found in an elevator/silo complex.) THAT would send a silo to the moon.
 

Marian Perera

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I'm sure you know that granary explosions are a thing (grain dust can be explosive) but they are usually only moderately destructive - the ensuing fire is a bigger issue. You might consider setting off a bulk storage ammonium nitrate bin (which could be found in an elevator/silo complex.) THAT would send a silo to the moon.

Oh, I like this. I can foreshadow the use of the ammonium nitrate as well. The explosion doesn't have to be super destructive for plot purposes, but I love the idea of the antagonist (who's responsible) planning it down to this level of detail.
 

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Heck, granaries blow up on their own, no explosives needed. Dust from grain is very explosive in a confined space.

Does your granary need to look like the one ion the picture? Or should it look more like the domed granaries in use for a millennia before anyone built one higher than one story?

Jeff
 

Marian Perera

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Heck, granaries blow up on their own, no explosives needed. Dust from grain is very explosive in a confined space.

True, but I need the antagonist to set off an explosion at a particular time, and it would be great if this was quite a violent explosion. I can swing some ammonium nitrate being used for this.

Does your granary need to look like the one ion the picture? Or should it look more like the domed granaries in use for a millennia before anyone built one higher than one story?

No, it needs to be a tall building (partly because, early in the story, someone is deliberately pushed from the top and dies from the fall).
 

WeaselFire

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Then just call that the entrance shed and be done with it.

Jeff
 

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True, but I need the antagonist to set off an explosion at a particular time, and it would be great if this was quite a violent explosion. I can swing some ammonium nitrate being used for this.

Grain dust explosions are violent. Here's one caught on video (just before the 2 minute mark) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-ItsDiRies.

Here's another one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOrJDcPvCuY

You can definitely do it as sabotage involving introduced materials, but the silo itself is risky enough that just introducing an ignition source could do the trick.
 
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DrDoc

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Technically, silos are for making silage from cut grasses. They are fermented and then fed to the dairy cows. You'll only see agricultural silos at dairy farms. You will never see a "silo" at a grain elevator unless it's called that by non-farmers (e.g. 'coal silo'). The first elevator was invented in 1842 and was called a 'steam elevator'. Before that, grain was stored in bags, rarely in bulk (e.g. a pile).

The building in question is a 'shed'. Notice the interior stairs in the photo. Stairs would provide access to the load, possibly for moisture testing...too much moisture is not good for storing grain. Moisture is also why grain is sold by volume and not by weight.

Good luck in your writing!

The 3 rules of 'writing' are: 1) write, 2) write, and 3) write.

DrDoc
 

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Technically, silos are for making silage from cut grasses.
Or corn.

They are fermented and then fed to the dairy cows. You'll only see agricultural silos at dairy farms.
Or feedlots.

You will never see a "silo" at a grain elevator unless it's called that by non-farmers.
^This. That stock photo mislabeled a grain elevator as a silo, which makes/stores silage. And if you're looking to add fuel to your story's fire, silage can spontaneously combust! :)