POLYGON MACHINE

HORIZONTAL LOW LEVEL
CEMENT SILO

Cement silos are critical for storing the dry cement powder used in concrete production. Traditionally, vertical silos (upright, tower-like structures) have been the standard at concrete plants and construction sites. In recent years, however, horizontal low-level silos have gained popularity as a practical alternative. These low-profile silos lie at ground level and offer distinct advantages in mobility and ease of use.

Why choose Polygon Machine?

Polygon Machine delivers certified quality (TSE & ISO 9001), global expertise, and durable solutions from 30 m³/h to 240+ m³/h. Polygonmachine is a trusted partner in both compact and large-scale projects.

What cement silo types are available?

Stationary, mobile, and horizontal cement silos—plus cement feeders, filters, and safety systems. Every unit is customizable to match your storage, capacity, and operational requirements.

How is long-term support handled?

Polygon Machine ensures fast setup, training, and after-sales service, minimizing downtime. All plants include modern automation and safety features for easy, efficient use.

overvıew of horızontal low level cement sılo

Horizontal low-level silos spread out the storage volume horizontally. They are much shorter (often a few meters high) but longer in length. This yields a larger ground footprint for the same capacity, yet drastically reduces height. Horizontal silos are ideal where vertical space is limited – for instance, urban sites with height caps, or indoor locations. As one industry source notes, horizontal silos “provide an alternative solution that spreads out horizontally, advantageous in areas with ample ground space but height restrictions”. Their low profile means they can even be placed under large sheds or blending into environments with minimal visual impact. Importantly, horizontal silos often have a small overall site footprint requirement when considering ancillary equipment. A 50-ton mobile horizontal silo example from the UK needed only about 13.5 m × 3.6 m of ground space, since it includes built-in discharge equipment, whereas a vertical silo might require additional apron or hopper space for loading trucks. Nevertheless, if ground area is severely constrained, a vertical silo can store more cement per square meter of site area than a horizontal unit. In summary, vertical silos excel at saving ground space by using height, while horizontal silos excel at fitting into low-clearance sites and making use of otherwise unused horizontal space.

Why are horizontal low-level silos ideal for sites with height restrictions?

Because they are much shorter, often only a few meters high, making them suitable for urban or indoor locations with limited vertical space.

How does the footprint of a horizontal silo compare to a vertical silo?

A horizontal silo requires more ground area for the same capacity, while a vertical silo saves ground space by using height.

Can horizontal silos be installed under large sheds or structures?

Yes, their low profile allows them to fit under sheds or blend into environments with minimal visual impact.

Which silo type stores more cement per square meter of site area?

A vertical silo can store more cement per square meter because of its tall, upright design.

Ease of Transport and Setup

A horizontal low-level silo loaded on a trailer for transport. A defining strength of horizontal silos is their portability. These silos are often designed as fully mobile units that can be hauled by truck and installed with minimal effort. Many models feature telescopic or jack-up support legs that allow self-erecting deployment without the need for a crane. In the example image, the silo is mounted on a dual-axle trailer; upon arrival, built-in off-loading legs would extend to lift the silo off the trailer, and the truck can simply drive away. Setup is extremely fast – often just a couple of hours to position and commission a horizontal silo, as all essential components (e.g. screw conveyor, filters, controls) are integrated. Indeed, one manufacturer lists among horizontal silo advantages: “no crane required,” “extremely fast start-up/dismantling,” and “no civil works required” for foundations. This plug-and-play nature makes horizontal silos ideal for projects requiring frequent relocation or short-term use. They can be simply loaded back on a truck or into a shipping container and moved to the next site when needed. Additionally, in some jurisdictions, mobile silos do not require full planning permission since they are considered temporary equipment; a compact 50-ton horizontal silo in the UK, for instance, required no prior planning permit before installation. This regulatory ease further streamlines deployment in Europe where permitting permanent structures can be time-consuming.

LOADING AND UNLOADING OPERATIONS

Mechanical Handling in Horizontal Silos

Horizontal low-level silos handle material differently. Since the silo lies at ground level, cement doesn’t naturally flow out by gravity alone – a mechanical extraction system is used. Typically, a horizontal silo has an internal screw conveyor (auger) or a chain conveyor along its bottom that actively pulls cement towards the outlet. When unloading, the auger moves cement to one end of the silo where it can drop out or be transferred. This system allows very controlled discharge rates; operators can start or stop the auger to meter the exact amount of cement needed.

Many horizontal silos come equipped with electronic weighing systems that continuously measure how much cement is inside (often via load cells under the silo or the support frame). This means the silo itself can serve as a weigh-batcher, dispensing precise quantities and printing tickets of usage – a feature valued in modern projects for inventory control.

As one supplier notes, their mobile silo is “fitted with an electronic weighing system with digital display, printer and remote control, providing full control of the powder discharge operation.”. Alternatively, because of the low height, one can load bagged cement or big bags through an access hatch if needed (something impractical with a tall silo).

Vertical Silos and Gravity Discharge

One area where vertical silos have an edge is simplicity of discharge – gravity doesn’t fail (unless the powder is badly clumped).

Horizontal silo discharge relies on motors and screws; thus, if power is out or a mechanical failure occurs, you can’t get cement out until it’s fixed (whereas a vertical silo could in theory be manually opened to let material flow).

Safety and Precision in Discharge

That said, modern horizontal silos are very robust and often come with backup measures.

From a safety and spillage perspective, horizontal silos can be very clean and precise – the screw feeds exactly what’s needed, reducing the chance of overfill or overflow spills.

Vertical silos sometimes “flush” too much material if a gate is opened wide, potentially creating dust if not properly contained.

COST CONSIDERATIONS

Higher Initial Price and Features

Horizontal low-level silos tend to have a higher initial price per capacity because they are equipped with mobility and automation features. As one source notes, horizontal silos “can be more expensive than traditional static silos due to the additional equipment required for transport and handling”.

The structure must be built extra heavy-duty to survive frequent moves, and includes built-in augers, trailers or skids, lifting mechanisms, and integrated weight systems – all of which add to manufacturing cost.

For example, a horizontal silo might come with hydraulic jacks or telescopic legs, an on-board power pack, and a full electronic control panel, whereas a basic vertical silo is essentially a steel shell with some aeration pads.

Cost Comparison and Rental Advantage

Thus, the purchase or rental price of a horizontal silo (per ton of storage) is usually higher than that of a vertical silo.

For short-term projects, renting a horizontal silo can be far cheaper than building a permanent vertical silo.

In Europe especially, many contractors hire low-level silos for the duration of a project, converting what would be capital expenditure into a controllable operating expense.

Maintenance and Lifecycle Economics

Faster maintenance can mean less downtime, which on a busy site translates to cost savings by keeping production running.

Vertical silos, if they require repairs (e.g. filter replacement or patching a leak), may involve more effort (e.g. hiring a cherry picker or scaffolding to access the top) – effectively a higher maintenance cost in both time and money.

Moreover, if a vertical silo becomes obsolete or the site closes, it might have little salvage value (dismantling costs could exceed scrap value). In contrast, a horizontal silo is an asset that can be relocated or resold, improving its lifecycle economics.

Safety and Maintenance

Ensuring safety and maintaining operational reliability are critical priorities when working with cement silos, as these structures store large volumes of material under pressure. The design differences between horizontal and vertical silos significantly affect not only day-to-day operational safety but also maintenance practices, access requirements, and the overall risk profile of the equipment. Horizontal silos, with their ground-level layout and accessible components, generally offer safer and more efficient maintenance procedures compared to vertical silos, which often require working at height and using additional safety equipment.

General Safety

Safety is a paramount consideration with any heavy equipment, and cement silos are no exception. Here, the design differences lead to different safety profiles for horizontal vs vertical silos.

Confined space entry for cleaning or repairs inside the silo is also safer with horizontal silos. Many horizontal units have man-doors on the side of the hopper, allowing entry after proper lockout-tagout, and the entry is at ground level. Vertical silos typically only have a top hatch; entering means being lowered in or climbing down a narrow interior ladder, which is riskier.

Maintenance and Access

Horizontal silos can be fully emptied and one can literally walk into them (some are like large shipping containers inside) – making internal inspections much more practical.

From a maintenance downtime perspective, as noted, horizontal silos enable quick fixes and regular preventative maintenance. Small issues can be addressed before they become big problems, improving overall safety. Vertical silos often operate on a “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” mentality because of the hassle of servicing them at height, which could allow issues to go unchecked longer. For example, imagine a worn-out gasket at the outlet or a minor leak – on a horizontal silo, a worker can fix that in minutes; on a vertical, it might be deferred until a planned shutdown with proper equipment.

Environmental Safety

For example, imagine a worn-out gasket at the outlet or a minor leak – on a horizontal silo, a worker can fix that in minutes; on a vertical, it might be deferred until a planned shutdown with proper equipment.

In terms of environmental safety, horizontal silos are often touted as having “minimum environmental impact” – partly due to their lower profile (less obtrusive, less noisy during filling since filters are close to ground). Vertical silos aren’t particularly harmful to the environment either, but any accident (like an overflow or structural failure) would have a wider impact simply because of the quantity and height involved (a rupture at height could spread dust widely).

Detailed Comparison Table: Horizontal vs Vertical Silos

Factor	Horizontal Low-Level Cement Silo	Vertical (Traditional) Cement Silo
Space Efficiency	Larger footprint, low profile. Lies horizontally, needing more ground area but minimal height. Ideal for height-restricted sites.	Small footprint, tall profile. Uses vertical space efficiently but requires open sky or clearance.
Installation & Setup	Highly mobile and quick. Delivered on trucks/trailers with self-erecting legs – no crane or heavy foundation needed. Setup in hours.	Requires concrete foundation, crane assembly, and days/weeks to install. Permanent installation.
Transportability	Designed for easy transport with flatbed trailers or shipping containers. Commonly used for temporary projects.	Difficult to transport once built. Large silos delivered in parts and assembled on-site.
Cost Factors	Higher unit cost per ton due to integrated augers, trailers, and weighing systems. Lower site prep cost; reusable on many projects.	Lower cost per ton of storage but higher foundation/installation costs. Suited for long-term stationary use.
Storage Capacity	Moderate capacity (20–120 tons for mobile units). Larger sizes are bulkier; multiple units can be used together.	Can be built for very large capacities (100–1000+ tons). Ideal for high-volume, permanent storage.
Loading Cement	Can be filled via pneumatic tankers, big bags, or loaders due to low height. Easy monitoring and maintenance.	Top loading at height using pneumatic systems. Not practical for loading from bags without additional equipment.
Discharging Cement	Mechanical discharge (augers/conveyors) allows precise control but requires power.	Gravity discharge allows fast, high-volume flow but less precision.
Operational Access	All maintenance at ground level. Easy access to hatches, filters, and valves. Simple internal inspections.	Requires ladders or scaffolding for maintenance and inspections at height.