Investigation on behavior of inverted cone hopper of a RCC Silo

An inverted right circular cone is generally a thin shell structure where the shell thickness is much less compared to its base radius. It is advantageous to store huge powdered material like cement inside a silo with this specific hopper shape. The space below the cone helps to simulate mechanical arrangements of packing facilities or bulk unloading facilities of the material from silo. In such type of structure the process of loading and unloading of material can be controlled. One of the main advantages of using a cone of inverted shape is that the structure remains in compression all the time hence perfect for RCC design. For a comprehensive analysis the finite element software ABAQUS has been used. Engineers looking for new and enhanced industrial storage system design which is also cost effective should have a certain interest in the matter.