Wind storms have often been a problem for farm buildings, but extreme events in the past three years have sparked demand for more durable structures.
John Hanig, bin sales director with Sukup Manufacturing, said storms such as the 2020 derecho that caused more than $1 billion worth of damage mostly across Iowa have opened people’s eyes.
“People are asking for a bin that is more resistant to wind or can deal with a higher wind load,” Hanig said. “The ASABE (American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers) changed their ratings for 95 to 105 miles per hour that you have to meet now, but we offer additional wind rings for bins and we’ve seen a real uptick in those parts as well as demand for bins that already have those on it.”
Like many other industries, demand for grain storage was difficult to keep up with during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hanig said Sukup weathered that period well, and are “absolutely” caught up and not having any delays.
“The only parts that were particularly difficult to source are those little rubber straps that hold the lids shut or things like that, but we survived,” Hanig said. “All that seems to be behind us.”
He said the parts that have seen trouble lately are bearings, gearboxes and some of their electronics from overseas.
Safety has also been part of recent advancements in newer grain bins. Bin entrapments are a constant threat for farmers and through equipment and processes like lock-out, tag-out, manufacturers are always looking for a way to make bins safer.
“Code states now you have to supply an anchor point on the bin, which is usually for the rescue person who puts on a harness and fastens to it,” Hanig said.
Mensing also referred to a new common practice in grain bins regarding entry doors. Tie bars, which previously crossed doorways and needed to be removed to get in and out of the bin, are not required due to stronger door frames. This has led to other complications, however, as a slightly open door could lead to grain leaks or grain spilling out and cause a burial, making another door required for safety.
“They’ve designed a safety door that doesn’t allow that to happen,” he said. “The inner door panels have the part the outer doors latch on to. If they aren’t shut and locked in place, there’s nothing to latch or close that door. That’s been very well accepted from the farmers.”
Hanig said safety often comes down to producers. They need to follow proper procedures to limit any risk of entrapment and injury.
“When the grain is managed properly, there’s very little risk,” Hanig said. “When they let it get out of condition, either with frozen chunks or spoiled chunks, that’s when people try to go in and bust those up and get pulled into the grain. If you keep your grain in good condition, there’s nothing to plug the sumps and no reason to get into the bin.”
