Structural design of silos and the new Eurocodes

The new CEN standards for structural design, known as the Eurocodes, include specific standards for the loads on silos (ENV1991-4) and for the structural design of metal silos (ENV1993-4-1). The latter, published in 1999 for trial usage, is the first standard of its kind in the world. It is a large document and contains a number of features that need careful explanation. It is closely linked to the standard on shell structures (ENV1993-1-6), which is also the first standard of its kind. This paper sets out the philosophical framework within which the standards have been developed and describes the relationships between the different standards. It provides an initial guide to the user, and indicates the ways in which the needs of different sectors of the silo marketplace (factory manufactured, site assembled and site fabricated) have been addressed.