A method for determining unsymmetrical pressures in circular silos using wall strain measurements

Loads on shell structures are not always easy to determine. Most shell analysis assumes that the loading condition is given and is instead concerned with the structural response and reliability. This study is concerned with determining the loading on a shell from the stresses which develop within it, assuming the shell response to be linear elastic in the working range. A rigorous procedure for inferring the complete pressure distribution from strains measured on the silo walls has been developed recently at the University of Edinburgh. In this paper, the method is outlined and a simple example is used to illustrate the use of the technique in unsymmetrical loading conditions. Inferred pressures derived from strain measurements during the eccentric discharge of solids from a specially built full scale test silo are also presented.