Cement had built up and hardened on the vessel’s walls. This produced a hardened rathole that slowed flow and reduced live storage capacity. A leaky roof had contributed to the problems. It was estimated that the buildup reached 20 tons of material in the bin.

A two-man crew from MartinPLUS^® Silo Cleaning Service used the Martin^® Heavy Duty Whip and took two days to remove the buildup from the vessel walls. Working eight hours per day, the crew cleared over 16 tons of material from the vessel.

Plant Manager Jeff Toppin was very satisfied. “This was something that had to get done right away. We have other silos that we have to clean; they will be done in our downtime, during the winter season. The crew was very helpful and this was an excellent experience for all of us. We are very happy with everything that took place.”