Clinker storage Silo of 50,000 t, at Mataporquera (Cantabria)

Abstract

As part of the expansion programme of the factory of Cementos Alfa, S.A., in Mataporquera, it was necessary to build a clinker silo of 50,000 tonnes capacity. This article describes the main characteristics of the structure, the criteria followed during the carrying out of the project and the diferent stages of the construction, completed in 1999. The main structure is made up of a post-tensioned concrete cylindrical shell, resting on a base of reinforced concrete using elastomeric pads. The roof is a spherical-shaped dome, made up of a steel structure, on which rests a concrete shell. The wall was constructed using the slipform system, which served at the same time to raise the steel dome to its final position.