1. 1
Valley Wide Co-Op Grain System Proposal
Prepared for:
Valley Wide Co-Op
264 S State St.
Preston, Idaho 83263
(208) 852-0384
Prepared by:
A2Z Engineering
Zackary B Pali, System Design, AutoCAD
Jairus Anderson, System Design, Materials Specialist
Todd C McLaws, System Engineer, Steel Expert
Bret Foster, System Engineer, Steel Expert
Kaden Strole, Concrete Specialist
2. 2
Introduction
In 2014, many farmers in Cache Valley and in surrounding areas had major issues with regards to the harvesting and storage
of their crops, specifically their wheat and barley crop. Due to high amounts of rainfall, farmers were not able to get into their fields
to harvest their crops. Because of this, the rainfall caused the wheat to sprout while it was still in the heads of the wheat crop.
Because of the problems with sprouting, the crops were considered “damaged” and “mostly useless” as they did not meet
the standards set through the national and international community for passing for food grade for human consumption and also for
the local breweries that use local barley to brew alcoholic beverages. Note however that the wheat and the barley did meet animal
consumption grade.
A certain company that is located near Cache Valley, has been the primary purchaser of corn crop for the surrounding
farmers in the surrounding area. The relationship between this company and the farmers was historically good. However, a Broker
that began to work for the company with no ties or allegiances to the farmers took advantage of the situation caused by the rainfall
in 2014. The Broker purchased the “ruined” barley and wheat for pennies on the dollar from everywhere in the state of Idaho and
Utah and Wyoming and filled up the food supply stations that the company has. Because of this, the farmers lost large sums of
profit, as well as not having anywhere to sell their corn due to food stuffs being purchased for next to nothing.
Valley Wide Co-Op saw this problem and wanted to upgrade their systems to accommodate the local farmers and be able
to give them a fair market price for their crops, and have the storage onsite to be able to hold all the commodities at once.
With this upgrade, it will give more employment opportunities to the community of Preston, Idaho, service the farmers and
ranchers more abundantly in many different ways, and will also help build the local economy as they can export commodities at a
better time of year when the demand is higher and the prices are higher instead of off the stump at time of harvest.
Project Description
To better help local farmers and ranchers, Valley Wide Co-Op realized that a change needed to be made. It is also a huge
opportunity for them to expand their company and to also put competitors behind them. Seeing that the project was needed to be
completed in the new future Valley Wide Co-Op decided to make decisions on where to put such an extensive system.
Considerations were made to use land that may not be valuable at some other point and time, for example frontage along the main
State Road, or in other positions. A final decision was made to put the new system directly next to the older, but recently upgraded,
system.
Valley Wide has gone ahead and removed the building next to the train tracks (See picture below) to make space for this
new expansion. The New System will tie into the older and existing system and will add more than 10 times their current storage
capacity.
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Valley wide Co-Op did research and seeing the needs of the surrounding Farmers and Ranchers in the area have concluded
they need 300,000 bushels of total storage capacity. They would also need a system to quickly load or unload vehicles such as semis,
dump trucks, and other commonly used farm equipment. They wanted to also save power were possible and have it energy
efficient. Another important factor is that they could be loading and unloading trucks at the same time, or doing transfers to other
areas around the facility.
BP Grain Systems, a company that sells Grain Systems equipment, was given the background history of the situation and
also the needs of what Valley Wide Co-Op would need to have to make this enterprise function.
BP Grain Systems contacted Us at A2Z Engineering to come in and assess the situation and to assist in setting up a system
that would cover all the objectives set up through Valley Wide Co-Op.
To make this viable, we will be engineering and integrating the system to have as few moving parts as possible, and to make
the system easy to use and work, easy to flow materials around, and make it relatively inexpensive so savings can be passed on to
the customers.
Building that was
removed Summer of
2015
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We will be hiring out a contracting company to do the complete erection of the system as well as laying down the cement
as needed. We will use the products sold by BP Grain Systems as the materials for the project.
We feel confident that through the experience of the people and companies working together on this project, we will have
a low cost and durable final product that will last for years to come. Our team at A2Z Engineering have the knowledge and
background in Civil Engineering to have this project be successful and useful. Specific types of engineering used on this project will
be Civil Engineering with regards to strengths of steel and cement needed to build the structures needed, Geological Engineering to
do Seismic Examinations of the soil types in Preston, Idaho, as well as Surveying of the ground.
Measurements and Initial System Design
Zackary Pali and Jairus Anderson began the planning process on what the system requirements were going to be necessary
to make the project function per Valley Wide Co-Op’s requests. Zack would complete AutoCAD drawings according to the needs and
specifications that He and Jairus concluded was needed.
Zack and Jairus got together and measured out the areas that we could do a potential system in. Exact Geolocation of the
Survey took place at 42.09089, -111.877175. Per the Union Pacific Railway, we must give them an allotted space of 9’ from the
center of the tracks. Taking this into account, we determined that the area we had to install as system is 85.5’ x 203.7’. Also, there
were no height restrictions as long as anything over 140’ had a red flashing light for aviators to know something was there at night.
To assist with being energy efficient, we concluded to put side draw systems on the side of each bin that we installed. These
require no power to load a truck, simply turning a rack and pinion gate and allowing gravity to work and pull outside of the bin and
dump onto the trucks.
Valley Wide Co-Op requested that we have at least 15’ for Semi trucks to be able to drive and maneuver alongside the
system. Taking these figures into account, we determined we would need to place bins in the center of the allotted ground and then
have two routes trucks could follow on each side of the bins. This would allow for the easiness and flow of the system as was
outlined by Valley Wide Co-Op. Given these conditions and restrictions, it was concluded that 3 - 48’ Diameter Bins were needed and
were needed to be 17 Rings tall to get the 300,000+ Bushel capacity requested.
Zack and Jairus received contact information from local farmers and ranchers that do business with Valley Wide and asked
what they greatest concern was for the system and what they would like to see. The same answer came up constantly that they
wanted it to be fast and efficient. They wanted to be able to send their entire fleet of trucks and have them dumped of filled in a few
short hours. Discussing these concerns with management at Valley Wide, it was determined that we would need a system that
would handle 6,000 bushels per hour. All Conveyors and Elevators would need to have this as the minimum.
As stated previously, there were no height restrictions in the area for the project, but we wanted to keep the elevator as
short as possible. We decided that we would use conveyors over the top of two of the bins to transfer commodities from the
downspouting of the elevator. We would install electrically powered slide gates (110 V TEFC Explosion Proof Motors) to either hold
or dump the commodities on the bottom of the Conveyor. Furthermore, to be more efficient, large conveyors are to be placed
under the bins for direct line flow right back to the center of the elevator. This means less motors will be used, less energy, and
faster unload speeds when pulling from the bins.An Unload Hopper was also recommended for installation on the West side of the
project for Semis and Dump Trucks to utilize to transfer commodities to the bins or the older system via transfers.
Zack computed all calculations on distances for downspouting, elevator heights, Bin heights, towers and support structures,
Conveyor lengths and designs and specifications. Zack also completed AutoCAD Drawings and designs and dimensioning on October
30
th
, 2015. All of necessary specifications were passed to other team members for further analysis and determining of strengths and
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Considerations of Positive and Negative Aspects of the Project
The only foreseeable environmental impact of the project is the elevator being 120’ above ground level. The system is
extremely clean and runs off of electrical energy that is already supplied to the Co-Op. A beneficial environmental impact is that less
fossil fuel will be consumed due to waiting times for loads and unloads. Where the system will be faster and more efficient, trucks
will have drastically reduced wait times. Current wait times to unload a full semi are currently at 35 minutes. This system will drop
that wait time to 10.5 Minutes with a projected unloading of 5 Semis per hour rather than the 1.75 semis currently.
The local community is extremely positive towards having this system in their town. It creates more jobs and also is helping
out the local farmers and ranchers to have more selling and buying power when it comes time to purchase and sell their
commodities. Talking to local officials, this was something that was wanted since the original idea was brought up in 2007, but
escalated in demand after the 2014 crisis.
A major concern was the overall pricing of this entire project. Projections were made that anything at the cost of $1 million
could be paid off via revenue from having the selling power given to the Co-Op by being able to store commodities until prices of
commodities peak in 3 to 5 years. Valley Wide was considering a Commercial Grain Co-Op loan via the U.S. Government. The rate is
currently 0.5% interest and shouldn’t change much if any if the Federal Rate Hike becomes a reality later on in the end of December
or first of January as financial analysists are currently speculating. This information was passed on to the other team members to get
the best pricing possible to assist the Co-Op in reaching this goal of <$1 Million.
Material and Process Summary
The Valley wide bin project consists of three bins, four conveyors, elevator, elevator support tower, and two catwalk
components. See figures 1 and 2 for design layout details. A written explanation of the function and material specifications are
outlined below.
Bins - All bins have identical measurements and capacities. They are 75 feet tall and have a diameter of 48 feet with a
maximum capacity of 600,000 bushels. The bin shells are built with 1/8
th
inch corrugated steel sheets with 4.0
inches in between corrugations. These sheets are set inside a steel frame to from them into a cylinder as shown in
figure 1. They are topped with a cone the peak of which receives the grain.
Conveyors - Conveyor #1 is 115 feet long with two inlets and 1 discharge. Inlets are at the drop off area and discharge is located
at the base of the elevator. Conveyor #2 is 65 feet long and has 1 inlet and 1 discharge. #2 joins the peak of bin #1
and #2. Its purpose is to transport grain from the discharge of shoot #1 to the peak of bin #1. Conveyor #3 is 59
feet long with 1 inlet and 2 discharges. Conveyor #4’s dimensions are not currently set but will be placed to aid in
the discharge of the bins. All conveyors are constructed with heavy duty sprockets, chains, and #2 lining. All driving
motors are run with electricity.
Elevator – The elevator is 130 feet tall and 30 inches wide. Its motor and distribution point is powered with electricity. At its
base lies the discharge of conveyor #1 where the elevator begins to pull the grain up to the 130 foot high discharge
point. From the discharge point there are four shoots, one running to the peak of bin #2, one running to the peak
of bin #3, one running to the inlet of conveyor #1, and the last running to a ground level point. It is made with
heavy duty components.
Support Tower – The elevator support tower is 12 feet by 12 feet at the base and rises to 120 feet high. It includes stairs and a
platform for catwalk connections. The elevator support tower provides the structure needed to keep the elevator
upright and secure. It also provides access to the catwalk system at the top of the bins. All components are made
with steel.
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Catwalks – Catwalk #1 is 85 feet long and provides access from the support tower, across the apex of bin #2, and terminates
at the peak of bin #1. This catwalk also provides structure for conveyor #2. Catwalk #2 is 35’ long and provides
access from the support tower to the peak of bin #3. All catwalk systems are made with steel.
FIGURE 1. Skyview
FIGURE 2. Side view
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The foundation for these bins is one of the most important aspects of the project. If the pads for the bins are not built appropriately,
the whole bin could collapse causing quite a mess. The foundation also has to be able to withstand many cycles of freezing and
thawing throughout the seasons without cracking and breaking. Cracks in the foundation could allow bugs and other impurities to
enter.
The cement design for this project includes 3 pads for the bins that are 48 feet in diameter. These provide the foundation that the
three bins will sit on top of. Each pad is 2 feet in thickness and contains a rebar structure for reinforcement.
Another component of the concrete is the footing for the elevator components. This footing is approximately a 9-foot cube that sits
below the surface of the ground. This houses the pulley and some of the other components for the elevator tower.
The last component of the concrete is the unload pit and apron. This part of the project makes it very convenient for semi-trucks to
drop their loads into the bins. The unload bin sits flush with the surface of the ground. The apron surrounding the unload bin is
12’x90’x6” in size. The purpose of the apron is to provide a nice slope for the unload bin.
The costs of the dirt work, rebar, and cement work alone is quite a large portion of the overall cost of this project. Each pad has a
cost of $52,000 and the costs of the elevator pit and unload pit is $48,500. The total cost for the cement alone is $204,500 which
accounts for almost 25 percent of the total cost.
*Laying foundation and footers for bins
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Conclusion
After an entire analysis of the entire project, we have met the requirements as requested by Valley Wide Co-Op. The Co-Op
will have the capacity and speed and space that they required. We also were able to have the pricing come in under $1 Million that
will help them drastically be able to pay for the entire project without a Government loan.
Construction of the project could begin as soon as March or when the ground thaws out and footers could begin to be dug
out for the Elevator and the Bins. Per recommendations, we would need the Cement to cure for at least 30 days before we could
begin the erection of the towers and elevators.
As Zack as supervised numerous projects like this in the past, his personal recommendation is to wait until at least the 15
th
of April, depending on the weather for the upcoming year. For the area that Preston resides in, Weather has been notorious for
being bad between the months of December and April. By waiting till the 15
th
of April, the project will be constructed at a constant
rate rather than possible delays, and would easily be completed before harvest of wheat and barley crops, which generally begins
the 2
nd
or 3
rd
week of July.
We see this as being a huge benefit to the local community and farmers and ranchers in the area. It will help boost the local
economy and give the community another avenue to do larger scaled business and get a better price for their commodities they sell.
It will also create more taxable dollars to help the local economy and benefit the entire town of Preston.
Given that we have given an extremely competitive price given the materials that the customer is receiving, and quick turn
around and erection times, as well as our expertise in this area, we feel that we should be selected for the job. We have taken the
time and effort to ensure that all required areas are met and completed. We can guarantee the products will work and last for years
to come, and that the design of the system has been carefully considered so that the functionality and use of the system is easy and
fluid and will be fast and efficient.
