a national information resource for value-added agriculture
Contact
Us
Contact Us
Directories &
State Resources
Directories & State Resources
Renewable
Energy
Renewable Energy
Business
Development
Business Development
Markets
& Industries
Markets & Industries
Commodities
& Products
Commodities & Products
Agricultural Marketing Resource Center

Test Weights and Capacity

Don Hofstrand Don Hofstrand                                                     Revised, August 2007
Co-director, Ag Marketing Resource Center
Iowa State University Extension
dhof@iastate.edu

Storage Capacity
Grain bin capacity (bushels)
  bushels = cubic feet x .8
  cubic feet = bushels x 1.25

Corn crib capacity (bushels)
  bushels = cubic feet x .4
  cubic feet = bushels x 2.50

Estimating grain and roughage
   volumes

1. Shelled corn, soybeans, and other
      grains (bushels)                                     
    Round bin: diameter x diameter x
      average depth x .628 (all in feet)
    Rectangular bin: length x width x 
      average depth x .8 (all in feet)

2. Ear corn (bushels)
    Round crib: distance around crib x
      diameter x depth x .1 (all in feet)
    Rectangular crib: length x width x
      depth x .4 (all in feet)

3. Hay (tons): length x width x height /
      500 (all in feet)

4. Straw (tons): length x width x height / 
      1,000 (all in feet)

                                       

 5. Corn silage (tons at 65 percent moisture):
   
 a. Upright Solo (tons):

 Height                  Diameter (ft)
   (ft)           18       20       22       24       30
   40          202      249     300     356     557
   50          227      342     416     493     771
   60          361      445     538     638   1,000
   70                                          790   1,235
   80                                          949   1,478

                                                                 
  
b. Bunker Silo (tons per feet of length):

Bottom                  Depth (ft)
width (ft)         8        10       12       16       20
   20             3.5      4.5       5.5      
   30             5.0      6.5       7.9     10.9
   40             6.6      8.5      10.3     14.1   18.0
   50             8.2     10.5     12.7     17.3   22.0
   60                       12.5     15.1     20.5   26.0
   70                                   17.5    23.7   30.0
   80                                   19.9    26.9   34.0
  100                                            33.3   42.0

For haylage at 50 percent moisture multiply
  by .715.

 

 

USDA Rural DevelopmentPartially Funded by USDA Rural Development
...and justice for all.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Many materials can be made available in alternative formats for ADA clients. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964.
 

Iowa State University

The names, words, symbols, and graphics representing Iowa State University are trademarks and copyrights of the university, protected by trademark and copyright laws of the U.S. and other countries.