Grain pads - alternatives to concrete?

[Foxcover]

View attachment 1053072
Soil stabilisation and some bales. Quite pleased with it.

I think I would still want to cover the surface with a tarp, even just while it has grain on so you can sweep all the last bits up on top of a tarp without getting soil/concrete dust. Would protect the surface a bit too.
Like in the video of the wheeled bucket.

 

[Neddy flanders]

Cost about 12k all in, they rip the soil, then mix it with a load of concrete and bash it back down. It’s gone down really hard. They do a lot of tracks for farms like that. I may do some more.

surely 60cubic metres of concrete 10cm thick on 600m2 would be half that price?

 

[warksfarmer]

surely 60cubic metres of concrete 10cm thick on 600m2 would be half that price?

Just had a price for 90m3 at £9k (30mx20mx150mm). Then you’ve got to lay it. RC45 mix.

 

[ajd132]

surely 60cubic metres of concrete 10cm thick on 600m2 would be half that price?

Quotes were a lot more

 

[Steevo]

surely 60cubic metres of concrete 10cm thick on 600m2 would be half that price?

I doubt 10cm would be enough.

Concrete is only as strong as the sub-base underneath it.

 

[Grass And Grain]

Cost about 12k all in, they rip the soil, then mix it with a load of concrete and bash it back down. It’s gone down really hard. They do a lot of tracks for farms like that. I may do some more.

About 30x20m

Just concreted 600m2, 150mm thick, RC40 with fibres. Concrete was £12k, hardcore about £3.5k.

Layed it ourselves, so any kit or contractor would be on top of that. Another £6-7k???

So you're comfortably less than half price (contractors doing the job).

Only thought is, I presume there's no hardcore under the 'concrete' of your pad.

What thickness do you recon the concrete is?

I might consider your method for a cattle shed base.

 

[Grass And Grain]

I doubt 10cm would be enough.

Concrete is only as strong as the sub-base underneath it.

This is the thing. Presume there's no hardcore under it (AJD's pad)?? I've seen tracks cement stabilised, and wondered about sub base. One done near us, been down a few years so might take a look.

Will be interesting to learn how the pad holds up over several years. Guess it will mainly be used in summer when dry ground. I like the simplicity of the job, and imagine some engineer will have figures. Enjoyed seeing the final result and pad in action.

 

[Pilatus]

Did the grain pads work ok?
I think a large estate near us needs some.Rather than put up extra grain storage just across the yard from their grain drying /storage facility they have invested in buying storage space at a centralised grain store about thirty+ miles away.This year that proved a bad move as they couldn’t get hauliers to haul the grain to the centralised grain store fast enough.In the end they had to park the 2 780’s up for a week till some grain was moved so they could finish harvest. The estate has just bought another 700 acre + farm and just about to take a 700acre + farm in hand. If old estates that will carry on for generations to come,can’t supposedly justify investing in building their own extra storage who can??????

 

[ajd132]

Did the grain pads work ok?
I think a large estate near us needs some.Rather than put up extra grain storage just across the yard from their grain drying /storage facility they have invested in buying storage space at a centralised grain store about thirty+ miles away.This year that proved a bad move as they couldn’t get hauliers to haul the grain to the centralised grain store fast enough.In the end they had to park the 2 780’s up for a week till some grain was moved so they could finish harvest. The estate has just bought another 700 acre + farm and just about to take a 700acre + farm in hand. If old estates that will carry on for generations to come,can’t supposedly justify investing in building their own extra storage who can??????

Yeh worked really well. Pleased with it.

 

[JT Thomas]

You’d surely need a huge ag-bag machine to put 150t an hour into it.

Weve used before . Each bag holds approximately 200 ton

 

[JT Thomas]

We’ve used a grain bagging machine in the past for this reason . Each bag holds 200 ton . Not the funnest machine to use or unload for that matter but it’s good safe short term storage. Very common in Aus and Canada

 

[Suffolk Serf]

Did the grain pads work ok?
I think a large estate near us needs some.Rather than put up extra grain storage just across the yard from their grain drying /storage facility they have invested in buying storage space at a centralised grain store about thirty+ miles away.This year that proved a bad move as they couldn’t get hauliers to haul the grain to the centralised grain store fast enough.In the end they had to park the 2 780’s up for a week till some grain was moved so they could finish harvest. The estate has just bought another 700 acre + farm and just about to take a 700acre + farm in hand. If old estates that will carry on for generations to come,can’t supposedly justify investing in building their own extra storage who can??????

Most old estates that I know are terrible at investing in farm infrastructure. The shoot on the other hand.....

 

[Pilatus]

Hi @ajd132 ,are the grain pads wearing ok,especially after the wet season?

 

[ajd132]

Hi @ajd132 ,are the grain pads wearing ok,especially after the wet season?

Yeh they are fine, got a couple holes but that’s where the uprights for an old Dutch barn were and we didn’t put enough hardcore in them so going to to cut them out and do them properly.

 

[ollie989898]

Did the grain pads work ok?
I think a large estate near us needs some.Rather than put up extra grain storage just across the yard from their grain drying /storage facility they have invested in buying storage space at a centralised grain store about thirty+ miles away.This year that proved a bad move as they couldn’t get hauliers to haul the grain to the centralised grain store fast enough.In the end they had to park the 2 780’s up for a week till some grain was moved so they could finish harvest. The estate has just bought another 700 acre + farm and just about to take a 700acre + farm in hand. If old estates that will carry on for generations to come,can’t supposedly justify investing in building their own extra storage who can??????

Why not just pay hauliers to have a truck on turn around for the days they are needed? 2 artics can soon shift some stuff.

 

[Woldgrain Storage]

2 artics wouldn't be enough to keep up with a 60 mile round trip and no grower wants to pay for hauliers' waiting time.

 

[Clive]

Why not just pay hauliers to have a truck on turn around for the days they are needed? 2 artics can soon shift some stuff.

getting hauliers at a moments notice rarely works in practice

 

[ajd132]

Why not just pay hauliers to have a truck on turn around for the days they are needed? 2 artics can soon shift some stuff.

We do something similar but it’s pretty hard to get hauliers to come at the drop of a hat. You need a buffer. Haulage has been pretty easy this year though compared to a couple years ago.

 

[Clive]

2 artics wouldn't be enough to keep up with a 60 mile round trip and no grower wants to pay for hauliers' waiting time.

we have used 4 bulkers chaser bin filled with 2 tractor units carting in the past on a 27mile haul and only just about kept up at times

 

[ajd132]

we have used 4 bulkers chaser bin filled with 2 tractor units carting in the past on a 27mile haul and only just about kept up at times

The only people I know who truly make this work are a local big estate with their own big central grain store and brilliant tracks everywhere, they employ a company with lorries I think.
And PX farms I think manage it with their own lorries.
you need some serious fire power to not have put grain on the deck.