Grain pads - alternatives to concrete?

Grass And Grain

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Yorks
On one farm we are putting a stabilised soil/concrete pad in, not the farm I was intending originally though. This farm has storage on farm but there is an outlying block which is a long cart so will just dump and put into camgrain.
Be interesting to see how the pad holds up. It’s 1/10th of the cost of proper concrete but will only get maybe a weeks use in good weather so should be okay for a while.
Interesting. How is this done? Just cement powder mixed in to the soil?
 

JCfarmer

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
warks
Good because if they were from warks and near nuneaton then I would steer well clear.
Not from personal experience because I would only use concrete but I do know more than enough.
How old are the pads you looked at and how do the owners of those pads like it?
I appreciate you are not using these for much of the year so should be ok.
 

Goggles

Member
Location
Hertfordshire
With all of our grain going to CS and sheds being used for other purposes, does anyone have any good ideas for a tipping/loading site surface for grain.
Concrete is obviously the ideal, but very expensive and this is really only needed for a few weeks of the year.
I have seen stabilised concrete pads which were cheaper, looked at them quite closely a few years ago as an alternative but then a change of plan mean we didn’t pursue that avenue, but I will re investigate.
Any other ideas from anyone greatly appreciated?
Sorry if this has already been mentioned, as I haven’t the time to read 14 pages, but we have used a chalk pad for temporary grain storage. Peel off the top soil and dry chalk, laid properly, goes down very hard and is ideal to load lorries from. Very little waste, which can feed pheasants.
 

farmerfred86

Member
BASIS
Location
Suffolk
Sorry if this has already been mentioned, as I haven’t the time to read 14 pages, but we have used a chalk pad for temporary grain storage. Peel off the top soil and dry chalk, laid properly, goes down very hard and is ideal to load lorries from. Very little waste, which can feed pheasants.
This is actually very viable and would be the cheapest option. Where we’ve used chalk it’s very hard this time of year.
I think Camgrain can even supply it?
but it’s dreadful in winter and of no use then.
 

Banana Bar

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Bury St Edmunds
This is actually very viable and would be the cheapest option. Where we’ve used chalk it’s very hard this time of year.
I think Camgrain can even supply it?
but it’s dreadful in winter and of no use then.
True, however, I’ve loaded lorries numerous times from pad when it’s been raining or following rain, wet chalk is horrendous. You will never regret putting concrete down. I still say it’s cheap, done properly it will last 2 or 3 generations. On one farm I load off an old WW2 runway, tarmac has gone but it’s got excellent concrete underneath, that’s at least 75yrs old!
 

Flat 10

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Fen Edge
True, however, I’ve loaded lorries numerous times from pad when it’s been raining or following rain, wet chalk is horrendous. You will never regret putting concrete down. I still say it’s cheap, done properly it will last 2 or 3 generations. On one farm I load off an old WW2 runway, tarmac has gone but it’s got excellent concrete underneath, that’s at least 75yrs old!
Infrastructure like that is invaluable
 

Pilatus

Member
Location
cotswolds
On one farm we are putting a stabilised soil/concrete pad in, not the farm I was intending originally though. This farm has storage on farm but there is an outlying block which is a long cart so will just dump and put into camgrain.
Be interesting to see how the pad holds up. It’s 1/10th of the cost of proper concrete but will only get maybe a weeks use in good weather so should be okay for a while.
When you get time, please can you post some pics of the pad/s .Thankyou
 

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