Comparison of Calculated and Observed Filling and Flow Pressures in Silos and Hoppers

A comparison is made of the pressures on the walls of a model silo and a model hopper under filling and discharge conditions. Plane strain cases are considered. The pressures are derived from experimental observations and numerical analyses including the finite element analysis and the boundary element analysis; these are then compared with pressures from other approximated theories and code statements. The results show that the numerical procedures are capable of predicting the pressures on the walls of silos with reasonable accuracy, once the basic material properties are determined.