Salt stockpiles would clump together, dissolve, or potentially leach into the environment without salt storage buildings. However, due to the corrosive nature of salt and other environmental requirements, important considerations need to be taken into account before constructing salt storage buildings. This article looks at those considerations in detail and offers guidance on the best approach.
Features of the Best Salt Storage Buildings
Ventilation
You want free air movement in your building to reduce any condensation and excess moisture.
Accessibility and Space
Trucks and other equipment should have easy access to the building, and the entrance should be large enough to allow machinery to maneuver in and out.
Corrosion resistant
Aluminum alloy frames and hot-dip galvanized steel are generally resistant to rust.
Drainage
There should be proper drainage away from the stockpile. You can install curbs around the building to direct drainage or run-off.
Safety
Fence the area to prevent unauthorized access. Ensure good visibility in all directions and post signs warning motorists.
Sufficient clearance
Sufficient clearance means safe maneuverability of trucks and dumping equipment.
Types of Salt Storage Structures
Salt storage buildings are generally made of three specific materials: wood, steel, and aluminum alloy. Each structure has its design and offers unique advantages and disadvantages that every aspiring builder should know.
This section details each option and explores its viability as the best material for bulk salt storage buildings.
Wood Salt Structures
Traditionally, steel and wood structures have been the most common. Laminated wood has been a preferred option because it is affordable and is not prone to rusting.
However, like other structural buildings, wood must be treated to prevent it from degrading. Due to water and salt brine exposure, wood is likely to warp, rot, and swell, and this is further worsened by increased exposure to sunlight and mechanical abrasion. Therefore, wood needs careful monitoring to prolong its lifespan.
Oil-borne preservatives can be added to timber to prevent brine movement and to keep bulk salt storage buildings in operation for several years.
All-Steel Buildings
Steel structures are common, but most modern structures use a combination of steel, aluminum alloys, and fabric.
Unfortunately, Steel is prone to corrosion and should never come into contact with salt. Its initial cost is higher and it’s expensive to handle and process. Also, since it’s a good conductor, steel buildings can be more challenging to insulate against heat and cold.
On the brighter side, Steel’s strength makes it ideal for places that experience snow most of the year because it can bear heavy loads without sustaining damage or losing its integrity. In addition, it is more fire-resistant than a material like wood.
Aluminum Alloy Structures
Aluminum is an ideal construction material because it’s strong, light, and durable. Its flexibility means it can easily be worked on and turned into different complex shapes. When exposed to air or other oxidizing agents, aluminum develops a thin layer of aluminum oxide on its surface, preventing corrosion.
Its weather-resistance property means it can withstand prolonged wind, rain, and sun exposure without weakening. It will also require minimal maintenance, saving time and lowering the overall cost of the salt storage building.
In addition, its reflective property allows structures to reflect sunlight and remain cooler during warmer months, while its strength enables it to support heavy weights.
Shelter Structures’ temporary warehouse, whose frame material is made from hard-pressed extruded Aluminum Alloy T6061/T6, is perfect for temporary storage, especially if you need a large storage capacity on-site and quickly. It can be used anytime when your current storage can no longer meet demand and provides utmost flexibility. The modularity also makes these structures easy to adjust to changing needs.
Common Salt Storage Designs
There are no limits on the designs of salt storage structures past their requirements, but the most common designs are domes, sheds, and barns. In this section, we will look at each design in detail to help you figure out if it meets your needs and demands for a salt storage building.
Domes
The dome contours the shape of the pile, making it an efficient salt storage building design with no interior trusses. Domes are among the most common bulk salt storage buildings in North America. They are very reliable for smaller-scale roadside storage outposts in remote areas, and their unobstructed, spacious interior provides easy accessibility for loaders and trucks.
Domes are easy to light, heat, cool, and power due to their design, which allows easy rainwater runoff to keep your salt dry.
Sheds
Sheds are mostly wood and are usually cheaper, semi-permanent solutions in peri-rural or peri-urban areas. Since a shed is a simple salt storage building design for holding salt temporarily, it requires extra care from management and skilled drivers of heavy equipment as it is prone to damage.
They are often assembled when there is greater demand for salt or during refurbishment periods. They can be constructed in days and are much easier to assemble than permanent buildings.
Barns
Barns are becoming an increasingly popular salt storage building design for long-term bulk storage. Depending on scale, some designs can last up to 10 or even 30 years. They can be made using several different precast concrete options fitted with a pitched roof.
Shelter Structures’ A frame clear span structures have a distinctive A-shape design and provide usable space without obstructions, making them perfect as salt storage barns. Since they have no internal poles, they are perfect for storage where vehicle access is required. They use aluminum alloy frames that make them ideal for both temporary and semi-permanent installations, and their scalability makes them a versatile solution for businesses that need temporary and sturdy buildings.
Other Key Factors to Consider
Beyond the standard salt storage building designs, you may still have different needs and demands for your salt storage buildings. For some, the weather conditions matter more than anything, while for others, seasonality is of utmost importance. This section looks at other factors when setting up bulk salt storage buildings.
Weather Conditions
Even the best and most expensive materials may not withstand extreme weather conditions. In addition, different climates have different needs, as places with short winters may not need as much space, but areas with long and hard winters require more extensive and robust structures.
You may want to consider climate-controlling the facility or using a dehumidifier to control moisture in some weather conditions.
Seasonality
Some places don’t experience large amounts of snow and ice to warrant permanent salt storage buildings. In such areas, aluminum alloy structures make sense because they can be easily assembled and disassembled.
These structures offer flexible solutions that meet the needs of a rapidly changing business with demanding logistics, and you can quickly expand or extend them.
Flexibility
If you have fluctuating storage needs, flexibility is your top priority. In such scenarios, you’ll need a temporary warehouse that can be set up anytime without investing much. Prefabricated structures like Shelter Structures’ temporary warehouse provide the utmost flexibility and significantly reduce your salt storage building cost, including labor and construction costs.
Build your Salt Storage Structure with Shelter Structures
Modern-day bulk salt storage requires you to incorporate the best features to balance salt storage building cost, flexibility, safety, and longevity. Aluminum alloy structures are the clear winners in this contest as they perfectly balance all these characteristics. Check out Shelter Structures’ offerings for other salt storage options that meet your needs.
