Storing machinery and harvested crops in one farm building

The time taken to change functions also matters. Moving equipment, cleaning and preparing the storage area require access. Steel structures with a wide clear span without intermediate columns can make organisation easier. However, this benefit must be weighed against the cost of the span and the actual layout of the equipment.

In a steel shed for equipment, allowance must be made for the width of machines with attachments, driveways and turning radii. The clear height at the gate and beneath the lowest roof element is important. A dimension given at the ridge does not define the entire available interior. Frame reinforcements or installations may restrict movement along the wall.

If unloading is to take place inside with a raised body, separate arrangements are needed. The actual dimensions of the vehicle in that position must be known. A steel structure is not selected on the basis that another vehicle fitted into a similar building. The load-bearing capacity of the floor and the wheel loads are also important.

Crops stored in packaging and bulk grain do not impose loads on the structure in the same way. The fill exerts pressure on the elements that contain it. An ordinary sandwich-panel cladding must not be treated as a retaining wall. The columns of the steel shed must also be included in the analysis if they may take up such actions.

Separately designed retaining walls or another system suited to the fill may be the solution. Its height, support and manner of interaction with the building must be established. The steel structure of the shed and the elements receiving the pressure may form various arrangements. Their combined action must not be assumed without confirmation in the documentation.

A steel shed protects against precipitation, but the enclosure alone does not ensure proper crop storage. The required conditions depend on the product, its moisture content and the storage period. Ventilating the building is not the same as aerating the grain mass. These matters must be considered separately and then coordinated in a single design.

Wet machines and materials introduce moisture into the interior. Condensation may form on cool surfaces. An insulated steel shed envelope helps to reduce some temperature differences but does not replace the removal of moisture. A condensation-collecting layer also requires the possibility of drying out. It is not an unlimited reservoir for water.

Not everything that fits under one roof should be stored together. Hygiene and fire requirements and the storage conditions of individual materials are important. A workshop area may need to be separated. This also applies to substances for which separate storage rules are provided.

Modular steel structures allow the development of the building in stages to be considered. The first part can serve machinery, while a later one can have a separate storage programme. However, the connection, bracing and vehicle movement must be planned. A multifunctional steel shed works well when a change of use does not force improvised alterations.

In front of the steel shed, space is needed for manoeuvring, waiting and handling equipment. During intensive work, several vehicles may use the yard at the same time. Drainage and the access route must also be planned. A convenient building on a cramped or waterlogged yard will not solve the farm’s day-to-day problems.

For the steel shed, prepare a list of machines together with the dimensions of the attachments used. Determine the highest planned fill level before designing the retaining walls. Do not rest the load against cladding whose resistance to such pressure has not been verified. The steel structure should have protection suited to the interior environment. Allow for access to ventilation equipment and to places requiring cleaning.

The crop reception area should not block the only exit for machinery. In the steel shed, avoid places where product residues remain out of reach for cleaning. Plan movement at peak season. Separate functions that conflict with one another. Justify the height allowance by the needs of the equipment, not by the appearance of the building alone.

A well-prepared agricultural shed makes work easier throughout the year, because each of its functions has its own place.