I posted this on the Eng-Tips website as well. Also, I’m not able to add tags.
Reversing Conveyor Structure.pdf (189.0 KB)
I’m looking for thoughts on the situation shown in the attachment. A structure supporting a reversing conveyor. The structure will become engulfed in the crushed stone stockpile. What type of lateral pressures would you use? My initial approach was:
- Assume only one stockpile in place.
- Use design material height of 56.5’
- Calculate pressures based on active state with an inclined backfill
- Apply loads to all four columns and all the beams without counting any “shielding” from the uphill columns and beams.
- Ignore any resisting pressure on the downhill side of the members.
I feel like this is too conservative, but I’m don’t have any sort of reference for the two things that could help.
- Resisting pressure on the downhill side would help. Would you use at-rest? Passive? The stockpile is gravity compacted from free-fall, so the material will just flow around the columns with no mechanical compaction.
- How would you handle the shielding? I think there would be some, but just assuming some percentage seems questionable.