Scope of Work
| Domes | Height | Diameter | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| #592 | 183.7ft | 134ft | 60,000t |
| #592 | 56.0m | 40.8m | 60,000t |
Construction is complete on a sugar storage dome for American Crystal Sugar Company. Located in Montgomery, Illinois, the dome stands 134 feet tall and 183.7 feet in diameter and stores 60,000 metric tons of sugar. American Crystal Sugar Company owns the facility; however, United Sugars Corporation operates the facility and manages sales and distribution.
The dome is equipped with mechanical systems providing a fill rate of 200 metric tons per hour and a reclaim rate of 150 metric tons per hour. Dome Technology’s scope of work included dome construction, heat tracing in the shell, tunnel installation, a portion of the headhouse, and an interior application of food-safe coating.
Client requests and customization
The dome is a first for American Crystal Sugar Company, which to date has relied upon concrete silos and steel Weibull bins for storage. According to Aaron Bjerke, who oversees business development for American Crystal Sugar Company, the cost of constructing a dome versus concrete silos was equivalent per unit stored, but savings could be found in the material-handling systems. Because the company can achieve its storage needs with one dome, just one handling system was installed, as opposed to a redundant cost of one material-handling system per silo.
In addition to building the dome, Dome Technology installed the reclaim screw, a clean-sweep model made of stainless steel to complement food-safe requirements. A food grade-quality coating was sprayed on the entire inner dome shell; the applied VersaFlex product is 60 millimeters thick and ensure cleanliness in storage. The dome also features temperature and humidity control, a dust-collection system, and dedicated explosion panels—the first American Crystal Sugar Company storage facility to include such panels, Bjerke said.
Meeting customer expectations
According to an American Crystal Sugar Company press release, the dome is not attached to a producing sugar factory, making it the largest freestanding sugar storage facility in the United States.
In recent years Dome Technology has completed multiple domes for sugar companies, and perhaps two reasons are the amount of sugar that can fit inside the dome and the ability to condition and keep the sugar in a stable condition.
