When Spring Meadow Dairy in Mount West, Nottingham Road, suffered damage to their 40,000-litre raw milk silo during a routine cleaning procedure, the emergency required both swift logistics and technically demanding rigging to restore the dairy’s storage capacity as quickly as possible. Here is how Reef Rigging managed the emergency installation of two replacement silos.
Project Overview: Emergency Silo Replacement at Spring Meadow Dairy
The scope required receiving two new 40,000-litre raw milk barrel silos arriving on abnormal load transporters and installing them in place of the damaged unit. The damaged silo — a panelled and blown vertical 40,000-litre barrel that had failed during a Clean-In-Place (CIP) procedure — had to be removed through an opened roof section before the new units could be installed. The two new silos then had to be craned in through the same roof opening and placed onto an elevated mezzanine with the silos protruding through the roof.
Equipment Used for the Emergency Installation
The project required a 150-tonne mobile crane as the primary lift machine for the roof-level operations. Two crane trucks with rear-mounted knuckleboom cranes were used for material handling at ground level. The roof sheets over the installation area were removed and reinstated as part of the project scope. All rigging tackle — slings, shackles, and spreader beams — was sized for the weight of the 40,000-litre silos, which approach 4 tonnes each when accounting for the vessel itself plus any residual contents.
How the Installation Was Completed
The damaged silo was rigged and removed through the opened roof section using the 150-tonne mobile crane, and placed in a temporary lay-down area. The two new silos were then craned in through the same opening — one at a time — and positioned onto the elevated mezzanine structure inside the dairy building. Once both silos were in position and confirmed correctly seated, the roof sheets were reinstated and all services — inlet and outlet pipework, level sensors, and CIP connections — were reconnected. The dairy was returned to full raw milk storage capacity upon completion.
For emergency dairy equipment installation and silo replacement services in South Africa, explore Reef Rigging’s food and dairy services or contact the team.
Frequently Asked Questions: Emergency Silo Installation
How quickly can an emergency dairy silo installation be completed?
With a pre-surveyed site, equipment on order, and a mobilised rigging team, an emergency silo installation at a dairy facility can typically be completed in one to two days of rigging work, plus time for services reconnection and commissioning. The limiting factor is usually equipment availability — whether the replacement silo is in stock and ready for collection, and whether the crane and rigging team can be mobilised quickly. Reef Rigging prioritises emergency dairy calls due to the production impact of storage capacity loss.
What causes a dairy silo to fail during CIP procedures?
Dairy silos can fail during Clean-In-Place (CIP) procedures if a vacuum develops inside the vessel during the cleaning cycle — typically if the inlet or vent is blocked while the vessel is being drained or cooled with cleaning solution. The resulting vacuum can cause the vessel walls to implode, permanently damaging the silo. Prevention involves ensuring that all vents are open and unobstructed during CIP, and that the CIP procedure is followed correctly. Damaged silos are a food safety risk and must be replaced before being returned to service.