Inside-out grain sheds

Inside-Out Grain Sheds Versus Concrete Panel Grain Sheds – Which Is Best?

  • 5 Minute Read

There is no doubt that having on-farm grain storage pays dividends. 

And you are likely well versed in the advantages of grain storage sheds, such as the low cost per tonne and effective aeration. 

But you might not be as familiar with the different grain shed designs available. 

If you are planning a new grain shed build, you might be wondering what grain shed design you should choose. 

Two of the most common grain shed designs are the ‘inside-out’ grain shed, and the concrete panel grain shed.

So, which is best?

Decisions like these can often come down to your personal preference or your budget. 

But it is also important to consider your grain storage requirements and which grain shed design will be able to satisfy these requirements the best. 

In this article we discuss inside-out grain sheds versus concrete panel grain sheds, and the pros and cons of both options.

Weighing up between an inside-out grain shed and a concrete panel grain shed? 

Then this article is a good starting point for your project research.

 

What Is An Inside-Out Grain Shed?

An ‘inside-out’ grain shed has iron cladding installed to the inside of the shed rather than on the outside of the shed frame. This allows you to store grain up against the wall. 

The wall girts are spaced at closer intervals than a standard shed design to allow grain to be stored to 3 metres high. Struts and intermediate posts are used to support the grain load. 

Inside-out grain sheds

Advantages Of Inside-Out Grain Sheds

Some of the benefits of building an inside-out grain shed include:

  • Is a safe way to store grain
  • Is suitable for most cereal grains
  • It can be used for machinery and equipment storage when not used for grain storage
  • It can sometimes be marginally more cost-effective than a concrete panel shed
  • It provides a clean skin inside the shed
  • There is minimal dust collection

Disadvantages Of Inside-Out Grain Sheds

Some of the ‘cons’ or disadvantages of an inside-out grain shed design include:

  • Cladding can be damaged by machinery when loading or unloading the shed. A concrete plinth can be installed to prevent this from happening though.
  • Is not suitable for all grain types
  • Is not suitable for fertiliser storage due to the corrosion risk

What Is A Concrete Panel Grain Shed?

A concrete panel grain shed design is a shed that uses pre-cast concrete panels to support the grain load inside the shed.

These concrete panel walls are usually three metres high and are fastened to the inside of the shed column. Extra supporting steelwork is installed to accommodate the concrete and grain loads.

There are two configuration options available for this type of grain shed: a fully enclosed shed or an open-front shed. 

Read on to learn more about this design option. 

concrete panel grain sheds

Advantages Of Concrete Panel Grain Sheds

A concrete panel grain shed design has many advantages, here are some of the main benefits of building one:

  • A fully enclosed concrete panel grain shed is the most secure way to store grain, providing an effective barrier against pests
  • Additional concrete panels can be installed to segregate different types of grains
  • An open-front concrete panel grain shed is the most cost-effective configuration, with the lowest cost-per-tonne
  • An open-front concrete panel shed has good aeration making it suited to grains such as faba beans
  • Is a safe way to store grain
  • It can be used for fertiliser storage or machinery storage when not used for storing grain
  • Its longevity (compared to an inside-out style shed)

Disadvantages Of Concrete Panel Grain Sheds

There are no real disadvantages of a grain shed with concrete panels.  Although, as with the inside out style shed, some grain types are better suited to silos. For example, if segregation and/or fumigation is important. 
 

Inside-Out Grain Shed Versus Concrete Panel Grain Shed – Which Is Best?

Both inside-out grain sheds and concrete panel grain shed designs clearly have their advantages. But which is best?
 
A concrete panel grain shed is usually the preferred design, particularly for large scale grain sheds. And, as we fabricate our own concrete panels (rather than using a third party) this makes the cost on par with an inside-out design. Along with this, the durability and versatility of a concrete panel grain shed, generally makes them the best option,
 
It is important to choose the design that is best for your storage requirements, though. For example, if you want a cost-effective and versatile asset, an open-front concrete panel shed is ideal. Or if grain pest prevention and control is a high priority, then a fully enclosed concrete panel is usually the most effective way to achieve this.
 

Useful Resources

If you are still not 100% sure on the best grain shed design, configuration – or even the size your shed needs to be – please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. Our building consultants are always happy to provide advice and suggestions for different designs and capacities. 
 
And below are some more articles and resources that might be relevant to your project planning:
 
We hope you have found this discussion on inside-out grain sheds and concrete panel grain sheds helpful! For more articles like this one, brochures and videos, check out our Learning Hub.

Share this article!

Like this article?

Here’s a few more that might interest you.