Compared to the storage limitations of a traditional silo with a cylindrical wall and conical or flat roof, the entire interior of the dome silo can be used to contain the stored product, thereby increasing overall storage capacity for any given diameter and height.
The example illustrated compares a 30 m (98.4 ft) wide by 30 m (98.4 ft) tall dome silo to a traditional cylindrical silo with the same diameter and height. For example, if a product having a specific gravity equal to 1.0 and angle of repose of 30 degrees is stored in each option, the dome silo provides an impressive 3,740 additional metric tons of storage capacity compared to the same diameter and height traditional silo, an increased storage capacity of over 30% for the dome silo. Similar increased storage capacities result for different specific gravities and angles of repose.