Experimental behaviour of quaking in tall silos

This paper examines silo quaking from within using experimental data obtained from two small Perspex models in which the conditions experienced could be carefully controlled. In these experiments, the acceleration of the material was measured at various depths in the silo column and by doing so, not only could the variation of the amplitude of the quakes be observed, but also the propagation of waves could clearly be seen. Similarities were seen between the two sets of results; the most striking of which is that the amplitude of the quakes is observed to grow exponentially with height in the silo.