The last month or so, we have been keeping a close eye on a new high rise going up on a neighboring property.

I think it would be fair to say, it has spurred the interest of numerous people as we shamelessly gawked at their progress each day as we slowly drove by.

We had watched with absolutely no subtlety as the ground was leveled and prepared.

The last time this happened, the farmer had built a gorgeous and massive pole barn. Giant doors fronted bays tall enough for various farm equipment to easily move through, and a dry space to do repairs and to protect machinery which cost more than most houses in the area. It’s a handsome barn. A rich blue with white trim and cupolas, plus a portico where rocking chairs provide a space to relax and cool down after a long day working. It’s a piece of work and probably more than one person is envious of this space, after all it is also big enough to hold a square dance or a wedding reception if need be.

We wondered if another barn was going to go up, after all you need to protect the investment one makes with valuable equipment. But then we saw, it wasn’t one space being prepped, but three! We saw long spikes of rebar being poked into the ground, then blocks being laid. Interesting.

It wasn’t until the we saw the structure rise for a couple of feet, we realized new grain bins were being built. Very interesting. I have never seen a new one being put up. I have seen them torn down and silos knocked over by storms, so this should be interesting.

Once the concrete base was in place and presumably cured, the roof was placed on the platforms. They looked like shiny, flattened cones rising out of the gravel. Each morning as I left for work, I checked out these bins. Each day, when I arrived home, one would be taller by another 4- 12 feet. What I did not see has how they were being built. There was nothing outside giving any indication how they lifted that roof and those panels up and affixed them into place.

Finally, I couldn’t stand it anymore and stopped to ask, just how those things were being built. The neighbor was gracious enough show me and let me peek inside. Apparently once the base is built and the first ring of metal sheets are placed, massive jacks are used to raise the roof just enough to affix the next ring of metal sheeting all the way around. Specialized jacks are required to prevent injuries and accidents while lifting the heavy weight.

The metal sheets are affixed on by piles of heavy-duty bolts which will hold the segments in place for years. Once the ring is completely in place, the whole process is repeated until the appropriate height is reached. Metal ladders are installed inside the grain bin and a spiral staircase is installed outside the bin to the roof. There were two towering bins and one smaller.

The smaller or ”wet” bin is where grain straight from a field goes. It is offloaded from a semi into the smaller wet bin and is then fed through a “dryer” to remove excess moisture from the grain. This prevents the grain from becoming moldy, spoiling and helps to deter insect infestation. Once the grain has been properly dried, it is then fed into a storage bin. A wet bin with a midsized propane gas fueled grain dryer can dry a semi-trailer load of corn in about 2 hours.

We talked about different safety features, we both knew individuals who had arms torn off from grain augers and managed to survive the ordeal. I shared information about some videos on grain storage rescues, where people were foolishly walking on the upper crust of a grain pile and then sunk down. The grain acts as quicksand and the more you fight, the more you sink down being crushed by the weight, until you suffocate. He assured me he had safety protocols in place to hopefully prevent any tragedies.

I poked my head inside the larger of the bins and marveled over the sheer size. A spacious two-bedroom apartment could easily fit within the base. The 80-foot ladders looked daunting, and it was a long, long way up to the top. Over all the structures were beautiful in an austere and functional way.

Curiosity sated, I thanked him for the tour and the quick lessons after admiring the towering, galvanized steel structures once again. I went on home, thankful that these high rises were going to be a good addition to the neighborhood.

Written and submitted by Sarah Roush for The Circleville Herald. The views of this column may not necessarily reflect that of the newspaper.

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