Grain Bin Capacity Calculator
Calculate grain bin capacity in bushels from bin diameter, grain height and roof cone height.
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What this tool does
Calculate grain bin capacity in bushels from bin diameter, grain height and roof cone height. Assumes grain is level at the entered wall height with a full cone above it. If the cone is only partly filled or the grain is peaked below the eave, adjust the cone height. Test weight and compaction change the weight of grain stored, not the volume in bushels.
How to use the Grain Bin Capacity Calculator
- Enter or select bin diameter (feet).
- Enter or select grain height at the wall / eave (feet).
- Enter or select roof cone (peak) height above the eave (feet).
- Read the calculated result; change any measurement to compare alternatives.
Formula
volume = cylinder (π × radius² × grain height) + roof cone (⅓ × π × radius² × cone height); bushels = cubic feet ÷ 1.2445 (one US bushel = 1.2445 cubic feet)
- dia
- Bin diameter (feet)
- height
- Grain height at the wall / eave (feet)
- cone
- Roof cone (peak) height above the eave (feet)
Assumes grain is level at the entered wall height with a full cone above it. If the cone is only partly filled or the grain is peaked below the eave, adjust the cone height. Test weight and compaction change the weight of grain stored, not the volume in bushels.
Worked example
For grain bin capacity calculator, the following measurements illustrate the exact method: Bin diameter (feet): 24; Grain height at the wall / eave (feet): 16; Roof cone (peak) height above the eave (feet): 6.
Inputs
- Bin diameter (feet)24
- Grain height at the wall / eave (feet)16
- Roof cone (peak) height above the eave (feet)6
Result
- Capacity (bushels)6,543.2
- Total volume (cubic feet)8,143.01
- Cylinder portion (bushels)5,816.17
- Cone portion (bushels)727.02
Results explained
- Capacity (bushels)
- Capacity (bushels) from the formula above. Assumes grain is level at the entered wall height with a full cone above it. If the cone is only partly filled or the grain is peaked below the eave, adjust the cone height. Test weight and compaction change the weight of grain stored, not the volume in bushels.
- Total volume (cubic feet)
- Total volume (cubic feet) from the formula above. Assumes grain is level at the entered wall height with a full cone above it. If the cone is only partly filled or the grain is peaked below the eave, adjust the cone height. Test weight and compaction change the weight of grain stored, not the volume in bushels.
- Cylinder portion (bushels)
- Cylinder portion (bushels) from the formula above. Assumes grain is level at the entered wall height with a full cone above it. If the cone is only partly filled or the grain is peaked below the eave, adjust the cone height. Test weight and compaction change the weight of grain stored, not the volume in bushels.
- Cone portion (bushels)
- Cone portion (bushels) from the formula above. Assumes grain is level at the entered wall height with a full cone above it. If the cone is only partly filled or the grain is peaked below the eave, adjust the cone height. Test weight and compaction change the weight of grain stored, not the volume in bushels.
Frequently asked questions
A 24 ft diameter bin filled 16 ft deep with a 6 ft cone holds roughly 6,600 bushels by this geometry. Capacity climbs fast with diameter — a 30 ft bin at the same fill holds over 10,000.
The cone is a third of a same-height cylinder, and on wide bins that is thousands of cubic feet. Filling into the roof cone (peaking the bin) can add 10–20% over the eave-level figure.
Set the cone height to how high the grain actually peaks above the eave line — zero if it is level or dished. The calculator uses exactly the geometry you describe.
At standard test weights, a bushel of corn is 56 lb, wheat or soybeans 60 lb, barley 48 lb. Multiply the bushel figure by your crop's test weight for an approximate tonnage; actual test weight varies by load.
Use the actual inside diameter. Nominal bin sizes are close (a '24 ft bin' is about 24 ft across), but corrugated-bin diameters are quoted to the outside of the ribs — the small difference rarely moves capacity by more than a percent.