WEAR-IN EFFECTS ON LOADS AND FLOW IN A CONICAL GRAIN BIN
The vertical wall and floor loads exerted by soft red winter wheat in a flat floor, conical-shaped model grain 
bin were determined as a function of the number of fill and unload cycles (Loading Cycles — LCs). The bin was 7.3 m 
high with a base diameter of 2.44 m. The angle of the wall inclination with respect to horizontal was equal to 84°. The 
conical wall of the bin and the flat floor were each supported independently on three load cells to isolate wall and floor 
loads. The bin was centrally filled from a spout and centrally discharged. 
Repeated LCs in the test bin decreased the coefficient of wall friction. As a consequence, the ratio of vertical wall loadto- 
total grain load, the dynamic-to-static wall load ratio, and the height to diameter ratio at which flow changed from 
plug to funnel varied with the increase in the number of LCs. Oscillation of wall and floor loads resulting from stick-slip 
friction were observed during the first seven LCs. An increase in the absolute value of the negative wall load (uplifting 
force) was observed as the number of LCs increased.