Asphalt, Road Materials & Paving Products worked example

Hot Mix Silo Storage Time with hot mix held in silo of 160 tons: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop hot mix held in silo to 160 tons, then walk the calculation through step by step. Estimate protected silo storage hours from hot mix inventory, expected truck or paving drawdown, and a safety factor.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Hot mix held in silo: 160 tons (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 320)
  • Expected silo drawdown rate: 85 tons / hr (held at the documented default)
  • Storage safety factor: 1.2 x (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Unprotected silo hours = hot mix in silo รท expected drawdown rate.
  • Adjusted run time works out to 1.9 hr protected storage at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Base run time works out to 1.88 hr protected storage at these inputs.
  • Allowance applied works out to 1.2 % at these inputs.
  • Process rate works out to 85 pieces / min at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where hot mix held in silo sits at 320 tons and the headline result is 3.81 hr protected storage, this scenario comes in 50% below the baseline at 1.9 hr protected storage.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to hot mix held in silo, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It assumes a steady drawdown rate and does not model silo insulation, mix temperature, or binder type, all of which change how fast stored mix actually ages.

Results at a glance

  • Adjusted run time: 1.9 hr protected storage (headline result)
  • Base run time: 1.88 hr protected storage
  • Allowance applied: 1.2 %
  • Process rate: 85 pieces / min

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Hot Mix Silo Storage Time calculator, set hot mix held in silo to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.