Varner, White, KS: Grain Elevator with slip and jump form bins

(Satellite)

Bob Summers posted two photos with the comment:

The former Collingwood Grain, now Farmers Co-op, branch on the Varner railroad siding of the now abandoned AT&SF (South Hutchinson Indian Territory) branch line illustrates the difference between slip form and jump form concrete construction. Although the newer jump form silo will darken with age, the seams between "jumps" and the absence of seams on the older slip form elevator is apparent since neither was painted. The older slip form elevator is definitely not a Chalmers & Borton build. The jump form has the trademark "diamond top" of builder McPherson Concrete that has been building these bins in our region some 50 years now.

Marc Mcclure The older house may have been built by Johnson Construction. Lots of their features.
Bob Summers My first thought was it might have been an early one of Sampson Construction's builds, but after your comment I googled Johnson and found at one time Johnson and Sampson were partners. I think your observation is probably correct as I do not see some other things common with most of Sampson's builds I am familiar with.
Marc Mcclure Bob Summers. Darrell Johnson was a brother in-law to the Sampsons. He was also a partner with Rex Bratcher so you will see the Bratcher name too. Darrell started with Mike Tillotson. The designs are very similar but Johnson went to unpainted elevators before Sampson.
Bob Summers In our area I thought the decision to paint was customer rather than a builder decision back in the post WWII into the '60's country elevator building boom. Co-ops had lots of money due to favorable tax status and always were painted. Larger line houses like Collingwood and Bunge, Gano Grain Division were never painted. Garveys did not paint their large terminals. Small independents generally painted their concrete elevators so as to visually compare with the co-op in town that was their competitor. Recent builds, especially the jump form tanks, are generally unpainted to save not only initial cost but painted elevators need to be periodically repainted for apearance reasons, adding significantly to maintainence costs.
Marc Mcclure I understood it was based on concrete mix in a lot of cases. Tillotson whitewashed theirs based on mix. I was told long ago more structures built in areas of less rain didn't require a paint or whitewash for protection. Also a number if builders didnt recommend paint due to the way concrete sealed. A Tillotson structure in Rockwell City Iowa was torn down last year. Apparently painted instead of whitewashed in the late 70's caused the concrete to deteriorate to the point of failure.
Marc Mcclure As mixes evolved and improved the need for sealing the structure with paint or whitewash wasn't necessary. I dont know of any Todd & Sargent structures that were painted after 1972. Quad-States also quit painting structures all together in the early 70's, so like you said I think it became more of a customer decision.
Bob Summers How far back does your information go on slip form elevator contractors? Specifically I am curious who might of built the original part of the Security Elevator terminal in Hutchinson Kansas, pictures previously posted. This was less than 20 years after PV built the first slip form elevator in St Louis Park, Minnesota. As a youth I think I heard maybe a firm out of Chicago, but not sure if that is correct. Local legend is at the time it was the largest single concrete build west of the Mississippi river. Any insights you may have would be of interest. It has to be one of the oldest builds still operating.

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Update: I'm going to generalize these notes into a discussion of slip vs. jump form construction.

Joe Harker posted
Joel Mattingly Is this jump-form?
Joe Harker Joel Mattingly nope, slip form.

Bob Summers commented on Joel's comment
This is a jump form setup, Joel Mattingly There are forms for three rings. The top one is where they place the rebar, then pour the concrete. The middle one is where the concrete is setting. When the concrete has set enough to support the structure they will "jump" the bottom set of forms to the top, then repeat the process. Slip form traditionally continues 24/7 until the job is finished. Jump form generally goes one shift, then starts again the next working day, so does not need a second crew or supplier of concrete to operate 24/7 with additional cost.

Bob Summers commented on Joel's commentThis view, Joel Mattingly, shows how with slip form the carpenters build the forms allowing for not only round silos, but also the various shapes of interstice bins. Each job will have custom made forms just for that project. Jump form for grain elevators are limited to round bins, but the forms are useable on other jobs, so no need to have carpenters to build forms for each elevator.

Joe Harker posted
This one is next, 3 weeks
Bob Summers Carpenters on the foundation building the forms for a 5 x 5 slipform with 25 round bins plus 16 interstice bins. Interesting facility. Thanks for sharing..[Bay State Milling in Tolleson.]
Dennis DeBruler https://www.google.com/.../data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4...

More examples of jump form construction