# Conical outbuildings in rural areas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 10, 2021, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conical-outbuildings-in-rural-areas/954085 "2021-11-10T01:51:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conical-outbuildings-in-rural-areas/954085/1 "2021-11-10T01:51:38Z")
I recently had occasion to drive cross-country and on the trip I saw a style of building new to me. Does anyone know anything about these? Couldn’t find a great picture of one but this gives you some idea: [![](https://live.staticflickr.com/5460/7178611603_9bfef1eb3e_b.jpg) ](https://live.staticflickr.com/5460/7178611603_9bfef1eb3e_b.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conical-outbuildings-in-rural-areas/954085/2 "2021-11-10T01:54:41Z")
Looks like a road salt storage dome to me. [https://dome-corp-na.com/applications/salt-and-sand-storage/](https://dome-corp-na.com/applications/salt-and-sand-storage/) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conical-outbuildings-in-rural-areas/954085/3 "2021-11-10T01:59:33Z")
Qadgop beat me to it. They’re fairly common in areas that get a lot of snowfall, and use road salt. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conical-outbuildings-in-rural-areas/954085/4 "2021-11-10T02:01:49Z")
Confirming road salt storage. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conical-outbuildings-in-rural-areas/954085/5 "2021-11-10T04:00:06Z")
Ah! And a few I saw with open doors had vehicles inside which would be the salt trucks and plows. Mystery solved, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conical-outbuildings-in-rural-areas/954085/6 "2021-11-10T04:02:15Z")
Why are they conical, though? I’ve never figured that out. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conical-outbuildings-in-rural-areas/954085/7 "2021-11-10T04:09:19Z")
Domes are an efficient construction technique. They aren’t too popular for general use since they don’t subdivide into rectangular rooms the way we like. But when you’re storing a giant, conical pile of salt, it makes perfect sense. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conical-outbuildings-in-rural-areas/954085/8 "2021-11-10T04:38:25Z")
And now I know. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conical-outbuildings-in-rural-areas/954085/9 "2021-11-10T13:54:16Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > Why are they conical, though? I’ve never figured that out. It’s just a cover on a pile. basically, it’s like a gravel pile, but with a cover. if it were a silo or something - salt can clump and not flow. Plus, a silo would require strong sides, be off the ground, need a fill chute for the trucks, etc… This way, all you need is a conveyor thingie to put the new salt up top of the pile, and a front end loader to fill the trucks (and a big door to let the loader in.) So it’s a low-strength dome that just keeps the water off. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conical-outbuildings-in-rural-areas/954085/10 "2021-11-10T16:32:29Z")
Here’s a better picture of one (first one I ever saw): https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=%213m2%212sen%214v0%216m8%211m7%211s_viWQDct32xLZOL4sNLuIQ%212m2%211d38.9917374%212d-95.6904547%213f332.52%214f9.252%215f0.805 ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conical-outbuildings-in-rural-areas/954085/11 "2021-11-10T16:38:26Z")
Do I get to sound like I know/am adding something by mentioning “angle of repose”? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2021, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conical-outbuildings-in-rural-areas/954085/12 "2021-11-10T19:30:01Z")
I always thought they were giant beehives.