Abstract: A gate valve having a body with flat parallel end walls with aligned openings and reinforcing ribs extending across the exterior faces of said end walls. The reinforcing ribs on opposite sides of the end walls are interconnected by side strips which are not connected to the side walls of the valve body and are welded to the opposite ribs by welding connections between the opposite edges of opposite ribs and those ends of the side strips which are bent around the outer corners of the ribs. Preferably the side strips are formed by the legs, interconnected by welding, of U-shaped strips having a width which is larger than the thickness of the ribs.