Abstract: An assembly and method for facilitating the attachment of a metal alloy hood to the concrete shell of a spray absorber tower, and compensating for relative radial thermal expansion of the hood and the shell during start up, shut down, and operation of the spray absorber tower, while also providing accurate and effective distribution of shear forces circumferentially along a horizontal plane from the metal alloy hood to anchor rods partially embedded in the concrete shell of the spray absorber tower. A shoulder plate affixed to the hood and perforated with a plurality of anchor rod engaging bores is lowered onto and seated on top of the concrete shell. Each of the bores is configured with an ellipsoidal cross section and has a cross sectional greater than that of the anchor rod engaged therewith. After the seating of the metal alloy hood onto the concrete shell, a pipe sleeve of circular cross section is mounted over each anchor rod and is extended into the bore to rest against the top of the concrete shell.