Abstract: In a double-walled tank for low-temperature liquids, such as a liquid gas, an inner tank forms a primary safety casing while an outer tank, enclosing the inner tank, forms a secondary safety casing. The inner tank includes a base and an upwardly extending side wall with at least the base being formed of metal. Preferably, the outer tank is formed of reinforced concrete. A thermal insulation layer is located between the two tanks, a ring of reinforced concrete encircles the junction of the side wall and base of the inner tank. The ring is L-shaped and in radial section has an upwardly extending leg in contact with the outside surface of the side wall and a generally horizontal leg in contact with the radially outer part of the lower surface of the base.

Abstract: The formwork for a concrete structural member includes a recoverable formwork part. This recoverable part has an axially elongated sheath which closely encloses a tendon over a relatively long portion of the length of the sheath. A cup-shaped part formed integrally with the sheath is arranged to form at least a portion of a recess in the concrete member. When assembled on the formwork, one end of the sheath is arranged to be located within the concrete when it is poured and the other end is located on the exterior of the formwork. The cup-shaped part is located intermediate the ends of the sheath and just inside the formwork. A member is engageable with the sheath for attaching it to the formwork.

Abstract: In a system for anchoring a tendon extending through a structural concrete unit, an anchoring member is located at the outside surface of the concrete unit and has a frusto-conical passage through which a tendon passes as it extends outwardly from the concrete unit. A cap fits over the outer surface of the anchoring member and forms a closure over its frusto-conical passage. The cap is shaped so that it has an inwardly projecting portion which seats against the outer ends of wedge parts securing the tendon within the passage in the anchoring member. The projection on the cap exerts a compressive force holding the wedge parts in place. Further, during construction of the concrete unit, the cap can secure the wedge parts against displacement.

Abstract: A planter formed of concrete or a similar settable material includes an upwardly extending wall having a laterally closed outer surface and an upwardly extending inner surface bounding a hollow space having an upwardly extending axis. Three equiangularly spaced projections are formed on the outer surface of the planter. The outer edge of each projection extends perpendicularly of the projection axis which extends radially outwardly from the axis of the hollow space. Between the projections, the outer surface is formed of concavely shaped circular arcs.

Abstract: In constructing a stayed girder bridge, the end abutments and intermediate permanent bridge supports are built in place. The stiffening girder is formed of reinforced concrete or prestressed concrete and is built in sections at a location adjacent one of the abutments. As each section is built, it is connected to the previously produced sections by the reinforcing used, and the stiffening girder is moved from the one abutment toward the other by the length of the sections. When the girder reaches the other end abutment, a reinforced concrete tower is constructed upwardly from the girder at a location spaced from the abutments. A pair of stays are constructed of prestressed concrete each secured at one end to the other part of the tower. From the tower each stay extends in an opposite direction diagonally downwardly to and is secured to the stiffening girder.

Abstract: A floating structure is used for transforming thermal energy in sea water into another form of energy, such as electrical energy. The structure consists of a floating body with a tube extending downwardly from the center of the body for a considerable depth into the water for drawing cooler water upwardly for use in the energy transformation process. The floating body may be a single floating element or a group of such elements connected together, preferably in a symmetrical arrangement. The floating element includes a downwardly open air chamber in its lower surface. The outer wall of the air chamber forms a number of passageways for drawing warmer sea water upwardly from near the water surface for use in the energy transformation process.

Abstract: A flowable concrete mixture which possesses high strength and which provides facile placement of the mixture in structural forms composed of cement glue and aggregates, the viscosity of the cement glue and volume weight of the aggregates being adjusted so that the aggregates are suspended in the cement glue and remain suspended until the cement glue hardens.

Abstract: A semi-submersible floating structure includes a horizontal platform with a symmetrical arrangement of buoyant bodies extending vertically downwardly from the platform. The buoyant bodies consist of a tubular column secured by a bending-resistant connection to the platform with a closed container secured to and extending downwardly from the lower end of the tubular column. The horizontal cross-sectional area of the closed container is for most of its vertical height greater than the transverse cross-sectional area of the tubular column. At least the lower portion of the closed container has a curvilinear surface. An annular wall extends around and is spaced radially outwardly from each of the closed containers and the wall, in combination with the enclosed container, forms an annular chamber therebetween open at the bottom and closed at the top. The platform and the buoyant bodies are formed of reinforced concrete or prestressed concrete.

Abstract: An elongated concrete structure, such as a bridge, is constructed by providing at a construction zone located at one end of the site of the structure a formwork arrangement which includes a bottom formwork within which the structure may be formed in discrete sections. Successive discrete sections formed in the formwork are joined together and launched in series from the construction zone toward the opposite end of the site across which the structure is to extend. As each section of the structure is launched, the bottom formwork is moved together with each section across one section length in the launching direction while the remainder of the formwork arrangement is maintained stationary at the construction zone.

Abstract: Containers for storing crude oil or other liquids at offshore locations are formed preferably of reinforced concrete, though prestressed concrete can be used. The containers can be floated into position and sunk onto the ocean floor. Each container is bottle-shaped and consists of a lower storage section and an upper or neck section. The lower section is located below water and the neck section extends upwardly to a point above the water level. The maximum diameter of the lower section is considerably greater than the maximum diameter of the upper section. A platform or platform section can be provided on the upper end of the upper section. A number of containers can be grouped together and interconnected at their upper ends by a platform.

Abstract: For use in prestressed concrete structures, an arrangement is provided for interconnecting serially arranged longitudinally extending bundles of prestressing tendons. Each bundle passes through a separate section of the structure with the sections being poured one after the other. The ends of a bundle extending through a first poured section are secured centrally within an anchorage member. The ends of the following bundle in the next section are secured to the same anchorage member in an annular part radially outwardly of the centrally secured ends of the first bundle. From the anchorage member, the tendons in the following bundle converge inwardly to a point spaced from the anchorage member where they are enclosed within a tubular sheathing in a normal close spacing. The end of the sheathing is trumpet shaped, diverging toward the anchorage member.

Abstract: In the construction of a prestressed concrete structure, such as a bridge girder, forms for at least a part of the structure are built and a thin-walled sheathing tube is placed within the forms. Axially displaceable stiffener tubes extend through the sheathing tube. After the concrete is poured into the forms around the sheathing tube and sets, a steel bar is pushed through the sheathing tube and displaces the stiffener tubes. The steel bar can be left in the sheathing tube as the tendon or replaced with a tendon. Subsequently, the tendon is tensioned. Spacers encircling the steel bar keep it centered as it is pushed through the sheathing tube. Preferably, the stiffener tubes consist of an inner tube and an outer tube and each is made up of a plurality of short axially extending lengths with the joints of the inner tube staggered relative to the joints of the outer tube.

Abstract: A float construction is formed of at least one closed storage chamber arranged to float on the surface of a body of water with walls extending downwardly from the storage chamber and forming a plurality of chambers open at the lower ends. When the storage chamber is floated, water completely fills the chambers below the storage chamber so that the natural frequency of the float construction is varied for the different vibrations to which it is exposed.

Abstract: A profiled tensioning rod or combination of rods is provided at the end which is to be inserted into the bore hole of a rock, with a corrosion protective tube formed in three parts, an anchoring part adapted to extend over the greater portion of the anchored end of the rod, a "free steel part" adapted to extend over the (initially) unconnected part of the anchoring rod which extends into the bore hole and a junction part to which the other two parts are connected. The junction part extends beyond the periphery of the other parts of the tube and is large enough to prevent any substantial flow of cement outwardly from the space between the anchoring part and the bore hole. The free steel part of the tube contains a deaerating conduit so that when the rock formation is stabilized after the various borings, etc., the free steel part of the bore hole may be cemented.

Abstract: Steel rods are formed, by hot rolling, with at least three (preferably four) series of ribs extending along the length thereof. The ribs are all formed to extend along a spiral line along the surface of the rods and are so constructed that any cross-cut through the rod must pass through at least one rib. Each of the ribs has end portions which gradually blend into the core of the rod, which core is substantially circular in cross-section. The outer surfaces of the end portions are substantially straight and tangential to the core. Thus, when viewed from the end or in cross-section, the rod has the appearance of a polygon. The polygonal shape of the rod prevents it from rotating after embedding it in concrete when tension is applied to an end thereof. The spiral arrangement permits tension to be applied to the rods by means of screw nuts, etc.

Abstract: A method of forming a carriageway slab comprising two or more sections with expansion joints between the sections and stressed longitudinal tensioning members extending all the way through the sections is provided. In such structures, the space between sections where the expansion joints are provided is too small to insert a press to provide necessary stress to the longitudinal tensioning members. According to the invention, the tensioning members are formed in two parts, one part of each (a longer part) extending rearwardly from the front end plate of a section and the other or shorter part extending from the rear end plate. The front portion of the section is concreted and when the concrete is hardened, the tensioning members are stressed at the end of the concreted part and fixed in stressed condition, then the shorter parts of the tensioning members are attached to the corresponding longer parts and tension is applied to the shorter sections while the position of the adjacent ends at the joint is fixed.

Abstract: An elongated elevated box girder and roadway structure is constructed in a number of individual elongated sections with the support structure and formwork being reused, in turn, for each section. Each section is constructed in a number of stages. Initially, a support structure is built up from grade or is mounted on permanent upright members of the structure being formed, such as piers or abutments. Formwork for the bottom slab and the upright outside webs of the box girders are placed upon the support structure. Concrete is poured into the formwork for the bottom slab and webs and, after being allowed to set for a given period, and posttensioned, if necessary, the formwork is stripped and the support structure is removed. The support structure and formwork are then moved and set up for the next section to be constructed. The roadway slab includes the top slab of the box girder and cantilever sections extending laterally outwardly from each side of the top slab.

Abstract: A removable press anchor is formed of a tubular sheathing with a traction element carried for longitudinal movement within the sheathing. An anchor body is releasably connected to the traction element and is embedded in a press body which is formed by pressing in hardening material. The anchor body is formed of glass fibers so as to be destructible by cutting forces extending transverse to the longitudinal axis thereof and able to absorb large forces in the direction of its longitudinal length and only small forces in the direction transverse to its longitudinal length. In one embodiment, the anchor body is formed as a pressure member, and in a further embodiment it is formed as a traction member.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuously producing finished prestressed concrete wires along a prestressing bed with a plurality of prestressing members which extend along the prestressing bed and which are arranged to pass through the concrete members when formed. The apparatus includes a scaffold which spans the prestressing bed in a gantry-like fashion and is supported for movement in a direction parallel to the bed. The scaffold extends over at least two adjacent stations along the prestressing bed for producing the finished prestressed concrete members. A number of vertically movable lower form members are carried on the scaffold for movement to a lowered position on the prestressing bed for receiving fresh concrete to form the concrete members. After the concrete members are formed and bonded the lower form member may be raised away from the finished concrete member.

Abstract: This invention relates to an arrangement for projecting cantilever sections of multi-sectional bridge supporting structures of steel or prestressed concrete forming the superstructure of the bridge which is supported on bridge piles. The arrangement includes at least one traveling auxiliary beam movably carried on and arranged above the superstructure for spanning between superstructure sections. Two concreting scaffolds each comprising a supporting part having crossbeams and rollers are arranged above the superstructure and carry a platform which is arranged below the superstructure for carrying casings to extend the projecting superstructure sections. A transport device is movably carried on the auxiliary beam and supports the concreting scaffolds for transport between superstructure sections and from the end of a completed section to a bridge pile for beginning construction of a new section.