Abstract: A cooling tower, a process for producing a cooling tower, and a reinforcing element suitable for use in the process and tower are disclosed. The cooling tower, formed from a shell of reinforced concrete, is produced with a plurality of plate-like reinforcing elements adjacent to a surface of the shell. The reinforcing elements are disposed in at least one horizontal plane within the shell adjacent to and suspended from the shell surface. The reinforcing elements in a plane abut and are joined one to another, and are also joined to the shell at spaced points thereon. Each plate-like element includes a central channel communicating with trough-like ends for receiving a suitable reinforcing material which extends into recesses in the shell of the cooling tower adjacent the trough-like ends.

Abstract: A reinforced concrete tank to surround a steel tank for storage of liquified natural gas which includes a base plate and an upstanding cylindrical wall with the base plate having a plurality of polygonal swing plates hinged to it to move about the hinge in a radial direction but not in a tangential direction and suporting the cylindrical wall above the base plate on projections from the wall that bear on the tops of the swing plates. The tank thus supported permits radial motion of the base plate due to thermal expansion or contraction but resists tangential forces such as those caused by earthquakes or explosions.

Abstract: A shield arrangement used for tunneling and mining in which a work chamber has an open front side located at the work face from which material is to be removed in tunneling and mining operations. Pressure is admitted into the work chamber for supporting the work face against crumbling and collapse. The work chamber also has supporting elements for the work face, which are selectively movable into and out of an operative position in which they support the work face. These selectively movable supports serve to replace at least partially, the support provided by the pressure medium admitted into the work chamber. The chamber has a longitudinal axis normal to the open side of the supporting elements which may be in the form of plates.

Abstract: A tunnelling apparatus has an annular tunnelling element subdivided into a leading and a trailing chamber. The front end of the leading chamber is open to the material-removing face. A material-removing cutting device is lodged in an opening formed in the transverse wall to remove material from the working face. It can be axially withdrawn from the opening into and if necessary rearwardly beyond the trailing chamber, so as to expose the opening and permit access of an operator to the working face through the opening.

Abstract: A cooling tower, a process for producing a cooling tower, and a reinforcing element suitable for use in the process and tower are disclosed. The cooling tower, formed from a shell of reinforced concrete, is produced with a plurality of plate-like reinforcing elements adjacent to a surface of the shell. The reinforcing elements are disposed in at least one horizontal plane within the shell adjacent to and suspended from the shell surface. The reinforcing elements in a plane abut and are joined one to another, and are also joined to the shell at spaced points thereon. Each plate-like element includes a central channel communicating with trough-like ends for receiving a suitable reinforcing material which extends into recesses in the shell of the cooling tower adjacent the trough-like ends.

Abstract: The invention provides a climbing framework for erecting concrete forms in the manufacture of straight or curved reinforced concrete walls, with anchoring members for removably anchoring the climbing framework to the wall, and with anchoring elements which as the wall is built, section by section, can be detached from one section and moved up for manufacture of the next-higher section.