US 2010O154318A1

(19) United States

(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2010/0154318 A1
Shockley et al. (43) Pub. Date: Jun. 24, 2010
(54) RING BEAMAND METHOD FOR (52) U.S. Cl. ............................. 52/82:52/745.13:52/601
CONSTRUCTING THE SAME (57) ABSTRACT

(75) Inventors: Lestle R. Shockley, San Ramon, A ring beam element, a ring beam and a method of construct
vilSE yiests. Borov, ing a ring beam from a plurality of ring beam elements is
s disclosed. The ring beam can Supporta shell or wall of a tank.
Correspondence Address: The ring beam element comprises a reinforced concrete body,
CHEVRON CORPORATION preferably having a metal base plate anchored therein, and a
P.O. BOX 6006 plurality oftensile conduits extending circumferentially there
SAN RAMON, CA 94583-0806 (US) through. Ideally, the reinforced concrete body will have inter
locking Surfaces such that the ring beam elements interlock
(73) Assignee: Chevron U.S.A. Inc. with one another when circumferentially juxtaposed. Tensile
members can be placed through the plurality of tensile con
(21) Appl. No.: 12/342,476 duits and tensioned and anchored by anchors to clamp a
(22) Filed: Dec. 23, 2008 plurality of juxtaposed ring beam elements together. Ideally,
the base plates of a plurality of the ring beam elements can be
Publication Classification connected or welded together to form an annular ring of base
(51) Int. Cl. plates. The ring beam elements can be mounted upon piles to
E04B 7/10 (2006.01) provide level surfaces to the base plates so that the metal base
Et)4B I/4I (2006.01) plates can be readily connected together to form an annular
Et)4C2/06 (2006.01) ring beam.
322 34.