Background information:
Every gas factory for so-called "city gas" (the forerunner of natural gas), was provided with at least one gas container. A storage tank for city gas. The gas plant in Eindhoven had 5 of them in its heyday. It is worth noting that the construction of gas tanks changed over the years.
The first gas tanks consisted of an outer cylinder standing on the ground and an inner cylinder with roof, which could move up and down within the outer cylinder. The weight of the inner cylinder automatically caused the pressure on the pipes. (The position of this Markenburg gas holder indicates that it is almost completely full.)
Architectural details:
This gas holder is made up of a base of stone walls with segment arches. The base cylinder and the gas holder both consist of riveted steel plates. These were often made gas-tight with tar. A water seal prevented the leakage of gas between the base cylinder and the gas container.
The half-timbered columns with inspection balconies and windings also consist of riveted steel. The truss steel outside frame had to ensure that the gas container could only move up and down according to the amount of gas that was being pumped into or consumed.
