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The Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower. In the beginning…. The tower was erected for the Paris Exposition of 1889; Exposition Universelle in French—the Paris World’s Fair. The Paris Exposition of 1889 was the Centennial of the French Revolution.

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The Eiffel Tower

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  1. The Eiffel Tower

  2. In the beginning… • The tower was erected for the Paris Exposition of 1889; Exposition Universelle in French—the Paris World’s Fair. • The Paris Exposition of 1889 was the Centennial of the French Revolution. • The Constuction Period was from January 23 1887 to March 1889—two years, two months, 5 days. • The tower was inaugurated on March 31, 1889.

  3. Engineering • Base of the Tower is on 4 piers which hold names of the four cardinal points • Each main support rests on blocks of masonry, masonry rests on beds of concrete • Concrete beds cover 60 square meters • In the center of each—iron bars (25 ft, 6 in long & 4 in thick) unite the masonry by clamps • To ensure the Tower was level, Eiffel left room for hydraulic presses at the angles of each pier

  4. History • So many people visited the Tower in it’s 1st year that all almost all construction costs were recovered w/ticket sales • Tower was slated to only stand for 20 years, but after 20 years, it proved to be a valuable communication tool for radio broadcasting • Tallest structure in the world at original construction • When Paris fell to the Nazis in WW2, French rebels cut the cables to the elevator so Hitler had to climb stairs

  5. History, cont. • Eiffel used open latticework of wrought iron to help the Tower hold up to wind gusts. • Wanted wind to blow through the Tower, not against it. • Even during strong winds, the Tower never sways more than 4.5 inches.

  6. Tourism • To use the stairs to the 1st & 2nd floor it is 4,00 Euro • To go all the way to the top in the elevator it is 12,00 Euro—cheaper if we are in a group • The Tower opens at 9:30 am, and the stairs close earlier than the elevator—last lift at 11 pm • To reach the top of the Tower (276 meters), visitors must take another elevator from the second floor.

  7. Engineers of the project were: Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier. Stephen Sauvestre was the architect. Gustave Eiffel was the contractor. Number of Iron Workers = 300 Number of Workers Killed in Construction = 1 Rivets = 2,500,000 Iron Pieces = 18,038 Interesting Tidbits

  8. Height = 300.51 meters (986 ft) +/- 15 cm depending on temperature 1st level = 57 m 2nd level = 115 m 3rd level = 276 m Height w/ antenna = 320.755 m (1052 ft) Weight = 7,000 tons 1000 tons removed during renovation in 1990s Base = 412 sq. ft (2.5 acres) Paint = 50 tons every 7 years Paint color is actually Dark Brown Use 3 different colors—dark to light Interesting Tidbits, cont.

  9. Tower under construction—April 1888

  10. Tower under construction—July 1888

  11. Tower under construction—December 1888

  12. Completed—May 1889

  13. Sources • Discover France! Website • http://www.discoverfrance.net/France/Paris/Monuments-Paris/Eiffel.shtml • The Eiffel Tower: A Classic of Engineering • The Science News-Letter, Vol. 18, No. 488. (aug. 16, 1930), pp. 107-108. • http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0096-4018%2819300816%2918%3A488%3C107%ATETACO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-6 • Other websites: • http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/ • http://www.corrosion-doctors.org/Landmarks/eiffel-history.htm

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