The builders of the Eiffel Tower
Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923) was a great French entrepreneur in the field of construction of metal structures. His company was originally a hundred works around the world, such as the skeleton of the Statue of Liberty in New York, the structure of the Annexes department stores of the Louvre (1879), the dome Nice Observatory (1886), the locks of the Panama Canal (1887) and bridges, 3 of which are in China. One of the last works of this "iron magician" was the Eiffel Tower. With the collaboration of engineers Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, and architect Stephen Sauvestre, construction began on 1 July 1887, he took their 5 months to build the foundations and 21 months for the assembly of metal parts. The assembly of the tower necessitated 300 workers.
structure
Aged more than a century, the Eiffel Tower is a fine example of modern structure, built after the French industrial revolution. Indeed, its structure was very innovative for the time: Gustave Eiffel was replaced by cast 18 038 lighter and more resistant metal parts, assembled by 1.5 million rivets. The Eiffel Tower is very light: it carries on its concrete foundations, only a pressure of 4.5 Kg / cm2. Its total weight is 10 000 tons, 7300 tons for the steelwork. The pillars, placed at the four cardinal points form a square of 125 meters on each side. 1665 steps take you to the summit, 310 meters high. With its antenna, it measures 324 meters, the second floor is 149 meters and the first 91 meters. At its construction, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest building in the world.
maintenance
La Grande Dame has always been maintained to preserve its splendor and security of our visitors. The structure and elevators are regularly revised. It is protected from oxidation by painting layers. Since its inception, it has been repainted 17 times, and has had several colors: it went from red to yellow to bronze (current color). The last coat of paint, asked in 2001, required 60 tons of paint and a year of achievement. At night, she dresses in a light dress: she was a diamond in 2003, red in 2004, on the occasion of Chinese New Year, and now, golden.
its functions
The Eiffel Tower was to be destroyed 20 years after its construction, therefore, Gustave Eiffel had to find a use for his work to save her. Fascinated by scientific research, he set up a laboratory to study meteorology, radiotelegraphy, and aerodynamics. He even registers on the four facades of the Eiffel Tower 72 names of scholars.
His fame
From the beginning of its construction, the Eiffel Tower was a popular success. It has inspired great painters such as Seurat and Delaunay, filmmakers, photographers, and poets. Symbol of modernity in the early 20th century, and today the symbol of Paris, it is the most visited monument in France. The first year of opening, it attracted 2 million visitors, and to date, more than 200 million. Victim of its success, it has been reproduced thousands of times in scale models, photographs, ... She has even been copied in Lyon (France), Shenzhen, Tokyo and Berlin (Germany).
During your visit to the Eiffel Tower, do not forget to go to the elevator machinery in the basement, shops, shows and restaurants on the 1st floor, as well as 2nd and top floors to admire the stunning views of Paris. It seems that even very clear day you can see up to 90 km around Paris.
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