Leaning tower of pisa
By Maddy bell
Leaning
leaning at about a 10 degree angle.
it started to lean during construction.
That's a lot of weight for a building to have to support when it has been leaning since it was built.
In 2008 engineers stated that the Tower had stopped moving. This is the first time in its history that it has not been slowly leaning further to one side.
Originally the tower leaned at an angle of 5.5 degrees. After restoration work between 1990 and 2001 this angle was reduced to 3.97 degrees.
IThe structure
Tower of Pisa stands at 60 metres and until 1990 was leaning at about a 10 degree angle.
Although it was designed to be perfectly vertical, it started to lean during construction.
With 207 columns ranged around eight stories, Tower of Pisa looks like a massive wedding cake knocked precariously askew by a clumsy giant guest.
The tower has eight stories, including the chamber for the bells.
The bottom story consists of 15 marble arches. Each of the next six stories contains 30 arches that surround the tower.
The tower weighs about 14,500 tons. That's a lot of weight for a building to have to support when it has been leaning since it was built.
Inside the tower there are seven bells. Each bell represents one note of the musical major scale.
The tower is 8 stories high, 55.86 m (183.27 ft) on the low side and 56.67 m (185.93 ft) on the high side.
Originally the tower leaned at an angle of 5.5 degrees. After restoration work between 1990 and 2001 this angle was reduced to 3.97 degrees.
Age
The construction of Tower of Pisa began in August 1173 and continued for about 200 years due to the onset of a series of wars. Till today, the name of the architect is a mystery.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa took 344 years to build, beginning in August 1173.
If it hadn't been for the two pauses in construction it would have taken between 185 and 195 years to complete.
In 2008 engineers stated that the Tower had stopped moving. This is the first time in its history that it has not been slowly leaning further to one side.
Construction of the Tower of Pisa started in the year 1173 and was completed in 1372.
Construction stopped and restarted twice over those 199 years due to wars.
How wars affected
The construction of Tower of Pisa began in August 1173 and continued for about 200 years due to the onset of a series of wars. Till today, the name of the architect is a mystery.
War stopped construction the first time for almost a century which gave the underlying soil time to settle and compact. If construction had not halted, the tower would most likely have toppled.
Construction stopped and restarted twice over those 199 years due to wars.
Germans used the tower as a lookout during World War II. The Allies new this but decided against bombing the area due to the impressive beauty of the tower and cathedral.