The Eiffel Tower
One of the most Famous Buildings!!!
The Construction
The construction of the Eiffel Tower started in January 28 1887. The completion was in March 31 1889. It was originally built for an arch etrance for the World Exhibition.
What is it made of?
A total of 12 temporary wooden scaffolds (30m in height) and four larger scaffolds (45m in height) were used to assemble the first floor. It is made up of 18,038 metal parts and 7,300 tonnes of iron. All the metallic pieces on the tower were fixed by rivet; this was a well known technique at the time of construction. There were 2,500,000 rivets in use.
The Architect and Workers
The architect was a man called Stephen Sauvestre. All the elements were prepared in a factory called Levallois-Perret, on the outskirts of Paris. On site there were a team of 150-300 workers who had once worked on the great metal viaduct projects. They were responsible for assembling the gigantic Meccano sets together
the Height
The Eiffel Tower is 320 metres (1050 feet) in height and was the tallest man made structure in the world for 41 years before being surpassed by the Chrysler Building in New York.Temperature also alters the height of the Eiffel Tower by up to 6 inches (15 centimetres).
Weight
The Eiffel Tower is made of iron and weighs around 10000 tonnes.
Around 50 tonnes of paint are added to the Eiffel Tower every 7 years to protect it from rust
Popularity
Not everyone liked the Eiffel Tower when it was first built, with many criticizing its bold design.
Millions of people climb the Eiffel Tower every year and it has had over 250 million visitors since its opening.
Visitors can climb up stairs to the first two levels or take a lift which also has access to the third and highest level.
Facts
*The Eiffel Tower was the tallest man made structure in the world for 41 years before being surpassed by the Chrysler Building in New York.
*Located on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France, the Eiffel Tower is one of the most well known structures in the world.
*Not everyone liked the Eiffel Tower when it was first built, with many criticizing its bold design.
*The French name for the Eiffel Tower is La Tour Eiffel, it also has the nickname La dame de fer which means the iron lady.
*Visitors can climb up stairs to the first two levels or take a lift which also has access to the third and highest level.