The Eiffel Tower, located in the center of Paris, is one of the most famous metal structures in the world. Its iron structures and strict features are recognizable from any angle and at any time of the year. One of the symbols of Paris began to be built in 1887. Today it is impossible to imagine the capital of France without the creation of Gustave Eiffel. However, this was not always the case. Moreover, the "Iron Lady" (La Dame de Fer) could not survive to this day.Ukrainian steel maker Metinvest Holding has collected 7 unique facts to reveal some of the secrets of the Eiffel Tower, including the secret of the material from which it is made, and tell about the features of its design.This project was won by architect and engineer Mr Gustav Eiffel, who became famous for his ability to work with iron structures. The actual developers were employees of his company. He was the project manager and eventually patented the design in his name. Mr Eiffel also partially financed the construction. The rest of the money was given by the city authorities and three banks in the expectation that the object will attract visitors who are willing to pay money to visit it. The construction of the Eiffel Tower took about two years. And the investment paid off already during the exhibition, which lasted from May to October. In six months, the tower was visited by 2 million people.Material for the Iron LadyThe main structural material of the Eiffel Tower is not steel in its modern sense, but puddled or welded iron. Puddling is an outdated way of converting pig iron into soft, low-carbon iron without contact with the fuel. At the exit from the furnace, the molten metal was processed by flattening. Among the features of this material are good welding, high ductility and a small amount of impurities. This method of processing cast iron was supplanted by more modern technologies in the early twentieth century.Height and weight of the Eiffel TowerThe total mass of the tower is 10.1 thousand tonnes, including iron structures weighing 7.3 thousand tonnes. 18038 metal parts are interconnected by 2.5 million rivets. The height of the Eiffel Tower at the time of construction was about 300 meters. Today, taking into account the installed antennas, the height of the tower is 324 meters. The largest recorded deviation of the top of the tower under the influence of wind force is 12 cm. At the same time, under the influence of the Sun, one of the sides of the tower heats up so much that its expansion leads to a deviation of the top by 18 cm!The difficult fate of the Eiffel TowerDuring the construction of the tower, it was planned that it would be dismantled 20 years after the end of the World Exhibition. But at the beginning of the twentieth century, radio developed rapidly, and radio antennas were installed on the Eiffel Tower, which were actively used for a long time. Despite the fact that many famous residents of Paris were fierce critics of this iron structure, it was left. During the last century, the Eiffel Tower was nearly scrapped several times. Protecting the Iron Lady from CorrosionThe symbol of Paris is treated with special paint once every 7 years. This frequency was personally recommended by Gustave Eiffel. To fully protect the structures of the Iron Lady, 57 tons of dye is required, which is applied to 250 thousand square meter of surface. If in the past the tower has changed its appearance several times, since 1968 it has had a corporate color Eiffel Brown, which is most harmoniously combined with the city landscape. The paint is applied in three tones: the darkest is at the bottom, the lightest is at the top.These are not all interesting facts about the Eiffel Tower, which was built as a temporary structure, but for more than 100 years has been one of the most recognizable symbols of Paris and France. It is a very popular tourist attraction all over the world. In 2017, the total number of visitors to the tower exceeded 300 million people. More than 6 million tourists come here every year. And in 2020, the administration of the Iron Lady announced plans to launch a third elevator, which would increase the number of visitors to 7.5 million per year
The Eiffel Tower, located in the center of Paris, is one of the most famous metal structures in the world. Its iron structures and strict features are recognizable from any angle and at any time of the year. One of the symbols of Paris began to be built in 1887. Today it is impossible to imagine the capital of France without the creation of Gustave Eiffel. However, this was not always the case. Moreover, the "Iron Lady" (La Dame de Fer) could not survive to this day.Ukrainian steel maker Metinvest Holding has collected 7 unique facts to reveal some of the secrets of the Eiffel Tower, including the secret of the material from which it is made, and tell about the features of its design.This project was won by architect and engineer Mr Gustav Eiffel, who became famous for his ability to work with iron structures. The actual developers were employees of his company. He was the project manager and eventually patented the design in his name. Mr Eiffel also partially financed the construction. The rest of the money was given by the city authorities and three banks in the expectation that the object will attract visitors who are willing to pay money to visit it. The construction of the Eiffel Tower took about two years. And the investment paid off already during the exhibition, which lasted from May to October. In six months, the tower was visited by 2 million people.Material for the Iron LadyThe main structural material of the Eiffel Tower is not steel in its modern sense, but puddled or welded iron. Puddling is an outdated way of converting pig iron into soft, low-carbon iron without contact with the fuel. At the exit from the furnace, the molten metal was processed by flattening. Among the features of this material are good welding, high ductility and a small amount of impurities. This method of processing cast iron was supplanted by more modern technologies in the early twentieth century.Height and weight of the Eiffel TowerThe total mass of the tower is 10.1 thousand tonnes, including iron structures weighing 7.3 thousand tonnes. 18038 metal parts are interconnected by 2.5 million rivets. The height of the Eiffel Tower at the time of construction was about 300 meters. Today, taking into account the installed antennas, the height of the tower is 324 meters. The largest recorded deviation of the top of the tower under the influence of wind force is 12 cm. At the same time, under the influence of the Sun, one of the sides of the tower heats up so much that its expansion leads to a deviation of the top by 18 cm!The difficult fate of the Eiffel TowerDuring the construction of the tower, it was planned that it would be dismantled 20 years after the end of the World Exhibition. But at the beginning of the twentieth century, radio developed rapidly, and radio antennas were installed on the Eiffel Tower, which were actively used for a long time. Despite the fact that many famous residents of Paris were fierce critics of this iron structure, it was left. During the last century, the Eiffel Tower was nearly scrapped several times. Protecting the Iron Lady from CorrosionThe symbol of Paris is treated with special paint once every 7 years. This frequency was personally recommended by Gustave Eiffel. To fully protect the structures of the Iron Lady, 57 tons of dye is required, which is applied to 250 thousand square meter of surface. If in the past the tower has changed its appearance several times, since 1968 it has had a corporate color Eiffel Brown, which is most harmoniously combined with the city landscape. The paint is applied in three tones: the darkest is at the bottom, the lightest is at the top.These are not all interesting facts about the Eiffel Tower, which was built as a temporary structure, but for more than 100 years has been one of the most recognizable symbols of Paris and France. It is a very popular tourist attraction all over the world. In 2017, the total number of visitors to the tower exceeded 300 million people. More than 6 million tourists come here every year. And in 2020, the administration of the Iron Lady announced plans to launch a third elevator, which would increase the number of visitors to 7.5 million per year