Tour Eiffel
When built: 1887-1889
Why: International Exhibition; France to have the
world’s tallest building.
Designed by Gustave Eiffel, a bridge builder. The
plans covered 6,000 square metres of paper.
How built; in a factory, then put together on the site
like a giant Meccano set by 300 builder. Held together by 2,500,000 rivets.
PRICE: exactly 1 franc per kilogram.
WEIGHT: 7,000 tons, putting
a pressure on the ground of 56 lbs per square inch – less than a man sitting on
a chair.
A scale model
a foot high would weigh a quarter of an ounce (7 grams).
HEIGHT: Originally 984 feet; now, with TV mast, 1.058
feet.
EXPANSION: the
tower is 6 inches higher on a very hot day.
SWAY: only 5 inches in the strongest winds. PLATFORMS:
at 187 feet, 377 feat, 898 feet.
Going up the tower is not
compulsory for visitors to Paris. The view from the top is over-rated.
I recommend the second floor.
Go up by lift, walk down the stairs.
