The Eiffel Tower is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.

Constructed from 1887 to 1889 as the entrance to the 1889 World’s Fair, it was initially criticised by some of France’s leading artists and intellectuals for its design, but it has become a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognisable structures in the world. The Eiffel Tower is the most-visited paid monument in the world; 6.91 million people ascended it in 2015.

During its construction, the Eiffel Tower surpassed the Washington Monument to become the tallest man-made structure in the world.

EIFFEL TOWER: A MARVEL OF 19TH CENTURY ENGINEERING

The Eiffel Tower’s innovative design broke new ground in civil engineering. Gustave Eiffel employed advanced windage calculations, ensuring the structure could withstand winds of up to 155 mph. The tower’s slight curve is not just aesthetic; it’s a deliberate engineering choice to counteract wind forces.

MATERIAL COMPOSITION

Contrary to popular belief, the Eiffel Tower is not made of steel but puddle iron, a type of wrought iron. This material, chosen for its strength and workability, comprises 7,300 tons of the structure’s total 10,000 tons.

RIVETING FACTS

The tower’s assembly required over 2.5 million rivets. Interestingly, the riveting process was so precise that only about 1% of the rivet holes needed to be adjusted during on-site assembly, a testament to the meticulous prefabrication.

THERMAL EXPANSION

The Eiffel Tower’s height fluctuates by up to 6 inches (15 cm) due to thermal expansion. During hot summer days, the metal expands, causing the tower to grow taller.

PAINT PROTECTION

The tower’s iconic color, “Eiffel Tower Brown,” is more than aesthetic. It serves as crucial protection against corrosion. The structure is repainted every seven years, requiring 60 tons of paint each time.

ELEVATORS: A FEAT OF ENGINEERING

The original elevators in the Eiffel Tower were a significant engineering challenge. The complex system of cables and counterweights was a marvel of its time, capable of carrying visitors to the top in a mere minute.

WARTIME RESILIENCE

During World War II, the elevator cables were cut to prevent Nazi forces from accessing the tower’s summit. This act of sabotage was so effective that Hitler’s troops never managed to fly the swastika from the top.

COMMUNICATION HUB

Since its construction, the Eiffel Tower has played a crucial role in communication. It was used for early radio transmissions and continues to serve as an important broadcast antenna for both radio and television.