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Gustave Eiffel

Gustave Alexandre Eiffel
  • Statue of Gustave Eiffel underneath the Eiffel Tower

French engineer and entrepreneur responsible for the construction of bridges the world over, but most notably the famous tower bearing his name and the inner support structure of the Statue of Liberty.

Biographical Information

Name: Gustave Eiffel
Full name: Alexandre Gustave Eiffel
Born on 15 December 1832 in Dijon, Côte-d'Or (21), Bourgogne, France, Europe
Deceased on 27 December 1923 in Paris, Île-de-France, France, Europe
Place(s) of activity:
Education:

Studies chemistry at the Ecole Centrale des Arts et Manufactures
1856

Employee at Nepveu & Cie., Paris
1857 - 1864

Engineer for the French western railway company then chief of the construction office at Pauvels & Cie.
1864 - 1866

Studies at the Suez Canal site
1866

Founds his own engineering office;
designs and builds bridges in France, Spain, Austria, Rumania, Egypt, Peru and Bolivia
1876 - 1879

Bridge construction in Portugal for the Maria-Pia Bridge over the Douro in Porto;
Construction of portable truss bridges for the French colonies
1880

Bridge over the Tisza near Szeged (Hungary).
1880 - 1884

Garabit Viaduct of the Truyère River in France
1884

First studies for a 300-meter high tower
1885

Interior support structure for the Statue of Liberty
1889

Completion of the Tower;
Involvement in the construction of the Panama Canal and implication in the corruption scandal sourrunding it; Eiffel is acquitted of any misconduct
1900 - 1920

Research on the wind resistance of buildings, construction of a wind tunnel

Structures and Projects

Participation in the following structures & large-scale projects:

builder

designer

engineer

overseeing engineer

Bibliography

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