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Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower

General Information

Structural Type: Steel truss tower (free standing)
Function / usage: Observation tower
Original name: Tour Eiffel
Other name(s): Tour de 300 mètres
Built: 1887 - 1889
Duration of works: 2 years 2 months 5 days
Status: in use

Geographic Information & Related Structures

Location: 7th arrondissment, Paris, Île-de-France, France, Europe
Address: Champs de Mars
Part of:
Coordinates: 48° 51' 30.00" N    2° 17' 40.00" E

Technical Information

Dimensions

height 300.65 m
height to antenna 320.75 m (1957)
324.00 m (2000)
weight of tower structure 7 000 t
platform 1 height to platform 57.63 m
surface 4 200 m2
platform 2 height to platform 115.73 m
surface 1 400 m2
platform 3 height to platform 276.13 m
surface 350 m2

Cost

cost of construction French Franc 7 400 000

Materials

tower wrought iron
foundations reinforced concrete

Chronology

28 January 1887

Tower construction begins.
30 January 1887

The foundations are completed.
May 1887

Foundations completed
1 June 1887

Construction of piers begins
1 July 1887

The assembly of the tower begins.
29 April 1888

Joining of the four legs of the tower at the level of the first platform.
30 March 1889

The assembly of the tower is completed.
31 March 1889

Gustave Eiffel climbs the 1710 steps of the tower.
1 January 1890

The concession is extended by 20 years.
1906

The tower is used as a telegraph relay station with an emitting radius of 3000 km.
1957

An antenna is added, increasing the total height of the tower to above 320 meters.
August 2000

The addition of new antennas brings the total height to 324 meters.
22 July 2003, 19:21

An electrical fire erupts in the 4th level above the topmost viewing platform causing only minor damage. The tower is evacuated, but reopens the following day.

Notes

The Eiffel Tower was built for the 1889 Universal Exposition (World's Fair) and for the centennial of the French Revolution. Gustave Eiffel, referred to this structure as the 300-Meter Tower, the name "Eiffel Tower" was given by the Parisian critics who were against it and the name has stuck ever since.

In 1889 the elevators were provided by Roux, Combaluzier et Lepape between the ground and 1st platform (located in the east and west legs); Otis built the elevators in the north and south legs serving between ground and second platform. Edoux provided elevators between the second and top platforms.

Cost of construction: 7 400 000 Francs
Fees collected during the world's fair of 1889: 6 500 000 Francs
Subsidy by the city of Paris: 1 500 000 Francs.

The construction took 2 years, 2 months and 5 days.

121 workers were necessary on site to assemble the tower, while 326 worked at the Eiffel factory.

18 000 different pieces were assembled using 2 500 000 rivets of which 1 050 846 were placed on-site.

During good weather periods, the view is as far as 60 kilometers to the north, 70 km to the West, 55 to the South and 65 to the East.

Participants

Monitoring equipment

Initial construction (1887-1889)

Construction

Lighting installation (1986)

Lighting design

Relevant Web Sites

Relevant Publications

Internal Information

Structure-ID: s0000021
Created: 29/10/1998
Last Updated: 24/04/2013