Eiffel Tower under construction, 1887-1889
Title : Eiffel Tower under construction, 1887-1889
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Foundations of the Eiffel Tower.
One of the stone and cement foundations for the tower’s legs. April, 1887.
Workers prepare the foundation of the Eiffel Tower in this April 25, 1887.
The uprights rest on concrete foundations installed a few meters below ground-level on top of a layer of compacted gravel. Each corner edge rests on its own supporting block, applying to it a pressure of 3 to 4 kilograms per square centimeter, and each block is joined to the others by walls. On the Seine side of the construction, the builders used watertight metal caissons and injected compressed air, so that they were able to work below the level of the water.
The tower was assembled using wooden scaffolding and small steam cranes mounted onto the tower itself. The assembly of the first level was achieved by the use of twelve temporary wooden scaffolds, 30 meters high, and four larger scaffolds of 40 meters each. “Sand boxes” and hydraulic jacks – replaced after use by permanent wedges – allowed the metal girders to be positioned to an accuracy of one millimeter. It only took five months to build the foundations and twenty-one to finish assembling the metal pieces of the Tower.
On March 31, 1889, Eiffel celebrated the completion of principal structural work by leading a group of press and officials on a tour of the tower — via the stairs. Upon reaching the top with the hardiest of the party, Eiffel raised a French flag to the booms of a 25-gun salute. There was still work to be done, particularly on the lifts (elevators) and facilities, and the tower was not opened to the public until nine days after the opening of the exposition on 6 May; even then, the lifts had not been completed. The tower was an instant success with the public, and nearly 30,000 visitors made the 1,710-step climb to the top before the lifts entered service on 26 May.
One of the stone and cement foundations for the tower’s legs. April, 1887.
Workers prepare the foundation of the Eiffel Tower in this April 25, 1887.
The uprights rest on concrete foundations installed a few meters below ground-level on top of a layer of compacted gravel. Each corner edge rests on its own supporting block, applying to it a pressure of 3 to 4 kilograms per square centimeter, and each block is joined to the others by walls. On the Seine side of the construction, the builders used watertight metal caissons and injected compressed air, so that they were able to work below the level of the water.
The tower was assembled using wooden scaffolding and small steam cranes mounted onto the tower itself. The assembly of the first level was achieved by the use of twelve temporary wooden scaffolds, 30 meters high, and four larger scaffolds of 40 meters each. “Sand boxes” and hydraulic jacks – replaced after use by permanent wedges – allowed the metal girders to be positioned to an accuracy of one millimeter. It only took five months to build the foundations and twenty-one to finish assembling the metal pieces of the Tower.
On March 31, 1889, Eiffel celebrated the completion of principal structural work by leading a group of press and officials on a tour of the tower — via the stairs. Upon reaching the top with the hardiest of the party, Eiffel raised a French flag to the booms of a 25-gun salute. There was still work to be done, particularly on the lifts (elevators) and facilities, and the tower was not opened to the public until nine days after the opening of the exposition on 6 May; even then, the lifts had not been completed. The tower was an instant success with the public, and nearly 30,000 visitors made the 1,710-step climb to the top before the lifts entered service on 26 May.
The start of the erection of the metalwork. July 18, 1887.
Each shoe was anchored to the stonework by a pair of bolts 10 cm (4 in) in diameter and 7.5 m (25 ft) long.
Millions of visitors during and after the World’s Fair marveled at Paris’ newly erected architectural wonder. Not all of the city’s inhabitants were as enthusiastic, however: Many Parisians either feared it was structurally unsound or considered it an eyesore. The novelist Guy de Maupassant, for example, allegedly hated the tower so much that he often ate lunch in the restaurant at its base, the only vantage point from which he could completely avoid glimpsing its looming silhouette
Eiffel had a permit for the tower to stand for 20 years. It was to be dismantled in 1909, when its ownership would revert to the City of Paris. The City had planned to tear it down (part of the original contest rules for designing a tower was that it should be easy to dismantle) but as the tower proved to be valuable for communication purposes, it was allowed to remain after the expiry of the permit.
Construction of the legs with scaffolding. 1887.
No drilling or shaping was done on site: if any part did not fit, it was sent back to the factory for alteration.
In all, 18,038 pieces were joined together using 2.5 million rivets. 1888.
Completion of the first level. March 20, 1888.
Start of construction on the second stage. May, 1888.
Equipping the tower with adequate and safe passenger lifts was a major concern of the government commission overseeing the Exposition.
The tower on July 1888.
July, 1888.
Construction of the upper stage. December, 1888.
Completion of the first level. March 20, 1888.
Start of construction on the second stage. May, 1888.
Equipping the tower with adequate and safe passenger lifts was a major concern of the government commission overseeing the Exposition.
The tower on July 1888.
July, 1888.
Construction of the upper stage. December, 1888.
Because of Eiffel’s safety precautions, including the use of movable stagings, guard-rails and screens, only one person died during construction.
Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, left, explores the completed tower with a friend.
October 1887 – March 1888.
June 1888 – November 1888.
December 1888 – March 1889.
Eiffel had a permit for the tower to stand for 20 years; it was to be dismantled in 1909, when its ownership would revert to the City of Paris.
After dark, the tower was lit by hundreds of gas lamps, and a beacon sent out three beams of red, white and blue light. Two searchlights mounted on a circular rail were used to illuminate various buildings of the exposition. 1889.
Eiffel Tower under construction, 1887-1889
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Eiffel Tower under construction, 1887-1889
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