What is usually associated with Paris among most tourists and just interested people? Of course, with the world famous Eiffel Tower, which for several centuries has attracted the curious and amazes the knowledgeable. The history of the tower is interesting and unusual, like the history of any famous masterpiece of world culture.
In 1889, an exhibition of industry achievements was to be held. The city of choice was Paris. The exhibition was held for the twelfth time and again was dedicated to discoveries in the field of science and technology. Paris as a hospitable host, according to Parisians, was supposed to present to the world the most amazing achievement.
A competition of projects was announced throughout France, one of which was to become not only a visiting card of the city, but also a symbol of the exhibition itself. The best architects of the country submitted their sketches to the high jury. After lengthy discussions, preference was given to the idea of Gustave Eiffel, already then the famous architect of France. He proposed to build a huge metal structure in the very center of the capital, assembled from separate pyramidal elements laid out in the shape of a tower, and installed on a powerful foundation. The project is too ambitious not only for the 19th century. After construction was completed, the height of the Eiffel Tower was to be more than 300 meters.
The construction of the tower was a grand event, which has no analogues. Immediately identified the difficulty. First of all, the tower’s ability to withstand daily wind loads, the stability of the foundation, the structure of the soil, the assembly of elements and their elevation to a height - all that has not been done before, and not only the builders, but also the engineers themselves had experience in such operations. In addition, almost immediately after the approval of the project, indignant reviews came from Parisians, who believed that such an ugly design made of one metal cannot be combined with the historical sights of the capital. Despite the protests, work has begun.
The construction of the tower began in January 1887. The left bank of the Seine was chosen as the place for the construction of the structure. The foundation turned out to be the most complex structural element. It took a year and a half to prepare and erect it, while the construction itself was assembled in almost eight months. After more than two years, the Eiffel Tower appeared before the eyes of Parisians and visitors.
The height of the Eiffel Tower was more than three hundred meters, which is two times more than the world record holders of that time, the famous Pyramid of Cheops, the Ulm Cathedral and the cathedral in Cologne. Eifel was able to calculate to the smallest detail every stage of construction, to think through the details of the implementation of each process. For the first time in construction practice, before laying the foundation, the properties of the soil and its layers were taken into account, for which scientific research was carried out. The base was built using the latest technology using compressed air. The position of the tower had to be constantly regulated; for this, each jack was installed with a lifting force of 800 tons.
The innovation was the height of the Eiffel Tower. Since earlier designs of such sizes were not made, it was necessary to solve the problem of lifting and securing the elements. The Eiffel Tower, as conceived by the architect, suggested the presence of three floors. The height of the first floor was 58 meters - a simple task with special cranes and winches. Difficulties could arise with the construction of the second floor, because it was installed at 116 meters above the ground. Specially for these purposes, the engineer developed special cranes capable of working at heights. Cranes lifted special rails up the rails.
The third floor is a pyramid of 180 meters high and 16 meters in diameter, which was collected on the spot. Given that the height of the Eiffel Tower in this section is more than 120 meters, it was technically difficult to do. Especially for these purposes, mounting cradles were used, in which the workers were located.
Surprisingly, the project was so thoroughly thought out by the Eiffel that it has never been finalized. In the calculations, everything was taken into account, including the maximum possible load that the structure can withstand. All details of the structure were machined at the engineer’s own factory and were made with millimeter accuracy.
The official opening day of the tower is considered March 31, 1889. It has become a real masterpiece. The ability to climb up and look at the city made it a successful commercial project not only of the 19th century, but also of our days, and the name of the creator is forever immortalized in the chronicles of history.