Comments on: How to build the Eiffel Tower http://blog.longnow.org/2008/01/31/how-to-build-the-eiffel-tower/ The Official Weblog of The Long Now Foundation and Friends Sat, 11 Feb 2012 23:43:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Tim http://blog.longnow.org/2008/01/31/how-to-build-the-eiffel-tower/comment-page-1/#comment-19981 Tim Sun, 23 May 2010 08:27:00 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/2008/01/31/how-to-build-the-eiffel-tower/#comment-19981 To say that the technology used to build the tower is "little better than that of the ancient wonders" is misleading. In the 1880s, despite the fact that electricity wasn't in widespread use, there *was* widespread use of steam power for heavy industry. For building the tower, steam powered cranes were fitted on the tower during construction to hoist building materials to the top. These were a huge improvement over ancient methods. Mr. Slesinsky is correct that "La Tour Eiffel" is not built with steel, but with wrought iron, of a variety called puddle iron which was common at that time. Steel has actually been around for thousands of years, but it's widespread use as a building material did not occur until Bessemer patented a process to produce it cheaply in large quantities in 1855. Even then, wrought iron could be produced at a comparable cost for many years. It may be that this was a blessing in disguise; if steel had been cheaper in Monsieur Eiffel's time, he might have used it instead of iron. Since wrought iron is much more resistant to corrosion than steel, the tower may not have lasted as well as it has to the current day. To say that the technology used to build the tower is “little better than that of the ancient wonders” is misleading. In the 1880s, despite the fact that electricity wasn’t in widespread use, there *was* widespread use of steam power for heavy industry. For building the tower, steam powered cranes were fitted on the tower during construction to hoist building materials to the top. These were a huge improvement over ancient methods.

Mr. Slesinsky is correct that “La Tour Eiffel” is not built with steel, but with wrought iron, of a variety called puddle iron which was common at that time. Steel has actually been around for thousands of years, but it’s widespread use as a building material did not occur until Bessemer patented a process to produce it cheaply in large quantities in 1855. Even then, wrought iron could be produced at a comparable cost for many years. It may be that this was a blessing in disguise; if steel had been cheaper in Monsieur Eiffel’s time, he might have used it instead of iron. Since wrought iron is much more resistant to corrosion than steel, the tower may not have lasted as well as it has to the current day.

]]> By: Courtney http://blog.longnow.org/2008/01/31/how-to-build-the-eiffel-tower/comment-page-1/#comment-4115 Courtney Fri, 02 May 2008 12:50:50 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/2008/01/31/how-to-build-the-eiffel-tower/#comment-4115 hey this site is cool yo. its the bomb hey this site is cool yo. its the bomb

]]> By: Kendra Thomas http://blog.longnow.org/2008/01/31/how-to-build-the-eiffel-tower/comment-page-1/#comment-3874 Kendra Thomas Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:15:54 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/2008/01/31/how-to-build-the-eiffel-tower/#comment-3874 Thank-You for making this site because we are getting really good anwsers off of her that will help us with or assignment. Once again.. Thank-You Thank-You for making this site because we are getting really good anwsers off of her that will help us with or assignment. Once again..
Thank-You

]]> By: Brian Slesinsky http://blog.longnow.org/2008/01/31/how-to-build-the-eiffel-tower/comment-page-1/#comment-3379 Brian Slesinsky Sat, 02 Feb 2008 07:41:25 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/2008/01/31/how-to-build-the-eiffel-tower/#comment-3379 Here's another web page: http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/documentation/dossiers/page/construction.html It's built out of puddle iron, not steel, according to Wikipedia. Here’s another web page:

http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/documentation/dossiers/page/construction.html

It’s built out of puddle iron, not steel, according to Wikipedia.

]]> By: Camron Assadi http://blog.longnow.org/2008/01/31/how-to-build-the-eiffel-tower/comment-page-1/#comment-3357 Camron Assadi Thu, 31 Jan 2008 21:29:53 +0000 http://blog.longnow.org/2008/01/31/how-to-build-the-eiffel-tower/#comment-3357 Taschen publishes a great (and very large) coffee table book about the Eiffel Tower and its construction with many detailed images, drawings, and more called "La Tour De 300 Metres": http://www.amazon.com/Tour-Eiffel-Bertrand-Lemoine/dp/382284148X Taschen publishes a great (and very large) coffee table book about the Eiffel Tower and its construction with many detailed images, drawings, and more called “La Tour De 300 Metres”: http://www.amazon.com/Tour-Eiffel-Bertrand-Lemoine/dp/382284148X

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