2014 FIN – Eiffel Tower Held Together By 2.5 Million Rivets for 125 Years
Fastener History
2014 FIN – Eiffel Tower Held Together By 2.5 Million Rivets for 125 Years
The iron lattice Eiffel Tower – held together by 2.5 million rivets – is 125 years old this year.
The iconic French structure is visited by seven million people every year, with thousands climbing the 1,665 steps from ground level to the top of the tower. The 1,063-ft tower is equivalent to an 81-story building.
French engineer Gustave Eiffel designed and constructed the tower in 1889 for the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. About 300 laborers installed the rivets and 18,038 pieces of wrought iron in the temporary structure, anticipated to be torn down in 20 years.
It was the tallest man-made structure for 41 years until New York City’s Chrysler Building opened in 1930.
The rivets are regularly inspected and replaced. That requires drilling them out and thus destroying the used rivets.
The foundation slabs supported limestone blocks for the “shoe” of the ironwork. Each shoe was anchored into the stonework and held by a pair of 4-in diameter, 25-ft long pair of bolts.
The 3,629 detailed drawings the design’s complex angles included the position of rivet holes within 0.1mm (0.04 in). Components already riveted in sub-assemblies were delivered on horse-drawn carts. The components initially were bolted, but rivets replaced bolts in construction.
Sample rivets – which can be customized and packaged in synthetic crystal block for corporate events or other commemorative events – are for sale in the Eiffel Tower gift shop.
2.5 Million Rivets in Eiffel Tower, But How Many Fasteners In Your Life?
In 1997, FIN compiled a total number of fasteners in 15 products from a baby bed to a pine casket. Click on the Fastener History section of GlobalFastenerNews.com and “1997 FIN – From Cradle to Grave – The Fasteners in Your Life” to see the resulting numbers.
May 30, 1997 FIN – Numbers demonstrate how important fasteners are in a number of products and thus your life. Fastener Industry News compiled the number of fasteners in a variety of products from a crib to a casket.
Those attending the 1997 National Industrial Fastener Show & Conference were given the chance of winning fastener jewelry by guessing the grand total of the number of nuts, bolts, screws, washers and rivets in the following 15 products.
Read the list and guess the total. See how your guess compares with the winner in 1997.
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