Potentially one of the most iconic structures in the entire world, the Eiffel Tower has become famous for its romantic appeal, as well as its structural appeal. Construction was finally completed on the 1,063 foot tall structure in 1889, but did you know that the French civil engineers responsible for building the tower had a hidden agenda? During this time period, many argued that iron could never be as strong as stone. To prove that it could, engineer Gustave Eiffel built the all iron tower for the 1889 World’s Fair. In the end, Eiffel and his construction team built a wrought-iron tower that was twice the height and weighed 70,000 tons less than the world’s tallest stone building, the Washington Monument. We think it’s also worth mentioning that the Eiffel Tower is built from trusses, we know a thing or two about trusses and all we can say about this structure is “c’est magnifique.”
Staying with the Eiffel Tower, did you know that it takes 50 tons of signature “Eiffel Tower brown” paint to entirely repaint the tower? Every seven years, a team of painters scale the tower to repaint every inch, including each and every nut and bolt. The project takes roughly 18 months to complete and to this day, painters use small, circular brushes similar to the ones used in 1889. Still think that painting the house is a big project?