The Planning of the Eiffel Tower

Outline of the Physical Development of the Project

The design process of the Eiffel Tower involved an initial concept by Maurice Koechlin, which was refined by architect Stephen Sauvestre to include decorative elements. The planning phase included detailed engineering drawings for over 18,000 parts, ensuring precision in construction and allowing for rapid assembly.

Internal view of the beams of the Eiffel Tower.

Design Process

More gaps than material indicate that every beam and rivet was placed to maximize stability while maintaining aesthetics. A point of emphasis for the structure was to use as little material as necessary. Eiffel and his team finalized a design consisting of a large pylon with four lattice girders for the base. Furthermore, with the wind load in mind, the traditional truss structure was done away with. Instead, the four girders with linked using a few dispersed horizontal belts. Additionally, as seen in the image on the left, the Eiffel Tower possesses three levels of shapes within each beam to increase stability. This design was chosen amongst other submissions for its overall optimality (Meenakshi Sundaram and Ananthasuresh 2009).

Design plans of the lattice and horizontal belts.

Construction Documents

Upon selection of their design, Eiffel was presented with a contract that stated he would deliver a 300-meter tower that was to be operating by the Exhibition Universelle of 1889. This document also further outlined the necessary permission and requirements for the construction of the Eiffel Tower. It also stated that he received 1,500,000 francs in three terms and the authorization to operate the tower for the duration of the Exhibition, from the view of public ascension and installation of restaurants and similar establishments. Finally, he received the continuation of enjoyment for twenty years from 1890, indicating that the tower would guaranteeably stand for twenty years (“Concession contract for the Eiffel Tower” 2013).

Gustave Eiffel, Maurice Koechlin, and Emile Nouguier also filed a patent for their Eiffel Tower design.

Floor plans of the Eiffel Tower.

Project Delivery Method

This project roughly followed a Design-Build Method as Eiffel et Cie was selected and eventually contracted by the French Government to design and construct the Eiffel Tower. The company had the designers, architects, and construction workers all on their staff, as well (“Concession contract for the Eiffel Tower” 2013; ).

Construction Process Overview

The Eiffel Tower began construction on January 26, 1887, and needed to be completed by the Exhibition Universelle of 1889. The construction process was organized so that the concrete foundations were completed in corners that rested on supports. Once a corner was completed, the girders could be assembled on top of it. The 5-meter sections were fabricated off-site and transported to the site to be assembled onto the tower. This allowed for a more efficient construction process as the pieces arrived assembled in larger pieces and the next construction process began immediately after the previous (Sociéte d'Exploitation de la tour Eiffel 2022).

Page updated

Report abuse