Detailed history of the Eiffel tower

Periods of design and construction of the Eiffel tower (before March 31st, 1889)

The project of a tower of three hundred meters

Context

The emergence of metallurgical industry makes it possible to combine the technique with art

First half of the 19th century is characterized by the Industrial revolution which, for much, must with the rise of the Métallurgie. The industrial revolution generates an economic upheaval, certainly, but undoubtedly is it before a a whole revolution of materials. Initially, the works made out of metal will be it especially with a practical aiming purely of order (of the bridges in particular), but as soon as the techniques are controlled, the engineers will transform themselves into architects, even as artists.

In 1779, the first bridge in cast iron is built with Coalbrookdale in the Shropshire. This type of bridge then develops in all the England, and it is only in 1803 that one will find of it an identical inspiration in France, when is thrown on the the Seine, the Pont of Arts, vis-a-vis the Academy of Science. Starting from 1845, the Fer rolled gradually replaces the cast iron thanks to its many additional advantages: plasticity, incombustability and resistance. But before all things, rolled iron proves more economic to produce than the cast iron. In fact initially bridges will be built with this new material, in particular because of fast extension of the rail network, before the method is not applied to other types of buildings. In England, the first outstanding example is the Crystal De luxe hotel , built for the World Fair of 1851. In France, and only by considering the architectural field, iron will openly be shown for the first times: in 1848 with the structure of the Library Holy-Genevieve built by Henri Labrouste, then in a way even more conclusive with the Markets of Paris built in 1853 by Victor Baltard and Felix Callet. Following that, in a fast context of industrialization, many other buildings will be built in this manner: stations, markets, factories, department stores, canopies, houses of exposure, kiosks… The architecture of iron also allures the engineers for the natural robustness of material, but because it insufflates a certain lightness with constructions and authorizes the creation of air buildings, more modern, more resistant, more esthetic. The engineers can finally show architectural audacity and release their artistic desires.

As from the years 1870, specificities of iron and its behavior are better known, which allows of it a current use in works of art and the public buildings. Iron makes it possible to build roomy and functional units. It is used in the majority of the great projects of the time (with Paris, for example, one will find it used for the Galeries Lafayette, located Boulevard Haussmann, or the station of North).

Iron then becomes the source of surging debates between engineers and architects, the place of each one being also clearly defined only before. Gustave Eiffel will be those which knew to combine the trades of engineer with that of architect, by benefitting from the new assets uttered by iron.

Reputation of engineer Gustave Eiffel and his teams

Born with Dijon in 1832, Gustave Eiffel leaves thirteenth promotion 1855 the central École of arts and manufactures which it had integrated some time earlier. Under the influence of his uncle Jean-Baptiste Mollerat, it chooses to follow the courses of the speciality there “chemistry”, but victim of family estrangements, it will never take again the prosperous exploitation of Houille of this one.

Once its diploma obtained, it is with the Parisian establishments Nepveu that it will begin its professional path. The engineer learns quickly, and as of 1858, it is seen entrusting the responsibility for an important building site, that of the work management of the bridge of Bordeaux. Finishing itself by a success, this adventure gives him the desire for being put on its own account, which it will do indeed in 1867.

It installs then its workshops with Levallois-Perret, in Parisian suburbs. The achievements of the Eiffel establishments various and will be varied: viaducts (Garabit in 1884 or on the Douro, with the Portugal in 1877), of the bridges, the frames or structures metal (like the cupola of the Observatory of Nice in 1884 or the structure interns Statue of freedom in 1886), even of the whole buildings, as the station of Pest, in Hungary, 1875.

At the beginning of the year 1880, the Eiffel companies are placed at the fifth or sixth rank of the French manufacturers, thanks to their capacities of organization, invention in the processes of assembly and thanks to their precise details in the manufacture and the assembly of the parts.

In 1884, when the project of a tower of three hundred meters is evoked for the first time, the reputation of Gustave Eiffel thus is already well established and it is of national size, even international. Although 52 years old at that time, after having been dubitative, it is finally with an excitation of young man that it will seize the project and will defend it towards and against all. Even if it were not born from its imagination, it gives him its name and especially defends it until its last days, even once it will have withdrawn from the businesses, in 1893. It is that the contractor had felt there well that it dealt with the work of his life and that it would be outstanding.

Importance of the World Fairs, catalysts of the technical projections

In 1756, is held with London, the very first exposure of international width. The World Fairs, to general topic or more specialized then will be held at an intensive pace in the most industrialized countries planet. They will be used above all as window, the goal being to show with the whole world its industrial or artistic know-how. With this intention, the organizing countries will tend towards the higher bid and exalter their virtues national. In 1851, the Exposure of London will be assembled around immense the Crystal De luxe hotel , roomy mixing iron and glass, supposed building shown by its proportions, its speed of assembly and its architecture, the triumph of the modern methods of Industrialization and prefabrication of the buildings, but also and above all, the economic supremacy of the Great Britain in the middle of the 19th century.

In the same line, the galleries where the “machines are exposed”, will be more once nail of World Fairs.

In 1855, Paris, the engineer Alexis Barrault answers the British challenge of the Crystal De luxe hotel by carrying out the Palais of Industry, equipped with a cast iron structure and a glazed cover of vast dimensions.

In 1867, the Exposure is held for the first time on the Field-of-March, and celebrates the apogee of the Second Empire.

The Exposure of 1878, with the great nave of the gallery of the machines, marks the raising of France after the defeat of 1870.

In 1875, the vote of the Walloon Amendement founds a democratic regime, but particularly unstable at the political level. The time sees appearing great political figures, Jules Grévy, Leon Gambetta or Jules Ferry, but the opportunist ministries do not cease following one another, without real continuity of action.

With the beginning of the year 1880, the purpose of the idea of the behavior of a new World Fair in France is to start again the economy by completing great work, to federate the citizens around a political consensus, to make radiate the image of France abroad, by giving again its row to him among the great powers and with final, to devote the Third Republic incipient.

The old dream of a tower great height: from Babel with Eiffel

At the beginning and in the middle of the 19th century, the race with the height does not relate to the civil buildings, but remains the prerogative of the religious buildings. For example, in 1837, the Cathédrale Notre-Dame of Rouen is seen capped of a cast iron arrow 40 meters height, which will enable him to assert the title of higher building of the world of 1876 with 1880.

The rapids industrial progress, however make it possible to the engineers to imagine the transgression of what is still at the time a privilege of the crowned field. According to Eugene-Nickel silver of Vogue, to build a tower great height is a dream and a challenge which:

However, the control of the technique of iron will make it possible to seriously consider this possibility of turn great height.

Without awaiting the years 1880, where the Eiffel tower will pass from the state of Utopia to that of reality, English Richard Trevithick had already considered such a project as of 1833. He then proposed to build an openwork, high cast iron column of: 1000 feet (304,80 meters), measuring 30 meters at the base and 3,60 meters at the top. For this purpose, he will even seek to launch a subscription, but he dies two months after the presentation of his project, which in fact, will never be born. Although it is difficult to know if its project were technically viable and realizable, it is the first to imagine that one can use the capacities of metal to build a raised tower, it in what, it is the indirect precursor of the Eiffel tower, which will be born later 56 years.

In 1853, James Bogardus, American specialist in the cast iron buildings, imagines to overhang the exhibition center which is held this year with New York ( Exhibition off the Industry off All Nations ).

But the project most realistic and close to succeeding is that of American engineers Clarke and Reeves which imagine, for the World Fair of Philadelphia in 1876, a tower of 300 meters. They present their ambitious project in these terms:

Actually, it is about a cylindrical pylon 9 meters in diameter maintained by metal Hauban S, anchored on a circular basis 45 meters in diameter. For lack of appropriations, the project will never be born, but being technically realizable, or all at least, realistic, it will be published in France in the review Nature (n°42, March 21st, 1874). It is once again of America that engineer Sébillot will draw the idea of a “iron turn-sun” which would light Paris. With this intention, it joins the architect Jules Bourdais, that which was at the origin of the Palais of Trocadéro for the World Fair of 1878. Together, they will conceive a project of “granite turn-headlight”, high 300 meters. It was envisaged a Soubassement on which came to be added five stages surrounded by galleries and a metal lantern, with the image of a giant headlight. But it is extremely probable that this project could never have been carried out, the granite not supporting strong winds and the experiment showing that such a monument could not be high with such a height if it is only out of granite. The example of the obelisk of Washington shows it well: started in 1848, it was expected that it reaches 180 meters height, but after 37 years of work, he will be inaugurated the February 20th 1885 with 169 meters only.

So that the dream of a tower great height takes form, it is necessary to take into account, first of all, the resistance of materials, before even approaching the esthetic aspect of the building, which will include/understand perfectly Gustave Eiffel and his team of engineers, thanks to the last experiments of the Eiffel workshops.

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