Research, Technology

Will the Leaning Tower of Pisa fall?

The Leaning Tower of Pisa needs no introductionit is as famous as, for example, the Roman Colosseum. Every year, millions of tourists flock to see it, because it is the only ancient structure in the world that defies gravity with its extreme tilt. But the most interesting thing is that it is the oldest building on Pisa's Miracle Square, with the exception of the cathedral, which is even older. Its construction began on August 9, 1173, and almost immediately a slope appeared, which subsequently gradually increased. That is, the tower stood in this form for hundreds of years. Perhaps everyone who sees this tower for the first time wonders if it can fall? To understand this issue, you should familiarize yourself a little with her past, which we propose to do.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is famous for its gravity-defying tilt.

Construction of the Leaning Tower of Pisa

The tower was built in three phases.two long breaks, as a result of which it stretched until 1360, that is, it lasted almost 200 years. For a long time it was believed that the tilt of the tower was made on purpose, that is, the building was originally designed this way, but now experts say that this version is unlikely.

Most likely, a serious mistake was made in the project.mistake - the basis is a small three-meter foundation, at the same time the soil is rather weak, with an abundance of groundwater. Therefore, after the construction of the third floor in 1178, the building leaned to the south.

The builders decided not to demolish the tower.They strengthened the base and in 1198 temporarily opened it, despite the fact that the construction was not fully completed. In the second half of the 14th century, the construction of the bell tower began, and the craftsmen approached its construction creatively. They erected each subsequent floor at the angle at which the tower was tilted at the time of its construction. Thus, they tried to correct the slope, as a result of which the structure acquired an arched shape resembling a banana.

Inside view of the Leaning Tower of Pisa

At the end of construction in 1370, the towerIt was an eight-story cylindrical structure almost 60 meters high. It was decorated with columns and vaults. After all the floors were erected, the angle of inclination changed by another 1.6 degrees, and then increased over time to another 5.5 degrees. Therefore, all floors of the tower began to look skewed.

How the Leaning Tower of Pisa was leveled

Despite the fact that the Leaning Tower of Pisa stoodhundreds of years, sooner or later it could collapse. In 1911, it was recorded that the top of the tower tilted 1.2 mm every year. In 1990, for the first time in 800 years, it had to be closed due to the increased risk of collapse.

A committee of experts was then assembled tothey had to find a way to prevent disaster, but at the same time preserve the tourist attraction of the structure. The specialists decided to attach 600 tons of lead to the northern part of the base of the tower in order to stabilize it and prevent it from tilting further to the south.

First floor of the Leaning Tower of Pisa

However, this decision did not give a positiveresult. The tilt rate of the structure did not decrease even after an additional 300 tons of lead was attached to the base, along with ground anchors. After that, it was decided to remove part of the soil under the north side of the tower foundation. For this, special drills and long pipes were used.

This measure proved to be more effective, and the towergradually began to level off. Its top deviated to the north by 45 centimeters. According to experts, they managed to turn the clock of the building 200 years ago. But the tower did not completely level. It is still off-axis by about 5 degrees.

Can the Leaning Tower of Pisa fall?

Since 1993,200 million pounds. However, experts say that this is a temporary measure. It is impossible to say how long the tower will stand. Presumably, the tower may return to the 5.5 degree slope, that is, the indicator of the 90s, after 300 years.

Experts can't say how long the Leaning Tower of Pisa will last

Despite all the mistakes made in the project, andsoft ground, the Leaning Tower of Pisa proved to be quite stable. There are several reasons for this. In many ways, it was saved by the fact that the construction was carried out in stages. That is, the builders, in fact, gave her time to gain a foothold in soft, pliable soil.

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In addition, the base of the tower is larger in diameter andheavier than the top, i.e. the center of gravity is below ground level. All this increases its stability. It should also be noted that soft soil, on the one hand, reduces the stability of the tower, but on the other hand, increases its seismic resistance. That is, soft ground dampens ground vibrations during earthquakes.

No intervention in the near futuretower design is not planned. However, she is constantly monitored. Special equipment fixes the angle of inclination, as well as the level of groundwater. Therefore, we can say with confidence that now the design is absolutely safe. Finally, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the 10 strangest buildings in the modern world.