The $64M Race to Save the Eiffel Tower

[@Jhetx]

$64 million is peanuts compare to what that tower has given in tourism revenue, rebuild the tower if you must in fact build another one that it can have a friend.

[@Anonymous-zu7dh]

"why did you decide to build a second ~~crusty crab~~ Eiffel tower next to the old one?" "Money"

[@kieran8564]

Thats just paint not fixing it did you watch the video 😂

[@matthewc.2824]

Mon président, a second baguette has hit the tower!

[@Djamonja]

I think the point is that repainting it might not be enough to prevent it from slowly rusting. It isn't very clear what the underlying state of the iron structure is, but I assume there is some degradation after 140 years, and just painting over it every 7 years might not completely stop it. It might be better to replace some of the structure every year with newer materials to make it safer.

[@bryce.ferenczi]

6:08 original INFLATION ADJUSTED cost was $37M, might as well take it down and put up another.

[@UnbeltedSundew]

The Eiffel tower is probably the most recognizable structure in the entire world. The thought of France quibbling over maintaining it is actually hilarious, and very French.

[@swayback7375]

It’s definitely been one of the most recognizable structures for it’s entire history

[@Jumboo364]

Yeah clickbait

[@kartofff]

It is just ridiculous clickbait indeed. Nobody in France questions sparing a cent over properly maintaining this tower.

[@ereder1476]

@@kartofff yes, but at the same time, everybody in france hate when you spare a cent, and that cent goes into the pocket of someone and not for maintaining the tower

[@Fanfanbalibar]

@@ereder1476 WHERE DO YOU SEE THAT??????

[@chicobicalho5621]

If the Golden Gate can be maintained, so can the Eiffel Tower. Besides, $64 million is nothing compared to the revenue in tourism this structure brought to France and to Paris specifically.

[@renerpho]

They currently pay €92m per year just for maintaining the Eiffel Tower, and that figure is expected to rise to €130m by the end of the decade. That's in addition to the €380m that were pledged to be invested until 2031. In total, they currently (as of 2022) pay about €120m per year, with a revenue of €106m (losing them about €14m annually), and that deficit is expected to grow rapidly. They were actually running a surplus until about 10 years ago, but since then, it's gotten difficult to keep up. For comparison, the Golden Gate Bridge costs about $85m (€78m) per year to maintain, at an annual revenue of $145m (€134m).

[@Marchanthof]

@@renerpho True, although I think the tower is also such a symbolic structure, which also helps attracting tourists to the city. Let's say that of the millions and millions of tourists that visit Paris every year (50 million), 1% of those tourists have come (partly) because of the Eiffel Tower. That is 500.000 people. Those people easily spend 100/150 euro's a day for hotel + other costs. If the average tourist spends 2 days in Paris, they easily spend 200 euro's, meaning another 100 million euro's of income. And that would just be Paris itself. The tower also adds to the image of France being an amazing holiday destination, so even people not visiting the city itself might indirectly be influenced to come just because of the tower. That is hard to prove of course, but it is quite likely.

[@Boxaxel]

@@renerpho yeah, but tourists going to see the eiffel tower spend money elsewhere so for the entire citys economy it is probably still a huge surplus.

[@renerpho]

@@Boxaxel In total, yes. For SETE, no. I think Paris has to rethink how they operate that tower if they want to sustain it long-term.

[@bryrusmi4001]

​​​@@renerphoI'm having trouble understanding how the Golden Gates maintenance budget could be so much lower than the Eiffel towers? The Golden gate is exposed to salt water, daily! I mean yeah, Paris has¿ had¿ smog issues, but last I checked that was nowhere near as corrosive as salt to iron. The Golden gate is about 3 times longer than the Eiffel Tower is high. So the square footage of exposed area should be close to the same wouldn't it?

[@AdhamOhm]

Even considering the state it's currently in, it's amazing that this "temporary" structure has stood for 140 years. Goes to show how things back then were built to last, even when they weren't meant to.

[@Balognamanforya]

Survival bias, you only think things were ment to last cause the old things you see today still working gives you that impression, but the vast majority of things made 70+ years ago didn't last. The stuff we make today does last longer than the old stuff. But your also able to see all the things that don't last, this gives the illusion that everything old lasts, and anything new doesn't. You just weren't alive to see all the old things that didn't last.

[@leilei49-51]

It stood this long because of the ton of money poured into its original construction and continued maintenance. Of course it was gonna last. But not all constructions, then and now, receive the same treatment.

[@denimadept]

Look at many of the things NASA has produced that had a 5 year planned life but lasted 40 or more.

[@JohnGeorgeBauerBuis]

@@Balognamanforya it depends. There are plenty of examples (particularly bridges and tunnels) that used to be overbuilt, that are now only built to last a short time to reduce cost and weight.

[@joeycampbell940]

Survivor bias not quality.

[@holtovhond]

It`s not a big money if you think that this structure represents the whole country.

[@aerolus]

additionally he says it brings in 100 million a year in revenue

[@superhooch]

​@@aerolus he also said operating costs often exceed that

[@SpongeBob-xh8ir]

Zero culture

[@SpongeBob-xh8ir]

Make a mosque there ☪️

[@PierreMiniggio]

It's not, but the company and workers associations running it are corrupted by the money they get from the tower and are not willing to cut back temporarly for long term gains, they prefer running it to the ground for short term gains. They were already given the money to fix it, but they wasted it it nonsense instead. If you speak french, this video is great on that topic : kzbin.info/www/bejne/nIqkm5xog9eEqtE

[@liamfoxy]

"Parisians are not known for their restraint when it comes to handing out their critiques" Understatement of the century 😂

[@bbartky]

From the _Life_ magazine website: “The popular French writer Guy de Maupassant (1850 - 1893) reportedly ate lunch in the Eiffel Tower’s restaurant every day for years-not because he loved the great iron monument but because, so the story goes, it was the only place in Paris where he could sit and not see the tower itself.” 😂

[@Fanfanbalibar]

@@bbartky Ha! Maupassant died mad due from syphilis !!!!!!

[@andmos1001]

“We beheaded Louis XVI, Macron we can start again!” A recent protest in Paris

[@ligmasack9038]

@@Fanfanbalibar which means that unlike you, he was getting some Action!🤣

[@shizukagozen777]

​@@bbartky Ridiculous.

[@gamerairways]

64 million, lol. Brother funds for Notre Dame reached almost 1 billion.

[@krashd]

And they were mainly donations from Christians.

[@cruisinguy6024]

Reconstruction was estimated to run between 300 and 600 million however nearly a billion was raised. An astonishing waste of money in my opinion considering how many suffering people could have been helped with just half that money.

[@cruisinguy6024]

@@krashdthe Catholic Church should have been first in line to put up money especially considering it’s enormous wealth but of course why donate when you can hoard instead

[@jacquesdebeauregard5935]

​@@cruisinguy6024notre dame is the property of the state, not the church

[@cruisinguy6024]

@@jacquesdebeauregard5935 I’m aware, but the archdiocese of Paris has exclusive access and use of it. It’s operated by the Catholic Church in full authority under the pope.

[@bobyoung1698]

Paris would not be Paris without the Eiffel Tower. Now, how many cans of Rustoleum should I order?

[@Monkisgoodvr]

Yes Paris would not be Paris with out the Eiffel Tower You should order 35,000,000 cans

[@denimadept]

And Bondo. Don't forget that.

[@JohnGeorgeBauerBuis]

Hopefully automotive parts stores like Canadian Tire and Blain’s Farm and Fleet can contribute to this effort.

[@kathyyoung1774]

Roughly a billion… 🤣😆😂

[@kylemacintoshlinux1449]

I think 55 gallon drums would be more practical than cans. Also from the sounds of it might need some JB Weld and bondo too.

[@dandoe1620]

Saw it for the first time in my life this past June. It was bigger and more beautiful than I imagined.

[@tood6459]

I had the exact same thought as I approached it for the first time as well!

[@paulweiler8967]

That's what she said

[@Spike1810]

​@@paulweiler8967bro stop💀

[@rickarmstrong4704]

Stir the pot here I will, the front face of that Cathedral is humdrum it hides all the fancy bites that are the star of that structure the Eiffel Tower is Beautiful from any angle You chose to veiw it it is bewildering that a company that is charged with its upkeep spends more time looking for pictures of it in lights ( it has a copyright of some sort for that ) they should be kicked to the curb for not doing a proper job of it!

[@Alex-z4s9s]

Same was incredible

[@tony_sheppard165]

that last part made me tear up. There's no better feeling as an architect, engineer, and designer when the structure you built or designed, put your hard work, sweat and tears into is appreciated, not only that but to a level in which its impact became a national identity? no doubt would I think Mr Eiffel shed a tear to see that his work is still standing.

[@74_Green]

Band aid fix. Seems like a quick bodge job. They need to shut it down. Totally encapsulate the structure. Remove ALL of the old leaded paint. 100% remove any and all signs of rust or metal fatigue. Rust proof layer. Paint layers and a final ceramic clear coat. New lifts, new cables. Give the 5 restaurants and bars a rent-free period where they can be renovated also. DO the job PROPERLY, and it should be standing in another 135 years. Make the public and potential tourist fully aware months ahead. Promote the restoration. Keep the public informed of progress, and extensively promote the grand re-opening. I'm sure they could make the opening day tickets VIP prices. They could also run a lottery type event for the chance to win opening day tickets.

[@chrism3784]

That's sounds way to smart of an idea. Smart don't work these days, most likely they'll just keep botch jobing it till a piece falls off and strikes a tourist, then get sued and finally, just maybe they'll think of something along those lines to fix it

[@gharrison2595]

Why not just tear down the current structure and build a new, identical one in its place? That'll probably be cheaper and safer for the workers.

[@bobbray9666]

A country hosting the 2024 Olympics that made the olympic pool too shallow, which produces slower race times, no air conditioning in the athletes sleeping quarters where the competitors sleep on cardboard is a country that will cut corners on restoring the Eiffel Tower.

[@solracer66]

@@bobbray9666 The bed frames are cardboard with a normal mattress, these are the same style beds as were used for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo three years ago.

[@ssl3546]

@@solracer66 did Tokyo make the athletes sleep in un-airconditioned rooms?

[@zeniktorres4320]

If possible, give 18-24 month notice that it will be closed down, this will also give time for planning, training workers, then shut it down for 2 years for complete overhaul.

[@laughingoutloud5742]

That's a good idea, but anyone who's worked on building/renovating a structure will tell you the completion date will be missed 98% of the time due to backlogged materials and other problems. I'm in full agreement that the tower is absolutely worth a full renovation due to it's historical significance and revenue it creates for France and Paris.

[@creatrixZBD]

Also give limited access to the site to see the works. I’m not talking about letting tourists into a work site per se, but making a temporary method to safely observe. Like (this is a bit screwy but more practical things could be managed) temporarily erecting something that could just raise up and down, with a safe pod for people. Kind of like how carnival rides are set up, so that they don’t take up heaps of room and can be transported, but strong enough to be safe. I dunno. It doesn’t seem like an unsolvable problem, is all I’m saying. There could be an international public campaign that gets people all stoked about witnessing the towers first proper do-up.

[@Zanagash]

As a French I would be devastated if they had to tear down the Eiffel Tower. I think $64M is nothing compared to what the tower brings in terms of recognition. It is one of the strong symbols of France 🇫🇷 ! I wonder if they could rebuild it with carbon fiber or stainless steel… start from the top and start replacing every single part.

[@danielduncan6806]

Would it still be the Eiffel Tower if it was completely replaced? Ship of Theseus style?

[@khoado1999]

Not one of the strong symbol, its THE STRONGEST symbol

[@petergerdes1094]

@@danielduncan6806Well the atoms in your body get replaced pretty frequently so I'm thinking yes. I always felt the ship of Theseus was best thought of a neat illustration of the fact that our notion of identity isn't always simple.

[@danielduncan6806]

@@petergerdes1094 There is a HUGE difference between a human and the Eiffel Tower that you are overlooking. Which is, our consciousness. The Eiffel Tower is just an object, and has no such thing.

[@leamubiu]

Engineers would need to treat the suitability of such materials before swapping out anything. If Paris had not skimped out on the paint job over the decades, the tower would still be in perfect shape, uncorroded.

[@abzzeus]

The Forth Bridge had the same problem with painting, but they re-painted the bridge in offshore fibreglass paint (they stripped it to bare metal first). They also had issues with red lead paint

[@disantoo]

hey hey, Quick fact check: Eiffel did not engineer the Porto Viaduct mentioned, that's a big misconception since that bridge was made by Théophile Seyrig way after they parted ways (I study history), but he did engineer the bridge next to it, Ponte D. Maria Pia :D

[@brunocalico]

Indeed. "Porto Viaduct" official name is Ponte Luiz I.

[@oooPardo]

as a porto architect, i came looking for this comment. Its a common mistake to be fair, as they are pretty close to each other, both are steel arch bridges, and Seyrig was at one point Eiffel colaborator.

[@disantoo]

@@oooPardo exatamente, acho que é algo que até os habitantes do Porto (incluindo eu antes de estudar sobre o assunto) se enganam daí eu comentar que é a big misconception 😁

[@NunoCordeiroPT]

Came here to say this. Plus, there's not such thing as the "Porto Viaduct". It's Dom Luís Bridge - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dom_Luís_I_Bridge

[@user-iz3gv5vo6b]

The dates mentioned in the middle are wrong as well? How was it being built in 1887, yet completed in 1879? Then there was mention of it being considered to be torn down in 1983, so Eiffel proposed several uses for it. Did he do that from the grave?

[@lana_del_slay_tv]

$64 Million isn’t even much for such a project. For cologne cathedral, tens of millions are spend *each year*

[@jankees4037]

And then the Greater Paris area is at least 10 times richer than the Koln/Cologne area. 64 million gets spent in the Netherlands on something small. So twice small. In France things are big.

[@johnkeck]

And did I hear correctly that $64M is more than the original price of construction in modern currency??

[@narcopilehptique6341]

@@jankees4037 and things are spent really weirdly , cause in france for some reason even if it don't look like we are absolute retard in term of heritage conservation

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

@@johnkeck I don't know, but that wouldn't surprise me. Building things is often times cheaper than restoring them as you can arrange what you're doing to reduce excess cost. But, if you're got something in place, you have to prioritize not having the stuff that's already there falling down. When I was a kid, the local college football stadium collapsed during renovation because too many supports were removed by somebody that had no idea what they were doing.

[@rapidthrash1964]

Feels like a tower version of “Ship of Theseus” scenario

[@red.aries1444]

I had the same idea - replace part after part of the puddle iron with stainless steel and you'll have two towers in the end.

[@l4nd3r]

I think the symbolism is more important than the metal itself, if replacing it get more of the it's life, then so be it, otherwise, nothing really lasts too long.

[@basil9973]

I think the ship of theseus is a really dumb thought experiment, and i mean no offense by that. The symbolism of what things represent is a lot more important than if the metal itself is actually 140 years old or not, and posturing about how it does only makes it more likely that there will be end up being no eiffel tower, original or not.

[@DampNoodles]

Your body replaces every cell in your body multiple times over your life. Yet you are still you. This is the same thing.

[@priscilabee583]

They raised so much money for Notre dame's reconstruction, i bet they can duplicate the same motivation for the Eiffel Tower maintenance.

[@andmos1001]

I believe the same drive would occur when the Eiffel is lost. Not sooner

[@narcopilehptique6341]

i believe that with the climate change those type of event on historical building will be more and more common , the iron titan is fine, it's a symbol of this rush for novelty this rush for obtaining more for more pain but less cost

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

@@andmos1001 Yes, there's a difference between something slowly aging over time, versus something that was damaged in a way that could have resulted in a complete loss over the course of a few hours.

[@Leonard_Wilson]

The Brooklyn Bridge is 141 years old and still standing. It has been renovated many times throughout the year. It wouldn’t be that hard to fix a rusty metal tower.

[@mattkennedy9308]

Yeah, Sydney Harbour Bridge is only 90 years or so (1932) but if we can keep it in working, the French should be able to sort the tower out.

[@bionity4749]

Yep, but those were built to stay. Effeil Tower was just for the show. I don't understand how pandemic ruined a thing this big. Law prevented people to be more than a few in confine spaces. But this tower is not what I call a "confine space"...

[@JohnGeorgeBauerBuis]

@@bionity4749 I’m guessing it had to do with the need for proximity to use the equipment required to scale the tower without much risk of falling, but it still should be possible to get it fixed starting as soon as the Olympic Games are over.

[@DalHrusk]

The difference is that Brooklin Bridge has zinc coating. Eiffel Tower just paint.

[@pear7777]

The engineering of all these structures are simply beautiful

[@chazzyb8660]

Given how many €100million more than needed were raised to rebuild Notre Dame, I should imagine the people of Paris will be able to do this fairly easily. Nice pictures though Fred. I imagine the recent experience gained on the Forth and Golden Gate bridges restorations would come in handy.

[@zacraymond]

I was about to say the exact same thing 👏🏽

[@1999fxdx]

If you examine it up close, it looks thin and spindly. I always wondered how it could withstand the weather for so long. It’s marvelous engineering.

[@SAVINGEZRA]

I had no idea it was originally red-ish. I can see why locals didn’t like it. But now we can’t imagine the Paris skyline without it

[@chrism3784]

yep, the eiffel tower to paris is like the pyramids to egypt

[@rwboa22]

The red kinda reminded them of the bloodshed brought on by the capture of Paris in the Franco-Prussian War, plus the 1871 Paris Commune, which they attempted to bring back the Montagnard-like dictatorship of the First Republic under the Committee of Public Safety.

[@anthonyblue100]

Eiffel designed the framework for the Statue of Liberty not the statue itself, which was by Bartholdi.

[@latinsb4u]

From what I read, the tower's seven layers of paint are stripped off to give a mustard color, which is why it is taking longer. Many of the iron parts can be replaced if needed. After all, it brings a lot of revenue and is also a symbol, not just a city but a nation. I doubt they will let it fall apart completely. Is normal to have faults. Every structure has an expiration date

[@kendv4299]

The parisians can work miracles when they set their minds to it. They are completing the total restoration of The Cathedral of Notre Dame after the fire a few years ago.

[@joe18750]

Lol! WW1, WW2, the Panama Canal and the War in Indochina have entered the chat.

[@jordymustdie]

Remove this trash

[@corl4147]

9:20 this is when the actual video begins

[@purpurina5663]

I for one find it very beautiful. There is something timeless about the design. I think it looks modern but subtle, and blending in perfectly with the older, classical buildings of Paris. Look at La Defense now -looks quite passée to my eye. I hope the tower can be saved. $64 million is not much really.

[@sharoncherry]

A beautiful structure! I was in it last year and it was so inspiring. The country needs to do all it can to maintain it!

[@ULHIS]

'Like a giant Lego set' Me: Meccano set🙄

[@RobinDS-m1g]

definitely pure Meccano. no question.

[@tooleyheadbang4239]

@@RobinDS-m1g It has NO resemblence to Lego whatsoever!

[@NateVDZ]

Most people don't know what Meccano is... but everyone knows Lego.

[@ULHIS]

@@NateVDZ who doesn't know what Meccano is? They literally make the very Eiffel Tower collectors set.

[@jonathandb91]

​@@ULHISI have no idea what the hell that is. Whereas I've been playing with Lego since i was 5

[@bramharms72]

Seems like we'll be watching the second part of this collaboration on Plainly Difficult.

[@peejay1981]

Lol!!!🤣🤣

[@martin-vv9lf]

they should scrap it, it can't be expected to last indefinitely. use the worth of the recycled iron towards the cost of another monument if there's interest.

[@TheOtherSteel]

Puddle iron. Also known as wrought iron.

[@anakinskywalker4113]

$64 million is couch change for such a magnificent monument. It needs at least $200-$300 million.

[@landonkirk5444]

Exactly, they’re talking like it needs 5B or some wild number. 64 million? The French government can rummage around their sewers to find that sum

[@SanchoPanza-wg5xf]

The equivalent price of $64 million in a two year span would not be REMOTELY achievable with today's health and safety rules, union labour, permits, subcontracting, liability insurance, and D.E.I. hiring practices. It'd be quoted at $1.5 billion for completion in 5 years, and would end up cost $3 billion to be completed in 10 years.

[@ironhornforge]

It's wrought iron, it's not going to rott anytime soon even if it was never painted it would still be standing. Wrought iron is very different to steel

[@safebox36]

If you want to see what the Eiffel Tower might have looked like in its day, look to the Tokyo Tower whose design is based on the original plans along with its red colouration.

[@MightyJosh1985]

I can't believe that it's even debated. Close the tower. Strip the old paint. Fix the broken iron. Then repaint.

[@vincentgrinn2665]

rust must be pretty bad, since theyve done this repainting 20 times now, every 7 years ish currently

[@jorgevillavicencio427]

Exactly! I find this whole thing very fishy. I've seen many other videos presenting the practically constant maintenance work done to the structure. Same with the Golden Gate bridge. And that one has salinity to contend with, the Eiffel Tower is nowhere near salt water.

[@darkbozo11]

@@jorgevillavicencio427 can it be due to the increased pollution in the air? might not be salinity to content with but the air has a lot more nasty stuff in it than the air around the golden gate (I am making a assumption here, can be wrong)

[@jorgevillavicencio427]

@@darkbozo11 very valid observation, indeed. Something I had not taken into consideration before. I lived in coastal cities my entire life, going on 65, and I've seen what salinity can do, not just to structures, even simple household items. Thanks for your input.

[@vincentgrinn2665]

@@jorgevillavicencio427 that could be because the golden gate bridge is made from steel, where as the eiffel tower is made from wrought iron

[@jorgevillavicencio427]

@@vincentgrinn2665 now, why didn't I think of that? 😂 Another great observation, thank you.

[@desanipt]

3:30 This is the wrong Bridge. Eiffel design the D. Maria II train bridge in Porto a kilometre upstream. The one shown in the video is the D. Luís Bridge that was not designed by Eiffel (although his offfice participated, and lost, in the international competition for the building of it).

[@philrabe910]

They continuously paint the Golden Gate bridge. Start at one end, go to the end, rinse and repeat. Small crew, endless work.

[@dragon_nammi]

One must imagine Sisyphus happy.

[@eugenieponleve667]

Same for the Eiffel tower

[@panzrok8701]

Somehow everything in those old photos looks so much nicer than today.

[@GeneralKenobi69420]

Paris has stopped being the stereotypical "city of love" 50 years ago. Nowadays it's a shhole filled with tourist traps and pickpockets

[@IsraelistheJewsland]

@@panzrok8701 because the muslims had not yet come

[@--Re--]

its because cities then were walkable and not car dependant

[@bigbeefjoedaddy]

Cause it was filled with french people and not flooded with criminal illegals and other groups of people that ruin everything

[@panzrok8701]

@@--Re-- I mostly meant the architecture but wide roads for cars don't look good that's for sure.

[@gryff8400]

5:40 tower does sway in wind and has been closed in high winds. It also bends approx. 18 cm from the sun's heating.

[@eduardoatillo5287]

Painting over rust is a serious problem

[@rwboa22]

Also negligent. The only way to do things properly is to go to the bare metal.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

Yes, you have to get and keep the moisture out of the iron or it will continue to rust over time the way that cast iron pans will do if you don't maintain the seasoning. Once the rust and moisture is out, then you can hopefully seal it with something that can keep the moisture from getting to it again. At that point, it mostly comes down to whatever damage is being done by vibration and just natural processes over time.

[@cesarT921]

0:59 "in he WORLDT" should be in a tshirt 👕

[@1marcelfilms]

AI voice fail

[@OrganMusicYT]

Think how its smaller cousin has fared since 1894. Blackpool Tower is right next to the Irish Sea. It has constantly been sandblasted, subject to salt water spray, rain, and strong winds. It has been treated with the same paint as the Forth Road Bridge, but even that still takes a pummelling from the sand blowing up from the shore.

[@Roy-gi5ul]

The last time I went up Blackpool, many single struts were either rusted away or doubled. Not been up since!

[@GigaProjectsYT]

One of the few monuments in Europe that still stuns me!

[@chicobicalho5621]

You should take a peak at the Segovia aqueduct.

[@jonathanlandau-litewski7405]

Doesn't sound like you've travelled much of Europe if that's the case!

[@JustBuyTheWaywardsRealms]

Paris is no good as a true frenchman I can confirm you that the country side have a lot more thing to offer than are better for the mind.(xd)

[@jonathanlandau-litewski7405]

@@JustBuyTheWaywardsRealms that's how I feel about abouts a man from Edinburgh. Sure it's beautiful but it's not the 'real' Sdotland. Besides, we're slowly but surely turning into Disney-esque theme park vibes.

[@haserotmalach7324]

The tower rusting is the very least of Paris' troubles. Just take the subway during rush hours in and you'll understand how far gone that city actually is.

[@BenjaminDelmas-v1o]

Fun fact: they use different colors for the paint so its color look more the same between parts that are on the sun and the ones in the shadow

[@Del350K4]

Built to "an accuracy of a tenth of a millimetre" is a vague statement at best, and a misleading one at worst. I was a steel erector in the 1990s, and we didn't carry feeler gauges up thete. We had tape measures.

[@raytrevor1]

Yes, it seems very unlikely.

[@chrism3784]

maybe he meant the pieces at the factory were made with that much precision? By the time they went up the tower doubt that much precision applied. By the time the four columns meet every tiny movement between the ground each leg stood on would mean a few cm by the time it reached that high

[@tooleyheadbang4239]

@@chrism3784 Doesn't it have hydraulic adjustment of the legs, to deal with that?

[@chrism3784]

@@tooleyheadbang4239 hydraulics in the late 1800s? I'd assume no. Who knows now

[@flamingfrancis]

There is also a significant technological difference between IRON that was cast / riveted in the 1880's and STEEL that was rolled / cut / welded around a century later?

[@1258-Eckhart]

Paris without the tower is unimaginable. Surely all the bright sparks in the metallurgy departments of the universities can be challenged to invent an effective and affordable iron treatment to arrest the advance of rust? Paint seems so hopeless. BTW the main enemy is not rain or frost but the ultraviolet rays from the sun.

[@Willheheckaslike-d4h]

Given that the structure is made from wrought iron, a ferrous metal that does not corrode easily, the rust issue is perhaps being overstated?

[@cmendoza1094]

It was NEVER meant to be permanent

[@bscottb8]

It was a world's fair novelty which exceeded its expiration date. I wouldn't miss it.

[@RH1812]

If Eiffel visited today, he’d be happy it’s still there. Surely?

[@enisra_bowman]

given how hard he battled that it would not be dismantled, yes but i would more likely know what he said about the Stuff the Eiffage builds today and how far they come

[@Crazyguy_123MC]

He would be happy it still exists but probably sad that it’s not being cared for as much as it should be.

[@Lv-nq9qz]

He would probably be stunned it was still there, especially considering how modern buildings are built with a fraction of the material they used to be built with. As an engineer, he would probably be coming up with ways to make the structure thinner and lighter

[@1marcelfilms]

@@Lv-nq9qz Its already getting thinner and lighter

[@Steve-q6l4v]

He would say jeez, nothing better than that old piece of crap yet?

[@Otacon_Magoo]

As someone who appreciates historical structures, I would love to see the Eiffel Tower survive. I hope that by some research into locating a strong and rust resistant metal, Eiffel's engineering marvel can be upgraded and be a fusion of old and new engineering innovation.

[@Enhancedlies]

how is that anything more than pocket money in relation to its impact?

[@sc1338]

Yes, it’s really not much at all

[@ChairmanMeow1]

$64M seems like nothing compared to the tourism it generates

[@koukigr]

7:53 The Greeks want their (critique) word back.

[@kylekallin1010]

You mean to tell me that thing is falling apart and y'all let my Celine Dion hang out the side of it

[@MattSitton]

I wonder why they don't use some kind of anode based protection system

[@LizziesLukas]

Eiffel Tower is the first time I realized that you need to actually be there to understand to size of a building... I mostly saw the image or video of this tower from movies, social media, the news and it looks small until you come to see it in real life... it's massive

[@hazzard_destroyer]

The Eiffel Tower is such an iconic structure I’m surprised the government is not doing everything they can to protect it and keep it from being damaged

[@1marcelfilms]

Dont care until its too late thats government work

[@Madfattdeeb]

It almost brought me to tears thinking that one of the most beautiful things we have ever built may not be there some day. Even after all these years, it is empressive to behold. I hope they understand this and find a way to save it.

[@Xerdoz]

Now it's surrounded by enrichment barriers.

[@YgalSharon]

The Eiffel is a classical masterpiece of human thinking. Incredible maths at play!

[@schelfie1986]

One massive mistake: The Porto Viaduct (or Luis I bridge) was no design of Eiffel, he only made a proposal that was shot down by the city. The bridge was designed by Théophile Seyrig (granted a disciple of Eiffel) and build by a Belgian company, the "Société Anonyme de Construction et des Ateliers de Willebroeck".

[@oooPardo]

Maria Pia bridge, a bit upstream, was the one directed by Eiffel. Its a pretty common mistake to be fair

[@schelfie1986]

@@oooPardo So it is. Those 2 look quite alike. But on the clip I saw the Luis I bridge, no?

[@oooPardo]

@@schelfie1986 yes! that is Luis I indeed. Maria Pia doesnt have the lower level, easier way to tell them apart in a glance

[@simonkorsmoe3625]

4:00 - Calling iron a lightweight material to overcome the load issues of stone as building material and granite is very misleading, considering their respective densities; it's the the mechanical properties of iron (e.g. tensile strength) that allows the employment of open latticework with slimmer profiles instead of a solid body construction that overcame the issues of ground settlement and also wind loads for such a tall structure.

[@flamingfrancis]

However, the Iron used in the ET is a modified version of Cast (Blast Furnace) Iron in that it is Decarburised to what is called Puddle / puddling Iron. You can find good detail re this with a search or visit rhe ET info site.

[@quoniam426]

It's not the parisian general populace who hated it, it was the artistical and intellectual elites, mostly who dissed the project.

[@Arado_Missile]

So much for making fun of a giant metal ding dong when the art you intellectuals praise now is just shit looking scribbles of nothing on a canvas or even a banana taped to a wall that have no meaning to them

[@Lv-nq9qz]

That's how it always is, the original WTC was praised by the critics until it was actually built, and then they hated it. It took 20 years to finally become accepted as a symbol of NYC

[@xJuiCYxxJaYx]

13.4 billion is what it's made in money. Should be able to fix it with the income it's generated since 1889

[@PWF-xh4ph]

All that money has been squandered, thrown into the giant pit that is France's social security system and bad financial management. 7.5 trillion dollars in debt. Not many people know that. The country in the EU with the highest debt burden.

[@COMEINTOMYWORLD]

I wonder what the costs would be to knock it down and rebuilt it again like the Battersea Power Station chimneys but more complicated. Surely it's iconic status means a second rebuild is worth it.

[@DaveBuildsThings]

Visited there once and had the pleasure of going to the top of the tower. It was an amazing thing to ride the elevator that took you to the top. Nothing like one you use in a regular building as the elevator rode up in a an increasing curve through the legs. The engineering was incredible for it's time and to me still is.

[@peejay1981]

The Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia has the same issues, but it's still in good condition since it is adequately maintained. (and is 60 years newer)

[@flamingfrancis]

Sydney Harbour Bridge was made from a STEEL structure, all imported from England. The ET is made from a variant of Iron.

[@apnira10]

Isn’t it 43 years younger? 1932 v 1889

[@koharumi1]

Got the opportunity to go up the tower. There was a long queue to get into the lifts to go up the tower, which is expected. But inside the tower, there were long queues to *get out!!* And the lifts could only hold like 10-20 people at a time! You spent ages waiting in line for those lifts...

[@pablopicaro7649]

Build a NEW ONE, if it can be done 130 years ago it is utter simplicity today

[@Roy-gi5ul]

You miss the point!

[@MrRotaryrockets]

In 1972 I got to see the old girl but due to maintenance work we only got to the second level wonderful to see it.

[@bernardogoncalves825]

I can't believe such a massive symbol of Paris and France altogether has gone into such disrepair. It's a world icon, you can't see it without thinking of France! I'd be devastated if it were demolished.

[@chrism3784]

they are to cheap to shut it down and give the proper care it needs, they would lose $$$$ and have to spend some. They shut the washington monument down for a bit to repair after the earthquake caused pieces to fall a few years back meaning till pieces start falling, it remains open

[@Sausketo]

Crazy how it only cost $37 million to build, but its gonna cost $64 million to re-paint

[@jz9201]

How much do you pay today for a persons work? That make a big different. If you build some thing like that, you can paint most of it on the ground. Now.....

[@Lv-nq9qz]

Wow, 37 million in the 1880's was like, more than most countries GDPs

[@Sausketo]

@@Lv-nq9qz it cost $37 million in todays money

[@jcdf2]

Labour costs more now than in the past.

[@kathyyoung1774]

Inflation

[@ejohnson3131]

When a B1M video starts with “The Eiffel Towah is in Danjah”, you know it’s going to be good!

[@markynio]

I might say that sometimes I'm more attracted to the accent than the topic LOL

[@jamesdoyle5405]

The 19th and early 20th century exhibitions gave us enduring monuments such as the buildings in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco and Balboa Park in San Diego. For as long as it lasted the Crystal Palace in London. The Victorian era placed an emphasis on beauty.

[@SmithyScotland]

If the Forth Bridge can be successfully repaired then so can the Eiffel Tower. Forth Bridge now only has to b repainted every 25 years.

[@dennis2376]

So much history that the Eiffel Tower has been part of and to think of that is wild.Thank you.

[@OlivierBL]

64M? *Montreal's Olympic Stadium has left the chat*

[@buckodonnghaile4309]

The Big Uh Oh

[@danteeightsix]

I visited Paris in 2012. I found it odd to find out how many Parisians actually don't like Tour Montparnasse, but the Eiffel Tower was the foundation for Montparnasse to be built. I found both stuctures to be compliments of one another, plus Grande Arche de La Defense. They also align with one another being landmarks for 3 different times of Parisian architectural history.

[@Ardioss1]

Most Europeans don't really like skyscrapers. We even have laws prohibiting them from exceeding a certain height, for ecological and aesthetic reasons.

[@ninod1502]

The old joke, the best view of Paris is from the tower because you don't see it

[@cod-the-creator]

"It cost today's equivalent of $37m to build." "It costs $64m today to paint." H U H ?

[@quentin.aventure]

You know nothing about inflation and economy, don't you ?

[@HELLO7657]

@@quentin.aventure The 37m already is "inflation adjusted", the numbers just doesn't make much sense.

[@DonoVideoProductions]

​@@HELLO7657$37 million is what it cost to build THEN, in today's dollars, NOT what it would cost to build today. It would cost far, far more to build today...and they did not quote that number.

[@DonoVideoProductions]

@@GobrinDesuka And how do you know the adjustment was "ill calculated?"

[@DonoVideoProductions]

@@GobrinDesuka It's a simple concept. But, whatever leaves you at peace.

[@philipmarriott3186]

Thank U Fred Mills ..... your commentaries are always tasteful and highly informative. I wish you a great future. Greetings from Hamburg Germany.

[@a.i.privilege1233]

Do people still visit Paris? I understand it's awful now.

[@brucecavey9759]

If it is, . Which I doubt , it’s far better than a democratic run city in the US- especially San Francisco !

[@PanSkrzetuski]

Having been to the Eiffel Tower a couple times (most recently last Thursday) I can note that it is genuinely underrated.

[@MichaelBabich]

What a terrible video. It says "race to save the Eiffel Tower" and instead most of the video is history of the tower. Terrible clickbate.

[@Oblaci17d]

God forbid you give context/background about the topic you're talking about.

[@christinesinclair6938]

The thing is, it was not actually built to last and the fact it's lasted this long is a miracle.

[@RamblingRodeo]

The world and Paris/France wouldnt be the same without the Eiffel Tower! All should be done to ensure that it is maintained, no excuses.... These types of monuments, define our greatest of history, it is a World Heritage!

[@davidsecord6412]

...as this was NEVER intended to survive beyond the World Fair, it is amazing that it is still standing.

[@pawnzrtasty]

Let the corporation that owns the lights and who copyright strikes any night image of the tower restore it.

[@JonasStuart]

Really enjoyed this. Love Paris and the Eiffel Tower. I've been up a number of times and hope to continue to do so for decades to come!

[@BruneSixtine]

There are layers upon layers of paints and rust into it. Now the work requires to remove the layers of old paints, treat the rust, and repaint with lead free material. It doesn't cost much, but it takes a lot of time, and the tower will have to close at least partially during the renovation. The mayor of Paris is responsible for this, it should have been done a long time ago already.

[@harry130747]

Stopping all that lead paint from wafting about as it was removed would be some trick.

[@DavidWatson-g1c]

What you say is absolute nonsense.

[@glennclayton9900]

Isn’t that France’s problem.

[@Sweatequitychampion]

They spent 1.4B to get the river ready for the olympics, which failed so shouldn't be too hard to find 64M for an actual cause.

[@luckygame8718]

Pas échoué, elle est plus propre et restera plus propre mais effectivement ce n'est pas encore suffisant.

[@khenricx]

It wasn't for the Olympic, it was a project started long ago with a new water system to better handle waste water when it's raining. The Olympics were just used as a pretext to get better funding and a deadline. And while the Seine is still not as clean as we want it to be, it's still a lot cleaner than before.

[@maplemiles3381]

@Sweatequitychampion The Olympics that were held in Paris was a success and those games were amazing. Beijing 2022 was a failure plus Paris made record ticket sales.

[@Moz859]

I was on it about 4 months ago. You could literally see rust around rivets on it. Yes it was probably just surface rust but how would you react being a couple hundred meters up and seeing rust on the things that are meant to be holding it together. And it very over rated and crowded. Trust me your not missing out on much if you don’t go up it.

[@Secretlyanothername]

They seem lazy about preventing rust

[@sultanofswing7198]

They’re French that pace is with haste for them.

[@johndoe-cd9vt]

@@sultanofswing7198 ridiculous, we take care of the tower

[@LarsTheOctopus]

Most of France’s infrastructure is maintained by cheapskates. When the infrastructure starts failing or the government decides it is “too expensive to maintain”, it is sold to a private company that gets the subsidies and cheap out even more, but keeps the profit. This happened to our railroad, our highways, this would likely happen to the tower soonish.

[@johndoe-cd9vt]

@@LarsTheOctopus Stop posting false messages about Paris. You are talking about the most visited city in the world and also one of the oldest cities on earth, if the conditions were that bad, the monuments of the city would not exist anymore.

[@TonyTomas01]

@@LarsTheOctopusbro you don’t know shit about the tower and France what are you even talking about? 😂

[@iadorexyou]

I was in Paris earlier this year and got to see the Eiffel Tower for the first time. I completely underestimated the size of it! It's incredible.

[@Altaree1]

I heard that the Paris Olympic medals each contain a sliver of the tower. I wonder where those came from? Did they also replace some of the girders?

[@Cin0so]

Exactly

[@kleckerklotz9620]

Certainly remelted, formerly rusted abrasion. I wouldn't mind that in my gold medal.

[@markterryl]

those iron pieces are from the modernized elevator, they remove some metal to install modern elevator did not affect the structure what so ever, its rusting plain and simple 😂😂😂

[@RB2013-jj7kq]

At this point this iconic, beautiful masterpiece isn't even a symbol of France but of humanity. The entire world loves it we must all protect it!!!!!!!!

[@mrb5394]

64m is nothing, they just spent 1.5b to clean a river for 1 swim. and well they havent cleaned it very well.

[@TonyTomas01]

For 1 swim? Do you have a source for that? 😂

[@DonoVideoProductions]

​@@TonyTomas01Yes. It was a single swimming event during the Olympics: the swimming leg of the Triathlon.

[@TonyTomas01]

@@DonoVideoProductions You’re wrong. This project (which isn’t finish yet btw) is for ecological concerns, depollute the river. It has been going on for years now. Not for one swim. Also when the project will be completed (late 2025 at minimum), everyone will be able to swim in it.

[@DonoVideoProductions]

@@TonyTomas01 Of course, that was how they finally sold it. But they had done nothing for years...until they decided to compete for the olympics. Nothing sells politicians on civic renewal like good PR. It'll be interesting to see if they keep going, or let it go like Beijing did with the nest.

[@TonyTomas01]

@@DonoVideoProductions That’s weird cause they’ve been on the project since the 90’s (Jacques Chirac, former French president was mayor of Paris back then). I didn’t know that in the 90’s Paris was already on list for the 2024 Olympics.