France: the Eiffel Tower in a worrying state, according to several reports
Tourists under the Eiffel Tower, in Paris, July 3, 2022. REUTERS - BENOIT TESSIER
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
The Eiffel Tower, symbol of French heritage, would it be on the verge of collapsing?
According to the weekly
Marianne
, several reports indicate weaknesses in the structure due to rust.
The twentieth painting campaign to renovate Gustave Eiffel's building before the 2024 Olympic Games is underway.
But, according to the magazine, these works do not seem to be up to the degradation of the building.
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Rest assured, the Eiffel Tower will not collapse tomorrow.
The state of the 330 meter high building is however considered to be of concern by several reports, but there is no immediate danger.
Above all, rust threatens the 133-year-old "Iron Lady".
To deal with this chemical phenomenon, the Eiffel Tower is regularly repainted.
Marianne
magazine
reveals the contents of several reports made between 2010 and 2016. In summary, they say that the structure of the tower is aging and that the public company that operates it does nothing to solve these problems.
According to them, it would take a little more than a lick of paint every seven years, as is the case now.
Each year, the building welcomes six million tourists.
The monument is the fourth most visited paid cultural site in France, behind Disneyland, the Louvre and Versailles.
The Eiffel Tower "
has never been as preserved as now
", assures the management
Management is reassuring.
She explains that there are weekly readings to check if the structure is moving.
The Eiffel Tower "
has never been as well preserved as now
," retorted the management of the building to AFP.
Proof that the problems are taken seriously, according to her: this 20th painting campaign costs three times more than expected, or 84 million euros.
The "Iron Lady" "
will continue to stand with this impeccable iron
", assured Patrick Branco Ruivo, the general manager of the Société d'exploitation de la tour Eiffel (Sete), stressing that the painting campaign in progress since 2019 was all about "
treating and protecting
it."
"
For the first time in its history, we stripped the tower, that is to say we removed all the layers of paint
" on the south arch located above the Champ-de-Mars , and “
we discovered that the wrought iron was impeccable even though we were in the most damaged part
” by rust, replies Patrick Branco Ruivo.
Reports say 884 parts are failing out of 18,000. Most of these are parts that did not receive the maximum rating, the manager said.
"
The 68 elements that were the subject of an alert were secondary elements
", such as angles, he adds.
Their gradual replacement is underway and should be completed by 2024.
► Also to listen: What future for the trees around the Eiffel Tower?
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