Why doesn’t the Leaning Tower of Pisa fall over? - Alex Gendler

TED-Ed2 minutes read

Engineers in the 1990s successfully stabilized Pisa's Leaning Tower, using new technology to remove soil, counterbalance with lead ingots, and anchor with steel cables, achieving a tilt of about four degrees and ensuring its stability for the next 300 years. The construction on unstable ground in the 12th century led to the gradual lean, with previous attempts to rectify it failing, until this innovative approach preserved the iconic lean as a testament to the beauty of imperfection.

Insights

  • Italian engineers stabilized Pisa's Leaning Tower in the 1990s by removing soil, adding lead ingots for counterbalance, and anchoring with steel cables, successfully straightening it to a tilt of about four degrees after centuries of failed attempts.
  • The innovative engineering solutions implemented in the 1990s preserved the tower's iconic lean at around four degrees, ensuring its stability for the next 300 years, highlighting the beauty of imperfection and the successful marriage of historical preservation with modern technology.

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Recent questions

  • How did engineers stabilize the Leaning Tower of Pisa?

    Engineers stabilized the tower by removing soil, counterbalancing with lead ingots, and anchoring with steel cables.

  • Why was the Leaning Tower of Pisa leaning?

    The tower was leaning due to a shifting foundation on marshy land.

  • What technology did engineers use to straighten the tower?

    Engineers used new technology like drilling tunnels, removing soil, and counterbalancing with lead ingots.

  • How long will the stabilization of the tower last?

    The stabilization is expected to last for the next 300 years.

  • What is the current tilt of the Leaning Tower of Pisa?

    The tower is currently tilted at around four degrees.

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Summary

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Stabilizing Pisa's Leaning Tower: A Success

  • In 1990, Italian engineers were tasked with stabilizing Pisa’s Leaning Tower, which was leaning at 5.5 degrees, close to its toppling point of 5.44 degrees, due to a shifting foundation on marshy land.
  • The tower's construction in the 12th century on unstable ground led to a gradual lean, with attempts over centuries to rectify it failing, until engineers in the 1990s used new technology to remove soil, counterbalance with lead ingots, and anchor with steel cables, successfully straightening it to a tilt of about four degrees.
  • Through drilling tunnels, removing soil, and counterbalancing, the engineers managed to stabilize the tower, preserving its iconic lean at around four degrees, ensuring its stability for the next 300 years as a testament to the beauty of imperfection.
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