The Eiffel Tower, one of the most iconic landmarks in the world, might look like it’s just an enormous iron structure - but did you know that stainless steel plays a crucial role in keeping it standing today?
When Gustave Eiffel completed the tower in 1889 for the World’s Fair in Paris, many critics called it an ugly iron monstrosity and expected it to be dismantled after just 20 years. However, Eiffel knew that proper maintenance could keep the structure standing indefinitely. The tower was built using puddle iron, a strong but corrosion-prone material. Eiffel designed it to be repainted every seven years to prevent rust from eating away at its frame. This regular upkeep saved the tower from deterioration, but as the years passed, engineers realised that even frequent painting wasn’t enough to protect certain high-stress areas of the structure.
By the mid-20th century, engineers began reinforcing the Eiffel Tower with stainless steel bolts, fasteners, and structural reinforcements in critical areas, such as:
- Expansion joints - The tower expands and contracts by up to 15 cm (6 inches) each day due to temperature changes. Stainless steel helps absorb this movement without weakening over time.
- Connectors and bolts - Many of the original iron rivets were replaced with stainless steel fasteners to prevent corrosion.
- Structural reinforcements - Hidden inside some of the tower’s joints, stainless steel reinforcements provide extra support without adding excessive weight.
These additions significantly reduced maintenance needs, allowing the Eiffel Tower to stand strong without needing complete overhauls.
In 1989, for the tower’s 100th anniversary, engineers introduced even more stainless steel elements to improve its durability. Even the glass floor installed in 2014 at the first level relies on stainless steel framing for strength. While the Eiffel Tower is still made mostly of puddle iron, its hidden stainless steel reinforcements have helped it survive for over 130 years - and will keep it standing for centuries more.
In an interesting twist, Gustave Eiffel’s work on wind resistance and metal structures helped inspire aerospace and rocket engineering. Stainless steel is now used in spacecraft, satellites, and rockets - including SpaceX’s Starship, which is almost entirely built from stainless steel. It’s amazing to think that lessons from a 19th-century tower are helping humanity reach the stars!
The innate properties of Stainless Steel such as Corrosion Resistance, Strength and Durability are all important reasons why DSM use stainless steel in all our products from stainless steel Extractor Canopies to stainless steel Laboratory Sinks . We visited the Eiffel Tower once... we thought it was 'Seine-sational' !
Image:
Eiffel Tower and general view of the grounds, Exposition Universal, 1889, Paris, France.