THE EIFFEL TOWER GETS BEAUTIFIED www.eiffel

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THE EIFFEL TOWER GETS BEAUTIFIED
"We will most likely never realize the
full importance of painting the Tower,
that it is the essential element in the
conservation of metal works and the
more meticulous the paint job, the
longer the Tower shall endure."
Gustave Eiffel
« The 300 Meter Tower »
Lemercier – Paris 1900
www.eiffel-tower.com
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SUMMARY
19TH REPAINTING – 2009-2010
THE EIFFEL TOWER GETS BEAUTIFIED
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ALL ABOUT PAINTING THE TOWER
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AN HISTORICAL LOOK AT THE COLORS
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THE IMPORTANCE OF PAINT TO GUSTAVE EIFFEL
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19th REPAINTING – 2009-2010
THE EIFFEL TOWER GETS BEAUTIFIED
Since its beginnings, the Eiffel Tower has been repainted every 7 years. The 19th
repainting got underway in March 2009, is expected to take 18 months to
complete, and all the while, the Tower will remain open to visitors.
A new coat of paint is important during the life of a monument, especially for the genuinely
mythical Eiffel Tower that has won a place in the hearts of people all over the world as a fine
piece of craftsmanship, that radiates a color symbolic of the Parisian landscape, that presents a
technical feat for painters at such heights, and constitutes such a sizeable investment of means
to complete the job.
A huge job, to match the longevity of the Tower
The Eiffel Tower is constructed in puddle iron, a low-carbon iron that is considered eternal if
painted regularly! Yet, several factors are considered capable of putting the monument in
jeopardy: rust, big city pollution and bird droppings.
The 25 painters clad in safety harnesses paint every nook and cranny of the Tower, relying on
60 km (more than 37 miles) of cord, applying 60 tons of paint to a surface of 250,000m²,
including some areas particularly difficult to access. Their job is to sand, clean, treat against
corrosion and to apply the final coat of paint at an altitude of 300 meters (yards). They
require 1500 brushes, 1000 scrapers and about 1000 pairs of gloves.
Interesting to note, the painters use exactly the same methods for the top-to-bottom painting
that were used in Eiffel’s day; it remains today a totally manual operation! All forms of
contraptions that create a little bit of distance between the painter and the surface to paint
are out of the question; handheld brushes only, which excludes the paint gun of course.
“Eiffel Tower Brown”
The color was especially blended for the Tower and only for the Tower. “Eiffel Tower
Brown” comes in three shades: lighter at the top progressively getting darker towards the
bottom to ensure a perfectly hued complement to the color of the Parisian sky. This bronze
color has been the Tower’s outerwear since 1968, except for a few other color attempts
including ochre- yellow in 1899 and a reddish brown in the 50s!
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Good time for a check-up, and to test the new environmental friendly paints.
Each new coat of paint also presents an opportunity to verify the structure and to replace
corroded metallic parts if needed.
At present the color is the same as was applied during the last repainting: no lead pigments,
instead a zinc phosphate agent to fight against corrosion, which is more resistant to the
atmosphere and pollution.
Paint, composed of organic elements that are almost totally solvent-free, is to be tested in
certain zones in preparation for the world environmental norms expected to take effect in
2012.
FACTS AND FIGURES
Each coat of paint:
The Eiffel Tower:
- 250,000m² surface to paint
- 25 painters specialized in metal structures
and tower tops - no fright of heights allowed.
- 60 tons of paint
- an estimated 15 tons of eroded paint ensues
between paintings
- 50 km of security cords
- 6.9 million visitors in 2008, of which 75% are of
foreign origins
- 243,760,000 visitors since it opened in 1889
- 324 meters tall including the antennae
- the 7300-ton metal structure weighs 10,100 tons
- 18,000 assembled metal parts and 2.5 million rivets
- Altitude of the floors: 1st: 57 meters high, 2nd: 115m,
3rd: 276m
- Lighting: 336 high-pressure sodium lamps
- Glittering lights: 20,000 bulbs (5000 per side)
sparkle on the hour for 5 minutes each hour from
twilight until 1am (2am in summer)
- Number of antennae: 120
- 5 acres of protection netting
- 1500 brushes
- 1500 sets of work clothes
- 1000 pairs of leather gloves
Budget: approximately 4 million euros
The paint is provided by the company Jotun
and the painters come from the enterprise
Stelma
The Eiffel Tower is open 7/7 from 9h30am – 11:45pm (9 – 0h45am in summer)
The Eiffel Tower belongs to the City of Paris, which has commissioned the maintenance and
operation since 2005 to the SETE (Société d’Eploitation de la Tour Eiffel) for a 10-year public
service contract.
Presided by Jean-Bernard Bros, deputy mayor in charge of Tourism and the New Media, and
directed by Nicolas Lefebvre, the SETE is a joint venture with the City of Paris which is a
majority holder (59.9%). In 2008, revenues totalled 64 million euros.
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ALL ABOUT PAINTING THE TOWER
First things first: security
Accustomed to tall buildings, the painters begin by attaching all the security cords and
protection netting first.
Security cords
The painters wear security harnesses attached to the Tower girder beams and their security is
assured in the best possible conditions thanks to the security cords that allow freedom of
movement while always attached to the framework.
Protection netting
Protection netting is installed for the safety of the work area (to avoid objects from falling)
and to collect any falling paint chips. For the first time, they are totally drip-free thanks to a
polymer-film coating.
The safety of tools
Tools are worn on a waist or wrist belt, including the paint reciprocals and brushes.
A painter’s job is to assess the needs, sand, clean and apply the paint.
The complexity of size alone demands a very strict methodology that includes an initial
assessment of the total surface in search of the most corroded zones (usually about 5% of the
total surface). Once located, the first step is to treat those zones with an anti-rust product (2
applications are necessary). Finally the repainting begins.
The rest of the structure that is in good condition undergoes an industrial steam cleaning, as
well as is treated for any abnormalities or plugged drains before the repainting begins.
Anti-rust experts are invited to inspect the corrosion regularly on site, especially in those
hard-to-get corners, and to oversee the quality of the paint job underway.
The SETE sought out top-notch painters at a company specialized in metal structures.
The duration
To repaint the Tower requires about 15 months, but due to expected unfavourable weather
conditions, interruptions are foreseen and the expected duration climbs to 18 months.
- impossible to paint when the structure is too cold
- the paint does not adhere well to wet surfaces
They start at the top and work down to the second floor; from the second to the first, and
finally from the first floor to the ground level.
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Paint tests and sanding
With each new coat of paint, the objective is to improve the methods and work conditions
based on previous experience and in step with the latest technological developments. Thus,
the lead-free paint mixture employed during the 18th repainting was also chosen for the 19th
coat of paint. A zinc phosphate agent to prevent corrosion replaces the previous lead-based
mixtures of the past. Furthermore, this paint is more resistant to the actual atmospheric
pollution.
The SETE decided to try new paints on the test zones in order to prepare for the world
environmental norms to become effective in 2012. The test paint is composed of volatile
organic compounds and almost zero solvents. New sanding techniques are also being tested.
The contractors
The Jotun Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of paints and coatings. This Norwegian
company founded in 1926 produces four distinctly different types of products: decorative paints (40%),
marine coatings (30%), corrosion protection (20%) and powder coatings (10%). The family outfit, which
is headed by the third generation, reported a global turnover of 1.35 billion euros in 2008, thanks to its
presence in 70 countries with 40 factories and more than 7100 employees.
The Jotun France branch has been quite active in marine coating and corrosion protection since 1962.
This is the company’s second collaboration with the Eiffel Tower. Their long list of references include
the outer coat of paint given to the ship Queen Mary II, the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle’s
careening and the exterior metallic structure of the POPB (Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy).
The international company Stelma, founded in 1990, has a staff of 256 persons, is headquartered in
Athens, Greece and possesses branch offices in Greece, France, Bulgaria, Poland and Kuwait. Stelma’s
activities cover a large number of sectors, notably refineries, metallic and mechanical construction,
corrosion protection, painting and insulation.
The French branch office was opened in Saint-Nazaire in 2006. Currently, 30 people work there, a mix
of Greek and French staff. Most of their activity revolves around corrosion protection for industrial and
naval construction.
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HISTORIQUE DES COULEURS DE LA TOUR EIFFEL
1887 / 88
The first coat of “Venice red” was applied to the metallic parts in the workshop before assembly.
1889
Application of a thick coat of reddish brown paint
1892
The Tower turns ochre brown
1899
A coat of five colors painted in shaded tones: ochre yellow at the base of the pillars
finishing in a light yellow at the top. The 7-year cycle between paintings was adopted at
this time.
1907-1917-1924-1932-1939-1947
The color is identified as yellow brown.
The painting began late in 1917 because of the war.
1954-1961
A new color for the Tower: brownish red.
1968-1975-1982
1988-1995-2002
The “Eiffel Tower Brown”
color is chosen because of
its harmony with the
Parisian cityscape. It is
applied in shaded tones,
darker at the bottom and
lighter at the top.
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THE THREE SHADES OF “EIFFEL TOWER BROWN”
The Tower is not painted uniformly, but rather in three shades from dark at the bottom to a
lighter version at the top so as to highlight the Tower’s silhouette.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF PAINT TO GUSTAVE EIFFEL
Gustave Eiffel was a man with foresight, who had a prowess in the use of iron in construction
and believed strongly in the importance of paint.
"We will most likely never realize the full importance of painting the Tower, that it is the
essential element in the conservation of metal works and the more meticulous the paint job,
the longer the Tower shall endure.
This is particularly important for the Tower, because of all the small parts and their thinness,
coupled with the extreme weather conditions they are exposed to.
Our first consideration in the field of construction is that every single part be accessible so
that each time the Tower is inspected for rust, it can be treated. The trusses, the most
important primary structure, are large iron tubes assembled in square sections that were built
to be big enough for a human being to fit inside. They are equipped with inside ladders and
manholes at each floor at the height of the crosspieces. We were able to eliminate the
trusses for the upper part of the construction, which were replaced by simple angle or T bars
in such a manner as to leave the inner surface visible. This was the practice for all the
secondary parts connected to the lattice square sections, rendering the cleaning a simpler
task.
Since the utmost importance is to fight against the onset of corrosion, all sheet iron was
conserved in enclosed hangars during the fabrication stage, and when needed, rigorously
sanded. This way the iron was not exposed to rain until after assembly and after all the
exterior parts were laminated, even those that would no longer be exposed after assembly.”
Gustave Eiffel – “The 300 Meter Tower” – Lemercier – Paris 1900
Painting has proved to play an essential part in the conservation of the Eiffel Tower expressly
made of puddle iron and not in steel which was available in 1889. If the Tower had been made
of steel, its maintenance would have been much more complex and costly.