George Mylonakis, from the University of Bristol's Department of Civil Engineering, wanted to understand why and how. And still, the Leaning Tower of Pisa stands strong. Since the year 1280, four strong earthquakes have hit this region of Italy. The stabilization work was successfully completed in 2001, bringing the tower back to a 4-degree incline, as it was 200 years ago. It was the least invasive technique, and promised to reduce the tilt from about 15 to 13.5 feet. The 2003 study explained that restoration was possible by removing small volumes of soil from beneath the north side of the tower’s foundation.
The Italian Government organized an international committee, including experts in the arts, restoration and structural and geotechnical engineering to help stabilize the monument. Any disturbances in the ground beneath the foundation could threaten its collapse. The monument closed to visitors as engineers attempted to stabilize it.Īccording to one study published in 2003, the Tower of Pisa's stabilization proved to be an immensely difficult task due to the weak base in the foundation. 05 inches, and by 1990, it was at a heightened risk of collapse. The tower continued to sink at an annual rate of. Over the next six centuries, the lean became an integral part of the tower’s appeal. After the tower was completed around 1370, the drift continued. However, this too proved to be a failure as the additional weight caused the structure to tilt even farther. While working on the eighth floor of the tower, builders angled the story to the north to counterbalance the tower's southern drift. The century-long delay allowed the foundation of the bell tower to settle further and prevent any likely collapse.Īccording to Smithsonian Magazine, the tower took approximately 200 years to build from start to finish, with several work stoppages. The conflicts caused a halt in construction for almost 100 years. Shortly after, Pisa fought wars against Genoa, Lucca and Florence. As a result, the tower started to tilt toward the south. By the time the builders finished the second of eight stories in 1178, the tower’s foundation had begun to settle unevenly. The ground beneath the tower was composed of clay, fine sand and shells from the Arno and Serchio rivers that frame the city of Pisa. Perhaps, the site itself may have been the root cause of the problem. Problems arose shortly after construction began on the white marble bell tower.
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