QuickCheck: Does the Eiffel Tower in Paris grow ‘taller’ in the summer?

THERE are numerous towers and tall buildings constructed around the world.

Many of these skyscrapers have also become popular tourist attractions thanks to their historical and architectural significance.

It’s believed that the Eiffel Tower in the French capital “grows” in the summer. Is it true?

VERDICT:

TRUE

The (now) nearly 330m metal structure located in 2024's Olympic host city impressively expands during the warm season!

Built in 1887, the tower, which measured 312m high then, held the title of the tallest building for nearly four decades before losing it to The Chrysler Building, which stood at 319m in 1928.

The Eiffel Tower increases in height by a few millimetres during hot weather, but it also contracts in the winter, shrinking.

This feature is related to the material used to construct it—puddle iron, a type of wrought iron.

Iron is sensitive to changes in temperature—whether it’s cold, snow, or heat. This is a natural occurrence known as thermal expansion.

References:

1. https://www.sciencestudios.com.sg/blog-science-studios/matter-gains-heat-expands
2. https://www.toureiffel.paris/en/news/history-and-culture/why-does-eiffel-tower-change-size#:~:text=A%20few%20millimeters%20gained%20in%20summer%2C%20but%20lost%20in%20winter!&text=When%20temperatures%20rise%2C%20the%20Tower,Tower%20a%20few%20millimeters%20taller.