Talk:Gustave Eiffel

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I removed the bit about the garter belts. Apparently it is either a hoax or a confusion with Alexander Eiffel.

-- Iv

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[edit] As an aerodynamicist

I read about his contributions to aerodynamics in Anderson's A History of Aerodynamics and I was impressed. If you know well about this aspect, why don't you write? I think it's worth adding (or, somewhere related to aerodynamics or wind tunnel is better place maybe?). - Marsian // talk 15:48, 2005 May 20 (UTC)

I agree... Eiffel is responsible for designing a tower that only sways 1/4 of an inch (0.63 cm) off its center on either direction when hit by a 60 MPH (near 90 kph) wind... incredible. Might make an excellent topic. Demf 19:11, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Engineer

I came here to add Eiffel to Category:French engineers but see that he's listed under Category:French architects. Which is right? Or both? Cutler 11:19, July 12, 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Panama Canal

I believe the bit about the Panama Canal is wrong. My understanding is that Eiffel designed locks for the French project (with a width of 76 feet, if I recall right), in about 1887, but they were never built. When the USA took over, they went back to the drawing board; they made new surveys of the whole region, and started over again with the sea level versus locks debate. When they eventually settled on locks in 1906, almost 20 years after Eiffel's work, my belief is that they designed the present day locks, which are 110 feet wide, from scratch.

Anyone got any comment on this before I change the article? — Johan the Ghost seance 11:00, 17 April 2006 (UTC)

[1] seems to show an interesting sliding door arrangement, completely different from the present locks. [2] says that the French locks were to be 738.22 feet long, 82.02 feet wide, with a normal depth of 29.5 feet; significantly smaller than the present locks. — Johan the Ghost seance 14:52, 17 April 2006 (UTC)
It's pretty clear to me that Eiffel did not design the present locks (which is perhaps a shame), so I've made the change. — Johan the Ghost seance 15:53, 17 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] References

I added an unreferenced tag, but it was removed without an addition of references. This article is sorely missing in references, especially on the "personality" section, which goes so far beyond stating simple uncontroversial facts that it really needs a specific cite. Night Gyr 16:40, 17 April 2006 (UTC)

Quite agree. — Johan the Ghost seance 19:43, 17 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Eiffel & Co. as pre-fab builders?

Folks, I'm from Mayagüez, Puerto Rico and, as far as I know, besides the lighthouse at Mona Island that the article makes a reference of, there were two buildings in my hometown that were at least designed by Eiffel (or, at least, his company). The local produce market, the Plaza del Mercado, was definitely an Eiffel building, which lasted until the mid 1970s. The former municipal theater, which used to be nicknamed El Bizcochón because it looked like a wedding cake, was quite probably an Eiffel building (it had to be demolished after an earthquake in 1918). However, as far as I know, Eiffel never set a foot in Puerto Rico, and my sources tell me that these were actually prefabricated structures that could be designed from afar (France, I assume) and built to order. Can anyone here elaborate on that? Demf 13:53, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] English pronunciation

"... usually pronounced in English in the German manner ..."

  • Does this mean "identically with the German pronunciation", which is wrong (final "l" is pronounced differently in German and English, I believe, and the schwa has a slightly different quality), or, much more likely, "as if it were a German word"? "In the German manner" is imprecise, IMO. — Paul G 12:49, 27 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Philippine bridge

Eiffel did not design the Quezon Bridge.

"The third to be built spanning the Pasig was the Puente de Convalecencia or better known as the Ayala Bridge, originally composed of two separate spans connected by the Isla de Convalecencia, which is home to Hospisio de San Jose, dropping point for abandoned babies, the bridge over this island was originally made of wooden arched trusses. Completed in 1880, it suffered major structural damage and completely collapsed 10 years later. This was subsequently replaced with a simple metal saw trussed bridge in the last decade of the 19th century, though not significant for its design, its engineer nevertheless is important in the annals of Philippine history, for it was the only bridge that the famed French Engineer by the name of Gustave Eiffel built in the country. This bridge, famous for its engineer or otherwise, similarly didn’t last long and was subsequently replaced."

http://icomosphilippines.blogspot.com/2006/04/bridge-over-not-so-troubled-waters.html

125.60.243.27 06:33, 27 July 2007 (UTC)