2006-06-21 09:26:48 · 8 answers · asked by mopargirl 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Other - Arts & Humanities
Several plans have been tried over the years to stop the tower from falling. Some of them have been almost disastrous. In 1934 an Italian engineer drilled 361 holes into the base and filled them with mortar. The tower promptly leaned over some more. In 1993 650 tons of lead were hung from the North side of the building to try and stop the lean increasing. For a while it worked.
In 1995, they decided to try and increase the foundations under the South side of the building. They froze the ground using liquid nitrogen, to stop it moving, and then started to remove stones, so they could insert metal rods. What they didn't know was that the stones they were removing were part of the original foundation of the building. That is the nearest the tower has come to disaster. In one night the lean increased as much as it normally increases in two years. They quickly added another 250 tons of lead and decided to rethink the whole thing.
At this point everyone was just about ready to give up. Then a British engineering professor came up with yet another idea. His plan was to remove ground from under the high side, instead of trying to add ground under the low side. In 1999 work began, and was done very slowly, so that the building wouldn't get a sudden shock. At the beginning of June 2001, the work was complete, and the tower had been straightened up by about 16 inches, which returns it to the position it held in 1838. The engineers believe that it is safe for at least another 300 years.
So, if they know how, why didn't they just straighten it up all the way? The answer lies in the tower's name. It is the Leaning Tower of Pisa and just wouldn't be the same if it didn't lean! Some of the residents of Pisa say it would be better to let it fall down, rather than to straighten it all the way.
2006-06-21 09:31:50 · answer #1 · answered by xtragicallyxbeautifulx 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's been standing hundreds of years and most of the lean developed early on. Nowadays it's been counterbalanced to prevent further leaning. It's too important a structure for the authorities to let it fall down so I'm sure they'd come up with something if the need arose.
2016-03-27 00:09:58 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It gets reinforced periodically so I don't think so. If they didn't do the adjustments and put reinforcements then maybe. It is crooked because it is sinking. It could continue but not if they prevent it. I know it was closed off to people for a long time; not sure it ever reopened...
2006-06-21 09:30:38 · answer #3 · answered by tressa1220 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes
2006-06-21 09:31:11 · answer #4 · answered by Truyer 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe, they've tried propping it up several times over the last few centuries. The last one was a good effort. Maybe it will last for a couple hundred more years.
2006-06-21 09:36:33 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No becuase they put more stuff on it to keep it up, And untill they blow it up like any cool building now days it probably wont fall
2006-06-21 09:30:51 · answer #6 · answered by jaktricky 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Eventually....
2006-06-21 09:29:40 · answer #7 · answered by Country Boy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Probably not but it is possible but i think that people are or have made it more steady
2006-06-21 09:31:04 · answer #8 · answered by theguru 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋