By the time builders had finished the third of eight planned stories about five years later, the tower’s foundation had settled unevenly on the ground beneath it, a dense mixture of clay, sand, and shells. As a result, the structure had begun to tilt visibly toward the south.
Why Is Tower of Pisa Leaning?
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the most iconic monuments in the world and a tourist magnet that draws millions of visitors to the Italian city every year. Built as the bell tower of the nearby Pisa Cathedral, the tower has been the subject of curiosity and fascination since its completion in the late 12th century. Constructed of white marble, its richly decorated exterior can be seen towering over the Piazza dei Miracoli, attracting eager photographers and visitors who can’t help but wonder why it is so famous leaning.
The answer as to why the Leaning Tower of Pisa tilts at an impressive 4 degrees lies in its foundations. Unlike other walls, towers were built using a system of concentric rings to support the gravity load of the superstructure. This meant that any disk structure could be built around a central axis, thus allowing for a much taller design with less risk of collapse due to its stable construction.
Unfortunately, when it comes to The Tower of Pisa, it was later discovered that the geometry of the foundations was less than ideal. A mixture of soft land, brackish water, and two of the three main tiers of masonry being shifted to one side by up to 4.
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