How many rivets are in the Eiffel Tower?
The Eiffel Tower is held together by 2.5 million rivets, each installed by hand to create a permanent, high-strength seal.
To build the tower, a four-person team worked on every single rivet. One person heated the rivet, another held it in place, a third shaped the head, and a fourth hammered it down. As the hot rivets cooled, they contracted and pulled the iron plates together with immense force. This precision engineering is why the structure remains perfectly stable after more than 130 years.
Nerd Mode
The Eiffel Tower was constructed between 1887 and 1889 using 18,038 metallic parts made of puddled iron. Gustave Eiffel’s design relied on 2.5 million rivets to join these components. Only one-third of these rivets were installed directly at the Champ de Mars construction site. The remaining 1.7 million were pre-assembled at Eiffel’s factory in Levallois-Perret to ensure maximum precision.The installation process required a specialized four-man crew. The 'chauffeur' heated the rivet until it was glowing red. The 'teneur' held it in position against the pre-drilled hole. The 'riveur' used a sledgehammer or pneumatic tool to shape the head, and the 'frappeur' finished the seal. This method relied on thermal contraction. As the iron rivet cooled from its heated state, it shrank in length, exerting a clamping force that bound the plates together through friction.This technique was superior to the welding methods available in the late 19th century. The puddled iron used in the tower is highly resistant to corrosion and fatigue, provided it is maintained with regular painting. Every seven years, workers apply 60 tons of paint to protect the iron and the rivets from the elements. This meticulous maintenance and the original structural integrity of the riveting process have allowed the tower to withstand wind speeds of up to 240 kilometers per hour.
Verified Fact
FP-0009391 · Feb 22, 2026