The Eiffel Tower is an enduring symbol of Paris and France itself. Architecturally beautiful and culturally significant, it attracts 6–7 million visitors annually, with an astonishing 17,000 people ascending it each day.
The effect this has on the tower’s ageing plumbing is significant. The restaurants and bathrooms in the tower face heavy use almost constantly, and previously, the tower would have to be closed to conduct maintenance or replace ageing or damaged plumbing infrastructure.
Today, no such disruption has to occur, with the advent of Brawoliner relining technology.
History of the Eiffel Tower and Its Infrastructure Needs
Though it was never intended as such, the Eiffel Tower is an enduring symbol of the Parisian skyline and a drawcard for tens of thousands of tourists to France’s capital every year. Designed and built by Gustave Eiffel between 1887–1889 for the 1889 World’s Fair, the tower was meant to be a temporary construction of France’s engineering might.
After the Fair, it was deemed significant enough to remain, and though this decision was met with scepticism by much of France, it remains as one of the most recognisable buildings in the world. Now, 135 years old, maintaining the tower is no simple feat.
Over time, the tower’s infrastructure has aged, including its pipes and wiring. Constant upkeep is required to keep the tower safe, functional and structurally sound. For the tower’s plumbing, feeding water to its restaurants and bathrooms, Brawoliner technology comes to the rescue, restoring aged plumbing with minimal to no damage to this iconic landmark.
Challenges of Relining Pipes in a Historic Monument
Maintaining and/or replacing plumbing is complicated by the need to preserve the historical value of the tower. All work done on the Eiffel Tower must be very carefully done to ensure the historicity of the tower is preserved. To properly maintain the tower as well as preserve the tower’s historical significance, innovative solutions, like trenchless pipe relining, have been developed to maintain and preserve the tower’s function without affecting the monument’s appearance.
These non-invasive solutions do not involve replacing the original components of the tower’s plumbing but strengthening them and extending their longevity beyond their original manufactured life span.
Brawoliner’s Trenchless Pipe Relining Solution
Brawoliner’s trenchless pipe relining technology is an innovative and non-invasive solution to strengthening and repairing historic pipes, such as those in historical monument. Trenchless technology removes the need to dig up pipes or dismantle part of the tower’s walls to gain access to hard-to-reach pipes. Instead, with historical preservation in mind, repairs can be made from the nearest open drain.
The process of relining the Eiffel Tower’s pipes is as follows:
- Inspection: First, the state of the pipes is thoroughly assessed with CCTV technology to determine where cleaning and/or repair are necessary. The pipe network is mapped out and a plan of action is determined.
- Cleaning and Preparation: Before relining can occur, pipes must be thoroughly cleaned to remove any debris, corrosion, or sediment that could interfere with the new lining. Without cleaning, the relining will not be effective, while a deep clean will ensure a seamless and durable result.
- Lining Installation: After cleaning, an epoxy resin liner is installed using the Brawoliner system. This liner is fed through the pipes to where strengthening and repair are required. The liner is then inflated to fit the pipe’s diameter to coat and seal any cracks, chips, or damage found in step 1.
- Curing: Once the lining is in place, it is cured, resulting in a completely hard interior lining that meets and often exceeds the pipe’s original strength.
- Final Inspection: After the curing process, a final inspection using the same CCTV system is conducted to ensure that the relined pipes now meet all required plumbing standards and that the system is fully functional.
Benefits of Brawoliner Technology for Historic Buildings
The benefits of the Brawoliner relining system are numerous. First, relining causes minimal disruption, an important factor for any building, but certainly for a historical monument that sees 17,000 people a day make a visit. Relining can be completed from a relatively localised place as the inspection and repair lining are threaded through drains, not where the pipe damage is actually located.
Pipe relining provides long-term durability, ensuring decades of strong pipes that can handle everything that tourists throw at it. Finally, the cost-effectiveness of a new liner far dwarfs the expense and legal requirements that dismantling part of the tower would require in order to reach damaged or dirty sections of plumbing.
Case Study Highlights: Eiffel Tower Project
In 2023, RESITECH France was placed in charge of rehabilitating the vertical rainwater drainage system on the Eiffel Tower’s north pillar. The company exclusively used BRAWO® SYSTEMS products to complete this rehabilitation, as opening the pillar was not a feasible or desirable option.
The length of the rehabilitated section was 14 m of 100 m pipe, which had numerous cracks and bursts that were causing leaks down the pillar. Given the nature of the fix, the pipe had to be fixed from the bottom up, and due to the many twists and turns in the original pipes, AIRBAGLINER had to be used to navigate the pipe effectively.
Due to the efficiency of the fix, the entire relining was completed in a single day.
Why Brawoliner is the Best Choice for Pipe Relining Projects
Brawoliner products are the most effective products on the market for quality pipe relining. With a proven track record, that now includes the Eiffel Tower, Brawoliner products stand at the forefront of efficient and damage-free pipe relining technology.
While Brawoliner is effective for historic buildings, it is equally effective for residential or commercial premises. Get in touch with The Relining Company to see how pipe relining can benefit your plumbing system. Whether you have cracks or splits, tree root intrusion, or blockages, The Relining Company’s relining service will have your pipes back to perfect working order before you can say Bonjour.
Back to Top