Blogs

Scaffolding the Eiffel Tower Some structures are famous because they're old. Others because they're beautiful. A few become symbols of entire countries. The Eiffel Tower managed to become all three. Rising above Paris since 1889, the tower is one of the most recognizable structures in the world. Millions of visitors see the finished landmark every year. What they don't usually think about is what it takes to maintain it. The Eiffel Tower isn't a monument that can simply be built and forgotten. I …

Restoring Ancient Structures in Italy There are old buildings. And then there are buildings that were already old before many modern countries existed. Italy is filled with structures that have survived centuries of weather, wars, earthquakes, changing cities, and generations of human use. Roman amphitheaters. Aqueducts. Temples. Stone walls. Ancient roads. Historic churches and public buildings. Some have stood for well over a thousand years. Others date back more than two thousand. Keeping str …

Construction on Offshore Oil Platforms So far in our Scaffolding Around the World series, we've looked at construction in crowded cities, deserts, historic European landmarks, the Arctic, and tropical rainforests. This time, we're leaving land altogether. Offshore oil and gas platforms present one of the most unusual construction and maintenance environments in the world. Workers may be miles from shore, surrounded by water, exposed to wind and salt, and working on structures packed with equipme …

Scaffolding in Japan Japan is a country where ancient temples can stand only a short distance from modern skyscrapers. It's also a country where construction has to deal with challenges that many contractors will never encounter. Dense cities. Limited space. Earthquakes. Typhoons. Aging buildings. And some of the highest expectations for organization and precision in the world. All of this makes scaffolding in Japan an interesting stop in our Scaffolding Around the World series. Because when spa …