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How engineers straightened the Leaning Tower of Pisa [video]

90 points by geox 3y ago

charcircuit 3y ago
They failed as it's still leaning. They need to try again and make it actually straight this time. It could be interesting to try and also straighten the upper portions too since it wasn't built totally straight.
- elliottkember 3y ago
  I'm pretty sure they don't want to actually straighten it due to the immense cost of renaming it
  - berkes 3y ago
    If they'd use static typing, the IDE could easily rename it with one command, though. /S
  - Terr_ 3y ago
    I think in this case "fix" means more like "prevent further changes." They don't actually want it to topple either.
- seeingnature 3y ago
  No, they actually succeeded because it's still leaning. The tower was known for leaning and they wanted to preserve that famous lean while still increasing safety, which they increased.
  - stavros 3y ago
    [flagged]
- fourteenfour 3y ago
  I don't think many people would visit a straight tower.
  - duskwuff 3y ago
    "The Upright Towers of Pisa: quietly celebrating competence." (From this T-shirt: https://topatoco.com/products/og-upright https://topatoco.com/products/og-upright)
    - SamBam 3y ago
      Not bad, but I feel like a single tower would have been funnier.
      - Dylan16807 3y ago
        A single tower sounds like they fixed it. I think clearly highlighting all the other towers works better for this joke.
- pmontra 3y ago
  Superman straightened the leaning tower in the third movie in 1983. That action wouldn't be well received in Italy in real life. We have a zillion of straight towers but everybody talks about and goes to see the odd leaning one. Superman eventually restored the original leaning angle.
- Suppafly 3y ago
  It was built leaning, it can't actually be straightened completely.
thechao 3y ago
@dang — this is just a thin wrapper around a great engineering-related YouTube channel. The direct link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZhHoyqQEhA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZhHoyqQEhA
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- krisoft 3y ago
  Also Practical Engineering also publishes their content as blogposts for those who like reading better than watching: https://practical.engineering/blog/2023/12/19/how-engineers-straightened-the-leaning-tower-of-pisa https://practical.engineering/blog/2023/12/19/how-engineers-...
- cwillu 3y ago
  @dang doesn't do anything, but he'll respond to emails to hn@ycombinator.com
- dang 3y ago
  Ok, I've changed the link from https://www.openculture.com/2024/03/how-engineers-straightened-the-leaning-tower-of-pisa.html https://www.openculture.com/2024/03/how-engineers-straighten.... openculture.com is usually pretty good and has been the source of a lot of good HN submissions but I agree that this one was a thin wrapper. p.s. cwillu is right - i saw this because someone emailed, and @dang in comments is a no-op...just so people know.
  - avarun 3y ago
    Why not make @dang in comments actually notify you? I constantly see people attempting to use it and having to be corrected.
thechao 3y ago
We visited Pisa, briefly. One thing to note is that everything in the plaza, including the surrounding walls, is leaning. Everything. The ground must be like mud.
- IncreasePosts 3y ago
  Another thing to note is there is pretty much nothing to do or see in Pisa besides the tower. Probably better to spend an extra day in Florence if you're in the area rather than take the trip to Pisa. Or, if you must, go to Pisa, but then pop over to Tirrenia and enjoy a half day at the beach if weather permits.
  - fellowniusmonk 3y ago
    Seeing the leaning tower in person was one of the funniest things I've ever seen in real life, I can't believe how hard it made me laugh. It was cathartic to see it and think of all the projects I've worked on in the past that were poorly run. Also while Pisa isn't much to see you can also walk the quite long Tunnel Di Pini and it makes for quite a lovely day of picnics and nature. Though to be fair, Florence in general is hard to beat.
    - e_y_ 3y ago
      It survived for quite a few centuries so maybe that says something about projects that live on despite severe flaws. San Francisco has its own leaning tower that's costing hundreds of millions in repairs and continues to discover new problems despite being only a little over a decade old, so it's a reminder that even today we sometimes screw things up. Coincidentally I'm taking a train to Pisa a few hours from now so it'll be nice to see it for myself.
  - apsurd 3y ago
    Uninspired comment. The tower is worth the trip. It's absurd! I didn't think i'd be into it that much, i've seen the pictures. It's leaning. I get it. It's unbelievable in real life. It's hilarious, it's fun, it's simple. Everyone is having a good time. One of my favorite memories in Italy, and i've been to all the heavy hitter stuff in Rome. It's its own thing. Please don't let this comment discourage anyone.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
dh2022 3y ago
I wonder if the same procedure will have to be repeated a hundred years later. After all the soil under the leaning part of the tower will continue to be softer than the soil on the opposite side....
- wodenokoto 3y ago
  Two hundred years before it starts moving again according to the engineers themselves. From Wikipedia: > In May 2008, engineers announced that the tower had been stabilized such that it had stopped moving for the first time in its history. They stated that it would be stable for at least 200 years.
jayrot 3y ago
Some of Grady's videos scratch that "didn't know this would be that interesting" itch. His other channel, Practical Construction, did an in depth step-by-step of installing a sewage pump station.

90 points by geox 3y ago

They failed as it's still leaning. They need to try again and make it actually straight this time. It could be interesting to try and also straighten the upper portions too since it wasn't built totally straight.

elliottkember 3y ago
I'm pretty sure they don't want to actually straighten it due to the immense cost of renaming it
- berkes 3y ago
  If they'd use static typing, the IDE could easily rename it with one command, though. /S
- Terr_ 3y ago
  I think in this case "fix" means more like "prevent further changes." They don't actually want it to topple either.
seeingnature 3y ago
No, they actually succeeded because it's still leaning. The tower was known for leaning and they wanted to preserve that famous lean while still increasing safety, which they increased.
- stavros 3y ago
  [flagged]
fourteenfour 3y ago
I don't think many people would visit a straight tower.
- duskwuff 3y ago
  "The Upright Towers of Pisa: quietly celebrating competence." (From this T-shirt: https://topatoco.com/products/og-upright https://topatoco.com/products/og-upright)
  - SamBam 3y ago
    Not bad, but I feel like a single tower would have been funnier.
    - Dylan16807 3y ago
      A single tower sounds like they fixed it. I think clearly highlighting all the other towers works better for this joke.
pmontra 3y ago
Superman straightened the leaning tower in the third movie in 1983. That action wouldn't be well received in Italy in real life. We have a zillion of straight towers but everybody talks about and goes to see the odd leaning one. Superman eventually restored the original leaning angle.
Suppafly 3y ago
It was built leaning, it can't actually be straightened completely.

thechao 3y ago

@dang — this is just a thin wrapper around a great engineering-related YouTube channel. The direct link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZhHoyqQEhA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZhHoyqQEhA

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
krisoft 3y ago
Also Practical Engineering also publishes their content as blogposts for those who like reading better than watching: https://practical.engineering/blog/2023/12/19/how-engineers-straightened-the-leaning-tower-of-pisa https://practical.engineering/blog/2023/12/19/how-engineers-...
cwillu 3y ago
@dang doesn't do anything, but he'll respond to emails to hn@ycombinator.com
dang 3y ago
Ok, I've changed the link from https://www.openculture.com/2024/03/how-engineers-straightened-the-leaning-tower-of-pisa.html https://www.openculture.com/2024/03/how-engineers-straighten.... openculture.com is usually pretty good and has been the source of a lot of good HN submissions but I agree that this one was a thin wrapper. p.s. cwillu is right - i saw this because someone emailed, and @dang in comments is a no-op...just so people know.
- avarun 3y ago
  Why not make @dang in comments actually notify you? I constantly see people attempting to use it and having to be corrected.

thechao 3y ago

We visited Pisa, briefly. One thing to note is that everything in the plaza, including the surrounding walls, is leaning. Everything. The ground must be like mud.

IncreasePosts 3y ago
Another thing to note is there is pretty much nothing to do or see in Pisa besides the tower. Probably better to spend an extra day in Florence if you're in the area rather than take the trip to Pisa. Or, if you must, go to Pisa, but then pop over to Tirrenia and enjoy a half day at the beach if weather permits.
- fellowniusmonk 3y ago
  Seeing the leaning tower in person was one of the funniest things I've ever seen in real life, I can't believe how hard it made me laugh. It was cathartic to see it and think of all the projects I've worked on in the past that were poorly run. Also while Pisa isn't much to see you can also walk the quite long Tunnel Di Pini and it makes for quite a lovely day of picnics and nature. Though to be fair, Florence in general is hard to beat.
  - e_y_ 3y ago
    It survived for quite a few centuries so maybe that says something about projects that live on despite severe flaws. San Francisco has its own leaning tower that's costing hundreds of millions in repairs and continues to discover new problems despite being only a little over a decade old, so it's a reminder that even today we sometimes screw things up. Coincidentally I'm taking a train to Pisa a few hours from now so it'll be nice to see it for myself.
- apsurd 3y ago
  Uninspired comment. The tower is worth the trip. It's absurd! I didn't think i'd be into it that much, i've seen the pictures. It's leaning. I get it. It's unbelievable in real life. It's hilarious, it's fun, it's simple. Everyone is having a good time. One of my favorite memories in Italy, and i've been to all the heavy hitter stuff in Rome. It's its own thing. Please don't let this comment discourage anyone.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

dh2022 3y ago

I wonder if the same procedure will have to be repeated a hundred years later. After all the soil under the leaning part of the tower will continue to be softer than the soil on the opposite side....

wodenokoto 3y ago
Two hundred years before it starts moving again according to the engineers themselves. From Wikipedia: > In May 2008, engineers announced that the tower had been stabilized such that it had stopped moving for the first time in its history. They stated that it would be stable for at least 200 years.

jayrot 3y ago

Some of Grady's videos scratch that "didn't know this would be that interesting" itch. His other channel, Practical Construction, did an in depth step-by-step of installing a sewage pump station.