Film History: Questions for Fall of the Leaning Tower
1. Scientific efforts to save the Leaning Tower of Pisa have been underway for how long?
2. Why are tourists banned from going up into the tower?
3. a) How tall is the tower?
b) What was the degree of tilt?
4. The engineers are looking at what two types of problems affecting the orientation of the tower?
5. What two aspects of weather affect the tower?
6. What design features affect the thickness of the tower's walls?
7. Computer analysis reveals the potential collapse of the tower would occur at what specific location?
8. Why are the plastic coated tendons necessary?
9. Why might the tower's architect not have identified himself?
10. About 10 000 years ago, what would you have seen at the site of the tower?
11. Why was the metal tower sitting on the layers of sand and silt placed inside the huge centrifuge?
12. The soil on which side of the tower is the most compressible?
13. Most solutions to save the tower share what basic design?
14. The stressed acetate tube reveals just pushing at the tower's base will have what result?
15. Records kept by the Opera reveal that by 1550, the top was how far out of line?
16. In 1993, why were 600 tons of lead blocks placed on the tower's north side?
17. Why was soil extraction considered next?
18. Why might the tower's construction have been put on hold for a hundred year period?
19. Attempts by various builders to counteract the lean have given the tower what overall shape?
20. When the catino was dug in 1838, the tower's base had sunk how far below ground level?
21. Why were the tower's bells locked in place?
22. In 1995, what was to have replaced the unsightly lead weights?
23. How did the fate of Pavia's civic tower affect stalled efforts to stabilize Pisa's tower?
24. What is the function of the huge harness around the tower's second level?
25. a) The engineers hope to reduce the tower's lean by what percentage?
b) This would move its top how far to the north?
c) The process is expected to take how long?