How Long Will Our Monuments Last?

How Long Will Our Monuments Last?

Let’s start our trip off in New York City with the Statue of Liberty fully called “The Statue of Liberty Enlightening The World”, was basically France’s friendship bracelet to the United States, dedicated on October 28, 1886.

the Statue of Liberty

Even though the Statue of Liberty has a greenish color, its visible parts are mostly made of copper. Exposure to the wind, rain, and sun have given it its distinct color. The monument’s insides are made of iron, kind of like a skeleton, so that it can withstand strong winds.

Fun fact: the outside copper layer is only as thick as putting two pennies together! So how long will it last?

That mainly depends on how long its materials will last.

In the early 1980’s, about a century after it was put up, the United States started a restoration project, The biggest issue seemed to be with the rusting iron in the Statue’s skeleton, which was replaced with stainless steel bars.

To give a decent idea on how long the copper might last, we can take a look at copper roofing. Copper roofs can have a lifespan of over 100 years. An article from the Metal Roofing Magazine..that exists... even reported that, in theory, a copper roof could last 1000 years.

Now let’s take a trip over to Egypt with the Pyramids of Giza.

Pyramids of Giza

These giant monumental tombs were built over 4,500 years ago for Egypt’s pharaohs.

Back then, the pharaohs believed they would become gods in the afterlife and the pyramids were erected to prepare them for it, filled with what they’d need on their journey.

These wonders have already lasted for such a long time, but it looks like they won’t last forever, possibly even if we try to restore them. The Pyramid of Djoser, the oldest pyramid in Egypt, has faced a decent amount of damage in more recent years due to environmental conditions.

It was enough to begin restoration efforts, but it actually ended up getting damaged further in the process. It can be difficult to try and restore an already deteriorating structure.

Many believe the great pyramids will last for millions of years if left untouched, but natural disasters like earthquakes can threaten the lasting power of these monuments over time. While erosion is a problem, human interference like warfare worries a lot more!

Okay so how about the Eiffel Tower?

Eiffel Tower

This architectural beauty was built out of wrought iron in the late 19th century in Paris, France, to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the French Revolution. It went through a major face lift in 1986 and there are also plans for another major restoration to prepare for the future. If we never repaired or restored it, the Eiffel Tower might start to not look that great pretty quickly.

It’s currently repainted about once every 7 years to help protect it from rust and corrosion. It might take awhile for it to fully deteriorate, but once the rust sets it, it would be a downhill battle from there.

Source: Life Noggin