Eiffel Tower needs $22M ‘aesthetic perimeter’ to protect against terrorism threat

[BainTrain]

Isn't the tower just some giant radio tower or something?

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[QUOTE=SEKCobra;51816066]You obviously haven't seen anything but ordinary window glass, have you?[/QUOTE]

Ballistic glass won't stop a vehicle.

[Scarabix]

The eiffel tower is ugly, the glass wall feels superfluous but may prove to address some of the public's misplaced security concerns; the price on that thing sounds ridiculous though.

[Crimor]

[QUOTE=download;51816082]Ballistic glass won't stop a vehicle.[/QUOTE]

Depends on the thickness, they're obviously not gonna use like, car window thickness ballistic glass, they're most likely gonna be using stuff thicker than this:

[t]http://i.imgur.com/GoiHGGX.jpg[/t]

Or that size thickness plus bollards as you mentioned earlier to make it so that trucks can't get to the glass.

[El Periodista]

[QUOTE=Crimor;51816439]Depends on the thickness, they're obviously not gonna use like, car window thickness ballistic glass, they're most likely gonna be using stuff thicker than this:

[t]http://i.imgur.com/GoiHGGX.jpg[/t]

Or that size thickness plus bollards as you mentioned earlier to make it so that trucks can't get to the glass.[/QUOTE]

I know a little bit about the structural properties of glass. If you wanted to stop a vehicle, you'd be looking at 5-7" thick aquarium-grade acrylic panels. Even a laminated glass product would likely shatter, at least on the outer layers, once the frame contacted it. There isn't a thin glass-based product that could provide any additional safety, as glass is inherently fragile.

Plastic, on the other hand, is not as fragile.

[Pseudonym]

[QUOTE=BainTrain;51816072]Isn't the tower just some giant radio tower or something?[/QUOTE]

No. It was a structure built for the World Fair in 1889 that very briefly held the title of world's tallest building once it was finished. It has no real function other than to be a tourist attraction.

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[QUOTE=Aredbomb;51818145]No. It was a structure built for the World Fair in 1889 that very briefly held the title of world's tallest building once it was finished. It has no real function other than to be a tourist attraction.[/QUOTE]

No, it's a radio tower now.

[Taipan]

[QUOTE=download;51811220]Seems like a waste of money to me and I think even if it's "aesthetic" it will damage the tourism value of the tower.

All they need are bollards capable of stopping a car/truck bomb from approaching the tower.[/QUOTE]

Bollards don't stop people with bomb belts from getting into the tower.

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[QUOTE=taipan;51819516]Bollards don't stop people with bomb belts from getting into the tower.[/QUOTE]

Nor do turnstiles.