What type of structure is the washington monument

This is covered with a block on the inside that can be removed if access to the exterior is necessary. In a red signaling light was incorporated on each face of the coronation pyramid.

After complaints from pilots about the low visibility of the monument increased the lighting of this one. In the lighting system was extended and security windows were put on the windows.

In these crystals were replaced by anti-ballas and the shutters were removed from the windows. The crystals were changed again in Inside the obelisk, at the base of the coronation pyramid, are two blocks of stone with inscriptions.

In one of them it is possible to read the year In the other one, the names of the four more constructors that participated in the monument.

It was forged by William Frishmuth of Philadelphia in aluminum, a material as valuable as silver at that time. Prior to its placement on top of the obelisk was the largest piece of aluminum that existed. Its original measures, 23 centimeters high by 14 centimeters wide and weighing 2.

To avoid further damage it was protected from lightning by incorporating lightning rods into its around. The pyramid is attached to the obelisk by a copper armor that crosses it at its base. The four faces of the pyramid are inscribed in italics in and Most of these inscriptions are illegible today but it is recorded that they were detailed some of the names of people who intervened in the construction of the Monument and the important dates of the construction of this one.

Since , forty-eight American flags, one for each state, waved around the monument on designated days as the anniversary of Washington, Independence Day and Memorial Day. In fifty aluminum poles of 7. These were placed in a circle of 79 meters in diameter around the obelisk, nowadays reduced to 73 meters. The flags used to retire at night, but since they have been flying 24 hours a day.

The construction of the monument began with the excavation of a pit of 2. On the northeast side of this pit is where the cornerstone was placed in The original foundations were made of gneiss, flakes and lime mortar. These foundations, of 7. In the center of the foundations a well was built to supply water for the construction. The original foundations of gneiss were reinforced in by the addition at the base of these slabs and buttresses of reinforced concrete, increasing 2.

The slab had dimensions of 4. Due to this enlargement, at the moment one does not know very well in what position must have remained the cornerstone of the monument. For the construction of the monument was used a system of pulleys and cranes to go raising stone blocks. In the first phase of construction , gneiss blocks of 1. The outer part was made of marble blocks of 36 to 46 centimeters of side by 61 of high.

The outer stones were placed both parallel to the interior construction and perpendicularly to tie the whole. At some of the joints, little mortar was placed, so some blocks leaned directly on other cracks after a while. The exterior part of this first phase of construction has measures of The free interior space measures 7. This first phase, which reaches up to 46 meters in height, has a weight of approximately In the second phase of construction were used blocks of marble and granite placed following a strict order and leaving thick mortar joints.

The outer marble blocks were arranged both parallel and perpendicular to the interior granite construction by tying the whole. As the obelisk grew in height the marble blocks became more visible in the interior until they occupied the whole of the building, leaving the blocks of granite to be used. At the top of the second phase of construction the outer dimensions of the obelisk are The weight of this second phase is The total height of the first and second phase of construction is The end of the obelisk consists of a truncated marble pyramid and the final aluminum pyramid.

The truncated pyramid is supported by marble ribs that transmit their weight to the interior structure of the obelisk. The height of this set is There are three structural ribs on each side of the pyramid, making a total of twelve. The eight corner ribs terminate before the others and transfer their structural function to the adjacent ribs. The connections between ribs are made by horizontal blocks and arcs.

The last ribs are joined in the shape of a cross and support the coronation pyramid. The obelisk is built with blocks of sandstone, granite and marble. The original foundations are of blue gneiss and its extension of concrete. The blocks of stone come from American quarries and donations from different parts of the world. The change of color of the monument from 50 meters in height is due to the fact that, after the civil war, the original quarry was no longer usable and had to resort to other sources.

Mies Memorial Library. Washington Monument Architect:. Robert Mills. Watch our latest YouTube video. Washington Monument. After Washington died in , Congress considered building him a pyramid-shaped mausoleum to be housed in the Capitol rotunda; however, the plan never came to fruition. The group, headed by Chief Justice John Marshall, organized a design competition and eventually named as the winner architect Robert Mills , whose credits include the U. Treasury Building and the U.

Construction commenced, but in , with the structure at about feet high, funds ran low and work came to a standstill. That same year, an anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic activist group called the Know Nothings became angry that Pope Pius IX had donated a block of stone from the ancient Roman Temple of Concord for the monument. They confiscated the stone and then seized possession of the monument project.

They did little work on the structure and disbanded within several years, but construction remained on hold through the Civil War. By this time, architectural tastes had changed and the pantheon at the base of the obelisk was deleted from the plan. As a result, the monument is two different shades; lighter at the bottom and darker at the top. Amazingly, the walls of the Washington Monument, which is a hollow obelisk, are only seven inches thick, which is relatively thin for such a tall monument.

It is supported by six arches, with two of them being located between the opposite walls crossing the center of the building, and the other four being smaller arches located in corners. There is a large capstone made of marble on top of the Washington Monument, and a smaller pyramid made of aluminum at the apex of the building.

Inscriptions are on all four sides of the apex pyramid. The upper part of the building, made after construction on it resumed, is made of finished marble. Half of that marble projects into the walls, while the rest is partially backed by finished granite.

It is undoubtedly a striking building to look at and is visible for miles around. It has become as associated with Washington, D. It is arguably a more famous and recognizable building than those three others. On any given day in Washington, D.

Even without the originally proposed colonnade, the Washington Monument is a memorable and striking building to anyone who has seen it in person, in a book, or on TV or film.

It is instantly memorable and identifiable as a building located in Washington, D. Inside the Washington Monument is a set of iron stairs that go up in a spiral along the walls. An elevator is located in the center of the structure, supported by four columns of iron that are only there for that, and do not support the obelisk. There are fifty sections to the stairs, which are mostly located on the north and south walls of the building.

There are several long landings that span between the stairs on the east and west walls. The landings allowed the many inscribed memorial stones that were inserted during construction to be easily visible.