The man who saved the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Emeritus Professor John Burland visits Oaklands College students

WELWYN GARDEN CITY — On 6 January, Emeritus Professor John Burland CBE, DSc(Eng), FREng, FRS, visited Oaklands College Engineering and Construction students to talk about his successful rescue of one of Italy’s most famous landmarks.

Nicknamed ‘The man who saved the Leaning Tower of Pisa’ he explained how he had managed to reduce the tilt of the tower by half a degree, thereby securing its future and safe opening to the public again.

The tower, built nearly 700 years ago, started to lean almost from its construction and to partially correct the tilt required a complex geotechnical plan involving counter-weights and digging underneath the foundation.

Students and other local business leaders thoroughly enjoyed his visit and found it extremely illuminating and educational.

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