Here’s a trivia question for the 4th of July. Why is the Statue of Liberty green?
Give credit to the 31 tons of copper that make up the Statue of Liberty. Over the last 124 years, the copper has naturally oxidized, creating the patina which protects Lady Liberty from wind and wear.
If you visit the State of Liberty this year, check out her copper visage. Just like the Statue of Liberty, copper is a mighty metal that has stood the test of time – and continues to be a sustainable, recyclable material widely used today.
Copper Use in the Statue of Liberty
Some 80 tons of copper sheet, originally about a quarter-inch thick, were cut into 300 pieces and hand hammered. The hammering reduced the copper pieces to about 3/32nds of an inch thick -- the thickness of two pennies placed together.
The copper skin sections are attached to the armature, the secondary frame that conforms to the contour of the statue, by 1,500 U-shaped copper saddles, using 300,000 copper rivets.
The Statue of Liberty was the largest use of copper in a single structure at the time. And the most resilient. The Statue of Liberty was the largest use of copper in a single structure at the time. And the most resilient. When the Statue of Liberty underwent a renovation in 1986, the copper corrosion rate was only 5% -- after 100 years of battling the elements. Now that’s a testimony to copper’s sustainability over time.
And Lady Liberty’s figure?
Height: 305 feet, one inch from the ground to the tip of the flame (about the height of a 22-story building).
Width of hand: 16 feet, five inches.
Head: 17 feet, three inches.
Length of right arm: 42 feet.
Nose: 4 feet, six inches.
Mouth: 3 feet.
And yes, her bust is a perfect 36 – feet!
Sources: www.copper.org & www.nps.gov
About the Copper Development Association
The Copper Development Association is the market development, engineering and information services arm of the copper industry, chartered to enhance and expand markets for copper and its alloys in North America.
Learn more at our blog www.coppertalk.org.
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1 comment:
Here copper has done great thing as it has only retain the statue of liberty from last many years. This is nice.
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