The British landmark’s lean is now extreme enough to be seen with the naked eye.
Big Ben British history is leaning to the point that the inclination can now be clocked with the naked eye, according to a report commissioned by London Underground and the Department Parliamentary Estates.
The 96 meter high clock tower of the Houses of Parliament – known colloquially as Big Ben, the name of the great bell it houses – is sinking unevenly into the ground, causing it to lean towards the north West.
“The slope is now less visible, you can see where you stand on Parliament Square and look east, toward the river I heard there are tourists to take photographs by saying “I do not think it is quite vertical” -.. And they are absolutely right, “Professor Emeritus and Senior Research Investigator at Imperial College, London, John Burland, told the Sunday Telegraph.
The level of the slope has accelerated since 2003, increasing to 0.9 mm per year, compared to long-term average of 0.65 mm per year, the report found.
These levels are not considered hazardous. “If she started a greater acceleration, we would have to try to do something but I do not think we should do something for a few years,” says Burland.
Years of underground development have helped tip the clock tower, the report said. This includes the construction of a parking garage in the 70s and an extension of the Jubilee line to London, as well as changes in field conditions.
The slope leading to the formation of cracks in walls and ceilings of some parts of the House of Commons, including the wing of the Minister.
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament, is the site of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The construction of the large clock tower was completed in 1858.
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