Removing the Bells and Shoring Up....

My visit to Pisa in 1970 was near the beginning of the 20 year investigation into how to stabilize the Tower while retaining the unique, identifiable, historic tilt.

What finally prompted its closure in 1990 was the collapse of the 72 m high Civic Tower in Pavia Italy, one year earlier, that killed four people and injured fifteen.  

No one wanted to see the Tower of Pisa, at 55 m high, succumb to a similar fate.  

So they made a plan.  

Fiirst, they removed the seven bells--22,000 lbs-- from the belfry at the top. 


 Then cables were cinched around the third level and anchored several hundred meters away to provide support.

This seems to me like a wise thing to do.  

Before you start digging around in the foundation and risking a total collapse, it is important to find ways to shore yourself up--to examine the heavy things you are carrying around in your belfry--to find help and support.  

Having had a total collapse myself some ten years ago, I was well aware of the signs that I was headed for another one...I just couldn't seem to prevent it.......

How do you know when you are headed for a collapse? What are the things you start doing or stop doing when you are feel like you are carrying around too much weight on your shoulders?