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Towers assembled like giant Lego
Machined precision
Computer-controlled machining let the digitized models come to life faster than ever and ensured perfect fits between the pieces and the internal steel supports. Workers were no longer assembling a tower stone by stone as in Gaudí's time.
Panels like Lego
Tension steel bars ran through the center of the stones and compressed them together into a larger panel. The panels were partially assembled, lifted to the tower, and put together like a giant stone Lego set.
Tourist funding
Money sped the work too. For decades the only income was donations to the church, which came in dribs and drabs. Today the Sagrada Família is one of the most popular tourist sites in the world, and tickets from the millions of tourists who pay to visit every year bring in a consistent, reliable cash flow for materials and workers.
How do steel bars hold stone together?
Steel bars threaded through the stone are pulled tight and anchored at the ends, which squeezes the pieces against each other. The stone stays in compression, where it is strongest, and the joints behave almost like one solid block. The technique is called post-tensioning. Eugène Freyssinet patented prestressed concrete in 1928.
How do computer-controlled machines cut stone?
Multi-axis machines move a cutting tool along paths calculated from a digital model. The tools are tipped with industrial diamond, since diamond is harder than any stone. Water cools the cut and carries away the dust. Diamond sits at 10 on the Mohs scale, the top of the range.