Hill Electric's Steve Kay got creative when the Anderson County Arts Center in South Carolina chose France for the theme of its annual arts auction. To provide a stunning centerpiece for the event, Steve Kay, CEO of Hill Electric, Anderson, S.C., created a 1/30 scale model of the Eiffel Tower using Thomas & Betts Kindorf strut.

“It was like a giant erector set,” said Kay.

Although the 300 man hours Kay's crew logged constructing the replica pales compared with the two years it took to build Gustave Eiffel's masterpiece, the gasps from the event's attendees as the tower lit up made Kay proud.

Hill Electric's replica stood 32 feet tall and weighed 2,000 pounds. The original weighs 7,000 tons and measures 320 meters tall.

The 1-1/2-inch Kindorf channel dimensions made it possible to reduce the number of pieces and the assembly work required. The hole spacing and fittings permitted maximum flexibility when piecing the complicated Eiffel together. Fittings can be attached to the back of the channel using the holes, reserving the open slot for additional connections. The Kindorf scribe marks allowed Kay and crew to make quick, premeasured cuts that lined up with the attached fittings. Unlike 1-5/8-inch strut, the holes in Kindorf strut always line up.

Kay and company also made good use of the unique Kindorf strut nut while assembling the tower; it makes for fast connections to either the bolt side or slot side of the strut.

Kay liked the appearance of the Galv-Krom finish, and since the tower will eventually be displayed outdoors, the corrosion protection is important.

The finished tower used 1,200 pieces of strut with 1,400 bolted connections.

“It was constantly a challenge,” said Kay.

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