Each column weighs about 70 tons. Photo J. Woohead

The first of 24 jumbo steel columns have been installed at 1 World Trade Center (Freedom Tower), forming the framework of the tower’s base perimeter. The columns weigh about 70 tons each, are 60 feet tall, and have a dedicated crane to lift them into place -- which itself is more than 10 stories tall. Manufactured in Luxembourg and fabricated in New Jersey and Quebec, the columns create the base from which the 1,776-foot tower will rise. Their installation is slated for completion this fall.