Understanding Notre Dame’s structural history is essential in defining next steps

By Robert Bowles 2019-04-23T11:00:00

The original builders of the Notre Dame in Paris built the structure with an inability to fight a roof fire in medieval times in mind.

The detailed structural engineering implications of the Notre Dame fire cannot be determined yet but at a strategic level I believe there is a good chance that things will turn out to be a lot simpler than the worst predictions currently appearing in the media.

The original builders delivered a robust, incombustible stone box with a tight-fitting stone lid (the vaulted ceiling). The roof is a separate, relatively light-weight, combustible timber structure supporting lead sheets and gutters to keep the wind and rain out.

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