Eight months on from the April fire that ravaged the upper areas of Notre Dame in Paris and destroyed its steeple, some experts are still unsure the structure can be saved. Although official word is much more optimistic, the Cathedral’s rector told French press that there’s only a 50% chance of survival.
Of course, the priest is not an engineer, and there is a lot of political maneuvering involved in how and when and who of cathedral restoration, but it’s also true that he’s not alone in his concern.
Shortly after the fire, engineers surveying the building were concerned that the expansive effect of heat on the stone structure might have left some of the exterior walls seriously weakened. The concern now has to do with removal of the 50,000 scaffolding parts that were in place before the fire as part of a repair and maintenance project. Before serious work can begin, they need to be removed.
Removing them is not as simple as disassembling would normally be; many of them were burned, melted and distorted by the flames and thrown out of place by the collapse of the burning spire. Although a crane is in place to lift the debris out, there is a chance of parts falling to the cathedral floor.
Even if that is avoided, supports will need to be constructed to support the walls until a new roof structure ties them together; the roof, together with the exterior flying buttresses, and the main supports for the structure.
Addressing these issues, as well as the tons of toxic lead dust from the roof, has clearly put paid to Pres. Macron’s original claim that the restoration would be completed in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics. As it is, planning is only advanced far enough to talk of starting construction in 2021, with no completion date set.
