Structural study of the Notre-Dame ancient charpente

Abstract

The timber roofing structure (charpente or combles, in French) of the cathedral Notre-Dame, destroyed by the fire of April 15th, 2019, is studied. The aim is twofold: on the one hand, it is interesting to evaluate the structural behavior of the original wooden structure in view of the reconstruction of the cathedral's roof. On the other hand, its structural analysis, never done before, can help to shed a light on the design process used by the masterbuilders of the XIIIth century, and to reconstruct, at least in part, the structural thought and knowledge of the ancient builders.