The roof that was destroyed in the fire of Notre Dame is about to be restored to its original state thanks to the crafting of wooden beams hundreds of years ago.
Wooden frame on the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral. (Image: New York Times)
Engineers and craftsmen are working non-stop to rebuild the roof of Notre Dame that was completely destroyed in the fire. They chose a medieval technique to accurately restore the roof to its original state. According to Peter Henrikson, one of the carpenters, using a hand ax to assemble many oak beams helps to create a precise wooden frame that is very difficult for construction workers today, Interesting Engineering reported on June 1.
The authorities decided to use medieval techniques despite the availability of many modern technological solutions to commemorate the outstanding workmanship of the original church builders and ensure the preservation of the centuries-old art of woodworking. century.
Carpenters and engineers were given a deadline to restore the roof of the church in December 2024. They also used computer modeling to speed up the rebuild. Computer aided carpenters create detailed drawings. This is especially useful to ensure that the hand-carved beams fit together perfectly.
The team of builders reached the milestone in May 2023 after assembling a wooden frame at a factory in the Loire valley in western France. The architects also checked the fit of the frame. The structure is now ready to be installed above the church. A total of 1,200 trees were cut down to create the skeleton. “Our goal is to restore to the original condition the wooden frame structure disappeared in the fire on April 15, 2019,” said architect Remi Fromon. “The rebuilt frame has the same structure as the 13th century wooden frame. We used the same material as oak and the ax tool.”
In April 2019, a large fire of unknown cause destroyed Notre Dame Cathedral . The 32-meter-tall church is one of the tallest structures of the 12th century. Last year, researchers discovered iron clamps used in the original construction of the church, helping to hold the stone pillars in place. The discovery revealed that Notre Dame may be the oldest church in the world using iron reinforcement.