Post-fire assessment of the structure of Notre-Dame de Paris

The Research Center's conferences aim to raise awareness within the community about new topics and technological innovations. 

Designed for a broad audience—students and researchers from all disciplines—these initiatives draw on the multidisciplinary expertise of the MIPS Cluster, partner clusters and organizations, as well as national and international teams.

They are held on the first Friday of every month at 11:30 a.m. and are followed by a buffet, providing an opportunity to continue the discussion.

The fire on April 15, 2019, caused major damage to Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris: the destruction of the wooden roof structure, the collapse of vault slabs into the nave following the collapse of the spire, cracks in the vaults and buttresses, as well as residual displacement due to thermal expansion.

To support the restoration efforts, the government established the Public Institution for the Conservation and Restoration of Notre-Dame (EP RNDP), while the CNRS and the Ministry of Culture coordinated a scientific project involving experts in stone, wood, metal, glass, acoustics, digital technologies, and structural engineering.

The objectives of the “Structure” working group are to understand the mechanical behavior of the Gothic cathedral, assess its strength and resilience, and develop advanced 3D computational models to analyze the complex interactions between vaults, flying buttresses, side walls, buttresses, and supports.

The conference will address three main topics:

• the original structural operation,
• the impact of the fire,
• the effect of the new roof structure on the stability of the masonry under wind loads.

This event is part of the MIPS Cluster’s monthly seminar series, which aims to foster scientific exchange and highlight new research topics and technological innovations.