The Notre Dame Cathedral, it’s an iconic structure infamous with the Catholic & Christian communities worldwide. Ever since the Spiral of Notre Dame was burned on April 15th in 2019, there’s been ample discussion regarding how the reconstruction process should unfold. Historians & dedicated religious supporters have pleaded that identical materials used during the 13th century. That request is challenging to overcome, defining construction materials used several hundred years ago isn’t easily found in 2020.
Lack of available material have prompted logical contractors to suggest fireproof cement built into the Cathedral Trusses. This was the method used in 1972 after the “Cathedral of Nantes” burned in an unexpected fire. However, discussions regarding which materials should be employed with Notre Dame Cathedral’s reconstruction, have ended. It’s been decided that the original design & materials used in the 13th century, will be reconstructed into Notre Dame Cathedral by 2024.
The 2024 completion date has regularly been demanded by Emmanuel Macron, the President of France. Emmanuel wants to have Notre Dame Cathedral completed by 2020 for the Paris Olympic Summer Games. However, locating the materials needed for 25 Trusses won’t be possible in the short timeframe. This was refenced by Philippe Gourmain, who’s working on the reconstruction project as a “Forestry Expert”.
Material Challenges
Gourmain clarified that the challenge isn’t acquiring the correct wood, with that available in-abundance. Philippe noted that it’s locating the right stone that’s become bothersome. Stones used in the 13th Century construction aren’t widely available today and could result in a committee re-evaluating what materials are permissible. It should be mentioned that multiple stone blocks from the 13th Century were burned during the April 15, 2019 fire. The burn markings cannot be removed, and the overall majority of 25 Trusses need replacements.
The construction teams behind Notre Dame are focusing on removing scaffolding that melted during the 2019 fire, which began in June 2020. Completion of the removal process is slated for October 2020. President Emmanuel Macron will likely find his demands for a 2024 completion date not possible. Construction on Notre Dame Cathedral is limited during COVID-19, inevitably prompting postponements.