Experimental study of the wind pressure field on the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

TL;DR

This experimental study investigates wind pressure distribution on Notre Dame Cathedral using wind tunnel tests, revealing complex aerodynamic behaviors that challenge standard building codes for estimating wind loads on such intricate structures.

Contribution

The study provides detailed wind pressure data on Notre Dame Cathedral, highlighting the impact of surrounding buildings and the limitations of existing codes for complex Gothic structures.

Findings

Complex geometry causes unique aerodynamic behavior.

Surrounding buildings influence wind pressure distribution.

Standard codes may underestimate wind loads on Gothic cathedrals.

Abstract

The paper concerns an experimental study on the wind pressures over the surface of a worldwide known Gothic Cathedral: Notre Dame of Paris. The experimental tests have been conducted in the CRIACIV wind tunnel, Prato (Italy), on a model of the Cathedral at the scale 1:200 reproducing the atmospheric boundary layer. Two types of tests have been conducted: with or without the surrounding modeling the part of the city of Paris near the Cathedral. This has been done, on the one hand, for evaluating the effect of the surrounding buildings onto the wind pressure distribution on the Cathedral, and, on the other hand, to have a wind pressure distribution plausible for any other Cathedral with a similar shape. The tests have been done for all the wind directions and the mean and peak pressures have been recorded. The results emphasize that the complex geometry of this type of structures is responsible for a peculiar aerodynamic behavior that does not allow estimating correctly the wind loads on the various parts of the Cathedral based on codes and standards, which are tailored for ordinary regular buildings.