THE CATHEDRAL STUDY

Consider the ramparts, examine its citadels, that you may tell future generations. Ps 48:14

Given its age and condition reports, an extensive survey and study of the Cathedral exterior was conducted in 2020. Utilizing a laser scan of the exterior, a precise 3D model of the Cathedral was generated for reference and analysis. Using this model, architects, conservators, and masons conducted several weeks of exhaustive field observations from ground level to the use of a 250 foot crane. The Cathedral was found to be in good condition with little signs of structural movement. Other areas, however, like decorative stone supports and ornamental elements have extensive, hazardous deterioration requiring immediate attention:

• Buttresses, piers, and belt courses have eroded and split, requiring replication and replacement

• Terra cotta gargoyles and chimeras, limestone columns, finials, and arcades are cracked and crumbling, requiring complete restoration, replication, and replacement

• Lintels, armatures, and colonnades held together by iron pins have eroded from rust and water entrenchment, leaving them vulnerable to collapse