Quote:
Originally Posted by Aerkuld
When you look at the picture things don't seem too bad on the surface. The wooden roof was basically a waterproof cover over the stone ceiling. The stone ceiling is still mostly in place. Basically the 'cover' has burned away.
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I had the opportunity in the early 1990's to walk on a similar structure. It was a groin arch vault ceiling of a castle, just one layer thick (
no catwalks) made of smaller stones interlinked in a diamond pattern.
Early in the day they were letting small groups up there, but then restricted entrance and kicked us all out of there.
Such a structure is to form a ceiling and not intended to have crowds walking on it or a roof bearing on it.
A very eerie feeling for me, but some of the undergrad students were oblivious to the dangers and I could see them concentrating their load by cloistering in small groups.
I tried telling my instructor but he was even a bigger idiot and joined them. There must have been over 1,000 lbs of human flesh in just over a one square meter area, I really think these idiots got the rest of the group kicked out.
Point is, do not confuse roof with ceiling.
And yea, that intense of a fire can suck all the moisture out of masonry/stone/brick and especially the mortar joints leaving it crumbly and powdery with no strength. These things can be tested for, removed, replaced and restored as required. Might have to number every stone, take it apart and then put it all back together but it can be done.