“No column should be removed without a structural engineer evaluating and recommending appropriate reinforcement for its replacement.” – Engineer Wilson Encarnación.
SANTO DOMINGO. – Structural engineers assessed the report presented on the collapse of the Jet Set nightclub roof as technically sound, agreeing that it was a rigorous scientific investigation.
The president of the Dominican Society of Structural Engineers (Sinedom), Maribel Guzmán , and the structural engineer Wilson Encarnación , interviewed by El Inmobiliario , highlighted that the official document offers a solid technical basis.
Guzmán defined the report as the product of rigorous scientific research, although he clarified that it is a preliminary document, noting, however, that "Certain data are missing, such as material properties and a more complete analysis of the structure, since the current report focuses only on some critical elements," he pointed out.
For his part, Encarnación asserted that the report is “very comprehensive ,” while also endorsing its main findings. “I fully agree that the four 37.5 cm layers of fine aggregate helped to exceed the load on one of the beams, as the report indicates, by approximately 21% above its nominal capacity,” he stated.
Both professionals expressed that they identify with what was revealed in the report that overload was one of the main causes of the roof collapse, which in the early hours of April 8th collapsed leaving 236 people dead and more than 180 injured.
“Based on our experience, we had identified overloading as the main reason. The analyses, both those in the report and those we conducted independently, show that the applied loads exceeded the capacity of the structural elements and the structure as a whole,” Guzmán pointed out.
Encarnación also addressed the removal of a structural column in the building, emphasizing that all columns are essential, both for supporting vertical loads and for providing lateral rigidity against earthquakes or wind. “No column should be removed without a structural engineer evaluating it and recommending appropriate reinforcement for its replacement,” he stated.
He also noted that the prolonged leaks recorded in the building had progressively deteriorated the reinforcing steel, compromising its strength over time.
Both professionals agreed that water leaks and the removal of a column weakened the structure. However, they emphasized that the determining cause was the overload on the roof slab, which exceeded the capacity of the structural elements.
Regarding the possibility of having prevented the collapse, Maribel Guzmán explained that if a proper technical survey of the structure had been carried out, it would have been determined whether it was prudent to install new equipment and whether removing the column was the most effective solution. She stated that it was not necessary to demolish the entire structure. “It could have been reinforced; the structure was not in critical condition,” she added.
Finally, Encarnación noted that in the Dominican Republic there is no culture of periodic building assessments, which prevents the timely detection of vulnerabilities. “Nobody conducts vulnerability studies because they are either unaware of them or simply not accustomed to it. Structures should be evaluated every three to five years, especially if they are spaces with high concentrations of people,” she concluded.
