He called on the State to verify structures and close establishments that do not comply.
SANTO DOMINGO– The company that inspected the Jet Set nightclub in 2014said yesterday that the establishment's roof withstood almostthree times the capacity for which it was designed, after calling on the State to urgently begin inspections of all structures in the country, both public and private, and to close those that do not meet the conditions to operate.
“She withstood almost three times what she was supposed to withstand, or more than what she was designed for, and reached the overload limit and showed signs of a major defect,” declared renowned engineer Antonio (Tony) Hernández, president of Metal Engineering, yesterday, referring to the Jet Set structure , whose roof collapsed in the early hours of April 8 of this year, causing the death of 236 people and leaving more than 180 injured.
In statements to El Inmobiliario, the father of engineer José Manuel Hernández Coste, whom architect Oscar Imbert called in for the inspection in 2014, emphasized that to date, no one has mentioned the State's share of responsibility . He clarified that the State is the only entity with the authority to require property owners to inspect their structures. “Antonio Espaillat could be given 100 years, and another one could collapse right now. He's an individual, but if we work with the State and demand that it inspect all public and private institutions in this country and require those who own them to close down if they don't maintain them, then they have to fix them, not the State. The State should fix its own problems,” he declared.
According to the Public Prosecutor 's request for coercive measures , engineer Hernández Coste was contacted by architect Oscar Imbert to conduct a non-destructive testing procedure at Jet Set in 2014. “The study we carried out was in 2014. It was for us to inspect three columns and three footings. It seems the intention was to remove one of the columns. But they never called us back,” stated the president of Ingeniería Metálica, adding that there was no formal contract for the work.
He explained that this type of study is necessary when such a modification is planned . “It’s essential to know the resistance and construction of these elements to determine the best location and replacements. This was possible by doing it correctly,” he stated.
He added that within Metal Engineering there is the NDT System division , headed by his son José Manuel, which performs non-destructive testing to determine the internal structure of a column or footing . “We conduct these tests using ultrasound systems , which are like an X-ray . This is called non-destructive testing because we don't have to break the element to find out what's inside. We are one of the companies approved by the Ministry to carry out civil vulnerability studies,” he explained.
Removing the column did not trigger the collapse
Engineer Hernández explained that buildings are constructed with the loads they will bear, depending on the building's intended use. "For example," he said, "if it's a roof that won't be full of people, the load we add is less; however, if it's a mezzanine where people will be, it's greater, and from there we design the structures for their use and function.".
He denied that the removed column caused the collapse of the iconic Jet Set Club. “Now, the fact that they removed a column could be argued, but did it affect the collapse? Of course not . First, it lasted 11 years, and second, it didn't start there. That's where the collapse began; the post-tensioned beams failed due to overloading,” the professional emphasized.
Protect the population
Engineer Tony Hernández pointed out that the State must assume its role as guardian of the safety and protection of its citizens because it has the power to do so. “And since that costs money, the owners; they have a lot of customers and should dedicate a percentage to this, because otherwise I'll shut down their establishment,” he opined.
He argued that after the tragedy at the Jet Set nightclub, similar establishments across the country that failed to meet safety standards should have been shut down . “Six hundred of those places need to be closed. There are no emergency exits . The stairwells aren't up to code. There's no fire detection system anywhere. The doors are tiny. And on top of that, the emergency stairwells are unstable. You're going to kill yourself if you go down there. So what are we thinking? Let's take advantage of this situation without blaming anyone else,” he asserted.
He said that if the tragedy occurred in an event focused on a single building, what would happen in the country if an earthquake occurred?
Bridges in critical condition
Engineer Hernández said that the country has a serious problem with its bridges because they are not being maintained. “They dismantled the bridge unit, which is strategic for any country in the world. They took it away to sell it off to companies,” he explained.
She stressed that the State must act and the people must demand action. “Because I don’t want anything to happen to one of my grandchildren, or to anyone else,” she said, emphasizing that “nobody here is doing anything.”.
Jet Set Owners' Responsibility
“They have their responsibility, obviously. Of course they do. Many people died there, and listen, I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Friends, they died there. A tragedy,” he commented.
He added: “If you are in a car and cause deaths, even if it’s an accident, you are at fault. And those who are in the car have to pay for it. That’s a fatal accident,” he emphasized.
He argued that this situation should be seen as an opportunity for improvement. “The government should conduct a thorough inspection. I know they don’t have the capacity to do it themselves, but there are thousands of engineers who, if subcontracted, will do it, and the owner of the establishment should pay for the necessary improvements,” he emphasized.
Evaluate the commission's report
Engineer Tony Hernández praised the report issued by the commission appointed by the Executive Branch to investigate the causes of the Jet Set roof collapse, highlighting that engineer Leonardo Reyes Madera, who led the team, is one of the most capable engineers in the country. “We are talking about one of the most capable engineers in the country, and also very meticulous because he is extremely careful in his work,” he concluded.
