When Buildings Are Ignored: The Cost of Money Over Safety Across Countries
- Johana Alexandre
- Jan 29
- 6 min read
Updated: May 13
In the modern built environment, structural safety is not optional—it is a fundamental requirement for protecting human life. However, catastrophic failures continue to occur, revealing critical weaknesses in how buildings are designed, maintained, and regulated. The Jet Set nightclub collapse in the Dominican Republic and the Champlain Towers South collapse in the United States are two significant examples that demonstrate how different systems can produce similar tragic outcomes.
Although these events occurred in different countries with different regulatory frameworks, they share underlying causes. Both cases highlight how structural stress, long-term deterioration, and human decision-making interact to produce failure. A deeper analysis of these disasters provides valuable insight into how structural collapses can be prevented.
What Really Causes Building to Collapse?
Buildings are designed to stay standing by balancing loads (all the weight and forces acting on them) with strength (the materials and structure holding them up). Engineers follow rules from building codes like the International Building Code, which require safety factors so buildings can support more than just their normal use. These codes also guide how buildings should be designed, constructed, inspected, and maintained over time.
Even with these rules, buildings can still fail and usually not for just one reason. Structural collapse is often multifaceted, meaning several small problems combine into one major failure. While modern technology has reduced risks through better materials, calculations, and computer-aided design, human decisions still play a huge role.
When a building is repurposed from its original design, it shows how important the balance between load and strength really is. Structures are built with specific load limits, so when their use changes, those limits must be reassessed. Adding extra weight—like equipment, layers of materials, or heavy occupancy can push a structure beyond what it was originally designed to. Building codes require these changes to be evaluated, but when that step is skipped, the risk of overload and structural weakening increases. Vibrations, water damage, and long-term wear can make the situation worse.
Long-term deterioration also explains how buildings can lose their ability to stay stable over time. Materials like concrete can weaken due to water intrusion, corrosion, and environmental conditions. Building codes emphasize regular inspections and timely repairs, especially when warning signs appear. When cracks, structural damage, or foundation issues are identified but not addressed, the building gradually loses its ability to safely carry loads.
Now let’s examine two structural failures from different countries that share the same underlying causes.
Case study 1: Champlain Tower in Florida USA
Champlain Towers South was a 12-story residential condominium located in Surfside, Florida, completed in 1981. It was built as a reinforced concrete structure near the ocean, which exposed it to salt air, humidity, and constant moisture conditions that accelerate corrosion of steel reinforcement inside concrete. Over the years, the building experienced deterioration, especially in the pool deck area where waterproofing had failed. In 2018, an engineering report made by Frank Morabito, identified major structural damages and warned about the need for extensive repairs. However, these repairs were delayed.
The main reason of this delays was the cost. It was easier for the owners of the building to delay the reapairs need in the condominium instead of expending around 100k per unit which led to June 24, 2021, where part of the building collapsed, killing 98 people.
One survivor described the moment:
"I looked to the left and the apartment to our left was half sheared off. I looked forward, which is where the elevator shaft is, and it was just a hole," Albert Aguero recalled. "At that point, we knew it was a race against time because I didn't know if the rest of the building was coming [down]."
The Aftermath
After the Champlain collapse, no criminal charges were filed against the condo board. However, they faced over $1 billion in lawsuit settlements and went bankrupt. The disaster led Florida to pass Senate Bill 4-D in 2022, requiring structural inspections at 30 years and mandatory repair funds so boards can’t delay fixes.
Case study 2: Jet Set Nightclub in Dominican Republic
The Jet Set nightclub in the Dominican Republic was originally built in 1973 as a movie theater and later converted into a nightclub in 1994, with further renovations carried out in 2010 and 2015. Although it was adapted for entertainment use, the building was originally designed to hold about 700 people sitting, meaning its structural capacity was based on a very different type of load and use compared to a crowded standing nightclub environment.
On April 8, 2025, at about 12:44 a.m., the roof collapsed during a live performance by Rubby Pérez. There were about 515 people inside. The collapse killed about 236 people and injured over 180, making it one of the deadliest non-natural disasters in the country.
Years and days before this scenario there were several warning signs that suggested the building was under stress. Reports made by witnesses and workers, mentioned water leaks, visible ceiling damage, and pieces of concrete falling from the structure. These issues pointed to long-term deterioration that was not fully repaired or properly addressed. In addition, the building experienced a fire in 2023 after a lightning strike, which led to further weakened parts of the structure.
The Aftermath
After the Jet Set collapse a employee named Gregory Adames testified that he sent owners Antonio and Maribel Espaillat photos and videos of roof damage months before the April 8, 2025 collapse, telling the court: “They knew because I sent them photos… not a single person should have died there.”. After 236 people died, the owners were charged with involuntary manslaughter. Victims’ families are pushing to upgrade the charge to voluntary manslaughter, which could mean up to 20 years in prison instead of 2. The trial is still pending, and the owners have faced public anger for continuing to operate restaurants in the U.S. while the case moves slowly through court in the Dominican Republic.
How to Prevent the Next Collapse: Modern Solution
1) Use Structural Monitoring Technology
Sensors can now track cracks, vibrations, shifting, moisture, and material weakening in real time. Instead of waiting for visible damage, engineers get instant alerts when a building starts to fail. In countries like the United States, this technology exists and should be required for older buildings and high-risk structures like condos, nightclubs, and public venues.
2) Enforce Repair Deadlines with Legal Consequences
If an official inspection finds serious structural damage, owners should have a maximum of six months to begin repairs. If no work starts in that time, the case should automatically go to court to review why repairs were delayed.
Also if a building is known to be unsafe but still occupied, it must be temporarily closed until engineers confirm it is safe. Owners who knowingly allow people inside dangerous buildings should face legal penalties, including jail time, depending on the level of negligence.
3) Change the Culture Around Building Safety
Laws and sensors help, but the real fix is changing how we think about safety. Maintenance is not a suggestion. Inspections are not paperwork. When an engineer says a building is at risk, that warning has to mean immediate action, not another meeting.
Reflection: Remembering These Tragedy Means Change
The Jet Set Nightclub and the Champlain Tower should not be remembered as just another building collapse. They must serve as a turning point for how structural safety is treated around the world. The lives lost in these tragedies represent families, communities, and futures that were suddenly taken due to preventable conditions.
Remembering these disasters means learning from them. It means taking responsibility to improve how buildings are designed, maintained, and regulated. It also means ensuring
that warnings are never ignored and that safety is always placed above cost or convenience.
If you want more of this content, or want to check my research, here’s where I got my info:
¡HISTÓRICO! El Nuevo Código de Construcción en RD: ¿Solución o Caos? ¿Por qué NO salen los permisos?
Construction Law 2025 - Dominican Republic | Global Practice Guides
Construction Law 2025 - Dominican Republic | Global Practice Guides