Forensic experts blame long-term structural degradation for Jet Set nightclub collapse

By AI, Created 6:51 AM UTC, June 05, 2026, /AGP/ – Court-appointed engineers say the April 2025 Jet Set nightclub collapse in Santo Domingo was driven by hidden construction defects and decades of post-tensioning deterioration, not overloading. The report, released June 5, 2026, could shape the ongoing criminal and civil proceedings tied to a disaster that killed more than 200 people.

Why it matters: - The findings point to hidden structural problems in an aging concrete building, not a visible failure that routine inspections could have caught. - The report could influence liability questions in the ongoing judicial case tied to one of the Dominican Republic’s deadliest building disasters. - The conclusions highlight a broader safety issue for older buildings that use post-tensioned concrete systems.

What happened: - Court-appointed forensic experts released an independent engineering report on June 5, 2026, in Santo Domingo. - The report examines the collapse of the Jet Set nightclub on April 8, 2025. - The collapse killed more than 200 people and injured hundreds. - The investigation was led by Gabriel Carrera of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Alfonso Ibárreta of Exponent, and José Lockhart of Structures & Inspections Engineering. - The team included more than 25 engineers, chemists, metallurgists, and materials scientists.

The details: - The report concludes, to the highest degree of technical probability, that the collapse resulted from construction defects and gradual deterioration of post-tensioned tendon wires. - The building’s loads at the time of collapse were insufficient to trigger a global failure in a properly built, undamaged structure. - Ground-penetrating radar identified at least one beam with a misplaced post-tensioning duct. - That defect created a structurally weaker element that remained hidden for decades after construction. - Laboratory testing found progressive deterioration of post-tensioning wires through hydrogen-assisted cracking. - The report says that mechanism weakens wires and reduces load-bearing capacity over time. - Investigators found both the construction defects and the deterioration were internal to the beams. - Visual inspection would not have revealed those internal problems. - Layers of leveling material on the roof suggested the beams were deflecting gradually over time. - The report says that pattern is consistent with long-term structural weakening. - The Jet Set building was constructed in 1973 and operated for more than 50 years. - The report was formally submitted to the Primer Juzgado de la Instrucción del Distrito Nacional on May 14, 2026, in Case No. 2025-0150267, before Judge Reymundo Ant. Mejía Zorrilla. - The report was made public in the interest of transparency and informed technical debate.

Between the lines: - The case underscores a hard limit of conventional inspections: major structural flaws can remain invisible until failure. - The findings also suggest that age alone was not the issue; the concern was hidden degradation inside a load-bearing system. - For regulators and owners, the report strengthens the argument for advanced diagnostics on older post-tensioned structures. - Gabriel Carrera said the most significant factors were internal to the structural elements and would not have been revealed by visual inspection.

What’s next: - Legal proceedings in the Jet Set collapse case remain ongoing. - The report is likely to be used as technical evidence in the judicial process. - Engineers and regulators may look more closely at inspection methods for aging concrete buildings with post-tensioning systems. - The full report is available through the official documents link.