I've had to fight every day for the proper amounts and sizes of rebar being used in luxury villa construction in SPAIN. After my first trip here, I brought pictures to Spain, showing them how MUCH rebar they put in concrete HERE, the country they snob for being so "under developed".
Short, USUALLY the quantity is not something that would seem a rampant problem here.
What is, and I alluded to it in an other thread on a similar subject, that civil engineers and architects simply refuse to take some basic things like water lines and electricity channels into account, claiming that they are NOT plumbers or electricians -effectively trying to presume they are better than that. In countries with a heightened earthquake risk, like this one and some other Latin American countries I've lived in (Ecuador), it is customary to brace a brick or cinder block shell with poured rebar reinforced system of concrete columns and beams frame. Especially cinder blocks have a limited resistance to pressure and will crumble when disturbed by vibration. The framework is what holds the structure together. The problems occur when parts of these civil engineer calculated columns (pillars) are filled with water and sewer pipes and/or power cable channels instead of concrete and rebar because of the designers' failure to plan for spaces to lead these utilities thru.
What I am more concerned with, is roof construction. Actually, it is not so much the construction I am concerned with as much as again the "design" part. I have had the privilege not only to visit but live and work in many countries, but in none have I seen the strangely physics defying roof designs I seem to see dominating this country's skylines!
Universally, one would think that the consensus opinion would have been, that a roof is meant to not only shelter a home, but move water towards the OUTSIDE of the home. Apparently, Dominican architects have come to a contrary conclusion, as they seem absolutely unable to resist the temptation to lead at least some of the waters INWARDS, toward the center of the covered space, PREFERABLY onto a flat roof section. Besides creating issues issues of "comfort" in some rooms inside these residences, it will, over time affect the concrete's integrity, and further the rusting of rebar or mesh used in those concrete roofs.
... J-D.