Why do so few buildings fall down?

Brian Potter, author of the Origins of Efficiency and the consistently excellent Construction Physics substack explains why building failures are remarkably rare despite buildings being every building being a one-off prototype with a minimal design budget. He explores both technical reasons – the simple, static nature of structures, extensive safety factors, and well-tested building systems – and sociocultural factors including rigorous building codes, professional licensing, and conservative engineering practices. Potter illustrates his points by discussing famous engineering failures like the Sleipner offshore platform and Citicorp Tower, demonstrating how failures occur when these protective factors break down. The Q&A focuses on the parallels between software reliability and structural engineering practices.