Service description
This service defines the structural solution of the system under study and its feasibility through the application of current standards, calculation methods and technical criteria aligned with the real conditions of the project. Structural design makes it possible to develop a safe, functional and feasible solution, considering the demands the structure must resist, such as live load, dead load, self-weight, seismic loads, wind loads, retaining or lateral pressures and, when applicable, hydraulic loads.
Based on this analysis, the expected behavior of the structural elements, their configuration and the most appropriate construction logic are defined according to the project type. The foundation of this service is structural safety.
Therefore, the design seeks not only to comply with applicable technical requirements, but also to protect the integrity of the building and safeguard the life and safety of the people who occupy, use or are connected to its operation. In Costa Rica, this process is developed according to current technical regulations, taking as a main reference the Costa Rican Seismic Code 2010, CSCR-2010, and complementary regulations according to the material or structural system, such as ACI 318 for structural concrete.
Depending on the nature of the project and the contracted scope, this service may include defining the most suitable structural system, load and demand analysis, use of calculation methods according to the structure type, feasibility evaluation, interdisciplinary coordination with architecture and other specialties, creation of the analytical structural model, development of the 3D structural model, integration into a BIM workflow when required, generation of technical bases for drawings, documentation and later processes, and development of connection design criteria when applicable. The scope of structural design may vary according to the client’s needs, project type, construction system and required level of detail.