Overview
Good structural design is invisible when it works: columns land where the plan needs them, slabs do not crack or sag, and the building stays safe when the ground shakes. The aim is a structure that is safe to code, economical in concrete and steel, and straightforward to build with the labour and materials available on Bangladeshi sites.
Structural design decides how a building carries its own weight, the people and equipment inside it, and the wind and earthquake forces it must resist. We design reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and steel structures for houses, apartment buildings, commercial blocks, factories, and sheds, and document them so that the approving authority, the contractor, and the site engineer all read the same intent.
When you need it
- You are planning a new building and need structural drawings for approval and for construction.
- Your architectural layout is ready and the columns, beams, and foundations need to be coordinated with it.
- You are building a factory, warehouse, or shed and want to compare steel and RCC options.
- You plan to add floors in the future and want the foundation and columns designed for them now.
What's included
- 01
RCC frame and slab design
Beams, columns, slabs, shear walls, and stairs for residential, commercial, and institutional buildings.
- 02
Steel structure design
Steel frames, portal frames, and roof trusses for industrial and long-span buildings, including their connections.
- 03
Foundation design
Isolated, combined, mat, and pile foundations, sized from the soil investigation data for the site.
- 04
Load and seismic analysis
Gravity, wind, and earthquake loads for the site location, following the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC 2020).
- 05
Provision for future floors
Columns and foundations designed for a planned vertical extension, so floors can be added safely later.
- 06
Construction detailing
Reinforcement details, schedules, and general notes written so that site teams can follow them without guesswork.
How it works
- 01
Brief and inputs
We review the architectural plans, soil report, intended use, and any future floors before choosing a structural system.
- 02
Structural scheme
The column grid and system are fixed: RCC frame, flat slab, shear walls, steel frame, or a combination.
- 03
Analysis and design
The structure is modelled under BNBC 2020 loads, and every member is sized and checked.
- 04
Drawings and site support
Drawings are issued, and site questions are answered during construction.
What you receive
- Structural drawings
- Foundation, column, beam, and slab layouts with reinforcement details, sections, and general notes.
- Design calculations
- Design basis, load assumptions, an analysis summary, and member design checks.
- Reinforcement schedules
- Bar sizes, spacing, and lengths for columns, beams, and slabs, organised for site use and quantity checks.
- Approval drawing set
- Structural drawings prepared in the format needed for the building plan application.
Codes & inputs
- BNBC 2020Bangladesh National Building Code 2020, the governing code for loads, materials, and structural design in Bangladesh.
- Site soil investigationBorehole and laboratory data for the plot, which the foundation design depends on.
Questions about structural design
Should my building be RCC or steel?
Most residential and commercial buildings in Bangladesh are built in RCC, because materials and skilled labour are widely available and it performs well against fire and moisture. Steel is usually the better choice for factories, warehouses, and long-span roofs, where speed of construction and column-free space matter. For mixed cases, we compare both options on cost, construction time, and practicality before recommending one.
Do I need a soil test before structural design?
For any multi-storey building, yes. The foundation type, depth, and size depend on the strength of the soil and the groundwater level, and these vary greatly from plot to plot in Bangladesh. Designing without soil data means either guessing, which is risky, or over-designing to be safe, which is expensive.
Can the structure be designed now for floors I will add later?
Yes, and it is much cheaper than strengthening the building later. The foundation and columns are designed for the final number of floors, while you build only the floors you need now. Remember that the additional floors will still need approval from the authority before they are built.
Do architectural and structural design need to be coordinated?
Yes. Column positions, beam depths, stair and lift cores, and openings affect both the plan and the structure. When they are designed separately, columns end up in the middle of rooms or beams cut across windows. Planning both together from the start avoids these conflicts and usually saves material as well.
