Why Documentation Quality Matters
Structural calculations are the engineering record — the proof that a structure was designed correctly and the reference document for any future modification, investigation, or dispute. Poorly organised or incompletely cited calculations delay permit approvals, fail peer reviews, and leave engineers of record unable to defend their decisions years later when the building is modified or investigated.
At Sixteens Consultancy Services, design reports are produced as first-class deliverables, not afterthoughts. Every calculation is organised, indexed, and formatted to communicate clearly to both the reviewing engineer and the building authority. Every check cites the specific code equation and section number. Every design assumption is stated explicitly.
What a Design Report Includes
Project Information and Basis of Design
The report opens with a project description covering structure type, occupancy, site location, applicable codes, design life, and design methodology. The basis of design section establishes all design parameters: load categories, load combinations per the governing code, material specifications, and key structural assumptions. This section functions as a contract between the engineer and the reviewer — both parties agree on what is being designed and to what standard before calculations begin.
Load Calculations
Load calculations cover all design loads applied to the structure:
- Dead loads — Self-weight of structural elements, superimposed dead loads from cladding, MEP, and finishes.
- Live loads — Occupancy loads per code tables, with occupancy classification documentation.
- Wind loads — Calculated per the governing wind standard (ASCE-7, SBC, NBC, EN, JIS), with wind speed, exposure category, topographic factor, directional factor, and component-and-cladding pressures all explicitly derived. Wind load calculations are typically the longest section of reports for our tower and support structure projects.
- Seismic loads — Site class determination, spectral acceleration derivation, seismic design category classification, base shear calculation, and vertical distribution. For the Antalya project, Turkish seismic zone maps were used alongside AISC seismic design provisions.
- Special loads — Dynamic loads for entertainment structures, thermal loads for structures with significant temperature ranges, and any project-specific loads identified in the scope.
Structural Analysis Summary
A summary of the structural model: member list with sizes and grades, support conditions, applied load cases, governing load combinations, and critical analysis results (maximum member forces, reactions, deflections, and drifts). This section allows a reviewer to verify that the analysis model correctly represents the actual structure.
Member Design Checks
For each critical member or member group: demand forces, applicable design checks (tension, compression, flexure, shear, combined loading), nominal and design strengths per the code, and utilisation ratios (demand/capacity). We present both the governing check and the controlling load combination. Every design equation is cited by standard and section number — AISC 360-22 Section H1-1a, ASCE 7-22 Section 12.8, ACI 318-19 Section 22.5.1.1 — enabling fast, unambiguous review.
Connection Design Summary
Connection types, governing forces, design checks, and material specifications for all connection types in the project. Connection design is documented to the same level of rigour as member design — complete with bolt shear checks, weld throat calculations, block shear, and bearing checks referenced to AISC 360-22 Chapter J.
Foundation Design
Foundation type selection rationale, geotechnical parameters used, bearing capacity and settlement checks, reinforcement design with ACI 318-19 references, and detailing requirements. Geotechnical report document number and relevant section are cited for all soil parameters.
Peer Review Readiness
In many jurisdictions, structural designs for public or commercial buildings must pass independent peer review before building permits are issued. Our reports are structured specifically to enable efficient peer review: table of contents, numbered pages, consistent notation, cross-referenced sections, and a design summary sheet that allows a reviewer to identify the governing checks for each structural system at a glance.
We have produced documentation for peer review in Saudi Arabia (SBC structural review process), Canada (NBC 2020 Part 4 structural review), Florida (FBC high-velocity hurricane zone permit submission), and Japan (JIS-based steel structure review). Each jurisdiction has different submission requirements and reviewer expectations — we adapt document structure accordingly.
Multi-Jurisdiction Documentation
International projects often require documentation in multiple formats simultaneously — a single project may require an English design report for client review, a local-language summary for the authority, and LEED documentation for sustainability certification. Our reports are authored in English to international technical standards, with document control metadata that supports multi-party review workflows.
Every code reference is exact. We cite standard name, edition year, and section number — not generic "per AISC" or "per ACI." This precision allows any competent reviewer to verify every check independently.