Request a quote and schedule your feasibility meeting.
At CICSA, we design safe, efficient, and buildable structures that comply with the current Costa Rican Seismic Code, municipal regulations, and CFIA guidelines.
Structural design is far more than sizing beams and columns. It involves risk management, material optimization, and ensuring performance throughout the building’s service life. Depending on your needs and the contracted scope, our service includes:
Definition of applicable codes (Seismic Code, wind, live loads, dead loads), performance levels, and design service life.
Load calculations, load combinations, and seismic analysis; diaphragms, torsion, and global structural behavior.
Proposals to reduce steel and concrete quantities without compromising safety; selection of systems (frames, walls, slabs, trusses, rigid frames, etc.).
Joints, anchors, ties, base plates, connections, chemical and expansion anchors, and corrosion protection details.
Sheets ready for CFIA and municipal submission, including rebar schedules, sections, elevations, reinforcement details, general and erection notes.
Compatibility with architectural, electrical, mechanical, and other building systems.
Structural drawings: foundations, columns, beams, slabs, walls, stairs, tie elements, and diaphragms.
Details: typical and special reinforcement, equipment anchorage, base plates, welded/bolted connections, anti-corrosion treatments.
Technical specifications for materials, tolerances, concrete curing, welding, bolts, coatings, and on-site quality control.
Geotechnical report (if coordinated with us) or foundation criteria derived from the provided soil study.
Coordination sheets with architecture.
Permit submission package (CFIA and municipal formats, as applicable).
Initial meeting to understand building use, budget, schedule, and site conditions.
Review of topography, zoning/land use, cadastral plan, and, if available, the geotechnical study.
Preliminary recommendations on structural system and placement (considering slopes, drainage, access, and construction logistics).
Definition of the resisting system (frames, walls, mixed systems, trusses, prefabrication).
Initial quantity estimates to guide costs.
Early coordination with architecture.
Computational model of the building and definition of loads and combinations per code.
Verification of drifts, torsion, irregularities, and element capacities.
Adjustments to achieve appropriate seismic performance and realistic constructability.
Design of foundations, beams, slabs, columns, walls, and connections.
Details for construction joints, anchors, and local reinforcement at openings and stiffness changes.
Definition of cover and corrosion protection (critical in coastal areas).
Issuance of drawings, calculation report, and specifications in CFIA and municipal formats.
Support during clarifications with reviewers or municipalities.
Technical handover meeting with construction supervision/inspection.
Targeted technical visits to resolve reinforcement and erection questions.
Typical systems: frames, shear walls, solid or ribbed slabs, strip footings, isolated footings, and mat foundations.
Advantages: robustness, thermal mass, and widespread availability of skilled labor nationwide.
Considerations: cover, joint control, and curing—especially in hot and coastal climates.
Systems: rigid frames, braced frames, trusses, composite floors with metal deck.
Advantages: fast erection and reduced seismic weight.
Considerations: corrosion protection and dimensional control during fabrication and erection.
Mixed: steel + concrete (steel columns/beams with composite slabs).
Prefabricated: panels and prestressed beams, offering schedule and quality control benefits.
Key aspects: logistics, joints, and erection tolerances.
Evaluation of existing capacity.
Design of strengthening solutions.
Depends on area, complexity, structural system, location, and scope (including geotechnical coordination, site visits, 3D coordination models, etc.). After the feasibility meeting, you will receive a phased proposal: pre-design/criteria, modeling and analysis, drawings and details, permit support, and—if applicable—construction support.
Our approach is comprehensive and local. We understand climate, seismicity, wind, coastal corrosion, and soil conditions in Guanacaste, San Carlos, and across Costa Rica. As a result, every calculation, detail, and drawing translates into a structure that builds better, costs less to maintain, and protects your investment long-term.
In-house coordination reduces incompatibilities and accelerates decisions.
Without sacrificing performance—fewer kilograms of steel or cubic meters of concrete per square meter.
Reports and drawings understandable on site, not only to designers.
Through project kickoff and technical support if supervision/inspection is contracted.
Seismic: regular configuration, effective diaphragms, element continuity, and capacity hierarchy to dissipate energy without collapse.
Wind and rain: roof uplift, anchorage, and global stability during rainy season and trade winds.
Soils: foundations aligned with the geotechnical study; control of differential settlements and liquefaction (when applicable).
Corrosion: adequate cover, galvanization, or epoxy coatings in coastal or aggressive environments.
Constructability: realistic sequences, modularity, and details that facilitate installation and reduce waste.
Maintenance: access to connections, edge protection, and drainage to extend service life.
Sustainability: material optimization, prefabrication when appropriate, and coordination to reduce rework and transport.
Single-family homes or cabins: 3–6 weeks from complete inputs to permit-ready structural drawings.
Commercial/mixed-use/light industrial: 6–10+ weeks, depending on complexity, levels, and MEP coordination.
It is highly recommended. Foundation design depends on the geotechnical profile; if unavailable, we coordinate with geotechnical engineers to minimize risks and unforeseen costs.
Yes. We assess the existing structure and propose strengthening solutions (concrete, steel, or others) for changes of use, expansions, or damage.
Yes. We offer supervision and inspection to ensure construction complies with drawings and specifications.
We serve projects throughout Costa Rica, with an operational focus on Guanacaste and San Carlos. We coordinate logistics and local regulations by municipality.
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Construimos y acompañamos proyectos con experiencia local.