DDES, structural engineering in Barranquilla and Colombia.We engineer what holds the city up. Shall we talk about your project?
Photo: Artem Labunsky / Unsplash
Designed to withstand earthquakes, wind, salt air and time.
A building goes up in months. Whether it lasts fifty years by the sea depends on what was calculated beforehand and what was checked on site.
Diseño de Estructuras y Soluciones S.A.S.
DDES is a structural engineering firm based in Barranquilla.
We work across Colombia with a team that knows the soils, the climate and the way each region builds.
Who we are
They trusted us with their structures
Where to start
What stage is your project at?
- AI have a lot and an ideaStart with the structural design. If the project is large, add a review by an independent engineer.
- BI am about to apply for the permitIf the lot allows more than 2,000 m² to be built, the curaduría urbana (the building-permit authority) asks for a signed statement from a reviewer independent of the designer.
- CI am about to start buildingHire the technical supervision before the first concrete pour. Without it there is no Certificado Técnico de Ocupación (CTO), the certificate needed to occupy the building.
- DWhat does the law require?Give us the area, the use and the number of floors, and we tell you which review, which supervision and which documents you need.
- EMy building has cracksA first visit tells you whether there is an immediate risk. Testing tells you the cause and what the repair will cost.
DDES is a structural engineering firm based in Barranquilla, founded in 2020. It provides structural design, independent design review, technical supervision and construction oversight (interventoría) under the NSR-10, Colombia's seismic-resistant building code, and Law 1796 of 2016, in the Caribbean region and the rest of Colombia.
- Head office
- Barranquilla
- Coverage
- Nationwide (Colombia)
- Code
- NSR-10
- Tools
- NSR-10 online
Services
What we do
We design, we review other firms' designs and we supervise construction.
Structural design
Concrete, steel and masonry buildings designed to the NSR-10, from the first concept to the reinforcement details.
Construction oversight
We represent the owner: quality, schedule and budget on public and private projects.
Technical supervision
Independent technical supervision under Law 1796 and Title I of the NSR-10, before every concrete pour.
Independent design review
Review of structural designs by others, required on projects of more than 2,000 m².
Assessment and retrofit
Damage assessment, seismic vulnerability and retrofit design for existing buildings.
BIM and coordination
Structural models in Revit coordinated with architecture and MEP, with quantities taken from the model.
All services
Go to servicesDiseño estructural
Cada conexión, pieza por pieza.
Conexión viga–columna a momento con placa de extremo apernada. Pase el cursor sobre el nodo para verlo desarmado.
- ColumnaHEB 300
- RigidizadoresPlacas de 15 mm
- Placa de extremo25 mm · A572 Gr. 50
- Pernos8 × A325 Ø 22 mm
- VigaIPE 400
Projects
Featured projects
Residential towers, warehouses and industrial plants: design, review and construction oversight across Colombia.
Structural design · 2020
Edificio Arte 57
Insights
Technical notes
The NSR-10, Law 1796 and what we see on site, explained briefly.
The August 10, 2026 earthquake: what failed in Cali
The buildings that collapsed were not built to the NSR-10. Flexible frames, older codes and a soil that amplified the shaking.
The August 10, 2026 earthquake: lessons from Pereira
Having survived the 1999 earthquake was no guarantee. And the airport closed because of damage that was not structural.
Interventoría in Colombia: what construction oversight is, what it covers and when it is required
The interventor represents the owner and controls quality, schedule and cost. Technical supervision is one part of that work, and it is the part the law requires.
Photo: Jon Tyson / Unsplash
Work with us
Design at the office. Learn on site.
We are looking for civil and structural engineers who want to calculate a structure and then watch it being built, on projects across Colombia.
Contact
Let's talk about your project
Tell us what stage you are at. An engineer replies with a proposal for scope and fees.
Our team works in Spanish. You can write to us in English and we will get back to you.
Photo: Ricardo Gómez Ángel / Unsplash