Independent design review

A second firm reviews the design before the permit.

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DDES provides revisión independiente (independent structural design review / peer review) in Colombia: it reviews other firms' designs against the NSR-10, as Law 1796 of 2016 requires when the lot allows more than 2,000 m² to be built. It reviews the model, the calculations and the drawings, and signs the statement the curaduría urbana (the building-permit authority) asks for.

Code: NSR-10
Deliverables: 4
Coverage: Nationwide (Colombia)

What is an independent review of structural designs?

It is the check of the structural drawings, calculations and studies carried out by a professional other than the designer before the building permit is issued (NSR-10, A.1.3.7). Since Law 1796 of 2016 it is mandatory when the lot allows more than 2,000 m² to be built.

Law 1796 requires a professional independent of the designer to review the structural designs when the lot allows more than 2,000 m² to be built, as a condition of the building permit. We review the model, the calculations and the drawings, and deliver clear comments the designer can resolve quickly.

How do interventoría, technical supervision and independent review differ?

Source: NSR-10 (A.1.3.7, A.1.3.9, A.13 and Title I), Law 400 of 1997 and Law 1796 of 2016.
	Interventoría (oversight)	Technical supervision	Independent design review
What it controls	The whole construction contract: quality, schedule, cost, quantities and payments	That the structure and the nonstructural elements are built according to the drawings, designs and specifications	The structural designs: model, calculations and drawings
When	From the start of the contract to its close-out	During construction, before every concrete pour	Before the building permit is issued
Independence	Represents the owner before the contractor	Independent of the contractor (Law 400 of 1997, art. 37)	Someone other than the designer, with no employment relationship with the designer
Is it mandatory?	The NSR-10 does not require it: the owner or the contract decides	Yes, if the lot allows more than 2,000 m² (Law 1796), and for occupancy groups III and IV whatever the area (A.1.3.9.1)	Yes, if the lot allows more than 2,000 m² (Law 1796)
What it delivers	Monthly reports, progress and quantity minutes, close-out report	Release forms, materials control and a final report for the Certificado Técnico de Ocupación	Comments report and signed review statement for the curaduría

More detail in independent review and technical supervision.

Model review

We check loads, the structural system, irregularities, story drift and the design of the critical members, on the designer's model and with our own check models.

Comments that can be closed

Each comment names the member, the NSR-10 article and what is missing to close it. Fewer back-and-forth rounds, fewer lost weeks.

Statement for the curaduría

When the design complies, we sign the review statement the curaduría requires to issue the permit.

What is the process?

Intake
Drawings, calculations, geotechnical study and model.
Revision
Model and critical members.
Comments
Report with every point to resolve.
Close-out
Check of the responses and signature.

What do we deliver?

Review report with comments
Check model
Follow-up on the designer's responses
Signed review statement

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Law 1796 of 2016 · NSR-10

What does the law require for your project?

Move the area, the floors and the use. The building changes with you, and we show you who has to sign it.

Law 1796

Signatures on file

Milestone 1 · Permit
Milestone 2 · Structure
Milestone 3 · Occupancy

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Why

What the curaduría will ask you for

Who signs your project

DesignsStructural engineerSigns the drawings and the structural calculations.

ReviewsIndependent reviewerLaw 1796Separate from, and independent of, the designer.

ApprovesCuraduría urbanaIssues the building permit.

SupervisesIndependent technical supervisorLaw 1796Independent of the contractor, from the first concrete pour.

CertifiesCertificado Técnico de OcupaciónLaw 1796Signed by the supervisor; without it the building cannot be occupied.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the review take?

The first round of comments is usually ready in two to three weeks, depending on the size of the project. Later rounds are shorter.

Do you review your own designs?

No. A review only makes sense if someone other than the designer does it. If we design a project, another firm reviews it.

When is an independent review mandatory?

When the project's lot or lots allow more than 2,000 m² to be built, whatever the use (Law 1796 of 2016 and Decree 1203 of 2017). It can also be required on smaller projects because of their complexity or the materials and methods they use.

Do I need an independent reviewer for a five-story building?

It depends on the area the lot allows, not on the number of floors: if it exceeds 2,000 m², yes. For example, five floors of 450 m² already add up to 2,250 m². Our Law 1796 assistant works it out from the area, the use and the number of floors.

Who can be an independent reviewer?

A civil engineer with a professional license and the experience the law sets, who is not the designer and has no employment relationship with the designer or with the permit applicant.

What happens if the design does not comply?

We deliver the comments with the reference to the code. The designer adjusts, we check, and we sign once everything is closed.