Scope of this guide. Published costs, savings and schedules are indicative examples, not a project quotation or guarantee. Compare the same location, specification and scope. Structural supply, civil works, building services, finishes and logistics must be confirmed separately; permit and engineering requirements depend on the site.
In short
- PEB Corp designs every steel structure to the code of the country where it will be built: REP-2021 in Panama, NSR-10 in Colombia, and the IBC as adopted by each Caribbean jurisdiction.
- REP-2021 (Reglamento para el Diseño Estructural de la República de Panamá) has been in force since April 30, 2023.
- On top of the local code, members are designed to AISC 360 for hot-rolled steel or to AISI S100-16 (R2020) for cold-formed steel.
- Guyana uses the Building Code of Guyana, which refers to CUBiC; Suriname uses the Bouwwet 1956 and Bouwbesluit no. 1; Venezuela uses COVENIN 1756-1:2019, 1618, and 2003.
- The structural calculations are sealed by an engineer licensed in the project's jurisdiction, and the local authority issues the permit.
PEB Corp designs every steel structure to the code of the country where it will be built: REP-2021 in Panama, NSR-10 in Colombia, the IBC as adopted by each Caribbean jurisdiction, the COVENIN standards in Venezuela, the Building Code of Guyana, and Suriname's Bouwwet. On top of that local code, members are designed to AISC 360 or AISI S100-16 (R2020). The local code sets the design loads; the AISC or AISI specification sets how each member is calculated.
Structural codes by country at a glance
The table summarizes the framework PEB Corp applies in each market it serves. The exact edition of each code is confirmed with the project's plan reviewer before the structural calculations are issued.
| Country | Governing code | Wind and seismic basis | Steel design standard | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panama | REP-2021 (JTIA), in force since April 30, 2023 | REP-2021 seismic design spectra by zone; wind per ASCE 7 | AISC 360 · AISI S100-16 (R2020) | Group headquarters and CNC plant (NewCon Steel®) |
| Colombia | NSR-10 | Low, intermediate, or high seismic hazard zone by municipality | NSR-10 Title F · AISC 360 · AISI S100-16 (R2020) | RETIE for electrical systems; building license from a curaduría urbana |
| Dominican Republic | National building regulations, with IBC 2021 as the reference framework; R-001 for seismic design | ASCE/SEI 7-22 | AISC 360-22 · AISI S100-16 | Hurricane design verified per project |
| English-speaking Caribbean, Curaçao, and Aruba | IBC as adopted by each jurisdiction, or the local code | ASCE/SEI 7 in the edition that IBC edition references | AISC 360 · AISI S100-16 (R2020) | Code confirmed with the local plan reviewer |
| Guyana | Building Code of Guyana (GNBS); Section 9 refers to CUBiC | Wind, heavy tropical rain, and soft coastal soils; very low seismicity | AISC · AISI S100 | CUBiC: Caribbean Uniform Building Code |
| Suriname | Bouwwet 1956 and Bouwbesluit no. 1 | Set per project with the local reviewer | AISC 360 · AISI S100 | Plan approval in Paramaribo (BWT) |
| Venezuela | COVENIN 1756-1:2019 (seismic-resistant buildings) | COVENIN 1756-1:2019 (seismic) · COVENIN 2003 (wind) | COVENIN 1618 (steel structures for buildings) | Quoted in USD |
| French Antilles | Eurocodes | NF EN 1991-1-4 (wind) · NF EN 1998-1 (seismic) | Eurocode 3 (NF EN 1993) | Guadeloupe and Martinique |
In every market, site loads and the structural system change the calculations, but the logic is the same: first the country's code, then the member specification, and finally the seal of an engineer licensed in that jurisdiction.
Panama: REP-2021
Panama's governing code is REP-2021 (Reglamento para el Diseño Estructural de la República de Panamá), issued by the Junta Técnica de Ingeniería y Arquitectura (JTIA) and in force since April 30, 2023. REP-2021 defines the seismic design spectra for each zone of the country, and PEB Corp calculates wind loads per ASCE 7. Each structure is designed to REP-2021, with AISC 360 for hot-rolled steel and AISI S100-16 for cold-formed steel.
The structural calculations are sealed by an engineer licensed (idóneo) in Panama, and the building permit is issued by the project's municipality. Panama is also the group's home base: the group's CNC plant (NewCon Steel®) operates at Centro Industrial PEB, Las Mañanitas, Panama City, under the EMMA regime (Law 159 of 2020). See PEB Corp's steel construction in Panama page. Turnkey (design-build) execution in Panama is handled by SmartBrix Construction.
Colombia: NSR-10 and RETIE
Colombia's governing code is NSR-10 (Reglamento Colombiano de Construcción Sismo Resistente), the Colombian seismic-resistant building code. NSR-10 assigns each municipality a low, intermediate, or high seismic hazard zone, sets design loads, and regulates steel structures in Title F, including cold-formed sheet steel members. PEB Corp models each project in BIM with dynamic seismic analysis and designs it to NSR-10, with AISC 360 for hot-rolled steel and AISI S100-16 for cold-formed steel.
Electrical systems are designed to RETIE (Reglamento Técnico de Instalaciones Eléctricas), Colombia's electrical code. The building license is issued by a municipal permit office (curaduría urbana) or, where there is none, by the planning department. One group reference is the Ministry of National Defense (Ministerio de Defensa Nacional) headquarters in Bogotá: 39,000 m² (about 420,000 sq ft) in 8 months, with the structure designed to NSR-10. It is a PEB Corp Group project: SmartBrix Construction built it, and PEB Corp provided the structural engineering and BIM coordination. A reference project’s area and delivery period describe that case; they do not guarantee another building’s schedule. See the case study, PEB Corp's Colombia page, and SmartBrix Construction in Colombia.
Dominican Republic and the English-speaking Caribbean: IBC, ASCE 7, and local codes
In the Dominican Republic, PEB Corp designs to the national building regulations, which use IBC 2021 as their reference framework and include R-001 (Reglamento para el Análisis y Diseño Sísmico de Estructuras), the seismic analysis and design regulation. Wind and seismic loads are calculated per ASCE/SEI 7-22, and steel per AISC 360-22 and AISI S100-16. Hurricane design is verified per project up to 250 km/h (155 mph), Saffir-Simpson Category 4. The quoted wind speed is a design reference, not a universal building rating. See the Dominican Republic page and the hurricane-resistant steel buildings guide.
In the English-speaking Caribbean (Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and The Bahamas, among others) and in Curaçao and Aruba, each jurisdiction adopts its own code or an edition of the IBC. PEB Corp cites the IBC in the edition adopted by the project's jurisdiction, with the edition of ASCE 7 that the IBC edition references, and confirms the governing code with the plan reviewer before issuing calculations. The NewCon Steel coverage table lists the reference design code and the trade instrument with Panama for each destination.
For Haiti, the design framework is agreed with the local authority and, where applicable, with the project's funding agency; see the guide to industrial steel buildings in Haiti. For permitting steps on each island, see building permits for steel structures in the Caribbean.
Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, and the French Antilles
Guyana
Guyana is governed by the Building Code of Guyana, issued by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS). Its Section 9 (Structural Steel) refers to CUBiC, the Caribbean Uniform Building Code. PEB Corp designs to CUBiC and GNBS, with structures sized for coastal wind, heavy tropical rain, and soft coastal soils. See the Guyana page.
Suriname
Suriname is governed by the Bouwwet 1956, the building law in force since April 6, 1956, and Bouwbesluit no. 1, administered by the Ministerie van Openbare Werken (Ministry of Public Works) in Paramaribo. PEB Corp also designs each structure to AISC 360 and AISI S100. Dutch engineering practice has historically influenced local design; the Eurocodes are not cited here as adopted law. See the Suriname page.
Venezuela
In Venezuela, seismic-resistant design to COVENIN 1756-1:2019 (Edificaciones Sismorresistentes) is mandatory. COVENIN 1618 (Estructuras de Acero para Edificaciones) governs the design, fabrication, and erection of structural steel, and COVENIN 2003 (Acciones del Viento sobre las Construcciones) sets wind loads. PEB Corp designs each industrial building, locally called a galpón, to these standards and quotes it in USD. See the Venezuela page.
French Antilles
In Guadeloupe and Martinique, the Eurocodes apply: NF EN 1991-1-4 for wind and NF EN 1998-1 for seismic design, with Eurocode 3 (NF EN 1993) for steel.
How PEB Corp coordinates a multi-code design
A building fabricated in Panama and erected in another country is designed to the destination's code. PEB Corp follows the same sequence in every market:
- Jurisdiction and edition. The governing code, its edition, and the review requirements are confirmed with the local plan reviewer.
- Site loads. The local code sets the design loads and the seismic design category; ASCE/SEI 7-22 applies where the code refers to it.
- Member specification. AISC 360 for hot-rolled steel; AISI S100-16 (R2020) with S3-22 and AISI S240-20 for cold-formed steel, plus AISI S400-20 where the seismic design category requires it.
- BIM model. One model at LOD 400 (Revit / Tekla) produces the design drawings, the shop drawings, and the fabrication data for the CNC line.
- Seal and permit. The calculations are sealed by an engineer licensed in the project's jurisdiction, and the permit is issued by the local authority.
- Export documents. A Panamanian certificate of origin (HS 72.16) is available; import treatment is decided by the destination customs.
The NewCon Steel engineering standards page explains what each cold-formed steel standard governs. Hot-rolled steel structures (AISC 360) are designed by PEB Corp engineering; NewCon Steel® manufactures the bolted cold-formed steel (AISI S100).
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