Commercial Building Design

Commercial Structural Engineering from Schematic to Permit

Commercial buildings demand structural systems that balance span, flexibility, fire resistance, and construction speed. Frontier Structural Engineering has designed the structural framing for office buildings, retail centers, medical clinics, churches, schools, multi-family residential buildings, and mixed-use developments. We work directly with architects, developers, and general contractors to deliver complete structural drawings and calculations on schedule.

Structural System Selection

The right structural system for your building depends on span requirements, floor-to-floor height, mechanical coordination, construction budget, and the local supply chain. Frontier evaluates the tradeoffs between steel moment frames, concrete shear walls, wood-frame construction, and hybrid systems to recommend the approach that best fits your project constraints.

We size gravity members (beams, columns, bearing walls), design lateral force-resisting systems for wind and seismic loading, and coordinate foundation design with the geotechnical engineer of record.

Steel-Frame Commercial Buildings

Steel-framed buildings offer the longest spans, the fastest erection, and the greatest flexibility for tenant improvements. Frontier designs steel moment frames, braced frames, and composite floor systems for commercial projects ranging from single-story retail to multi-story office. Our steel design includes connection detailing, camber requirements, and coordination with the steel fabricator.

Concrete and Masonry Structures

Post-tensioned concrete slabs, cast-in-place concrete shear walls, and CMU bearing walls are all well suited to commercial construction in Colorado. Frontier has designed concrete structures for parking garages, podium slabs over retail, and mid-rise residential buildings where acoustic separation and fire rating make concrete the preferred material.

Wood-Frame Multi-Family

Five-story wood-frame construction over a concrete podium is among the most economical building types for multi-family residential. Frontier has designed wood shear wall systems, podium structures, and mid-story concrete “day lighting” floors that meet the prescriptive and engineered requirements of IBC and AWC standards.

Contact Frontier for Your Commercial Project

We are currently accepting new commercial design projects with anticipated construction starts in 2025 and 2026. Call 719 247-2928 or submit a project inquiry through our contact form.

Ready to Talk Through Your Project?

Structural problems found in the field cost two to five times what they would have cost to solve on paper. Tell us about your project — scope, location, timeline, team — and we'll respond quickly with how we can help.