Structural Design
Engineering upgrades for buildings built to do more
A structural upgrade is not the same as building new. You are working with an existing structure — one that was designed to a different code, carries unknown modifications, and may have as-built conditions that differ from the original drawings. Upgrade engineering requires a different approach: assess what is there, understand its limitations, and design precisely what needs to change.
IA Engineering provides structural upgrade design for residential, commercial, and industrial buildings across Sydney and NSW. Whether you are adding a second storey to a 1970s brick veneer home, removing a load-bearing wall for an open-plan renovation, or reinforcing an existing structure to meet current seismic and wind loading requirements, our team starts with a thorough understanding of the existing structure before recommending any intervention.
Our upgrade documentation meets NCC, AS 1170.4, AS 3600, and AS 4100 requirements and is prepared for submission to councils and certifiers across NSW. We also issue Section 6.9 certificates under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act where required.
Upgrade engineering that starts with what's already there
Before we design anything new, we assess what exists. Our upgrade engineering is grounded in a rigorous assessment of the existing structure — its materials, its condition, and its actual load path.
- Additional storey additions
- Load increase & reinforcement
- Seismic & wind uplift upgrades
- Heritage & existing structure work
Second storey addition to an existing single-storey brick veneer home — the original footing system was assessed and selectively upgraded to carry the new loads.
Structural upgrades we engineer
Structural upgrades span a wide variety of project types and building ages. Our team works across residential, commercial, and industrial buildings, addressing everything from wall removals in a 1960s cottage to full seismic reinforcement programs for multi-storey commercial buildings. The following are the main upgrade types we regularly engineer.
Additional Storey Additions
Adding a storey to an existing building is one of the most structurally demanding upgrade types. The existing walls, columns, and footings must be assessed for their capacity to carry the new loads, and in most cases, selective strengthening of the existing structure is required alongside the new storey design. We assess the existing structure, design the new level, and specify the precise upgrade works needed below — minimising unnecessary intervention while ensuring the complete building is structurally sound.
Wall Removal & Structural Openings
Removing a load-bearing wall or creating a new opening in an existing structural wall requires understanding how the original building carries its loads and designing a replacement load path — typically a steel or LVL beam with appropriate end supports and connections. We design beam sizes, end bearing details, and any necessary column or pier strengthening, and provide drawings for the builder and certifier.
Footing & Foundation Upgrades
Older buildings in Sydney often have undersized footings by today's standards — strip footings that were sufficient for a single storey brick home are frequently inadequate when a second storey is added. We design footing upgrades including underpinning, pad footing extensions, and new pile or pier systems to transfer the increased loads. All footing designs are coordinated with geotechnical reports and existing utility locations.
Seismic & Structural Reinforcement
NSW is a moderate seismic zone, and buildings designed prior to the adoption of AS 1170.4 may not meet current seismic requirements. We assess existing structures against current code requirements and design targeted reinforcement — including bracing additions, hold-down connections, shear wall panels, and drag strut systems — to bring the building up to standard with the minimum necessary intervention.
"Upgrading an existing structure is harder than building new — you're working with what's there, not what would be ideal, and the unknowns take engineering experience to navigate."
IA Engineering Design Team
Site Assessments
Every project starts here
AS 1170.4
Seismic design
Heritage to Industrial
All building types
The challenge of existing structures
As-built drawings for older buildings are frequently inaccurate, incomplete, or entirely absent. Walls that appear non-load-bearing on the original plans may have been modified to carry loads during a previous renovation. Concrete that was specified at 25 MPa may have been placed at lower strength due to quality control issues at the time of construction. Before we design any upgrade, we conduct a thorough site assessment to establish the actual condition of the existing structure — not to rely on what the drawings say.
Where the existing material condition is uncertain, we coordinate non-destructive testing, concrete core testing, or timber structural grade assessments to establish reliable design values. This upfront investment in understanding what exists avoids costly surprises during construction — and ensures that the upgrade we design is appropriate for the actual building, not a theoretical one.
The construction sequence for upgrade works matters as much as the final design. We specify a clear staged construction sequence that ensures the existing structure is adequately supported at each stage, and that new structural elements are connected and loaded in the right order. This is particularly important for storey additions and wall removal projects where the load path changes fundamentally during construction.
Standards & Compliance
All IA Engineering structural upgrade designs are prepared to current Australian Standards and the National Construction Code. Our engineers are registered in NSW and issue signed structural certification for all upgrade works.
How we work with you
Structural upgrade projects involve more back-and-forth than new build projects, because the design has to respond to what we find during assessment. We keep clients, builders, and architects informed at each stage — when we identify something unexpected, we explain it clearly, outline the options, and recommend the most practical path forward.
Our structural upgrade documentation typically includes an existing structure assessment report, upgrade design calculations, and construction drawings showing all new and modified structural elements with specification notes. Where required, we prepare a staged construction sequence drawing to guide the builder through the critical phases of work.
We also provide site inspections at key stages of upgrade works — checking that the existing structure matches our assumptions, verifying the connection details are correctly installed, and issuing compliance certificates on completion. This end-to-end involvement gives our clients, builders, and certifiers confidence that the completed structure performs as designed.
Upgraded Structures, Certified Performance