Introduction
Structural engineering in Uganda follows both British Standards and the Eurocodes: BS 8110 and EN 1992 for concrete, EN 1993 for steel, and EN 1991 for actions. This framework sets the design criteria for residential, commercial, and institutional projects across the country. KAHL Consults Limited, a Kampala-based multidisciplinary consultancy, works within it. Its team of architects, engineers, surveyors, environmental specialists, and real estate consultants delivers innovative, sustainable, and value-driven solutions.
The practice is led by Eng. Happy Moses Were, a registered Civil and Structural Engineering Practitioner in Uganda and the firm’s Managing Partner. Over the years, KAHL Consults has supported several Turkish-led developments in Uganda, reviewing designs prepared to Turkish engineering standards and adapting them to Ugandan and Eurocode requirements. The team relies on ProtaStructure — itself a Turkish-built solution — for modelling and verification. That shared engineering ground between the two countries becomes an additional assurance for clients.
Discovery of ProtaStructure
KAHL Consults first encountered ProtaStructure in 2012, when engineers still knew it as Orion. The team was working with ETABS, SAP2000, and SAFE at the time, but wanted a single connected workflow that brought modelling, analysis, design, reinforcement detailing, and documentation into one environment.
After evaluating the software for some time, the firm purchased a genuine licence in 2019. The move gave the team technical support, regular updates, structured training, and access to the Prota user community. ProtaStructure is now the firm’s primary structural design platform, and Eng. Were regards it as one of his best professional investments.
“I have grown professionally alongside ProtaStructure. Watching the software evolve while applying it to increasingly complex projects has been a rewarding journey, and I look forward to seeing how it continues to shape the future of structural engineering.”
Useful Features
For KAHL Consults, the greatest strength of ProtaStructure is its integrated workflow. The team models, analyses, designs, and details from a single model, and generates every drawing and report from that same model. Because ProtaStructure updates the whole project automatically when a design changes, drafting time drops, coordination errors shrink, and overall productivity rises.
Working in one environment also speeds up decisions: the team can compare several design options quickly and optimise each structural system while the models stay compliant with Eurocode requirements. Automated detailing and documentation lift both output quality and delivery speed.
The capabilities the team highlights:
- One integrated model for modelling, analysis, design, detailing, and documentation
- Automatic updates whenever a design revision changes the project
- Automated reinforcement detailing and drawing generation
- Shorter drafting time and fewer coordination errors
- Fast comparison and optimisation of alternative structural systems
Project Case Studies: Kampala Developments
With their clients’ permission, KAHL Consults has shared several Kampala projects. The team designed and verified each one with ProtaStructure Suite, and each is built on a different structural system:
- Condominium Apartments – Kololo, Kampala: composite (ribbed) slab systems with wide beams
- Condominium Apartments – Bugolobi, Kampala: flat slab systems with patch panels
- Nursing School – Mengo Hospital, Kampala: composite (ribbed) and solid slab systems with drop beams
Although each project called for its own slab and beam configuration, the workflow ran the same way across all three: the team moved from modelling to analysis, detailing, and documentation without switching tools, which kept coordination overhead and manual drafting low.
Resources and Demonstrations
For hands-on walkthroughs of the modelling, analysis, and detailing features described here, explore the tutorial and demonstration playlists on our YouTube channel. The Prota Help Center offers in-depth articles and support options; follow us on social media for recent events and new feature releases.
Real-World Applications
Browse our Project Gallery to explore real-world structures modeled with ProtaStructure Suite, including KAHL Consults’ recent Kampala developments.
