January 23, 2026

A Day in the Life of a RISA-3D User

What does a typical day look like for an engineer using RISA-3D? From initial model setup to final analysis, RISA-3D simplifies complex structural design tasks, saving time and enhancing accuracy. This narrative follows an engineer tackling a mid-sized steel-framed warehouse project, showcasing how RISA-3D’s powerful features streamline every step of the process. 7:30 AM: Morning Coffee and Project Kickoff As the day begins, the first task is reviewing the new project’s scope. It’s a mid-sized steel-framed warehouse, and the architectural plans have just landed in the inbox. Armed with a fresh cup of coffee, the engineer opens RISA-3D, ready to create the initial model. One of RISA’s standout features becomes apparent immediately: its user-friendly interface. The engineer sets up grids and assigns materials in just minutes, appreciating the intuitive workflow that keeps everything organized from the start. 9:00 AM: Importing and Integration With the structural grid in place, it’s time to integrate the Revit model provided by the architects. The seamless RISA-Revit Link ensures a smooth import, saving hours of manual data entry. Columns, beams, and even structure geometry are automatically transferred, leaving the engineer free to focus on refinement. A quick visual review confirms that everything matches the architectural…

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November 10, 2015

How Do I Define Specific Member Sizes in RISAFloor?

RISAFloor is a design program in which it takes basic shape criteria about...

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October 28, 2015

Tolerance Between SP Joists vs. Normal Joists

Have you been in RISAFloor performing a steel product design and noticed...

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September 22, 2015

Why Did the Wood Design Values Drop?

You may notice discrepancies in the wood design values when comparing RISA...

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September 09, 2015

Why don’t the Beams in my Frame have axial force?

The beams in a lateral force resisting system, such as a braced frame or...

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September 02, 2015

How should I model beams in Revit to make them import into RISAFloor…

Revit offers two options for setting the elevation of beams. The way these...

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August 25, 2015

What does the Include Structure Weight Checkbox Do for Seismic Loads?

In the Seismic Loads dialog there is a checkbox for “Include structure...

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August 20, 2015

Residual Rigid Response (Dynamics)

When running a Response Spectrum analysis for seismic design, the response...

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August 11, 2015

What Loads Transfer from RISAFloor to RISA-3D?

RIAFloor designs the gravity system and then integrates with RISA-3D to...

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August 08, 2015

How do you add Shear Caps to columns?

Per the ACI, you can add a Shear Cap to your column to increase the shear...

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