Designing Light-Framed Structures: Tips for Wood & CFS
July 22, 2025

Designing Light-Framed Structures: Tips for Wood & CFS

Light-framed construction has become increasingly prevalent in mid-rise and modular development, driven by its cost-efficiency, speed of construction, and adaptability. But with flexibility comes complexity. Engineers designing with wood and cold-formed steel (CFS) must navigate a unique set of...

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How RISA-3D Handles Wall Surface Loads at Openings
July 17, 2025

How RISA-3D Handles Wall Surface Loads at Openings

When designing shear walls in RISA-3D, it’s common to add surface loads—whether to simulate lateral wind or seismic pressures, or even out-of-plane loads. But what happens when those loads intersect with openings in your wall panels? Let’s walk through exactly how RISA-3D handles this scenario...

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RISAConnection in Practice
July 15, 2025

RISAConnection in Practice

Steel buildings are rarely simple—and the connections that tie them together often present some of the biggest design and coordination challenges. For engineers in the field, tools like RISAConnection aren’t just software—they’re essential to streamlining design, verifying code compliance, and...

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Rethinking Tall Building Design
June 24, 2025

Rethinking Tall Building Design

In structural engineering, few design challenges are as rewarding—or as unforgiving—as the tall building. While gravity systems and code checks form the backbone of any structural project, once a structure rises beyond ten or fifteen stories, a shift occurs. Wind and seismic forces begin to...

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Understanding Plate and Member Interaction in RISA
June 17, 2025

Understanding Plate and Member Interaction in RISA

When modeling plate elements alongside member elements in RISA, users may notice that member forces—such as bending moments or axial loads—are lower than expected. This behavior is often the result of how loads are shared between plates and members based on their relative stiffness. If the...

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RISA Employee Spotlight: Tim Barton
June 10, 2025

RISA Employee Spotlight: Tim Barton

Meet Tim Barton, one of RISA's go-to problem solvers and Solutions Engineer extraordinaire! With a background as diverse as his playlist, Tim's engineering journey started with a BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Utah State University. Since earning his PE license in Utah, he's tackled...

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RISACalc in the Field
June 5, 2025

RISACalc in the Field

RISACalc in the Field: A Case Study in Confidence and Convenience It was a typical Thursday morning for Emma Ruiz, PE, a structural engineer at a small consulting firm in Colorado. Her day started with a site visit to a rural school renovation—a project where her team was assessing whether a...

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