With the adoption of ASCE 7-22, the concept of a multi-period response spectrum has been added to seismic design requirements. While this provides more accurate hazard representation, it also means engineers need to generate and input additional site-specific data. This quick workflow shows how to...
While members (beams and columns) follow conventions tied to their local axes, interpreting results for wall panels, plate elements, and design strips requires a slightly different perspective. These elements deal with both in-plane and out-of-plane behavior, and the sign conventions can change...
RISA software products use different sign conventions depending on the product’s purpose and typical use case. While the conventions are logical within each program, they may appear inconsistent when moving between tools like RISA-3D, RISAFloor, RISAFoundation, and RISAConnection. This article...
Exploring a new structural design software purchase? If you’ve ever wondered how RISA’s software could fit into your structural design workflow, a RISA Software Tour is the fastest way to find out—no guesswork, no canned presentations. In this free, 1-hour session, you’ll meet 1-on-1 with a RISA...
We often get asked: “Should I model my foundation as a slab or a spread footing in RISAFoundation?” While both are valid options, they use very different analysis methods, and the results can vary accordingly. In this article, we’ll walk through a side-by-side comparison, using the same modeled...
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...
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...
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...
