RISA | Tips & Tricks (39)

February 18, 2025

Ready to Reconnect? How to Make the Most of Returning to RISA

Whether you’re coming back to RISA after a short break or revisiting it after years away, we’re here to make your return seamless and rewarding. From updated features to enhanced training resources, RISA is more equipped than ever to support your structural engineering needs. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you re-engage with RISA and maximize your experience. 1. Assess Your Needs Before diving back in, take a moment to consider your current project requirements. Are you focusing on steel design, concrete analysis, or something else? Knowing your priorities will help you identify the RISA products and features that align with your goals. Quick Tip: New to RISA? Check out our products with an engineer to see which tools best match your project scope. 2. Explore What’s New RISA software evolves continuously to meet industry demands. If it’s been a while, you might be amazed by the new features and integrations we’ve introduced. For example: Enhanced RISA-3D and RISAFloor integration for seamless lateral and gravity design workflows. New templates and tools for complex systems like semi-rigid diaphragms. Improved interoperability with Revit and other BIM software. Next Step: Visit our New Features page to catch up on the latest updates. 3…

July 26, 2018

How to Troubleshoot Unsupported Deck Edges

Have you ever received error message 2054 when modeling in RISAFloor?

July 19, 2018

Designing Multi-Material Models for ASD & LRFD with one solution

RISA-3D includes material specific checkboxes on the Design tab of the Load Combinations spreadsheet that allow you to define the load combinations that shall be checked for members of different materials.

July 12, 2018

Plate Elements Available in Material Takeoff

RISA-3D now includes plate elements in the Material Takeoff.

July 5, 2018

Viewing column information graphically in RISAFloor

RISAFloor column results are available in the results spreadsheets, but you may not be aware that you can also graphically review the input and results of columns. To do this you need to customize your toolbar, which is an option available in the Tools menu:

June 28, 2018

A Deeper Understanding of Deflection and Member Deflection Ratios

There are many different types deflection values calculated by RISA-3D. Let’s take a deeper dive into each.

June 21, 2018

Beam Deflection Ratio Options

RISA-3D v16.0.4 introduces an enhancement that will allow for more control over the beam deflection ratio through Deflection Ratio Options. As part of the member properties, you can now designate the ends of single and multi-span beams as a cantilever or supported. This will determine whether the...

June 14, 2018

Viewing Applied Decks in RISAFloor

RISAFloor does not record the applied deck in a spreadsheet. To simplify modeling, it instead assumes a default deck is drawn within the entire diaphragm edge. If you have an area that will be a different deck or a different span direction, then you are free to draw in over the default. Whatever is...

June 7, 2018

Improved Automesh & Local Axis Settings

RISA-3D now includes improved behavior of the automesh feature as well as the newly added global model setting for Plate Local Axis. The new plate local axis options include both Nodal and Global. These options allow for more control over plates which can lead to clearer results in plate contour...

May 24, 2018

Concrete Pile Design for Pile Caps

Concrete pile design is now incorporated in the pile cap results in RISAFoundation. With the addition of axial pile design in RISAFoundation v10.0, the program can model concrete pile shapes and design the reinforcement, or the user can also apply their own custom rebar layout. Now you can get a...

Tips & Tricks