July 12, 2012

How to Add a Deck to a RISAFloor Model

RISAFloor has some default decks provided for you when you open the program in the Deck Definitions spreadsheet. You can use one of these decks or you can create your own by going to the bottom of the spreadsheet and press ENTER.

The Label can be any unique name you choose.
There are four types of deck material available. Click in the Material Type cell and press the arrow button to select the deck material and properties. You can choose from one of the four types of deck listed below.

Flat Slab

Composite Deck

Metal Deck

Wood Deck

Tags: RISAFloor, New

May 6, 2024 | Featured, RISAFloor, Composite Steel

How to Add a Composite Deck to the RISAFloor Deck Database

RISAFloor has four different deck types: concrete, composite, metal, and wood. When it comes to composite decks, there is a predefined Composite Deck definition already setup in the Deck Definitions spreadsheet. You can also specify a composite deck by (1) setting up your deck configuration using the existing options or (2) adding your composite deck into the RISAFloor deck database. In this article, review the steps outlined below for Option (2): editing your RISAFloor deck database. For Option (1), see our other support article in the link for those steps. Adding Deck Definitions in Your RISAFloor Model Add or Modify the RISAFloor Deck Database: The composite decks in the program are all based on spreadsheet data. Navigate to this database folder in C:\RISA User Data\%username\Decks. Inside this folder, you will see all the deck manufacturers and deck types. Find the deck type spreadsheet for which you want to add the deck, and then open it up in Excel. You can modify or add a row into the spreadsheet with the custom deck properties. Make sure all the fields are properly filled in to order avoid error messages later. Applying a Custom Deck in RISAFloor To apply your custom deck properties,…

March 28, 2023 | RISACalc

Troubleshooting Log-In Error for RISACalc

RISACalc is RISA's cloud based structural design software for single components. Are you having issues logging into RISACalc on your web browser? Try these steps below. Step 1: Check your internet connection. Step 2: Clear the site data for the internet browser's page. 1. Right click and select Inspect 2. In the options at the top, select Application 3. On the left menu, click Storage 4. Choose "clear site data" Step 3: Complete a hard refresh (Shift+F5). You should be brought to the main log in screen of RISACalc…

October 13, 2011 | Loads, RISAFloor, New

How to Check Floor Vibrations Using RISAFloor

One of the most overlooked design criteria for commercial buildings is the tendency of the floor system to bounce or vibrate due to human footfalls. Excessive vibration of the floor system is a serviceability issue, and can lead to annoyance or concern from the building’s occupants. Fortunately, RISAFloor has the ability to check the floor system’s performance in this regard, based on the criteria defined in AISC Design Guide #11. When you define area loads in RISAFloor, one of the definitions is for Vibration Load (VL). This represents the actual live load anticipated to be present on the floor. While typical design live loads can be upwards of 80 psf, the true live load (which will assist in dampening the floor vibration) in a commercial building is typically less than 20 psf. During solution the program determines the natural frequency of the floor system, considering the self weight of the beams and deck, as well as the additional Vibration Load, and compares that against a dynamic excitation caused by a person walking. The result is an expected floor system acceleration (%g), which can be compared against allowable accelerations for different building types. You can review the vibration results either through…