
May 1, 2020
Video: Aluminum Member Design in RISACalc
Learn how to load and design individual beam and column aluminum members in RISACalc.
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 distribution of forces doesn't align with your design expectations, it may be due to unintended interaction between these elements. Accurately capturing structural behavior requires not only the right modeling approach, but also a clear understanding of how plates and members interact within the analysis. In this article, we’ll explore common scenarios where this issue can arise, explain why it happens, and provide practical tips and workarounds to ensure your results match your design intent. Why Model Plate Elements in the First Place? Before diving into the interaction between elements, it’s worth asking: Do I need to model plate elements at all? In many cases, member design and stability can be accurately represented using simplified area or line loads—and plates might not be necessary. However, there are valid reasons to model plates, including: The model is unstable and needs plate elements for diaphragm action. Plates are part of the lateral load path. You want a…
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Learn how to load and design individual beam and column aluminum members in RISACalc.
The new Aluminum ADM 2015 code has been added in RISA-3D v15.0. To select this code for your design, simply open the (Global) Model Settings and under the Codes tab select AA ADM1-15:
The bending and axial code checks for single angles differ somewhat from other shape types, because single angles behave quite differently in bending and compression depending on how they are braced along their length.
In Aluminum design, the welded areas have a decreased material strength and RISA-3D can assign any material strength to the members based on the Material spreadsheet.
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