Tips & Tricks
July 3, 2025
From Sketch to Steel: Streamlining Fabricator Coordination
In structural steel projects, the transition from design to fabrication is a common source of coordination challenges. One of the biggest pain points? Connection design. Whether it’s miscommunication on end reactions or unclear design intent, connection assumptions can break down in the gap between engineering and detailing. By using RISA-3D and RISAConnection—and leveraging direct integrations with SDS2 and Tekla Structures—structural engineers can streamline the handoff to fabricators, reduce errors, and improve collaboration. This post walks through how to support real-world coordination using these tools in practice. 1. Model and Analyze the Steel Frame in RISA-3D Start by building your structural steel frame in RISA-3D. Define geometry, assign member sizes, apply loads, and analyze the model. Once you're satisfied with the analysis results, RISA-3D provides the connection forces—axial, shear, and moment reactions—for each member end. 2. Export Connection Forces to RISAConnection Next, send selected members and their design forces to RISAConnection. This direct integration eliminates the need to manually transfer loads or recreate geometry. Once in RISAConnection, you can: Choose from a library of shear, moment, and braced connections Model the full geometry, including bolt patterns, welds, and gusset plates View pass/fail results for each limit state, with clear failure mode…
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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...
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...

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...

May 22, 2025
How RISA Powers Manufacturing Facility Design from Top to Bottom
Case Study: Designing for Strength at Every Level When a Midwest engineering firm was tasked with designing a 120,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, they knew the challenge wasn’t just about steel and concrete—it was about integration. The structure needed to support overhead cranes, custom...

February 25, 2025
A Day in the Life of an Industrial Structural Engineer
If you've ever wondered what it’s like to be an industrial structural engineer, let me paint you a picture: Imagine juggling a dozen problems at once—steel frames, conveyor supports, pipe racks, tank foundations—all while trying to decipher a set of drawings that look like they were faxed from...

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...
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