Risa Tips & Tricks: How to Use Our Structural Analysis Software

April 22, 2026

RISA-3D to RISAConnection: Making the Link Work

RISAConnection is designed to work directly with your RISAFloor and RISA-3D models, not as a separate “export‑and‑forget” tool. When the integration is set up correctly, RISAConnection can read your geometry, member sizes, connection rules, design method, and load combinations, then send connection results back into RISAFloor and RISA-3D for review. This article walks through how the integration behaves, what you can and cannot change in RISAConnection, and how to work with grouped connections efficiently. 1. What Actually Comes into RISAConnection When you integrate from RISAFloor or RISA-3D, RISAConnection creates a .rcn file with the same file name as your model in the same folder. You’ll see that the project is populated with all valid connections—only connection types that RISAConnection can design will be brought in. Data that is integrated: Geometry and member sizes Connection Rules from RISAFloor / RISA-3D (including bolted vs. welded settings) Design Method (ASD or LRFD) Applicable Seismic Design Rules from RISA-3D (for seismic connection types) Load combinations that have the “Connection” check‑box enabled in the RISAFloor / RISA-3D Load Combinations spreadsheet If a connection type or configuration is not supported by RISAConnection, it will not be added to the .rcn project and a warning will be…

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August 30, 2019

Nested Load Combinations in RISAFoundation

RISAFoundation includes the ability to utilize “nested” load combinations....

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August 30, 2019

LRFD Wood Design per AWC-NDS 2015/2018 Codes

Strength Design (LRFD) according to the AWC-NDS 2015/2018 code has been...

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August 30, 2019

Add Single Layer of Reinforcement anywhere in Slab

RISAFoundation has the ability to create a single layer of reinforcement...

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August 21, 2019

RISA-3D v18 Sneak Peek Videos

The new release of RISA-3D is right around the corner! Check out our...

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August 07, 2019

RISA Employees Volunteers at Second Harvest Food Bank

Last week, RISA employees spend two days volunteering at the Second...

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July 12, 2019

Implementing Realistic Behavior for T/C Members in RISA-3D

Tension or Compression (T/C) Only members are commonly used in steel...

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June 20, 2019

Understanding Wall Panel Forces with Rigid Diaphragms

When modeling building structures using steel or composite steel floors,...

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May 16, 2019

Pinned Beams in Semi-Rigid Diaphragms

When using semi-rigid diaphragms in a RISAFloor/RISA-3D model, it is...

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