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

September 1, 2026

Celebrating RISA Since 1987

1987 was the year President Reagan told Gorbachev to “tear down this wall” and the New York Giants won their first Super Bowl. Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” and The Bangles’ “Walk Like an Egyptian” topped the charts. While Pope John Paul II’s visit to Los Angeles drew national attention, the engineering world was also getting exciting news out of Southern California. RISA was founded there in September 1987. For nearly four decades, RISA has partnered with engineers to turn vision into structure. RISA-2D started it all, offering a simplified and straightforward software for the analysis and design of 2D structures. Today, that foundation has grown into a family of 10 products that support engineers throughout the design process from a single steel connection to a multi-story, post-tensioned concrete building. Through every stage of our company’s growth, RISA’s focus has remained the same: put the engineer first. RISA develops practical software with intuitive interfaces and efficient workflows, helping engineers spend less time on redundant tasks and more time applying their expertise to complex design challenges. We are grateful to the engineers who have been part of the RISA journey. Your trust, feedback, and challenging projects have helped shape…

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New (33)

June 28, 2018

A Deeper Understanding of Deflection and Member Deflection Ratios

There are many different types deflection values calculated by RISA-3D....

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June 21, 2018

Beam Deflection Ratio Options

RISA-3D v16.0.4 introduces an enhancement that will allow for more control...

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June 14, 2018

Viewing Applied Decks in RISAFloor

RISAFloor does not record the applied deck in a spreadsheet. To simplify...

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June 07, 2018

Improved Automesh & Local Axis Settings

RISA-3D now includes improved behavior of the automesh feature as well as...

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May 31, 2018

How do I Move RISA to a New Server?

Occasionally, you will find the need to change your server from an old...

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May 24, 2018

Concrete Pile Design for Pile Caps

Concrete pile design is now incorporated in the pile cap results in...

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May 17, 2018

RISA-Revit 2019 Link Now Available

RISA is pleased to announce the release of the latest RISA-Revit Link...

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May 10, 2018

Viewing Design Foundations in RISA-3D

RISA-3D v16 now includes the added ability to view foundations designed in...

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May 03, 2018

Enhanced "Move" Tools in RISAFoundation

RISAFoundation v10.0 now includes the added ability to move selected...

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