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 31, 2012

How to Model Multiple Pedestals/Loads on One Footing

RISAFoundation includes a footing element which is represented by a single...

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August 09, 2012

How to Model a Column within a Wall in RISA-3D

While RISA-3D does not currently have pilaster design, there are still...

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July 12, 2012

How to Add a Deck to a RISAFloor Model

RISAFloor has some default decks provided for you when you open the...

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June 07, 2012

How to Apply Hydrostatic Loads to Circular Tanks in RISA-3D

RISA-3D v10 now has the ability to quickly and easily apply hydrostatic...

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June 05, 2012

How to Account for Axial Loads in your RISAConnection Designs

With the new RISAConnection version 2.0, users now have the ability to...

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May 17, 2012

Detailed Look at Lintel Analysis for Concrete Walls in RISA

RISA-3D now has the ability to design concrete walls with openings for...

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April 03, 2012

Why Don’t My Response Spectra Reactions Satisfy Statics?

The applied loads in a response spectrum analysis (RSA) are the applied...

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March 01, 2012

How to Get a Code Check for Custom Cold Formed Steel Shapes

In order to get code calculations, RISA-3D and RISA-2D need to know what...

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February 23, 2012

How Do I Resolve a P-Delta Instability?

Investigating P-Delta instabilities in RISA-3D (or RISA-2D) can be...

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