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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September 06, 2012

How to Install a RISA Program on a Mac

RISA programs are Windows-based and require a Windows operating system to...

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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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