
October 6, 2020
Case Study: US Olympic & Paralympic Museum
Learn how KL&A utilized RISA to model and analyze the complex geometrical conditions of the new US Olympic & Paralympic Museum located in Colorado Springs, CO.
Light-framed construction has become increasingly prevalent in mid-rise and modular development, driven by its cost-efficiency, speed of construction, and adaptability. But with flexibility comes complexity. Engineers designing with wood and cold-formed steel (CFS) must navigate a unique set of challenges: diaphragm behavior, segmented shear walls, buckling sensitivity, and code-specific checks that differ from traditional hot-rolled steel or reinforced concrete structures. This article explores practical modeling and design approaches for light-framed buildings, focusing on how structural engineers can balance constructability, analysis clarity, and compliance with governing codes. Diaphragm Behavior: Not Always Rigid In light-framed buildings, flexible diaphragms are often assumed due to the nature of wood sheathing or light-gauge decking. However, as buildings increase in size and irregularity, this assumption deserves scrutiny. Flexible diaphragm assumptions work well in rectangular buildings with regular framing, but irregular load paths or large openings may require semi-rigid modeling to capture torsional behavior. Engineers should consider the influence of diaphragm stiffness when assigning lateral forces, especially in hybrid systems where part of the structure may be stiffer or tied into concrete cores. In projects where semi-rigid diaphragm analysis was warranted, integrating tools like finite element meshing helped visualize how in-plane stiffness impacted overall response—particularly in designs…
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Learn how KL&A utilized RISA to model and analyze the complex geometrical conditions of the new US Olympic & Paralympic Museum located in Colorado Springs, CO.
We are excited to announce that one of our own, Dr. Cheng Song PH.D, PE, was recently named the 2020 Young Engineer of the Year by the SEA of Southern California for his work as co-chair of the Younger Member committee.
The new RISACalc allows users to analyze single members (beams and columns) of all materials: hot rolled steel, wood, concrete, cold formed steel, aluminum, and stainless steel. The intuitive interface makes it easy to set up your model, apply loads, and view results.
RISA is excited to announce the acquisition of ADAPT Corporation. Over the past 30 years, both RISA and ADAPT have focused on developing best in class solutions that directly respond to the needs of our customers and the market, while also maintaining the highest level of customer support. As a...
Last week, RISA employees spend two days volunteering at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, CA. Both days were spent at the Food Distribution Center, where staff and volunteers worked together to sort, package and distribute enough food to feed 250,000 men, women and children each...
When using semi-rigid diaphragms in a RISAFloor/RISA-3D model, it is possible to see negative moments at the ends of pinned beams as a result of the link between the semi-rigid diaphragm and the beam-column connection.
RISA employees and their families recently participated in the 5th Annual Run4Water 5k at Mile Square Park where they raised over $6,400 towards the construction of wells that provide access to clean water to communities in Uganda. Congratulations to everyone involved and for more information about...
RISA recently completed renovations to their Foothill Ranch, CA office. The renovations include a new kitchen and coffee bar, new conference rooms and updated open office concept that allows various departments to easily work collaboratively together.
The International Code Council just released the 2018 International Building Code (IBC) in August 2017.
Our monthly "Structural Moment" newsletter is the best way to keep up with RISA’s product updates, new releases, new features, training events, webinars and more...