
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.
In structural engineering, few design challenges are as rewarding—or as unforgiving—as the tall building. While gravity systems and code checks form the backbone of any structural project, once a structure rises beyond ten or fifteen stories, a shift occurs. Wind and seismic forces begin to dominate. Story drift and torsional irregularities become non-negligible. Load paths grow increasingly indirect. And design decisions, if not carefully made early on, can have exponential consequences higher in the structure. Tall buildings are not simply “bigger” versions of short ones. They behave differently. And understanding those differences is essential for any engineer working in an urban environment where building vertically is often the only viable path forward. Modeling for Reality, Not Just Code The foundation of any successful tall building design lies in the model—its assumptions, resolution, and degree of abstraction. Many engineers begin with simplified representations: rigid diaphragms, idealized connections, and linear material properties. This is practical and often sufficient for early design phases. But as the building increases in height and complexity, those assumptions may start to mask critical behaviors. Semi-rigid diaphragm modeling, for instance, allows engineers to capture in-plane flexibility of floor systems—especially important in buildings with irregular cores, open floor plans,…
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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...