January 23, 2026

A Day in the Life of a RISA-3D User

What does a typical day look like for an engineer using RISA-3D? From initial model setup to final analysis, RISA-3D simplifies complex structural design tasks, saving time and enhancing accuracy. This narrative follows an engineer tackling a mid-sized steel-framed warehouse project, showcasing how RISA-3D’s powerful features streamline every step of the process. 7:30 AM: Morning Coffee and Project Kickoff As the day begins, the first task is reviewing the new project’s scope. It’s a mid-sized steel-framed warehouse, and the architectural plans have just landed in the inbox. Armed with a fresh cup of coffee, the engineer opens RISA-3D, ready to create the initial model. One of RISA’s standout features becomes apparent immediately: its user-friendly interface. The engineer sets up grids and assigns materials in just minutes, appreciating the intuitive workflow that keeps everything organized from the start. 9:00 AM: Importing and Integration With the structural grid in place, it’s time to integrate the Revit model provided by the architects. The seamless RISA-Revit Link ensures a smooth import, saving hours of manual data entry. Columns, beams, and even structure geometry are automatically transferred, leaving the engineer free to focus on refinement. A quick visual review confirms that everything matches the architectural…

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RISA-3D (21)

December 22, 2015

Wood Design per AWC NDS 2015 Wood Code

The latest versions of RISA-3D and RISAFloor now incorporate the AWC NDS...

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December 16, 2015

Concrete Design per ACI 318-14 Concrete Code now Available

The new ACI 318-14 code has been implemented into RISA-3D v14, RISAFloor...

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December 09, 2015

Envelope Detail Report Results

RISA-3D v14 introduced envelope detail reports for all material members....

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November 24, 2015

Making a Time History Animation Video

Time history analysis solves for normal analysis results (joint...

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September 22, 2015

Why Did the Wood Design Values Drop?

You may notice discrepancies in the wood design values when comparing RISA...

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September 16, 2015

How RISA-3D Calculates Member Deflection Ratios

After solving a model, you will see in the Member Deflections spreadsheet...

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September 09, 2015

Why don’t the Beams in my Frame have axial force?

The beams in a lateral force resisting system, such as a braced frame or...

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August 25, 2015

What does the Include Structure Weight Checkbox Do for Seismic Loads?

In the Seismic Loads dialog there is a checkbox for “Include structure...

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August 20, 2015

Residual Rigid Response (Dynamics)

When running a Response Spectrum analysis for seismic design, the response...

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