Determining Masonry Wall Compression Block Depth Value
August 18, 2020

Determining Masonry Wall Compression Block Depth Value "a"

When determining the Depth of Compression Block value of ‘a’ in a Masonry Wall design based on the equation a = (As * fy)/(0.8 * fm * b) in a RISA-3D model, it is possible to see a small variance in the program results versus a traditional hand calculation using this typical equation. The reason...

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Improving Mass Participation in RISA-3D
July 21, 2020

Improving Mass Participation in RISA-3D

In structural engineering, a modal analysis uses the overall mass and stiffness of a structure to find the various periods at which the structure will naturally resonate, along with the frequencies of vibration of the structure. In RISA-3D, the modal analysis is a prerequisite to the response...

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Expanded Results for Contour Plots
July 7, 2020

Expanded Results for Contour Plots

Color contours and gradients can be very helpful to visualize the forces/stresses of plates and wall panels. But did you know there are other design tools that can be helpful in analyzing and understanding these contours? The family of Internal Force Summation Tools (IFST, IFST Wall and IFST Slab)...

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Why is my force demand higher than what is reported in my force…
May 19, 2020

Why is my force demand higher than what is reported in my force…

A question that we are asked from time to time in technical support is “why is my required force higher than what is reported in my force diagrams”. For instance, in the detail report below we can see that the maximum moment about the member’s weak axis is 28.9 k-ft. However, the required weak axis...

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RISA-Tekla Link v10 Released
May 7, 2020

RISA-Tekla Link v10 Released

The release of the RISA-Tekla Link v10 introduces compatibility with Tekla Structures V2020. This update of the link includes the following features as well as other enhancements:

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How Do Flexible Diaphragms Work on Sloped Roofs?
April 23, 2020

How Do Flexible Diaphragms Work on Sloped Roofs?

RISAFloor supports the use of flexible diaphragms on both flat and sloped roofs. Before reviewing the workflow for utilizing a flexible diaphragm on a sloped roof, it makes sense to review and understand the basic behavior of flexible diaphragms within RISAFloor. To do this, please first review the...

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RISA-3D v18.0.4 Released
April 15, 2020

RISA-3D v18.0.4 Released

Over the last few weeks, we have been working hard to add the features and functionality that our customers have requested as well fix some of the issues that have been reported. With that in mind, we have prepared a new update of RISA-3D (v18.0.4) that includes the following features as well as...

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Understanding Out-of-Plane Shear Capacity of Concrete Wall Panels
April 7, 2020

Understanding Out-of-Plane Shear Capacity of Concrete Wall Panels

When designing concrete shear walls for lateral loading, RISA-3D includes design checks for both in-plane and out-of-plane shear. In the condition where a concrete wall is under both axial tension and out-of-plane shear, the out-of-plane shear limit state for a specific region within the concrete...

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