
November 8, 2017
2018 IBC Coming Soon!
The International Code Council just released the 2018 International Building Code (IBC) in August 2017.
When modeling plate elements alongside member elements in RISA, users may notice that member forces—such as bending moments or axial loads—are lower than expected. This behavior is often the result of how loads are shared between plates and members based on their relative stiffness. If the distribution of forces doesn't align with your design expectations, it may be due to unintended interaction between these elements. Accurately capturing structural behavior requires not only the right modeling approach, but also a clear understanding of how plates and members interact within the analysis. In this article, we’ll explore common scenarios where this issue can arise, explain why it happens, and provide practical tips and workarounds to ensure your results match your design intent. Why Model Plate Elements in the First Place? Before diving into the interaction between elements, it’s worth asking: Do I need to model plate elements at all? In many cases, member design and stability can be accurately represented using simplified area or line loads—and plates might not be necessary. However, there are valid reasons to model plates, including: The model is unstable and needs plate elements for diaphragm action. Plates are part of the lateral load path. You want a…
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The International Code Council just released the 2018 International Building Code (IBC) in August 2017.
The Steel Joist Institute (SJI) sizes and capacities from the 44th Edition Standard Specifications Load Tables and Weight Tables for Steel Joists and Joist Girders are now available in RISAFloor v12. There were no changes from the 43rd to the 44th Editions so you’ll see that these two are grouped...
The new British Annex (BS EN1993-1-1:2014) for the European Hot Rolled Steel material code is now available in RISA-3D v16 and RISAFloor v12.
You can now set the L-Torque length for the EN1993-1-1:2014 code in RISA-3D and RISAFloor. In previous versions of the Eurocode, RISAFloor and RISA-3D used the full member length as the torque length when calculating torsional buckling. Now, per EN1993-1-1:2014 Section 13.3.2, we’ve added the...
The consideration of Live Load reduction is a feature that has been in RISAFloor from the very beginning. However, recent changes to the interface make it significantly easier for you to understand how live load reduction is affecting the design forces in your structure.
RISAFloor now has the ability to double-click a member to open the Member Information dialog. This feature has been in RISA-3D but now it is available in RISAFloor. Double click any member in your model and the Member dialog box opens. It has three tabs: General, Properties and Design.
The CSA A23.3-14 code has been implemented in RISA-3D v15.0, RISAFloor v11.0, and RISAFoundation v9.0.
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