How To: Maximizing Productivity During Winter Slowdowns

The winter months bring a unique set of challenges to structural engineering: projects slow down, site conditions become less predictable, and downtime can be harder to avoid. However, this season also brings opportunities to work smarter, streamline workflows, and plan ahead for a productive year. Here’s how you can help keep projects on track even in the frostiest months.

1. Winter Prep: Tackle Delayed Analysis

Cold weather is often the perfect time to tackle those time-intensive analyses that may have been put on the back burner. With RISA-3D’s robust modeling environment, winter downtime becomes the ideal chance to dive into in-depth analysis and design. RISA-3D lets you quickly model complex geometries and visualize load paths in ways that manual calculations simply can’t replicate. And for foundation design, RISAFoundation can handle everything from frost heave assessments to wind uplift forces, enabling you to get the clearest picture of how your structures will withstand winter’s impact.

Take advantage of the winter slowdown to refine and validate your foundation designs, ensuring every project element is prepared to endure the season.

2. Expand Your Toolset with RISA’s Comprehensive Training Programs

Winter is an ideal time for skill building. RISA offers a range of training options—covering RISA-3D, RISAFloor, RISAFoundation, and ADAPT-Builder. These resources allow you to dive into courses tailored to specific project demands or areas where you’d like to grow. From a Quick Start Course to in-depth training for mat slab design, RISA’s training resources are designed to give you actionable skills you can immediately apply to your next project.

Boost your knowledge of RISA’s tools this winter, so you can hit the ground running when project timelines pick back up.

3. Plan for 2025 with a Streamlined Workflow

Winter offers structural engineers a natural opportunity to reassess and refine workflows, especially when project timelines may allow for more flexibility. Consider integrating tools like Revit and Excel to streamline repetitive tasks, minimize rework, and enhance team collaboration. Implementing these adjustments now can help save time and boost efficiency, especially for firms tackling larger or more complex projects in the upcoming year.

With RISA’s powerful suite integrations and custom training options, you’ll not only set up a more efficient process but also prepare your team for a seamless transition into the busy months ahead.


Happy Holidays from RISA!

Winter may be a quieter time for fieldwork, but it’s the perfect season to strengthen your structural design arsenal. By tackling intensive modeling and analysis, brushing up on new skills, and fine-tuning workflows, you’ll be well-equipped for a productive 2025. 

Partner with RISA

With RISA’s powerful suite integrations and custom training options, you’ll not only set up a more efficient process but also prepare your team for a seamless transition into the busy months ahead.