Tips & Tricks

December 29, 2025

What’s New for IBC 2024 in RISA: A Closer Look

With RISA’s latest release of RISA-3D v23.0.1, we’re continuing to expand support for IBC 2024, helping engineers stay aligned with the latest building code requirements as adoption accelerates across the U.S.—including federally funded projects. This release builds on v23.0.0 ASCE 7-22 enhancements and adds key material design updates that move RISA further into full IBC 2024 compliance. New Material Design Updates Supporting IBC 2024 The upcoming release introduces several important design code updates referenced by IBC 2024, including: Steel Seismic design per AISC 341-22 Prequalified connections per AISC 358-22 Continued support for AISC 360-22 (16th Edition) steel design Ongoing updates to the hot-rolled shape database, including compatibility with both 15th and 16th Edition steel manuals These updates support modern seismic detailing requirements and ensure consistency with current steel industry standards. Masonry Masonry design per TMS 402-22, aligning with the latest strength and serviceability provisions adopted by IBC 2024. Key updates include: Revisions to shear design equations, including clarified definitions of shear area as outlined in Table 4.4.5, improving consistency and transparency in shear capacity calculations. Updated strength reduction factors for flexure and combined flexure + axial. Unlike previous editions that used a fixed ϕ-factor of 0.9, TMS 402-22 introduces tension-controlled,…

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Design of Back-to-Back CFS profiles now in RISAFloor
October 30, 2020

Design of Back-to-Back CFS profiles now in RISAFloor

In many cases, cold-formed steel channels are built-up as back-to-back profiles in order to add strength and stability. Previously, these sections (along with face-to-face profiles) could be specified in RISAFloor, but unlike in RISA-3D could not be designed. RISAFloor v15 now includes the ability...

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Composite Steel Joists in RISAFloor
October 30, 2020

Composite Steel Joists in RISAFloor

RISAFloor now includes the ability for engineers to model with and design CJ-Series composite steel joists according to SJI 200-2015 and including the design of top/bottom chords, bridging, joist seat depth as well as headed stud size and spacing.

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Scaling Factor for Basic Load Cases
October 30, 2020

Scaling Factor for Basic Load Cases

The ability to apply a scaling factor to an entire Basic Load Case in the Basic Load Case spreadsheet is now available in RISA-3D v19. These scaling factors give the user the flexibility and freedom to modify and manipulate the loading conditions in the model.

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Orthotropic Plates in RISA-3D
October 30, 2020

Orthotropic Plates in RISA-3D

RISA-3D includes the ability to define the plate methodology of a material as orthotropic. In structural analysis and design, it may be useful to define plates or slabs that have different characteristics (stiffness) in the longitudinal and transverse directions. Doing so will result in the plates...

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Improvements to Solid Elements in RISA-3D
October 30, 2020

Improvements to Solid Elements in RISA-3D

A number of improvements have been made to solid elements in RISA-3D v19 allowing users enhanced flexibility in viewing input data as well as evaluating results associated with solid elements.

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Inclusion of RSA Results in RISAFoundation
October 30, 2020

Inclusion of RSA Results in RISAFoundation

With the release of RISAFoundation v13, you now have the ability to transfer Response Spectra Analysis reactions from RISA-3D v19. RISAFoundation now also includes additional seismic options that can be considered in the generation of Load Combinations.

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Updated Shear Contribution for Concrete (Vc) per ACI 318-19
October 29, 2020

Updated Shear Contribution for Concrete (Vc) per ACI 318-19

The new ACI 318-19 code has been implemented into RISA-3D v19, RISAFloor v15, and RISAFoundation v13. One of the biggest changes between the ACI 318-14 code and the ACI 318-19 code is the shear contribution provided by the concrete, Vc.

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LIVE ONLINE TRAINING: Introducing the RISA-3D Quick Start Course
October 15, 2020

LIVE ONLINE TRAINING: Introducing the RISA-3D Quick Start Course

The Quick Start Course is a 4-hour introduction to the basic features and functionality of RISA-3D that utilizes expert instruction and example models to familiarize users with the user interface as well as the main workflow of modeling, loading, analyzing, designing and documenting a model in...

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