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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The Ultimate Guide to Instability Warnings in RISA-3D
June 3, 2025

The Ultimate Guide to Instability Warnings in RISA-3D

Modeling instability can be one of the most frustrating errors to troubleshoot in structural software. Whether you're a new user or a seasoned pro, instability warnings in RISA-3D can bring your workflow to a halt if not properly diagnosed and resolved. This master article brings together all the...

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ADAPT-Builder: Fixing Instability Warnings Due to Multiple Slabs
March 11, 2025

ADAPT-Builder: Fixing Instability Warnings Due to Multiple Slabs

When working with ADAPT-Builder, in some models users may encounter an instability warning due to multiple slabs on a single level. This can be frustrating, but we're here to help! The root cause is typically related to insufficient boundary conditions allowing unintended translation or rotation....

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Solving P-Delta Divergences in RISA-3D
November 13, 2019

Solving P-Delta Divergences in RISA-3D

In this video, you’ll learn how to investigate your RISA-3D model for P-Delta divergence errors. This type of error is common in general structural analysis software and has two major causes: a model that is unstable or a model that is too flexible. For this investigation, two separate steel frame...

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Instabilities in RISA-3D with Flexible Diaphragms
October 19, 2016

Instabilities in RISA-3D with Flexible Diaphragms

In a model that contains both RISAFloor and RISA-3D data it is possible to define your diaphragms as either flexible or rigid for lateral design. You can do this from the Diaphragms spreadsheet in either program:

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How Do I Resolve a P-Delta Instability?
February 23, 2012

How Do I Resolve a P-Delta Instability?

Investigating P-Delta instabilities in RISA-3D (or RISA-2D) can be difficult. The first step is usually to solve the model without the P-Delta effect included to see if there are any obvious deflection problems that could cause issues with a P-Delta analysis. But, what can be done when this doesn’t...

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How Do I Avoid Instability Warnings in a RISA-3D Model?
June 13, 2011

How Do I Avoid Instability Warnings in a RISA-3D Model?

Have you ever received an instability warning when running a three dimensional RISA-3D model? This is because RISA-3D cannot build the stiffness matrix with the configuration you have modeled. In some cases, your model is truly unstable and in others it’s a matter of correctly modeling your...

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How Do I Investigate My RISA-3D Model Using the Deflected Shape?
March 9, 2011

How Do I Investigate My RISA-3D Model Using the Deflected Shape?

When your RISA-3D model is not behaving as you anticipated, one of the best tools you have is viewing the deflected shape. Displaying the deflection graphically will help you visualize how the model is behaving and will often times bring to light modeling errors.

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How to Model Tension-Only Bracing in RISA-3D
January 18, 2011

How to Model Tension-Only Bracing in RISA-3D

Before reading this, be sure to check out the article linked below on X-Bracing. In RISA-3D, you can set a member to be tension-only by selecting it and selecting Tension Only or Euler Buckling from the Additional Properties section of the Member Properties.

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How to Model X-Bracing in RISA-3D
January 6, 2011

How to Model X-Bracing in RISA-3D

There are several tips to modeling X-Bracing within RISA-3D that can help the model solve faster and give you better results.

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