Product Overview:
RISA-3D (Version 5.5)
The most popular 3D Structural Engineering Software in the U.S. for Analysis & Design of general frame, truss, or plate/shell structures.

What’s New

The many new features we’ve added with Version 5.5 make it even better. Some of these new features are:

• Automatic Plate Mesh Generator – Draw a Polygon to Generate a Mesh of Well Formed Plates
• Improved Wood Design – NDS 2001 and Design of SCL (Structural Composite Lumber)
• Added ACI 2002, CSA A23.3-94, BS8110-1:1997, EC 2-1992, IS456:2000
• Concrete Beam Detailing
• Design of Concrete Beam T and L Sections
• Concrete Column Interaction Diagrams
• Automatic Soil Spring Generation
• Multiple Simultaneous Dynamic Solutions to Handle Accidental Torsion
• Very Powerful Automatic Truss Generator
• Automatic Shear Summation at Any Elevation for Shear Walls
• Seamless Integration with RISAFoot (Version 2) for Advanced Footing Design and Detailing
• Much Faster Area Load Processing
• Robust Two Way Link with ProSteel™ for Steel Detailing (SDNF Export Also!)

Easy 3D Structural Engineering Software for Analysis & Design of general frame, truss, or plate/shell structures

RISA-3D for Windows is a general purpose three-dimensional analysis and design program developed to make the definition, solution and modification of 3D problem data as fast and easy as possible. Complete hot rolled steel, cold formed steel, and wood design is included. Analysis, up to and including calculation of maximum deflections and stresses, may be done on structures constructed of any material or combination of materials.

RISA-3D is an interactive program as opposed to a batch mode program. With a batch mode program, you would edit a text file in one program (typically called a pre-processor), and then solve it with another program, and then view the solution results in yet another program (typically called a post-processor). With RISA-3D, all model editing, model solution, and results browsing is accomplished through the same interface and with the same program. The interactive approach offers several unique advantages: the ability to do real- time error checking of your model data, the ability to do rapid model editing, solution, editing, and re-solution without jumping from one program to another, and the need for the user to only learn one program interface.

General Features:

• Fast, easy to use custom spreadsheet editor. Includes cut and paste, fill and generation capabilities, sorting, extensive online help, and instant error checking
• Comprehensive CAD-like graphic drawing/editing capabilities including skewed and radial grids, "snap to" functionality, translation/replication options and unlimited Undos
• High-level generation of parametric structure components such as grids, cylinders, disks, etc
• Truly interactive online results review with highly customized report printing
• User-controlled automatic timed backup
• Fully-customizable units, with conversions between units systems at any time
• Reads/writes DXF files (CAD compatibility)
• Reads RISA-2D (R2D) files
• Reads STAAD files
• User's guide with in-depth tutorial
• 60 day unconditional trial period

Graphics Features:

• Extraordinary "true to scale" rendering of structural shapes (members and plates), even for the deflected shape and mode shape plots
• Dramatic full-color display of quadratically smoothed plate stress/force contours (with graphical stress animation!)
• Instant display of the model available anytime during data editing and results review
• Graphical modeling/editing of all model data
• Graphical display of all loads and results, with color-coded display of stresses, forces, unity checks, etc
• Rotate, zoom in/out, pan the image
• Increase or decrease 3D "depth" effect
• Powerful graphic select/deselect/lock options enabling easy viewing of model "slices" or specific members, plates, & joints
• Full-color animation of deflected shape and mode shape plots, with speed control
• Graphic member detailed analysis summary
• Animation of moving loads with speed control
• Printing of any graphic image on any printer
• Graphical exclude feature that allows you to quickly create custom "views" of your results output. You see the results you want to see, no more wading through piles of output

Analysis Features:

• Complete static analysis with P-Delta effects
• Dynamic analysis with response spectra analysis using CQC, SRSS, or GUPTA
• Thermal analysis for members (beams)
• Modern, state of the art plate/shell elements
• Accurate analysis of tapered members. Web, top and bottom flanges may all taper independently
• Automatic Rigid Diaphragm modeling
• Moving Loads. Standard AASHTO truck loads are provided; custom moving loads for bridges, crane rails, etc. can be defined
• Member end releases and rigid end offsets
• Any joint may have spring(s) attached, have enforced displacements assigned, or be slaved to another joint
• Torsional warping effects included for both stiffness and stress calculations
• Stress calculations on any arbitrary shape
• Inactive members, plates, diaphragms
• Story drift, material takeoff reports
• Physical Member modeling eliminates the need to break up members at joints
• Powerful model merge/append capabilities; including auto-splitting of crossed members!
• Area Loading including deck directional effects
• Automatic calculation of both stress and deformation shear area factors for all standard shapes

 Design Features:

• ACI 1999
• AISC 9TH edition ASD
• AISC 2ND & 3RD edition LRFD
• Canadian CAN/CSA S16.1-94 Steel Code
• NDS 1991 Timber Design for dimension lumber and Psizes
• AISI 1996 Cold Formed for ASD & LRFD
• Torsion warping stresses included
• ASD/LRFD code checks for tapered members
• Automatic shape optimization from design lists
• Built-in shape database including all shape types (WF, Tubes, Tees, Cold Formed C's, Z's, Hat's, etc.) with optional viewing and editing, calculation, addition or deletion of any shape
• Complete NDS species/grade timber database with design properties built-in
• Different load combinations for different materials

What is the RISA Building System (RBS)? The answer is integration of RISA-3D with RISAFloor.

Who should consider the RBS? Engineers who design buildings. If you don’t design buildings and don’t need RISAFloor, skip to the next section.

However, if you design buildings, have the RISA-3D model automatically created and managed for you by combining RISA-3D and RISAFloor. Seamless integration lets you design both the gravity and lateral system from one model, eliminating dual efforts and error prone bookkeeping. The RISA Building System allows you to optimize your most precious asset, your time!

With the RISA Building System you will be designing your lateral system with the full power of RISA-3D, not a limited, black-box frame program. Plus, you can use the same 3D software for all of your other analysis needs (industrial, towers, tanks, etc.) without having to learn a new interface.

Lateral force resisting systems, including loads, are automatically created and managed. Gravity system members are kept separate from your lateral analysis but their loads are automatically included, even as they change. Seismic and wind loads are also created automatically based on the codes you specify. The following steps are automatically handled for you:

• The lateral force resisting system, shear walls or frames, is automatically created. As floors are defined in RISAFloor the RISA3D model is being created as well. After solving the RISAFloor model you may then evaluate the lateral force resisting system in RISA3D. Changes to either system are carried through automatically.
• Gravity member loads are placed on the lateral system. Gravity members are not part of the lateral system but they are part of the loads. RISA3D keeps these loads accurate as your project progresses.
• The wind loads are created automatically. ASCE-7 wind loads are based on the floor plans and elevations. These loads are automatically updated as your building model changes.
• The seismic loads are created automatically. UBC or IBC seismic loads are calculated along with required eccentricities to model accidental torsion.
• Add other loads, and modify the structure as desired! Since all of the RISA3D features are available to use on your building model you can add loads, define bracing as tension-only, model foundations along with compression-only soil springs, add moving loads, model partial height walls, model column girts, etc. See below for more information on RISA3D features.

RISA3D updates member sizes in the model based on the results of the lateral analysis. RISA-3D and RISAFloor seamlessly exchange information, resulting in a level of integration no other building design software can match.