RISA-3D

Rapid Interactive Structural Analysis

Version 22- General Reference

RISA Tech, Inc.

27442 Portola Pkwy, Suite 200
Foothill Ranch, California 92610

(949) 951-5815
(949) 951-5848 (FAX)
risa.com
Copyright

Copyright © 2024 RISA Tech, Inc. All Rights Reserved. RISA is part of the Nemetschek
Group. No portion of the contents of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any
means without the express written permission of RISA Tech, Inc. RISA and the RISA logo
are registered trademarks of RISA Tech, Inc.

We have done our best to ensure that the material found in this publication is both useful and
accurate. However, please be aware that errors may exist in this publication, and that RISA
Tech, Inc. makes no guarantees concerning accuracy of the information found here or in the
use to which it may be put.
RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual

Table of Contents
Copyright 2 Aluminum - Design 75
Before You Begin 1 Boundary Conditions 81
Overview 1 Creating and Modifying Boundary
Conditions 81
Minimum System Requirements 2
Generate Soil Springs 83
Program Limits 2
Boundary Conditions Spreadsheet 83
License Agreement 3
Boundary Condition Options 85
Main User Interface 4
Cold Formed Steel 90
Start a Model 4
Cold Formed Steel - Databases 90
Title Bar 5
Cold Formed Steel - Design 98
Ribbon Toolbar 7
Cold Formed Steel Walls - Design
Quick Access Toolbar 7
Rules 108
Properties Panel 11
Unity Check 108
Explorer Panel 16
CFS Wall (Studs) 109
3D View 17
Design Rules - CFS Wall (Fasteners)110
Shortcut Keys and Hot Keys 23
CFS Walls 111
Status Bar 27
Cold Formed Steel Walls - Results 127
Windows Behavior 28
Concrete Members 139
Modes 31
Concrete Member - Database 139
File Menu 33
Concrete Member - Design 145
Home Ribbon 36
Concrete Member - Design Results 160
Modify Ribbon 42
RISAConnection Integration 180
View Ribbon 47
Available Connection Types 180
Drawing Tools Ribbon 50
Integrated Connection Design
Spreadsheet Ribbon 52 Procedure 181

Advanced Ribbon 56 Seismic Connections 198

Results Ribbon 58 Tapered Wide Flange Connections 200

Aluminum 61 Troubleshoot RISAConnection

Integration 201
Aluminum - Databases 61

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Table of Contents
Integration Error Messages 205 Drift Modeling Tips 279
RISAFloor & RISA-3D Connection DXF Files 281
Design Interaction 207
Import a DXF File 281
Customizing RISA-3D 210
Export a DXF File 283
Save as Defaults 210
Merge After a DXF Import 286
Application Settings (Preferences) 210
DXF Element Numbering 287
Member Design Optimization 225
DXF File Format 287
Wall Design Optimization 225
Dynamic Analysis 290
Member Design Lists 225
Dynamic Analysis - Eigensolution 290
Member Design Rules – Size / U.C. 226
Dynamic Analysis - Response
Member Design Rules – Deflection 226 Spectra 302
Member Design Rules – Concrete Dynamic Analysis - Time History 319
Rebar 227
File Operations 349
Member Design Rules Editor 228
Start Off 349
Member Optimization Procedure 231
Append Models 353
Optimization Results 232
Import and Export 354
Diaphragms 235
Automatic Backup 355
Rigid Diaphragms 235
Generation 356
Semi-Rigid Diaphragms 238
Circular Arc Generation 357
Semi-Rigid Diaphragms
Parabolic Arc Generation 358
(RISAFloorES) 241
Grid Generation 360
Flexible Diaphragms 248
General Truss Generation 362
Diaphragms Spreadsheet - General
Tab 250 Geodesic Dome Generator 365
Diaphragm Modeling Tips 254 Cylinder Generation 366
Flexible Diaphragms - Analysis and Cone Generation 369
Results 258
Circular Disk Generation 371
Drift 273
Circular Radius Generation 372
Drift Definitions Spreadsheet 273
Rectangular Tank Generation 374
Drift Results 276

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual

Table of Contents
Graphic Display 378 Merge Model Elements 448
Window Behavior 378 Match 449
Adjust the Viewpoint (3D View) 383 Graphic Selection 452
Animate Results 389 Selection Shortcuts 454
Create a Custom Snapshot of a Cycle Selection 454
Model 391
Selection Modes 454
View Only Part of a Model 392
Invert Selections 457
Save / Retrieve a Model / Snapshot
Criteria Selections 457
View 392
Lock & Dim Lock 468
Delete a Model View 395
Viewer Mode 470
Graphic Editing 397
Input Filter 473
Draw / Modify Features 397
Graphic Selection from
Undo / Redo Operations 398
Spreadsheets 473
Project Grid 399
Save Selections 474
Drawing Grid 410
Quick Find 477
Snap Points 417
Graphic View Settings 479
Lock to Axis 417
Graphics - Model View Settings 479
Lock to Plane 419
Set as Default - checkbox 481
Import DXF 420
Results View Settings 493
Delete Elements 423
Help Options 507
Copy Model Elements 426
Electronic Help File 507
Move / Rotate Model Elements 434
Context Sensitive Help 507
Scale Elements 438
RISA Technology Online 507
Split Members 440
Tool-tips 508
Add Nodes to Members 442
Tutorials 508
Swap Member Ends 444
Hot Rolled Steel - Databases 509
Trim / Extend Members 444
Select a Database Shape 510
Re-Label Selection Items 447
Add a Database Shape 512

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual

Table of Contents
Edit a Database Shape 514 Notional Load Generation Window 672
Available Database Shapes 517 Notional Load Results 673
Hot Rolled Steel - Databases 522 Load Generation - Notional Loads 674
Hot Rolled Steel - Design 535 Load Generation - Seismic Loads 677
Hot Rolled Steel - Code Check 561 Load Generation - Wind Loads 684
Stainless Steel 580 Material Properties 707
Database Shapes 580 Hot Rolled Specific Material Data 708
Design 582 Cold Formed Specific Material Data 709
Limitations 584 Wood Specific Material Data 709
Stainless Code Check Results 585 Concrete Specific Material Data 711
Unity Check (UC) Results 585 Masonry Specific Material Data 712
Loads 586 Aluminum Specific Material Data 713
Self Weight (Gravity Load) 586 Stainless Steel Specific Material
Data 714
Draw Loads 587
General Material Data 714
Modify Loads 587
Material Take-Off 715
Delete Loads 588
Members 718
Basic Load Cases 588
Draw Members 718
Load Combinations 595
Modify Members 720
Loads - Nodal Load / Displacement 618
Material and Cross Section
Loads - Area Loads 622
Properties 725
Loads - Point Loads 639
Members Spreadsheet 725
Loads - Line Loads 643
Members Spreadsheet - Advanced
Loads - Moving Loads 648 Data 728

Loads - Thermal Loads 659 Tension/Compression-Only

Members 730
Loads - Surface Loads 662
Physical Members 733
Load Generation - Notional Loads 671
Local Axes 735
Vertical Load Used for Notional
Force Calculations 671 Member Orientation 735

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Table of Contents
Member End Releases 737 Model Settings 784
Simpson Yield-Link 738 Project Information 785
Deflection Ratio Options 743 Solution 786
Analysis Offset 746 Axis 792
Col-Wall Vert Release 754 Codes 794
Inactive and Excluded Elements 755 Concrete 798
Shear Deformations 755 Rebar 800
Member Shear Stresses 756 Seismic 801
Torsion 757 Modeling Tips 803
Warping 757 Applying In-Plane Moment to Plates 803
Cardinal Points 761 Modeling a Beam Fixed to a Shear
Wall 803
Overview 761
Modeling a Cable 804
Detailing Input and Modification 762
Modeling Composite Behavior 805
Visualization of the Detailing Layer 763
Modeling Inclined Supports 806
File I/O 763
Modeling One Member Over Another806
Members - Results 764
Reactions at Nodes with Enforced
Number of Reported Sections 764
Displacements 807
Number of Internal Sections 764
Rigid Links 807
Member Force Results 765
Solving Large Models 808
Member Stress Results 768
Modeling a "Gap" (Expansion Joint)
Single Angle Results 770 Between Structures 810

Member Torsion Results 771 Nodes 811

Member Deflection Results 772 Define Nodes 811

Model Merge 780 Relabel Nodes 811

Model Merge Options 780 Round-Off Node Coordinates 812

Model Merge Examples 781 Node Coordinates Spreadsheet 812

Model Merge Limitations 781 Node Information 814

Model Merge Process 781 Nodes - Results 816

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Table of Contents
Nodes - Tethering Nodes 818 Finite Element Basics 857
P-Delta - Analysis 820 Plates/Shells 858
P-Delta Procedure 820 Plates/Shells - Results 890
P-Delta Limitations on Standard Plates/Shells - Design Tools 895
Nodal Shear Method 822
Plates/Shells - Modeling Examples 901
Compression Only P-Delta 822
Printing 912
P-Delta Convergence 822
Print Graphics 914
P-Delta Troubleshooting 823
Print Reports 919
Wall Panels 824
Print a Spreadsheet 928
Leaning Column Effect 824
Print to a File 935
P-Little Delta Analysis 825
Build a Custom Report 938
P-Little Delta Procedure 825
Save a Report as a Template 941
AISC Direct Analysis Method 826
Results 946
ACI Concrete Design 827
Save Results 947
Plates/Shells 828
Results Spreadsheets 947
Draw Plates 828
Exclude Results 947
Modify Plates 829
Graphic Results 949
Plate Information 831
Clear Results 950
Plate Corner Releases 833
Internal Force Summation Tool 951
Inactive and Excluded Plates 834
Member Detail Report 952
Rotate Plates 835
Concrete Member Detail Reports 959
Plates Spreadsheet - Primary Data 848
RISAFloor & RISA-3D Integration 960
Plates Spreadsheet - Advanced
Lateral System Model Generation 960
Data 849
Diaphragms 961
Plate Local Axes 851
Gravity Loads 962
Plate/Shell Element Formulation 852
Wind Loads 962
Plate Modeling Tips 855
Seismic Loads 962
Plate Error Checking 856

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Table of Contents
Buckling-Restrained Braced Frame Database Files 1016
(BRBF) System 962
Solid Elements 1018
Detach 963
Create Solids 1018
RISAFoundation Interaction 964
Modify Solids 1021
RISAFoundation Interaction with
Solids Spreadsheet 1024
RISA-3D 964
Solid Information 1025
RISAFoundation Interaction with
RISAFloor 967 Inactive and Excluded Solids 1026
Limitations 967 Solids Formulation 1026
Section Sets 969 Solid Modeling Tips 1028
Define a New Section Set 969 Loading 1028
Section Sets Spreadsheet 969 Verification Examples 1028
Seismic Detailing - Design Rules 972 Solid Elements - Results 1031
General Frames and Columns 972 Solid (Global) Stress Results 1031
Beams 975 Solid Principal Stress Results 1032
Braces 978 Solution 1036
Seismic Detailing - Design Rules 980 Static Solutions 1038
Seismic Detailing - Results 988 Dynamic Solutions 1040
Seismic Detailing - Detail Reports 999 Response Spectra Solutions 1041
Shape Databases 1009 Spreadsheet Operations 1042
Database Shape Types 1009 Move and Scroll 1043
Hot Rolled Shapes 1009 Spreadsheet Keyboard Commands 1044
Cold Formed Shapes 1010 Select Spreadsheet Cells 1044
Concrete Shapes 1010 Undo Operations 1045
Wood Shapes 1010 Redo Operations 1045
Aluminum Shapes 1010 Edit Spreadsheets 1046
General Shapes 1011 Move and Copy Cell Contents 1050
RISASection Files 1012 Sorting and Finding in
Spreadsheets 1052
On-Line Shapes 1015

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Table of Contents
Default Spreadsheet Data 1053 Loading 1099
Export to Excel Spreadsheet 1053 Load Attribution 1099
Special Spreadsheet Functions 1055 Meshing the Wall Panels 1102
Stability 1058 Wall Panels - General Results 1107
Instability Procedure 1058 Wall Force Results 1107
Instability Causes 1059 General Wall Detail Report 1109
Instability Examples 1059 CFS Walls 1112
Testing Instabilities 1064 Cold Formed Steel Walls - Design 1112
Unbraced Lengths 1066 Type I - Segmented Method 1115
Lb Values (Lb, Lu, Le) 1067 Geometric Requirements and
Limitations 1117
Lcomp Values (Lcomp, Le-bend) 1068
CFS Walls 1128
L-torque 1069
Cold Formed Steel Walls - Design
Automated Unbraced Length
Rules 1144
Commands 1069
Cold Formed Steel Walls - Results 1147
Material Specific Behavior 1073
Concrete Wall Panel - Design 1160
K Factors (Effective Length
Factors) 1076 Concrete Wall Panel - Design 1160
Sway Flags 1078 Concrete Wall - Design Rules 1176
Units 1079 Concrete Wall Results 1180
Standard Imperial Units 1081 Concrete Wall - Seismic Design 1196
Standard Metric Units 1081 Masonry Wall - Modeling 1207
Units Specifications 1081 Masonry Wall Input 1207
Wall Panels 1083 Openings / Lintels 1208
Drawing Wall Panels 1083 Regions 1210
Modifying Wall Panels 1085 Optimization / Limitations 1214
Wall Panel Spreadsheets 1086 Masonry Wall - Modeling 1217
Wall Panel Editor 1090 Masonry Wall - Design 1228
Wall Panel Local Axes 1097 Masonry Wall - Design Rules 1247

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Table of Contents
Masonry Wall Results 1253 Manual Modification 1404
Masonry Wall - Seismic Design 1271 Appendix A – Redesign Lists 1404
Masonry Wall - Seismic Design Appendix C – STAAD® Files 1409
Results 1279
Appendix E - Interfacing with Other
Wood Wall - Design 1283 Programs 1417
Wood Wall Input 1283 Appendix F – Wood Shear Wall
Files 1421
General Program Functionality and
Limitations 1294 Appendix G – CFS Shear Wall Files1432
Wood Wall - Design 1309 Technical Support 1436
Wood Wall - Design Rules 1336 Email Support 1436
Wood Wall Results 1341 Phone Support 1436
Wood - Database 1362
Wood Material/Shape Selection 1363
Wood Database Limitations 1366
Custom Wood Sizes 1370
Wood - Database 1370
Wood - Design 1378
Warning Log 1397
Sum of reactions is not equal to the
sum of the loads (LC xx)! Check for
any small rigid links or fixed
boundary conditions. 1397
Appendix A – Redesign Lists 1399
Creating or Modifying Redesign
Lists 1399
Design List Mismatch 1401
Locating the Design Lists 1401
File Naming Convention for the
Design Lists 1401
File Format for Redesign Lists 1402

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Before You Begin

Before You Begin

Welcome to the RISA-3D General Reference manual. Please read this topic prior to installing the
program and pay particular attention to the License Agreement. If you are a first time user of RISA-3D
you should turn your attention to the Tutorials (a separate document) which are designed to get you
up and running as fast as possible while still exposing you to the important features of the software.
The Tutorials are designed to be read in two ways. If you are already familiar with structural modeling
in general you can skip the supporting text and read only the underlined action items to quickly move
through the tutorial. If you want more thorough explanations of the modeling process you may read all
or some of the supporting text as you see fit.
After you have gone through the Tutorials, use this General Reference for detailed information on any
topic. The topics are arranged in alphabetical order and are thoroughly indexed.

Overview
RISA-3D is a general-purpose -dimensional analysis and design program. This program has been
developed to make the definition, solution and modification of structural models as fast and easy as
possible. Analysis, up to and including calculation of maximum deflections and stresses, may be
done on structures constructed of any material or combination of materials. Complete steel and wood
design are also included in the program.
RISA-3D has full graphical modeling capability. You can draw your model on the screen and also
perform extensive graphical editing simultaneously in multiple views. To modify your model data
directly, RISA-3D employs a powerful, proprietary spreadsheet. All this combined with flexible data
generation algorithms makes modeling very easy. Graphic display of the model along with applied
loads, boundary conditions and much more, is always available. The model can be rapidly edited,
solved, viewed, modified, re-solved, etc. The truly interactive nature of RISA-3D is its primary
strength. RISA-3D is also able to perform elaborate error checking as you define the model, and
offers context sensitive help every step of the way.
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 over batch mode which include; 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 learn only one program
interface.
You may access the features in RISA-3D by using the menu system, or the toolbars. The best way to
learn RISA-3D is to go through the Tutorials. The advantage to this is that you are exposed to the
tools RISA-3D provides and the ways that you can take advantage of them.

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Minimum System Requirements

Software
One of the following operating systems is required:
l Microsoft Windows 11 (64 bit only)
l Microsoft Windows 10 (64 bit only)
l Microsoft Windows 8.1 (64 bit only)

Hardware
The following hardware is required:
l 1 GHz or faster processor (x86-64)
l 1920x1080 monitor resolution recommended (1024x768 minimum)
l 2 (or more) button mouse, mouse wheel recommended
l 8 GB of RAM
l 4 GB of hard disk space

Internet
An internet connection is required to launch the program. The internet connection must be
maintained as long as the program is open, although brief internet outages (a few minutes) do not
affect the user's ability to keep the program open.

Program Limits
Software Limitations
Joints 500,000
Members 100,000
Plates 250,000
Shapes 100,000
Wall Panels 10,000
Openings/Regions (per Wall Panel) 25/100
Solids 250,000
Section Sets 10,000
Loads (All Types Combined) 300,000
Materials 500
Custom Wood Species 500
Diaphragms 500
Basic Load Cases 1,000

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Moving Loads 500

Time History Functions 500
Load Combinations 5,000
Mode Shapes 2,000
Time History Load Functions 500
Drift Definitions 500

Demonstration Version
While you can open and solve a larger model, the demonstration version does not allow saving or
printing results. RISAConnection results may not be exported back into RISA-3D when using the
demonstration version.

License Agreement
For the full license agreement, please visit: risa.com/eula

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Main User Interface

Main User Interface

The Tutorials (a separate document) contain a tutorial that leads you through the RISA-3D interface
with an actual model. Consider going through the tutorial if you have not done so already, as it is the
fastest way to learn the program. Although it requires some time up front, the tutorial will save you
time and brainpower in the long run.
The features that are available to you in RISA-3D may be accessed through the Ribbon toolbar,
Quick Access toolbar, Properties panel, Explorer panel, 3D view and shortcut keystrokes. You may
use any or all of these vehicles to interact with the software. The Ribbon toolbar has the advantage of
containing all of the program options and features. The Quick Access toolbar contain more common
options and invoke with one click. The Properties panel will display relevant properties for selected
elements within your model and allow you to make quick changes to those elements. The Properties
panel is also where you will modify and execute most of the program features. The Explorer panel
provides a quick way to access all of the data entry and results spreadsheets. The shortcut menus
present options relevant to the task at hand. The shortcut keys provide a fast way to access features
should you use the program often enough to make them familiar to you. All of these features are
discussed in the sections below. There are many ways to access features and the method that you
will use will simply be a matter of personal preference. The good news is that you have the options.

Start a Model
The first dialog that appears when you launch the program is Starting a Model. From this dialog, you
can create a new model, open an existing model, or open a sample model which is included with the
installation. The Recent Projects section displays a preview of recently opened projects. At the
bottom, the Explore More section contains quick links to learn more about the program like reading
the Tutorials or requesting a live Software Tour.

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Title Bar
The bar along the top of the screen is called the title bar and contains: the Quick Access toolbar (to
the left next to the 3D logo), the name of the file that is currently open (in the middle) and application
controls (to the right).

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The three buttons on the upper far right side of the title bar are used to control the main window.

l
The (Minimize) icon shrinks the main application window to a button on the taskbar.
l
The (Restore Down) icon shrinks or maximizes the window on your screen.
l
The (Close) icon closes the window, prompting you to save changes if necessary.
You will also see these icons in other windows where they have basically the same functions.
Below these three icons are the Feedback and Director links, and the Help and Minimize Ribbon
toolbar icons.

l The Feedback link takes you to the RISA Tech Inc. Feedback page where you can view
current feedback and leave feedback of your own. This feature provides a quick and easy
way for you to communicate program improvements or changes you would like us to
consider, or for sending us ideas for new features and enhancements. If you need to report
a bug, or require help with an issue you are experiencing with one of our products, please
reach out to our Technical Support [email protected], as they are better equipped to
handle such issues.
l The Director link lets you transfer back a RISAFloor or RISAFoundation model back to
those programs. See Director - Program Interaction Tool for more information about using
the ‘Director’ feature.
l
The (Help) icon opens the RISA-3D help file.
l
The (Minimize the Ribbon) icon lets you minimize the contents within the Ribbon
toolbar.
To the left of the title bar, next to the 3D logo, is the Quick Access toolbar.

The Quick Access toolbar provides a quick way to access commonly used features and functions in
the software. See the Quick Access toolbar section for more information.
Most of the functions and features that you will be using are within the Ribbon toolbar. Clicking the
headings or tabs that are presented in the lower half of the title bar gives you access to different
portions of the Ribbon toolbar.

Director - Program Interaction Tool

RISA-3D has a “Director” tool that allows for interaction with other RISA programs (currently
RISAFloor, RISAFoundation and RISAConnection). Models must originate from either RISAFloor or

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RISA-3D. The Director tool lets you send the model to any of the aforementioned programs. Models
created in RISA-3D, as well as models integrated into RISA-3D from RISAFloor, can be sent to
RISAConnection for connection configuration and solution using the Director tool.
After a model has been analyzed (solved) in RISA-3D, it can be sent to RISAFoundation or
RISAConnection for further work in that program. Those programs also have the capability to send
the changed model back to RISA-3D, using the Director tools in those programs.
Note that the model must be solved in RISA-3D, before attempting to send it back to its originating
program or integrating it into one of the other programs.

Send a Model to Another RISA Program

To send a model to another RISA program:
1. Ensure that you have “Solved” the model in RISA-3D.
2. Click on the Director link to display its menu.
3. Click on the name of the program you want to send the model to.
RISA-3D closes and the model is opened in the chosen program. If however you attempt to
send the model without solving it first, the program will remind you that it is not solved and
will not close RISA-3D or send the model to the other chosen program.
See RISAFoundation Interaction, RISAFloor-3D-Integration.htm or RISAConnection Integration for more
information on interaction with those programs.

Ribbon Toolbar
All of the program features may be accessed through the Ribbon toolbar system beginning with the
File tab on the far left and ending with Results tab on the far right.

Clicking on each of the tabs displays options that you can choose from.

Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access toolbar provides a quick and easy way to access commonly used features and
functions within the software.

The following table provides a description of each Quick Access Toolbar icon.
Quick Access Toolbar Icons

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Icon Name Description

New Model Closes the current file (prompting for saving if
necessary) and opens a new blank file.
Open Model Closes the current file (prompting for saving if
necessary) and opens an existing file.
Save Model Saves the current file, prompting for a name if
necessary.
Print Report/Graphic Opens the graphics print preview, report printing setup
or spreadsheet printing window.
Undo Undoes the last edit that was applied to the model
whether it was graphical or in the spreadsheets.
You can click the small down arrow to the right of the
icon, to review the modeling history and revert the
model back through several undo steps at once.
Redo Reverse the last undo that was applied to the model.
You can click the small arrow to the right of the icon to
review the modeling history and jump forward to a
point in time.
Solve Shows solution choices to solve the model.

Detail Report Activates the detail report feature.

See the Results topic for more information.
Save model view as an Allows you to capture an image of the 3D view, which
image can be added to your report.
See Printing for more information.
Help/Info Provides information about the software licensing and
RISA-3D version.
Change Quick Access Opens a menu that allows you to do one of the
Toolbar following:
l Open the Customize Toolbar window in which
you can choose what icons you want
displayed in the Quick Access Toolbar.
l Move the Quick Access Toolbar below the
Ribbon Toolbar.
l Move the Quick Access Toolbar above the
Ribbon Toolbar.

Customize the Quick Access Toolbar

In RISA-3D you have the ability to choose the icons that appear in the Quick Access Toolbar in the
Customize Toolbar window. You can add icons you want displayed and remove those that you don’t
want displayed. You can also change the position of any icon currently displayed icon.

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Add an Icon You Want Displayed

To add an icon to the Quick Access Toolbar:
1. In the Additional Options pane, click on the icon.
2. Click the Add button.

Remove an Icon You Don’t Want Displayed

To remove an icon from the Quick Access Toolbar:

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1. In the Current View pane, click on the icon.

2. Click the Remove button.

Rearrange Icons
You can rearrange the icons in the Quick Access Toolbar to whatever positions you want them to be
appear in.
To rearrange the position of an icon:
1. In the Current View pane, click and hold the mouse button down on an icon.
2. Begin dragging icon up or down in the Current View panel.
A line appears above or below the icon (as shown in the following image), indicating that
the direction you have started to move the icon.

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Dragging up moves the icon to the left on the Quick Access Toolbar, while dragging down
moves it to the right.
3. Repeat for each icon you want to move.
4. Click Apply, after you have moved the icon(s) into the position(s) you want them in.

Properties Panel
The Properties panel is an affixed panel on the left side of the program interface. This panel serves
different functions depending on what elements are selected or what function is activated. When
there are no features activated or no elements selected, the Properties panel displays the Project
Information entered for the current model. Note that hovering your mouse over the right edge of the
Properties panel (as shown in the following image) allows you to drag and expand or shrink the panel
horizontally.

When you select an element within the model, the Properties panel displays all of the information
related to the selected element(s). You can review and modify the element information and
parameters directly from the Properties panel.

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When activating a feature within the program such as adding a load or a copy/move tool, the
Properties panel will serve as the method to specify and apply that feature's parameters.

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You can then use the Click to Apply to option to activate your parameters and click the elements you
would like to apply the feature to. Or you can click Apply to Selected in order to automatically
activate and apply the feature to applicable selected elements in your model.
When navigating through a spreadsheet or inputs for a specific function, you will find a short
description at the bottom of the Properties panel.

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This can be very useful when you are not sure what a specific parameter means.

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Explorer Panel
The Explorer panel is an affixed panel on the right side of the program interface. It contains a list of
all the Data Entry spreadsheets. When a solution is present, it also displays the Results
spreadsheets. Similar to the Properties panel, you can hover your mouse over the left edge of the
panel to drag expand or shrink the panel horizontally. You can click the caret next to the Data Entry
or Results title to collapse or expand the spreadsheet list.

Note: If the solution run is a Batch with Envelope solution, then two sets of results
spreadsheets are available in many cases, Envelope and Batch. The Env/Batch toggle in the
Results toolbar will determine which spreadsheet opens. For example, with Env selected,
pressing the Member Forces button will open the Envelope Member Forces spreadsheet.
If Batch is selected, pressing Member Forces will open the Batch Member Forces
spreadsheet.

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3D View
The 3D View is where you do the graphic editing of your model file and where your actual structure
can be viewed.

Notice that there are several toolbars located within the 3D View panel. You can rearrange these
toolbars to your liking, by clicking on the 4 dots and dragging the toolbar to any space along the
window's perimeter.

You can close this window at anytime by clicking the (Close icon) to the top right of the 3D View
panel.
See the Graphic Display section for additional details on working with 3D View windows.

Window Toolbar
The toolbar at the top of the 3D View provides controls to adjust the current 3D view.

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Other 3D view windows that are open are not affected, so that each may show different information.
For more information on this, see the Adjust the Viewpoint (3D View) section of Graphic Display.

Custom Bins
Each grouping of quick buttons in the 3D View panel is called a Bin. You can customize your bins to
have your most-used tools easily accessible.
To customize your bins:
1. Click the Bin Library icon in the upper left corner of the 3D View panel, as shown in the
following image.

The Bin Library window opens.

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In this window you can add your own bins and customize the quick buttons within each bin.
You can also edit and delete bins. Note though, that the default bins can not be deleted
(Rotation Bin, Snap View Bin, Loads Results View Bin).

If adding a custom bin, the Add Custom Bin window opens after you click the ‘Add Bin’
button.

This window allows you to name, add and remove bin buttons for your custom bin.
2. (Optional) Click the Reset All button to reset all your bins to their default configuration.
3. Click OK in the Add Custom Bin window, to save it and return to the Bin Library window.

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4. Click OK in the Bin Library window if you are finished customizing bins.

Selection Toolbar
The vertical toolbar on the left side of the 3D View is the Selection Toolbar. This toolbar is only
available when the active window is a model view. The buttons on this toolbar help you select and
deselect items in the model, in order to help you build and modify the model or view results. See
Graphic Selection for more information.

Results Toolbar
The vertical toolbar on the left side of the screen below the Selection Toolbar is the Results Toolbar.

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The tools in this toolbar become active when a solution is present. They provide quick access to
Result tools that would otherwise be selected in the Results tab in the Ribbon toolbar. For more
information see the Results topic.

Shortcut Menu
The Shortcut Menu is also referred to as the Right-Click Menu, because you access it by clicking
the RIGHT mouse button where you are working, to see options that are relevant to what you are
doing. For example if you are working in a model view the right click menu provides options to help
you modify the view and edit the model graphically. If you are working in a spreadsheet the menu
provides editing tools for that spreadsheet.
This menu appears wherever you RIGHT click the mouse. This way you do not need to move away
from where you are working to select the features you want to use.

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Dynamic View Controls

When your current window is a graphical model view, you can use the mouse wheel to dynamically
zoom, pan, or rotate the graphical image.

Mouse Action Model View Function

Roll the Wheel Forward Zoom In
Roll the Wheel Backward Zoom Out
Click and hold the Wheel Grab the image and pan in the
Button direction of mouse movement
Click and hold the Wheel Dynamically rotate the structure
button while pressing the Shift in the direction of mouse

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Mouse Action Model View Function

key movement
The following table describes how to use the mouse to perform specific tasks.

Task What to do
Dynamic Pan Click and hold the mouse wheel button to trigger the Dynamic Pan
feature, which allows you to pan or drag the view to the limit of the scroll
bars.
Dynamic Zoom Rotate the mouse wheel button forward to zoom in and backward to
zoom out.
Dynamic Rotate Click and hold the mouse button while holding the Shift key down, to
trigger this feature. The rotational movement is based on the how you
drag the mouse cursor over the screen and the projection of global axis
on the screen. For rotation about X axis, drag the cursor perpendicular
to the projection of the global X axis. The same logic applies for Y or Z
axis rotations. When rotation is initiated, the system locks for rotation
about that axis, until you release the middle mouse button.
Zoom The function keys F3 and F4 are associated with Zoom Previous and
Previous/Next Zoom Next respectively. The system holds a doubly linked list of zoom
info. This list has 10 zoom-states in the list. Press the F3 or F4 key to
move the active pointer forward or backward on the list.
Each window has its own zoom list.
Dynamic Distance Press the F5 function key to trigger the Dynamic Distance Tool, then
Tool pick up two points on the screen. On the status bar, the system displays
the total and partial distance between the points.

Shortcut Keys and Hot Keys

Shortcut Keys and Hot Keys allow you to use the keyboard to quickly access features. The
difference between the two is simply that the shortcut keys are related to a specific window and will
only work in that window while the hot keys will perform at most any time. See Keyboard Application
Settings for more information on how you can customize the Shortcut and Hot Key combinations for
various functions in RISA-3D.

General

Key
Function
Combination
General Hot Keys
F1 Help on the active window
F5 Activates the Distance Tool

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Key
Function
Combination
Ctrl + F1 Main Help topics
F7 Opens solution choices
Ctrl + F7 Solve (Batch + Envelope Solution)
Ctrl + N Start a new file
Ctrl + O Open an existing file
Ctrl + S Save the current file
Ctrl + P Print
Ctrl + Z Undo
Ctrl + Y Redo
Ctrl + Shift + I Image Capture
Draw Elements Shortcut Keys
M Draw members
P Draw plates
W Draw wall panels
B Draw boundary conditions
Loading Shortcut Keys
L Display loads
Shift + N Draw nodal loads
Shift + L Draw line loads
Shift + C Draw point loads
Shift + A Draw area loads
Shift + P Draw plate surface loads
Shift + W Draw wall surface loads
Model View Shortcut Keys
0 Isometric view
Ctrl + 0 Reset view
F2 Open Model View Settings dialog
Ctrl + 5 Open Results View Settings dialog
Double click mouse Zoom extents
wheel
Selection Shortcut Keys
Ctrl + A Select all model elements
Ctrl + U Unselect all model elements
Ctrl + I Invert model element selection state
Ctrl + L Lock - view only selected model elements
Ctrl + Shift + L Dim Lock - view only selected elements
with the rest of the model shown in a
dimmed state
O Viewer mode

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Key
Function
Combination
Drawing Tool Shortcut Keys
G Toggle Drawing Grid display
Shift + G Toggle Project Grid display
Z Toggle Global Axis Lock
X Toggle Global Plane Lock
8 Toggle universal snap points
Results Shortcut Keys
R Detail Report
K Toggle display of graphical results
D Toggle display of deflected shape
I Internal Force Summation tool
Solution Shortcut Keys
= Solution Choices dialog
Ctrl + = Solve model (Batch + Envelope)
Ctrl + 3 Warning Log
Quick View Shortcut Keys
F Quick Find
Ctrl + Shift + F Select By Property
, (Comma) Render Elements
. (Period) Node Display
/ Member Labels
Shift + / Member Color Codes
' (Apostrophe) Member Forces
[ Plate Labels
Ctrl + Shift + P Plate Contours
] Wall Labels
Ctrl + Shift + W Wall Contours
\ Diaphragms
Modify Shortcut Keys
C Global Copy
V Global Move
S Split member
A Add Nodes (along members)
E Extend member
T Trim member
Ctrl + Shift + M Model Merge
Ctrl + Shift + C Match Properties
Del Delete

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Shortcut Keys available for Specific Windows

Key Model View

Spreadsheet
Combination Window
Ctrl + D Open last graphic
editing dialog
(opens in
Properties panel)
Ctrl + A Select all model Select all cells
elements
Ctrl + U Unselect all Unselect all cells
model elements
Ctrl + F Block Fill
Ctrl + C Copy to clipboard
Ctrl + V Paste from clipboard
Ctrl + M Block Math
F2 Open Model Start/Stop cell edit
View Settings
F3 Insert line
F4 Delete Line
F5 Initiates the Find/Replace
distance tool
F8 Repeat current line
Shift + I Filter Input
Shift + R Filter Results

Hot Keys that open Spreadsheets

Key Unsolved
Solved Model
Combination Model
Ctrl + Alt + B Basic Load cases
Ctrl + Alt + C Node Coordinates Corner Forces
Ctrl + Alt + D Member Distributed Node Deflections
Loads
Ctrl + Alt + E Member Primary Deflection Results
Data
Ctrl + Alt + F Member Forces
Ctrl + Alt + G Model Settings Model Settings
Ctrl + Alt + H Suggested Shapes
Ctrl + Alt + I Diaphragms Member Torsion
Ctrl + Alt + J Wall Panel Rules Solid Principal Stress
Ctrl + Alt + K Solid Stresses

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Key Unsolved
Solved Model
Combination Model
Ctrl + Alt + L Load Combinations Plate Forces
Ctrl + Alt + M Materials Material Take Off
Ctrl + Alt + N Joint Loads Concrete Reinforcing
Ctrl + Alt + O Boundary Boundary Conditions
Conditions
Ctrl + Alt + P Member Point Plate Stresses
Loads
Ctrl + Alt + R Design Code Check Node Reactions
Ctrl + Alt + S Section Sets Member Stresses
Ctrl + Alt + T Time History Loads Story Drift
Ctrl + Alt + U Seismic Design Code Check
Rules
Ctrl + Alt + V Moving Loads
Ctrl + Alt + X Surface Loads
Ctrl + Alt + Y Dynamics Settings
Ctrl + Alt + Z Area Loads
Ctrl + Alt + 4 Plates

Status Bar
The Status Bar shows you the solution status of your model. It is comprised of three solution flags
located along the very bottom of the application window, just beneath the workspace.

The first flag corresponds to a static analysis while the second flag corresponds to a dynamic analysis
(eigensolution) and the third flag corresponds to a Response Spectra analysis. When the flags are
gray (as shown in the image above), this means that a solution is not present. The flag turns green
when a solution is present. In the following example, a static solution and eigensolution are present
but a Response Spectra analysis solution is not available.

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When the static solution flag turns yellow, this indicates that a static solution is present however
instability have been detected.

For more information on instabilities see the Stability topic.

Windows Behavior
Modeling the structure takes place within model views and spreadsheets, each in their own window
that may be moved around the workspace and sized as you wish. The ability to have multiple model
views and multiple spreadsheets open at one time is a powerful feature. You can move the windows
around by clicking the 3D View tab and dragging as desired.

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These windows all contain the x in the upper left corner to help you close the window.
There are also scroll boxes to help you view information that is outside of the window viewing area.
Click the scroll bar buttons or drag the scroll box to advance the display in one direction or another.

Model Views
Model View windows show a graphic view of the model. Open a new view with the Open 3D Views
button (shown below).

You may open as many model view windows as you like. This is especially helpful when working in
close on large models. You might have one overall view and a few views zoomed in and rotated to
where you are currently working. You may also have different information plotted in multiple views.
One thing to remember is that the toolbars that are displayed depends upon what window is active.
The active window is the one with the highlighted purple bar. An inactive window will be grayed out as
shown below where 3D View 2 is the active window.

For more information on this view Window Behavior under Graphics Display.

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Spreadsheets
Spreadsheet windows are made up of rows and columns of data cells. If you wish to add or edit data
in a spreadsheet cell you click on the cell, making it the active cell, and then edit the cell. This active
cell is simply the green cell that moves around the spreadsheet as you hit the cursor keys (← , →),
Page Up, Page Down, Home, End, etc. There is always one and only one active cell, which is the cell
that has the “attention” of the keyboard.
You may also select blocks of data to work on. You can select a block of data by clicking and holding
the mouse button on the first cell in the block and then dragging the mouse to the opposite corner of
the block and releasing the mouse.

Dialogs
A Dialog is a third type of window and is used to access a specific function within the program.
Another powerful feature is that most of the dialogs may be left open while you edit the model, making
it easy to make adjustments as you work. You will find that dialogs are very easy to work with. There
are Help buttons that will bring you directly to the relevant topic in the help file.

Window Tiling
Standard window tilings help you set up your workspace. With any 3D view or spreadsheet, you can
click the tab and drag the window into a configuration that best suites your preferences. When
dragging a window you will see a circle with four arrows.

You can place the windows over each of these arrows to designate where to place the window.
Placing the window over the center dot will make the window cover the entire workspace between the
Properties and Explorer panels.
By placing windows over the dot within other windows, the windows tab together. See below example
where 3D View 2 and 3D View 3 have been tabbed together.

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The best way to learn how the tiling works within the program is to try it out.
For additional information on working with viewpoint windows, see the Windows Behavior section
under Graphic Display.
For information about working with multiple views, see the Multiple Windows section under Graphic
Display, Window Behavior.

Modes
There are three basic program modes (View, Select, and Edit) and a mode hierarchy to allow you to
move between them easily. While you are editing the model you may select items to edit. When you
are finished selecting you will be returned to editing. Likewise, while you are selecting items you
can adjust the view and then be returned to selecting.
Different mouse cursors are used with each mode to make it clear what the current mode is.
View Mode is the upper level mode that allows you to adjust the view by zooming in and out, rotating
and setting Model Display Options. This mode supersedes all other modes so that you may do these
things at any time, and then be returned to the previous mode. This mode does not cancel other
modes so that when you are finished adjusting the view you are returned to what you were doing. See
Graphic Display for more information.

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Select Mode is the middle level mode that allows you to make a graphic selection of nodes,
members and plates. This mode supersedes the Edit Mode but not the View Mode. This means that
you can make a selection while in the middle of editing the view and when you are finished you are
returned to the editing feature that you were using. It also means that you may adjust the view while
remaining in the same Select Mode. See Graphic Selection for more information.
Edit Mode is the lower level mode that allows you to graphically edit the model. You may make
selections and adjust the view while in the edit mode such that when you are finished selecting you
will be returned to the Edit Mode. Some Edit Mode features have options on how you apply the edit.
See Graphic Editing for more information.

Note: The default mode is the mode you are in if you are not in any other mode and is
indicated by the standard mouse cursor. The default mode is a selection mode where you
can select/deselect individual items by clicking on them. You may also select an item to view
information about the item in the Properties Panel.
You may use the ESC key or the right mouse button to cancel a mode.

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File Menu
Clicking the File tab will expand the File menu.

To the right of the File Menu are recently opened files with a preview of the model file. Selecting one
of these files will close the current file, prompting for saving if necessary, and will open the selected
file.
The following table provides descriptions of all the menu options.
File Menu Icons / Options

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Icon Option Description

New Allows you to close the current file, prompting you to save
it, and opens a new file.
Open Allows you to close the current file, prompting you to save
it, and opens an existing file.
Retrieve Backup Allows you to close the current file, prompting you to save
it, and allows you to open an available backup file.
Save Allows you to save the current file, prompting you for a
name if it’s a new file.
Save As Allows you to save a copy of the current file as a new file,
prompting you for a name.
Append Inserts another RISA-3D model into the current model.

Import Allows you to close the current file, prompting you to save it
if applicable, and opens an existing RISA-2D (R2D), DXF,
STD, Autodesk Revit, Tekla Structures, tnxTower, or SAF
file. For more information on how RISA-3D interacts with
other programs, see Appendix E - Interfacing with Other
Programs.
Export Allows you to export the current file as a DXF, ADAPT
Builder, SAF, SDS2 End Reactions, or SDNF file.
For more information on the interaction between RISA and
other programs refer to Appendix E.
Print Allows you to access RISA-3D printing options.

Application Allows you to modify several program options. Refer to the

Settings Customizing RISA-3D topic for more information.
Help Opens a menu that displays RISA-3D Help options.

RISA-3D Manual Available from the ‘Help’ sub-menu, this icon allows you to
open a PDF copy of the RISA-3D Manual.
RISA-3D Tutorial Available from the ‘Help’ sub-menu, this icon allows you to
access all available RISA-3D tutorials.
Licensing Available from the ‘Help’ sub-menu, this icon provides
license information for subscription users and provides the
option to Borrow or Return a license. Additional
subscription licensing information an be found
here: Subscription Licensing.
Check for Updates Available from the ‘Help’ sub-menu, this icon allows you to
run an internal check for possible program updates. If your
program is up to date, you receive a message saying you
are up to date. If you are not using the current version of the
software, the check offers you options of how to update.
About RISA-3D Available from the ‘Help’ sub-menu, this icon allows you to
view your RISA-3D version and hardware key information.

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Icon Option Description

Switch User Available from the ‘Help’ sub-menu, this icon allows you to
Credentials & Exit log out your Subscription credentials and closes RISA-3D,
prompting you to save if applicable. The next time the
program is opened you need to re-enter your subscription
license username and password.
Exit Allows you to close RISA-3D, prompting you to save if
applicable.

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Home Ribbon

The Home ribbon offers various tools for setting up your personal preferences in the application
interface and the basics on models. The following table provides a short description of each tool.

Icon Tool Description

Model
Units Allows you to define the units to be used for the input and
output data of the model. See Units for more information.
Info Allows you to enter descriptive information such as a title for
the particular model being defined, the name of the designer
and a job number.
Enter descriptive information such as company and designer
name. This information displays when printing report and
graphic output. Some information can also be saved using the
‘Set As Default’ icon. See Model Settings for more information.
Settings Allows you to modify settings specific to the model which is
currently open.
Designate the code standard to use for the analysis, input
criterion for concrete and seismic analysis and adjust
parameters used in the solution such as, mesh size, global
axis control and processor utilization. Information can also be
saved using the Set As Default button. See Model Settings for
more information.
Draw Elements
Members Allows you to graphically draw members within your model.
See Members for more information.
Designate general properties such as material and shape, and
specify design parameters such as unbraced length. Then,
draw the member in your model at the desired location.
Automesh of Plates Allows you to draw a polygon that will automatically submesh
into smaller quadrilateral plate elements. See Submeshing
Plates for more information.
Select a general material, thickness and maximum edge
dimension to assign the plates. More advanced plate settings
may also be selected. Then, draw the plates in your model at
the desired locations.

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Icon Tool Description

Plates Allows you to graphically draw plates in your model. See
Plates for more information.
Select a general material and thickness to assign the plates.
More advanced plate settings for end releases and plate
formulation may also be selected. Then, draw the plates in
your model at the desired locations.
Wall Panels Allows you to graphically draw wall panels in your model. See
Wall Panels for more information.
Select a wall material and thickness. Wall design rules may
also be selected. Then, draw walls in your model at the desired
locations. Double-click the wall panel to modify openings and
boundary conditions.
Solids Allows you to extrude plate elements into solid elements. See
Solids for more information.
Solids are created by extruding an existing plate element in
any of the three global directions (X, Y, Z). Enter your extrude
dimension and then apply to one or all selected plates.
Boundary Allows you to apply boundary conditions in your model. See
Conditions Boundary Conditions for more information.
All models must be attached to some external point(s) of
support. The support point(s) can be completely restrained or
partially restrained, by using a Spring with a specified stiffness.
Subgrade Spring Allows you to generate compression-only springs in the
vertical direction at all plate joints in the selected group of
plates.
Designate a subgrade modulus to assign to the plates. Then,
draw the springs in your model at the desired locations. See
Generate Soil Springs for more information.
Templates Allows you to automatically generate typical structures or
portions of structures to start a new model or add to an existing
model. See Generation for more information.
Enter specific geometric parameters based on the template.
Specifying member or plate material properties is optional.
When the member or plate option is unchecked, only joints will
be generated.
Project Grid Allows you add project grids to your model file.
Project grids are used as a reference to draw new elements in
the model. Columns and walls are attached to project grids
and move with the project grid. See Project Grid for more
information.
Draw Loads

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Icon Tool Description

Nodal Allows you to graphically draw concentrated loads at nodal
points.
Nodal loads may be applied at node locations only. If nodal
load is being added to any member span location, a new node
must be added to that location prior to applying nodal load.
See Nodal Load for more information.
Line Allows you to graphically draw distributed loads in your model.
Click on the member or wall panel edge to apply a line load.
The load can be applied to the entire length or partial length
and can vary in magnitude from start to end. See Distributed
Load for more information.
Point Allows you to graphically draw concentrated loads on member
elements in your model.
point loads may be applied to a specific location along a
member length or wall edge. A node is not required at the point
of application. The point location may be entered in terms of
length or as a percentage of the element length. See Point
Loads for more information.
Point Moving Allows you to create point loads based on a specific time step
of a defined moving load pattern in your model.
Successive point loads are applied to the member at the
specified increment and pattern designated in the Moving
Loads spreadsheet. See Moving Loads for more information.
Area Allows you to graphically draw area loads in your model.
Click on points to define the area to apply the area load. Nodes
are not required at the application point. The load direction
determines how the load is distributed to supporting elements.
See Area Loads for more information.
Plate Surface Allows you to graphically draw plate surface loads.
Apply surface loads to plates by entering in the load direction
and magnitude. Apply the load to all selected plates or
individually click on the plates in the model to apply the load to.
See Surface Loads for more information.
Wall Surface Allows you to graphically draw wall surface loads.
Apply surface loads to wall panels by entering in the load
direction and magnitude. Apply the load to all selected wall
panels or individually click on the wall panels in the model to
apply the load to. See the Wall Surface Load topic for more
information.
Miscellaneous
These tools allow you to access load cases and combinations, and run a solution which will reveal
errors if any, in a warning log.

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Icon Tool Description

Basic Load Cases Opens the Basic Load Cases spreadsheet.
The Basic Load Case spreadsheet groups and summarizes
the loads applied to the model. See Basic Load Cases for
more information.
Load Combinations Opens the Load Combinations spreadsheet.
The Load Combination Spreadsheet allows you to solve
models for combined basic load cases with factors applied.
See Load Combination for more information.
Warning Log Opens the Warning Log spreadsheet if warnings are available
after solution. See the Warning Log topic for more information.

Solve Performs the analysis and design calculations to solve the

current model file.
Solution options include single load combinations, all selected
load combinations (batch), only the governing cases
(envelope), designing connections via RISAConnection (if
applicable) and/or performing a dynamic analysis. See
Solution for more information.
Quick Find Allows you to search for specific elements within the model.
Quick Find performs a quick search to find specific elements in
your model by label and add them to the selection state. See
Graphic Selection for more information.
Select by Property Allows you to select items within the model based on specific
criteria.
Select by Property selects or unselected elements based on
various parameters for either nodes, members, plates, wall
panels, solids, loads or coordinates. See Graphic Selection for
more information.
Quick View
These tools can be used to change the graphical display of the model. You can use these icon to
turn on member and node labels, and view color-coded properties and results. Additional view
options can be specified in the View Settings on the ‘View’ ribbon.
Render Allows you to toggle through wireframe, color coded wireframe
and rendering of model elements.
Rendering is dependent on material type. The color coding
criteria can be set in the Model View Settings. By default, the
elements are designated based on section set.

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Icon Tool Description

Icon Option Description
WireFrame Allows you to display
elements as wireframe.
Color Coded Allows you to display
elements as wireframe
and color coded based on
the Model Settings.
Rendered Allows you to render
elements based on
material type.
See Model View Settings for more information on rendering.
Show Node Labels Toggles through the display of nodes and node labels.
Node labels and corresponding node locations can be seen in
the Node Coordinates spreadsheet. You can also relabel all
nodes from the Node Coordinates spreadsheet.
View Boundary Allows you to toggle the boundary conditions.
Conditions
Click to turn the graphical display of applied boundary
conditions on or off.
Node Reactions Displays model reactions at nodes with boundary conditions.
View the model reactions for the specified load combination or
enveloped solution. Display options include the global X, Y, Z
directions as well as X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis moments.
Member Labels Allows you to display member labels when viewing members
in the wireframe.
Label options include member properties such as shape and
material type, as well as design properties such as unbraced
length.
Member Ends Displays various member end parameters graphically.
Display options include member end offsets, end releases,
connection rules, and I/J labels.
Member Color Allows you to toggle the display of the various member
Codes parameters using color coding options.

View Member Displays the member force diagrams.

Forces
Click to turn on the graphical display of the member force
diagrams. Display options include none, axial, shear, torque,
and bending moment diagrams.
Plate Labels Allows you to toggle the display of plate labels.
View the plate labels as text. Other label display options

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Icon Tool Description

include plate properties such as material, thickness and local
axis.
Plate Contours Allows you to toggle the display of plate contours.
Use the Contour Legend in the top right of the Model View to
view plate forces or stresses. See Plates for more information.
Solid Labels Allows you to toggle the display of solid labels.
View the solid labels as text. Other label display options
include solid material type as well as identifiers such as label
and number.
Solid Contours Allows you to toggle the display of solid stress contours.
Use the Contour Legend in the top right of the Model View, to
view solid stresses. See Solids for more information.
Wall Panel Labels Allows you to toggle the display of wall panel labels.

Wall Panel Allows you to toggle the display the wall panel force results as
Contours color contours.
Use the Contour Legend in the top right of the Model View to
view wall panel forces and stresses. See Wall Panels for more
information.
Diaphragms Toggles the display of diaphragms.

Distance Measure Allows you to measure the distance between two points.
Tool
Click on two points in the model to measure the distance. The
measurement result is displayed in the bottom-left of the
Properties Panel.
Reset View Clears the currently displayed options and sets the model view
back to the default wireframe view.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Modify Ribbon

Modify Ribbon

The Modify ribbon offers various tools to modify items and elements in a model. The following table
provides a short description of each tool.

Icon Tool Description

Delete
These tools provide a way to delete specific elements in your model. See Deleting Elements in
Graphic Editing for more information.
Delete Single Allows you to delete a single item in the model.
Delete a single item by clicking on it individually in the
model view. Alternatively, you can select an element and
press the DELETE key on your keyboard
Delete Multi Allows you to delete multiple items in the model at once.
Deleted selected items based on elements types such as,
modes, unattached modes, members, zero length
members, plates, wall panels, displayed loads, solids or
wall boundary conditions and straps.
Delete All Wall Allows you to delete all existing wall items in the model at
Regions once.
This tool clears all existing wall regions in the model that
have been manually drawn in or that have been generated
automatically by the program.
Copy
These tools provide various ways to copy elements within the model. See Copying Elements in
Graphic Editing for more information.
Global Allows you to copy elements in the global X, Y and/or Z
direction.
Specify a distance to copy an elements in the X, Y and/or Z
direction. Click diagonal to apply the distances
simultaneously and/or click Copy Loads to also copy
associated member loads in the duplicate.
Local Offset Allows you to copy elements by specifying an off-set
position.
Specify the direction along a global or local axis and offset
distance to copy elements accordingly.

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Icon Tool Description

Point to Point Allows you to copy selected elements by specifying two
points for distance and direction.
Specify a start point and end point for copying selected
elements, in the direction and the distance between the two
specified points.
Rotate Allows you to copy elements by specifying a rotation.
Specify the axis of rotation, angle and how many
increments to create rotational copies of the element.
Mirror Allows you to copy elements by mirroring them to a specific
plane.
Specify a plane to mirror selected elements and plane
location to create a mirror image copy of the elements.
Move
These tools provide various way to move or rotate elements within the model. See Moving
Elements in Graphic Editing for more information.
Global Allows you to move elements in the X, Y and/or Z direction.
Specify the distance to move an element in the global X, Y
and Z direction.
Local Offset Allows you to move elements by specifying an off-set
position.
Specify a distance to move an elements along the local x, y
and z axes.
Point to Point Allows you to move selected elements by specifying two
points for distance and direction.
Specify a start point and end point for moving selected
elements in the direction and the distance between the two
specified points.
Rotate Allows you to move elements by specifying a rotation.
First, specify a rotation axis and angle of rotation. Then,
specify an original by clicking a node in the model or by
entering specific coordinates.
Scale Allows you to scale elements based on specific factors.
Specify the factors used to scale the elements in your
model. Then, specify an origin by clicking a node in the
model or by entering specific coordinates.
Members
These are graphical tools that provide ways to modify members within the model. See
Trim/Extend, Swap Member Ends, and Split Members for more information.

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Icon Tool Description

Split Allows you to physically split a member into smaller
members.

Add Nodes Allows you to add additional nodes along the length of a
member.
Specify the spacing type and number of segments or
location to add nodes.
Swap Ends Allows you to swap the member I End with the member
J End.

Extend Allows you to extend the member in relation to another

member.
First, select the member you want to extend. Then, select
the member you want to extend to.
Trim Allows you to trim the member in relation to another
member.
First, select the side of the member you want to trim. Then,
select the boundary member to trim it back to.
Labeling
These tools provide ways to control the labels of elements within the model. See Graphic Editing
for more information.
Relabel All Allows you to relabel all elements (Nodes, Members,
Plates, Walls, Panels and Solids).
Use the drop-down menu to select which type of element to
relabel.
Relabel Selected Allows you to relabel all selected elements (Nodes,
Members, Plates, Walls, Panels and Solids).
Use the drop-down menu to select which type of element to
relabel and apply this to only selected elements.

Plates
These tools provide ways to modify both plates and solid elements. See Plates and Solids for
more information.
Submesh Plates Allows you to refine the existing plate mesh by choosing a
submesh method: auto, quad or tri.
Select a submesh method to apply to existing plates. The
original plate will be replaced with the refined submesh
consisting of smaller plate elements.

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Icon Tool Description

Submesh Solids Allows you to refine the existing solid elements into smaller
solid elements.
Select the number of pieces along each side of the solid to
specify how to submesh the existing solid elements.
Degenerate Plate Allows you to check for problematic plates that cause errors
Check during solution.
The option ‘Show Problematic Plates’ identifies the plates
that have poor geometry or are not planar. The second
option, ‘Split Problematic Plates’, creates four triangular
plates out of any non-planar plates.
Flip Axis Allows you to switch the plate vertical local axis orientation.
Plates are oriented by the direction and sequence in which
their corner nodes were defined. Switching the vertical axis
may be useful to better align the plate local axes.
Rotate Axis Allows you to rotate the plate local axis from its default
position.
Use this tool to rotate the plates local axis about its local z
axis.
Walls
Flip Axis Allows you to flip the wall panel local axes, which reverses
the direction of the wall panel's local x and z-axes. You can
choose to flip the wall and the openings or flip just the wall's
local axis without affecting the openings or regions. This
feature is useful for aligning the positive z-direction for a
group of wall panels that all receive the same surface load.
See Walls for more information.
Advanced
Model Merge Allows you to merge elements in your model based on your
merge tolerance. See Model Merge for more information.
Model Merge detects unconnected joints along member
spans, unconnected crossing members and duplicate
joints, members and plates. Model Merge can help detect
and fix modeling errors.
Round off Allows you to round off the node coordinates in your model.
Coordinates
Use this tool to indicate the decimal precision used for node
coordinates. This is especially useful when importing a
model from another program, to reduce the possibility of
element misalignment due to excessive decimal precision.
Match Allows you to match the properties of one member to
another. See Match for more information.

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Icon Tool Description

Select a base member whose properties you want copied
to additional members. This tool is useful when making
mass modifications to the model.
Switch Vertical Allows you to change the vertical axis of the model.
Axes
The program defaults to use Y as the global vertical axis,
although you may use this tool to switch this at anytime. If
you change the global vertical axis, the orientation of all
elements and loads will also be rotated.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual View Ribbon

View Ribbon
The View ribbon offers various tools to change the model view, display of loads and results, and
active windows.

The following table provides a short description of each tool.

View - Icons

Icon Tool Description

Project Grid Allows you to toggle the display of the project grid on or off.
The Project Grid is part of the model and can be allowed to
move model elements as grid lines are moved.
Create new project gridlines from the Home tab under Draw
Elements. Modify existing project gridlines using the
Project Grid spreadsheet. Columns and walls are attached
to project grids and move with the project grid. See Project
Grid for more information.
3D View
Tools for snapping your model to a specific view.
Isometric Allows you to snap your model to an isometric view.

XY Allows you to snap your model to an XY planar view.

XZ Allows you to snap your model to an XZ planar view.
YZ Allows you to snap your model to an YZ planar view.
View Settings
These tools let you specify how to plot nodes, members, plates, loads and the information that is
to accompany them.
Model Allows you to specify model display settings.
Set display settings for the model display using dialog
selection options. Customize the display settings for
members, plates, wall panels or solids. See Model View
Settings for more information.
Results Allows you to specify result display settings.
Set display settings for the results of members, plates, wall
panels or solids. In addition, the display of reactions or
deflections can be adjusted. See Results View Settings for

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Icon Tool Description

more information.
Animate
Results Allows you to view an animation of the model's deflected
shape, mode shapes, or time history loads.
A new model view window will open displaying a video
animation of the model's behavior. See Animate Results for
more information..
Additional controls are included for the animation of Time
History motion. See Animate Time History Deflection for
more information.
Moving Loads Allows you to animate Moving Loads in the current model
view.
It displays the model view with video animation that
includes the moving loads.
See Animate a Moving Load for more information.
Zoom
Zoom Extents Allows you to reset the view to display the full model. See
Zoom Extent - tool for more information.

Zoom In Allows you to zoom the view in for a closer view of the
model.
This tool sets the Zoom to “In” so that each time you click
you mouse button, the model view is reduced. See Zoom In
- tool for more information.
Zoom Out Allows you to zoom the view out for a wider view of the
model.
This tool sets the Zoom to “Out” so that each time you click
you mouse button, the model view is diminished. See Zoom
Out - tool for more information.
Zoom Box Allows you to zoom in on a specific area of the view using a
box selection. See Zoom Box - tool for more information.
Miscellaneous
Image Capture Allows you to create custom snapshot images of model
views and detail reports that can be added to a printed
report. See Capture a Custom Snapshot for more
information.
See Printing for more information on printing your image
captures.

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Icon Tool Description

Saved Views Allows you to save or recall specific selection states for a
model view. See View a Saved Snapshot for more
information.

Window
Open 3D View Allows you to add a new 3D View window or choose from a
list of all other 3D View windows that are currently open.
See Open a New 3D View for more information.

For more details about the various options on the View ribbon, see Graphic Display .

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Drawing Tools Ribbon

Drawing Tools Ribbon

The Drawing Tools ribbon provides options to aid in drawing the elements in the model.

Icon Tool Description

Drawing Grid
Display Grid Allows you to toggle the display of the drawing grid.

Import .dfx Grid Allows you to import a DFX file to be used for a Drawing
Grid.
Change the drawing grid type to DXF Underlay to utilize this
feature.
Color/Layer Allows you to select which layers of the DXF file to display
Options and what colors to display them in.
Change the drawing grid type to DXF Underlay to utilize this
feature.
Drawing Grid Origin
Click to Locate Allows you to change the origin of the drawing grid by
selecting a new point.

Drawing Grid Options

Save as Default Allows you to save the existing drawing grid as the default
grid.
Save Grid Allows you to save the existing drawing grid.
Load Grid Allows you to load a previously saved drawing grid.
Snap Settings
Quarter Points Allows you to create snap points at quarter intervals along a
member.
A check indicates that this feature is turned on. To check or
uncheck, click inside the Quarter Points box.
Third Points Allows you to create snap points at third intervals along a
member.
A check indicates that this feature is turned on. To check or
uncheck the box, click inside it.

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Icon Tool Description

Intersection Allows you to create a snap point where elements intersect.
A check indicates that this feature is turned on. To check or
uncheck the box, click inside it.
Increment Allows you to create snap points based on distance
specified.
A check indicates that this feature is turned on. To check or
uncheck the box, click inside it.
Perpendicular Allows you to create a snap point to draw perpendicular
members.
A check indicates that this feature is turned on. To check or
uncheck the box, click inside it.
Lock Axis
Global Axis Allows you to lock drawing tools to the global axis specified.
When using drawing tools and clicking on an initial point in
the model, subsequent click points will only be available
within the global axis specified.
Local Axis Allows you to lock drawing tools to the local axis specified.
When using drawing tools and clicking on an initial point in
the model, subsequent click points will only be available
within the local axis specified.
Lock to Plane
Global Plane Allows you to lock drawing tools to the global plane
specified.
When using drawing tools and clicking on an initial point in
the model, subsequent click points only be available within
the global plane specified.
Universal Snap Points
Active Allows you to activate snap points in the model space
based on universal snap point options.
A check indicates that this feature is turned on. To check or
uncheck the box, click inside it.
For more details about the various options on the Drawing Tools ribbon, see Graphic Editing.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Spreadsheet Ribbon

Spreadsheet Ribbon

The Spreadsheets ribbon provides a way to access all the Data Entry spreadsheets in the model, as
well as provide various tools to manipulate spreadsheet values. If you do not have a spreadsheet
open, the only option on this ribbon is the Data Entry button, which allows you to open a spreadsheet.
Once you open a spreadsheet, you have various tools, pertinent to that spreadsheet, available to
you. For example, if you open the Materials spreadsheet, the Spreadsheets ribbon looks like the
following image.

The following table provides a list of the various tools on the Spreadsheets ribbon (when a
spreadsheet is opened) and their descriptions.

Icon Tool Description

Data Entry Allows you to select to open one or more spreadsheets from
a list of all the Data Entry spreadsheets.
The tool displays a list of all the Data Entry spreadsheets
and whether or not they are currently open. A check in the
checkbox indicates that the spreadsheet is open.
Filter Input Allows you to filter graphically selected elements in the Data
Entry spreadsheets.
Choose to filter selected or unselected elements from the
Data Entry spreadsheets. This is useful when you want to
focus on the inputs for a specific portion of the model.
Row Operations
These tools are available only if a Data Entry spreadsheet is open.
Add Row Allows you to add a single row.
The tool adds a new, single row to the bottom of the
spreadsheet.

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Icon Tool Description

Insert Row Allows you to insert a single row.
The tool inserts the row above the currently selected row in
the spreadsheet.

Delete Row Allows you to remove a single row.

The tool deletes the selected, single row from the
spreadsheet.

Delete Selected Allows you to remove several rows at once.

Rows
The tool deletes all selected rows from the spreadsheet.

Clipboard
These tools are available only if a spreadsheet is open.
Copy Allows you to copy spreadsheet information from one or
more cells.
The tool copies the information in the selected cells which
can then be pasted into other cells or outside of the
program.
Copy with Allows you to copy spreadsheet information and with the
Headers column header descriptions.
Choose this tool to include the column header descriptions
with the spreadsheet information when pasting outside of
the program.
Paste Allows you to paste spreadsheet information into selected
cells.
Once data has been copied to the clipboard, the data can be
pasted into the selected cells or outside of the program.
Select All Allows you to select all cells at once.
Choose this tool to select all data in the spreadsheet.

Results
These tools are only available if a Results spreadsheet is open.
Ignore After Allows you to exclude all results after the current items.
The tool removes spreadsheet information for the results
after the current item selected in the active spreadsheet,
and reduces the size of the results output. These elements
are still present in the analysis.
Show All Allows you to includes all results in the spreadsheet.
The tool includes all previously excluded results in the
spreadsheet.

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Icon Tool Description

Clear Results Allows you to delete all solution results.

Data Operations
These tools are available only if a Data Entry spreadsheet is open.
Fill Allows you to fill all selected cells with a common value.
Select the cells you want to fill, then type in the value to fill
them with.
Math Allows you to perform math on the currently selected cell(s).
You can add, subtract, multiple or divide the cell(s) by a
specific operand.
Check/Uncheck Allows you to check or uncheck selected cells in a Results
spreadsheet.
Select any cells containing a checkbox in the spreadsheet to
check/uncheck. The tool reverses the existing condition.
Formatting
These tools are available only if a spreadsheet is open.
Increase Font Allows you to increase the size of the font in the
spreadsheet.

Decrease Font Allows you to decrease the size of the font in the
spreadsheet.

Recent Widths Allows you to reset the widths of the columns in the
spreadsheet.
When selected, this tool resets the widths of the columns in
the spreadsheet to the program defaults.
Sort Allows you to sort information/data by a selected column in
the spreadsheet.
Select a column header in a spreadsheet and click and then
choose high to low or low to high, to reorganize the
spreadsheet based on the sort selection in that column.
Find & Replace Allows you to search for and replace selected information.
The tools searches for the data in the current spreadsheet
and replaces it with the selected data.
This tool is available only when working with a Data Entry
spreadsheet.

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Icon Tool Description

Find Allows you to find the row containing a specific joint,
member, or wall panel in the results spreadsheet.
Open a spreadsheet containing results to activate the tool.
Enter the joint, member, or wall panel label; the containing
row is highlighted.
This tool is available only when working with a Results
spreadsheet.
Save as Defaults Allows you to save common entries as the default values in
a spreadsheet, so that they are readily accessible for new,
future models.

Graphical Highlight
These tools are available only when you select one or more rows in a spreadsheet.
Select Allows you to select marked lines in the current model view.
You can quickly select elements in the model view that
correspond to the marked lines in the spreadsheet.
Unselect Allows you to unselect the marked lines in the current model
view.
You can quickly unselect elements in the model view that
correspond to the marked lines in the spreadsheet.
BLC
These tools are available only when the Basic Load Cases spreadsheet is opened.
Copy Loads Allows you to copy loads from one Basic Load Case to
another.
you can choose to copy all load types or only some load
types. Unchecking a box excludes that load type from the
selection.
Clear Loads Allows you to clear all load types from a Basic Load Case.

For more details about the various options on the Spreadsheets ribbon, see Spreadsheet Operations
.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Advanced Ribbon

Advanced Ribbon

The following table provides a list of the various tools on the Advanced ribbon and their descriptions.

Icon Tool Description

Load Generators
Wind Opens the Wind Load Generator, that allows you to
generate wind loads for the lateral design of a building
structure.
Wind loads are based on the specified code requirements,
length/width of the diaphragm and tributary height to the
diaphragm. The loads are applied to automatically
generated nodes located in the plane of each diaphragm.
See the Wind Loads topic for more information.
Seismic Opens the Seismic Load Generator, that allows you to
generate seismic loads for the lateral design of a building
structure.
Seismic loads are based on the tributary weight of each
diaphragm, as well as the seismic parameters set in the
Model Settings. The loads are applied to automatically
generated nodes located in the plane of each diaphragm.
See the Seismic Loads topic for more information.
Notional Opens the Notional Load Generator, that allows you to
generate notional loads for the stability design of a building
structure.
Notional loads generate a de-stabilizing load for each
diaphragm/floor level at the center of mass, based on a
percentage of applied mass.
See the Notional Loads topic for more information.
Libraries

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Icon Tool Description

Time History Allows you to view the library of Time History
functions/patterns, which may be generated or imported
into the program.
See Time History for more information.
Moving Loads Allows you to view the Moving Loads pattern database,
which defines the magnitude, direction and distance used
when applying a moving load. Add a new pattern or edit an
existing pattern to use in the model.
See Moving Loads for more information.
Response Spectra Allows you to view the Response Spectra database, which
provides spectra for existing building codes.
View an existing spectra or add a new spectra. Input
options include period and frequency, as well as the three
spectral values: acceleration, velocity, and displacement.
See the Dynamics topic for more information.
Shape Database Allows you to view the Shape database.
The shape database contains hot rolled steel, cold formed
steel, wood, aluminum, stainless steel, general shapes and
their properties.
View, edit, or create a shape to use in the model.
See Shape Database topic for more information.
Custom Wood Allows you to view the properties for Custom Wood
species.
You can modify customized wood properties in this
database, which can then be used as the Custom Wood
material found in the Materials > Wood spreadsheet.
See Wood Design for more information.
Custom Rebar Allows you to view Custom Rebar layouts.
You can create custom flexural or shear rebar layouts to be
used in the analysis of concrete columns or beams.
See Concrete Design for more information.
Redesign Lists Allows you to view Member Redesign Lists.
Redesign lists are available for all material and shape
types. You can customize the member optimization, by
viewing and editing the member redesign lists. In addition,
you can edit the existing lists or create a new list.
See Redesign List for more information.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Results Ribbon

Results Ribbon
The Results ribbon is visible only after you solve the model and a solution is present. This ribbon
provides tools for viewing the analysis result. Results that display in spreadsheet format can also be
found in the Explorer panel under the Results section.

The following table provides a short description of each tool.

Results- Icons

Icon Tool Description

Results
Envelope Allows you to view enveloped analysis results.
The tool displays enveloped (max and min values only)
analysis results in the selected spreadsheets.

LC Allows you to view analysis results on a per-load

combination basis.
The tool displays results corresponding to each load
combination solved in the analysis. This is useful when
investigating the results for a specific load combination.
Dynamic Allows you to view dynamic analysis results.
The tool displays the natural frequencies or mode shapes,
after performing a dynamic analysis.

Sort by Allows you to sort the spreadsheet results of a batch

Combination solution by load combination.
Results are listed in chronological order, based on load
combination. For example, all the member forces under
Load Combination 1 are listed first. The forces under Load
Combination 2 are listed next.
Sort by Item Allows you to sort the spreadsheet results of a batch
solution by item.
For example, you can group results from each load
combination under a particular member.

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Icon Tool Description

Filter Results Allows you to filter selected elements from the spreadsheet
results.
Choose to filter out the results for selected or unselected
elements from the results spreadsheets. This is useful
when you would like to focus on the results for a specific
portion of the model.
Force Summation
Node Allows you to sum the internal forces across selected
elements.
Select two points to define a cutting plane and then select a
third point to locate the plane. The internal force summation
tool then sums the forces of every selected element that it
cuts though and reports the totals.
Wall Allows you to sun internal plate forces between two points
within a wall.
Select two points in a wall panel to sum the internal forces
between the two points. This tool is useful for investigating
forces within specific regions in a wall panel. This can also
be done across multiple walls that are in the same plane.
Slab Allows you to sum internal plate forces between two points
within a slab.
Select two points in a wall panel to sum the internal forces
between the two points. This tool is useful for investigating
forces within specific regions in a wall panel. This can also
be done across multiple walls that are in the same plane.

Note: This tool is available only when the model

originates in RISAFloor and has Semi-Rigid
Diaphragms.

Time History
TH Trace Allows you to view Time History results at a specific node
location.
Select a node to view displacement, velocity, acceleration
or reaction results over time for the specified node. You can
choose to display results for the global X, Y and Z direction
as well as rotational directions RX, RY and RZ.
See Time History for more information.
Export TH Trace Allows you to export a series of Time History traces to a text
file.
Export a series of time history traces for all selected nodes
to an ASCII text file.

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Icon Tool Description

See Time History for more information.
Contour
Contour Diagram Allows you to display a diagram for stresses and/or forces
along a defined cut in Plates or Walls.
Select two points in a wall panel or mesh of plates to
display a diagram representation of color contours for
stresses and/or forces along a defined cut in those plates or
walls.
Diagram Report Allows you to display an enlarged image of the Contour
Diagram.
Use this tool to view a graphical report that shows the
plate/wall contours as diagrams and numerical data for
every section along the length of the diagram.
Formatting
Clear Results Allows you to delete all solution results.
The tool clears all solution results to make changes in the
model or solve another solution.

Warning Log Opens the Warning Log spreadsheet, which provides you
with a record of any warnings or errors that occurred during
the solution of your model.
See the Warning Log topic for more information.
Suggested Design Allows you to solve again using suggested shapes.
Resolve the model using suggested shares based on
design criteria for a more optimal design.

Detailed Report Allows you to access detailed analysis and design

information for elements.
Click on an element to view all analysis and design results
pertaining to that specific element. View shear, moment
and stress diagrams as well as design information and
code checks.
For more details about the various options on the Results ribbon, see Results.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Aluminum

Aluminum
Aluminum - Databases
Shapes are organized in the database by country. The shapes available are from the ADM 2005
Section Properties section. You may type in the names directly, select shapes from these databases
or add your own shapes.

Aluminum Databases
RISA currently supports the following two common Aluminum databases:
l Aluminum US
l Aluminum CAN

Select an Aluminum Database

To select an aluminum database when drawing a new member:
1. Click the Material Type down-arrow in the Properties panel and choose Aluminum.

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2. Click the Section/Shape down-arrow and choose the Shape Database.

3. Click the Shape ellipses button to open the Shape Selection window (shown in the
following image).

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The Shape Selection window opens to the Aluminum tab.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Aluminum

To select an aluminum database from the spreadsheets:

1. Click the Aluminum tab of the ‘Section Sets’ spreadsheet or the Primary tab of the
‘Members’ spreadsheet.
Section Sets spreadsheet - General Member spreadsheet - Primary

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2. Click on the Shape or Section/Shape cell of the row you want to work with, then click the
ellipsis button that appears (shown in the following images).
Section Sets spreadsheet - Aluminum tab Member spreadsheet - Primary tab

The Shape Selection: Aluminum or Set Member Section or Shape window opens,
depending on which spreadsheet you clicked the ellipsis button in.
Shape Selection: Aluminum window Set Member Section Set or Shape window

Select an Aluminum Shape

To select an aluminum shape from the Shape Selection window:

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1. Click the Database down-arrow and choose the database where the shape is stored.
RISA currently supports two common Aluminum databases: Aluminum US and Aluminum
CAN.

2. Click on the Shape Type you want to select from.

If you select CS, you also have to click the down-arrow and choose a layout.

3. In the Shape Name list box, click on the name of the shape you want.
To narrow the scope of names appearing in the list box, begin typing the name in the search
box.
As you type, the scope of the list is filtered to show only those names that match what you
are typing.

4. Click OK to select the shape and close the Shape Selection window.

Shape Database Files

The aluminum shape databases are stored in the files ADMdbUS32.fil and ADMdbCAN32.fil.

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Add a Database Shape

To add a database shape:

1. Click the Shape Database icon, on the ‘Advanced’ ribbon (as shown in the following
image).

The Shape Selection window opens.

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2. Click the Aluminum tab.

3. Click the Database down-arrow and choose the database where you want to store the
new shape (as shown in the previous image).
RISA currently supports two common Aluminum databases: Aluminum US and Aluminum
CAN.
4. Click on the Shape Type you wish to add, then click the Add button (as shown in the
previous image).
The Add Shape window opens.

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5. Type a Shape Name for the shape.

6. Enter in the Basic Properties (D, B, tf and tw).
7. Click Calculate to determine the shape properties.
The Calculated Properties section displays the results from the calculation (as shown in the
following image).

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If you are satisfied with the results, save the new shape.
8. Click OK to save the shape and close the Shape Selection window.

Edit a Database Shape

To edit a database shape:

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1. Click the Shape Database icon on the Advanced ribbon(as shown in the following
image).

The Shape Selection window opens.

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2. Click the Aluminum tab.

3. Click the Database down-arrow and choose the database where you want to edit the
shape.
4. Click on the Shape Type of the shape you want to edit, if not already selected.
5. Click on the Shape Name of the shape you want to edit, then click the Edit button.
The Edit shape window opens.

You have the option to input ‘Geometric Properties’ and ‘Section Properties’ manually, or
you may choose to have the program calculate the Section Properties based on values
input for the Geometric Properties.
6. Make your Geometric Properties changes, then click Re-Calc to have the program
calculate the Section Properties automatically.

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7. Click OK to save the shape change(s) and close the Edit Shape window.
You are returned to the Shape Selection window.
8. Click OK to save the change to the Shape database and close the Shape Selection window.

Note:
l New shapes are added to the bottom of the database in a blue font to show they
were not originally from the default database.
l To delete a shape, specify the database and shape type you wish to delete and
then click the Delete button.
l Only shapes added to the default database (shown in blue) are able to be edited or
deleted.

Aluminum Shape Types

There are ten types of aluminum shapes. Names for each shape type follow the convention of the
manufacturer for each shape. If you know the shape name, you can type the name directly into the
Shape field on the spreadsheets, or use the search box to type part of the name to narrow the scope
of names displayed in the Shape Name list.

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WF sections
The wide flange shapes are called out by the designation given them in the aluminum manual. For
example, if you wanted to use a WF10x11.4 you would enter WF10X11.4 as the shape name in the
database shape field. Aluminum Association Standard I-Beams(AA), American Standard(S), Army-
Navy(A-N), Canadian(CAN) I-Beams and Wide Flange shapes are available.

Zee sections (Z)

The Z shapes are called out by the designation given them in the ADM manual.

Tee sections (T)

The T shapes are called out by the designation given them in the ADM manual. Army-Navy (A-N)
shapes are also available.

Solid Rectangular
The Solid Rectangular sections or bar sections are defined by the user, there are no default shapes.

Angles sections (L)

Angles are entered with an "L" prefix. The syntax is "longXshortXthick", where "long" is the long leg
length, "short" is the short leg length, and "thick" is the thickness, in number of decimals. For
example, L5X3X0.375 is a 5" by 3" angle 0.375" thick. Square End Angles (LS) shapes are also
available.

Channel sections (CS)

The CS shapes are called out by the designation given them in the ADM manual. The Aluminum
Association (AA), American Standard Channels (C) and Car and Ship Building Channels (CS),
Canadian Channels (CAN) are available.

Double Sections
The CS shapes are also available Back-to-Back or Front-to-Front orientation.

Note: The program currently only performs an analysis of double sections and does not
perform a code check of any kind.

Round Tube or Pipe (OD or NPS)

The Round Tube shapes are called out by the designation given them in the ADM manual. The Outer
diameter call out is used as well as the Nominal Pipe Size.

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Rectangular Tube sections (RT)

The RT shapes are called out by the designation given them in the ADM manual.

Aluminum - Design
Full code checking can be performed on standard aluminum shapes, based on the following codes:
l Aluminum Design Manual 2015: Building and Bridge
l Aluminum Design Manual 2010: Building and Bridge
l Aluminum Design Manual 2005: Building and Bridge
Aluminum properties are available in the database and the values are based on the ADM values (See
Aluminum Database). You can also input your own basic shapes and the properties will be
calculated automatically.

Design Parameters
The Aluminum tab on the Members Spreadsheet records the design parameters for the aluminum
code checks. These parameters may also be assigned graphically. See Modifying Member Design
Parameters to learn how to do this.

These parameters are defined for each aluminum member. The entries are explained below.

Label
You may assign a unique Label to all of the members. Each label must be unique, so if you try to
enter the same label more than once you will get an error message. You may relabel at any time with
the Relabel options on the Modify ribbon.

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Shape
The member Shape or Section Set is reported in the second column. This value is listed for
reference only and may not be edited as it is dictated by the entry in the Section/Shape column on the
Primary tab.

Length
The member Length is reported in the third column. This value may not be edited as it is dependent
on the member end coordinates listed on the Primary tab. It is listed here as a reference for
unbraced lengths which are discussed in the next section.

Unbraced Length
See the Unbraced Lengths topic.

K Factors (Effective Length Factors)

See the Unbraced Lengths topic.

Sway Flags
See the Unbraced Lengths topic.

Cm - Interactive Bending Coefficient

Cm Coefficients are described in Section 4.1.1 of the ADM code. If these entries are left blank, they
will be automatically calculated.
The Cm value is influenced by the sway condition of the member and is dependent on the member's
end moments, which will change from one load combination to the next, so it may be a good idea to
leave these entries blank.

Note: Cm only shows up in the spreadsheet for the 2005 codes.

Cb - Bending Coefficients
For the aluminum codes, Cb Coefficients depends on the moment variation over the unbraced
length as described in ADM Chapter F. If this entry is left blank, it will be calculated automatically.

Function for Stiffness Reduction

The Function entry may be set to either 'Lateral' or 'Gravity' using the drop down list in the
spreadsheet. If the Adjust Stiffness option is set to Yes on the Codes tab of the Model Settings
Dialog, then all members with a 'Lateral' Function will be considered for the stiffness reduction
required per the Chapter C.2 Calculations of Required Strength.

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The Flexural Stiffness Reduction of the Direct Analysis Method will be applied to all 'Lateral'
members whose member type is set to either 'Beam' or 'Column' on the Primary Tab of the Members
Spreadsheet. This process involves evaluating certain conditions:
l Primary Stiffness Adjustment Requirements
The program first checks whether a member satisfies the three primary stiffness adjustment
requirements:
l The member is defined as “Lateral”.
l The stiffness adjustment option is enabled for the specific material being used.
l The chosen material code permits stiffness adjustment for the selected material.
l Stiffness Adjustment Calculation
Once the above conditions are met, the software proceeds to calculate the stiffness
adjustments for the member. This includes reducing the area and moment of inertia based
on predefined multiplication factors:
l Aluminum Material: Area and moment inertia are multiplied by 0.8.
l Exclusive Criteria
However, certain exclusion criteria are considered to determine whether to apply the
stiffness adjustments or not. The following conditions must be met simultaneously for
exclusion:
l The material is Hot Rolled
l The selected steel code is AISC 13th ed.
l The member type is not specified as:
l Column or v-brace for area reduction.
l Column or beam for moment of inertia reduction.
If all the exclusion criteria are met, the original area and moment of inertia values will be retained
without applying the stiffness adjustment multiplication factors. This ensures that certain types of
HR members, when using the AISC code, maintain their original stiffness characteristics.
The program can perform an iterative analysis during the solution depending on the value of τb. In
this case, the stiffness matrix is recomputed for each iteration until the value of τb converges within 1
percent for all 'Lateral' members in compression. In the unlikely event that τb is less than zero, the
value of τb is considered to be 1.e-5.
When the users sets the Adjust Stiffness flag on the Model Settings to Yes (Tau =1.0), then the
program will use a Tau of 1.0 in the stiffness analysis and no iteration of the stiffness matrix is
necessary. This option is a good feature for models which take a long time to solve or which have not
yet been proportioned to control drift.
The Axial Stiffness Reduction of the Direct Analysis Method will be applied to all 'Lateral' members
whose member type is set to either 'Column' or 'VBrace' on the Primary Tab of the Members
Spreadsheet.

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Note: The stiffness reduction required by the Chapter C will be ignored if the Adjust Stiffness
option is not selected on the codes tab of the Model Settings, or if the design code chosen
does not have an option for stiffness reduction.

Aluminum Code Check

Access the Code Check spreadsheet by selecting the Results tab Envelope (or LC) button
Code Check. Alternatively, on the Results toolbar you can select Code Check.

The final results of the code checking are the code check values UC Max and Shear UC. So, if this
value is less than 1.0, the member passes. If it is greater than 1.0, the member fails. If the value is
greater than 9.999 it will be listed as "9.999". The Shear Check is based on fs/Fs. Note that torsional
shear, if any, is also included in this check. The location for the shear check is followed by "y" or "z" to
indicate the direction of the shear. The Loc field tells at what location the maximum code check
occurs measured from the I-node location of the member.
The remaining columns provide some of the values used in the code check with the equation number
itself given in the last column. The Member Detail Report gives more values used to perform the
code check.
The final field lists the controlling equation for the code check. This will be one of the equations from
Section 4.
For enveloped results the combination that produced the listed code and shear checks is given in the
column "lc". The other values are the corresponding values and are not necessarily the maximums
across all the combinations.
The moving load results are enveloped and the governing load combination and step location is
shown for each result value under the "LC" column. The first number is the load combination, the
second is the step number: (load combination - step number). See Moving Loads to learn more.

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Note:
l The program currently only performs an analysis of double sections and does not
perform a code check of any kind.
l The Member Detail Report gives more values used to perform the code check.
l See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how to use Find, Sort and other options.
l See Results View Settings - Members to learn how to plot member results.

Aluminum Detail Report

The aluminum detail report has design information for the specific code checks:

The Max Bending Check is based on ADM Chapter H, with the governing Equation and Location
listed.
The Max Shear Check is not provided in the ADM specification, this represents fs/Fs with the
governing Location listed.
The Max Defl Ratio is based on the entire length of the member.
The Slender Limitl1 and l2 are calculated based on the Gov Eqn. The Slenderness Ratio are
given based on the Design Aids in Tables 2-x ADM Section VI. The Slender. Ratio is also based on
the Gov Eq , for further information refer to the ADM Design Aids.

Assumptions and Limitations

For all shape types, it is assumed that the transverse load on the member is occurring through the
member's shear center. This means secondary torsional moments that may occur if the load is not
applied through the shear center are not considered.
l Single Angles are not checked for bending in the 2005 and 2010 codes. They are checked
for bending in the 2015 and newer codes.
l rye, effective radius of gyration from Eq 4.9.1-1 is used for doubly symmetric sections
beams.

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l Welded regions are not checked in RISA-3D. You can use the welded material properties
for the entire member, or create segments that are welded material in order to check the
weld properties. For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks
webpage at risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Welded Aluminum.
l Connections are not checked, including web crippling, fatigue or stiffeners.
l Kt in is assumed to be the smaller of Kyy or Kzz.
l Double Sections - The program currently only performs an analysis of double sections and
does not perform a code check of any kind.

Special Messages

Aluminum Code Check Not Calculated

This message is displayed when the member is not defined with a database shape, is defined as a
double section, or an Aluminum code is not specified on the Model Settings, or no units were
specified.

-Pu was ignored in the calculation of the unity check-

This message is reported in the detail report when the member axial force is low (less than 5% of
capacity). This is done so that beam members with very low axial forces will give similar code checks
whether in tension or compression.

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Boundary Conditions
Boundary Conditions define how the model is externally constrained. All models must be attached
to some external point or points of support. You may define these points of support as completely
restrained or as partially restrained with a Spring. You can also define a spring support that has
stiffness in only one direction with tension-only or compression-only springs.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Boundary Conditions.

Creating and Modifying Boundary Conditions

There are a number of ways to create or modify boundary conditions. You may view and edit the data
in the Boundary Conditions Spreadsheet, you may click a node to view and edit its properties, or
you can use the Boundary Conditions tool to graphically assign or modify a possibly large selection
of boundary conditions.

Modify Boundary Conditions forNodes

The graphical Boundary Conditions tool discussed here lets you specify and modify boundary
conditions graphically. To use this, you typically specify the new boundary condition, then click on
Click to Apply and click on nodes one by one or press Apply to Selected after having selected the
nodes that you want to assign or modify.
You can modify or assign nodes one at a time by selecting the Click to Apply option and then click
on the nodes you wish to modify. You may also modify or assign entire selections of nodes by
selecting the nodes first and then use the Apply to Selected option.
The parameters shown below are the same as those on the Boundary Conditions Spreadsheet
and are described in Boundary Condition Options. Use the ellipsis button to select the boundary
condition.

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To Apply Boundary Conditions

1. If a model view is not already open, click the Open 3D Views icon on the ‘View’ ribbon to
open a new view.
2. Click the Boundary Conditions icon on the ‘Home’ ribbon (as shown in the following
image) and select a boundary condition.

3. You can apply the boundary condition by choosing Click to Apply or Apply to Selected.
To choose nodes on the fly, choose Click to Apply. Click/Box the nodes with the left
mouse button.
To apply the boundary condition to a selection of nodes, choose Apply to Selected.

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Note:
l To apply more boundaries with different conditions, press the Boundary
Conditions button once more.
l You may also view and edit boundary conditions by clicking on a node and editing
the values in the Properties panel.
l You may also specify or edit boundary conditions in the Boundary Conditions
Spreadsheet.
l
You may undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo button.

Generate Soil Springs

A subgrade modulus may be automatically applied to horizontal plates in a model using the
Subgrade Springs tool. The tool will generate compression-only springs in the vertical direction at all
plate nodes in the selected group of plates. Nodes must be connected to plates which are
perpendicular to the vertical direction or the nodes will be ignored. If a boundary code other than a
compression-only spring already exists in the vertical direction at that node, the boundary code will
NOT be modified.

RISA-3D calculates the tributary area for each plate node individually and multiplies that area by the
subgrade modulus to determine the spring stiffness for the compression-only spring at that node. The
boundary codes for all plate nodes affected are automatically modified in the Boundary Conditions
Spreadsheet.

Boundary Conditions Spreadsheet

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The Boundary Conditions Spreadsheet records the boundaries for the nodes and may be
accessed by selecting Boundary Conditions from the Data Entry drop down menu in the
Spreadsheets tab of the Ribbon Toolbar or by selecting Boundary Conditions from the Data
Entry Window.

The Node Label column contains the label of the node that is restrained.
The remaining columns record the boundary conditions that apply to the node. There are six degrees
of freedom for each node (3 translation, 3 rotation), so there are six columns for degrees of freedom.

The boundary conditions are entered in these remaining columns by selecting the cell, clicking
and choosing from the boundary options. You may also type them in directly.

Advanced Boundary Conditions

The Advanced tab of the boundary conditions spreadsheet contains information on nodal damping.

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Damping for Spring Boundary Conditions

When the user has defined a two-way soil spring to a node and chooses to run a time history analysis
using the Direct Integration solution method, then they may manually assign a Damping value to
each of these soil springs.

Note:
l If there is not a spring boundary condition for the direction specified, then the user
entered damping value will be ignored. You can only manipulate supports in this
column if they are simple point supports. Any footings, piles or pile caps are
manipulated in the other columns.
l These damping entries are only used when the direct integration method is
selected for the time history solution. These values are not editable unless this
method is already selected in the Global Parameters.

Boundary Condition Options

Free nodes have no restraint in any of the degrees of freedom and need not be listed on the
Boundary Conditions Spreadsheet. The following are the valid boundary condition options that
may be used for the six degrees of freedom.

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Note:
l Models that contain compression-only or tension-only springs must be iterated until
the solution converges. Convergence is achieved when no more load reversals are
detected in the springs. During the iteration process, each spring is checked, and if
any springs are turned off (or back on), the stiffness matrix is rebuilt and model is
resolved. This can take quite a bit longer than a regular static solution.
l With this iteration procedure it is possible to run into a phenomenon known as
"clapping". This occurs when a compression-only spring keeps going between a
tension force present (where the spring is removed) to a compression force present
(where the spring is re-added). This can be somewhat common in non-linear
solutions. If you run into this phenomenon, you may see the program give Error
1162. The fix is to very slightly adjust either the loading or the spring/element
stiffness to get the offending spring out of the range where it can bounce back and
forth. Another option would be to move the location of the soil spring slightly so it's
not right at an inflection boundary.
l You can enter the first letter of the option ("R" for Reaction, "S" for Spring, etc.)
rather than typing out the entire code. RISA-3D fills in the rest automatically. The
exception is the Tether entry, where the full word does have to be entered. After
Tether, the primarynode needs to be entered (for example, Tether N2)

Boundary Condition at ALL Nodes

The entry "ALL" may be entered in the Node Label field. The boundary conditions entered on this line
will be applied to ALL the nodes not otherwise listed. This is useful if you should want to lock certain
directions of movement for all or most of the nodes. For example, if you are solving a 2D frame
defined in the XY plane and you're only interested in the planar action, you could enter "ALL" and put
an "F" (for Fixed) for Z translation, X Rotation and Y Rotation. See the following figure:

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Note:
l If a node is explicitly listed with boundary conditions, those boundary conditions
override the "ALL" conditions for all 6 directions. The "ALL" specified boundary
codes apply only to those nodes NOT otherwise listed on the Boundary
Conditions Spreadsheet.
l When using the "ALL" command, boundary conditions are no longer graphically
displayed.

Reaction Boundary Condition

The "R" code, for Reaction, specifies full restraint for the indicated direction. No movement will be
allowed in the indicated direction for this node. Furthermore, the reaction will be calculated at this
node, for this direction.

Fixed Boundary Condition

The "F" code, for Fixed, specifies full restraint for the node in the indicated direction. The difference
between "Fixed" and "Reaction" is that for the "Fixed" code, no reaction is calculated. The "Fixed"
condition actually removes the degree of freedom from the solution, which is why the reaction value is
not available. If you aren't interested in the reaction value, using the "Fixed" code will result in a
slightly smaller model and less output.

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Spring Boundary Condition

The "Snnn" code, for Spring, models a spring attached to the node in the indicated direction. The
"nnn" portion of the code is the numerical magnitude of the springs' stiffness. The units for the spring
stiffness depend upon whether the spring is translational or rotational. The appropriate units are
shown at the top of the column.
For example, if a spring of stiffness 1000 Kips per Inch were desired in the X direction at a particular
node, for that node you would enter 'S1000' for the X direction boundary condition.

Compression-Only Springs
The "CSnnn" code, for Compression-Only Springs, models a one way "compression-only"
spring attached to the node in the indicated direction. This spring has stiffness for negative
displacements and NO stiffness for positive displacements. The "nnn" portion of the code is the
numerical magnitude of the springs' stiffness. The spring stiffness units are the same as those for a
normal spring. Compression-only springs are useful as soil springs when analyzing foundations that
may have uplift.
For example, if a compression-only (CS) spring with a stiffness of 500k/in were desired in the Y
direction at a certain node, you would enter 'CS500' for the Y direction boundary condition.
This means that all displacements at this node in the negative Y direction will be resisted with a
stiffness of 500k/in. However, the node is free to move in the positive Y direction.
l When a model contains T/C only springs, the program must iterate the solution until it
converges. Convergence is achieved when no more load reversals are detected in the T/C
only springs. During the iteration process, each T/C only boundary condition is checked. If
any springs are turned off (or turned back on), the stiffness matrix is rebuilt and model is
resolved. For models with lots of T/C only elements, this can take a bit longer than a regular
static solution.

Tension-Only Springs
The "TSnnn" code, for Tension-Only Springs, models a one way "tension-only" spring attached to
the node in the indicated direction. This spring has stiffness for positive displacements and NO
stiffness for negative displacements. The "nnn" portion of the code is the numerical magnitude of the
springs' stiffness. The spring stiffness units are the same as for a normal spring.
For example, if a tension-only (TS) spring with a stiffness of 500k/in. were desired in the Y direction at
a certain node, you would enter 'TS500' for the Y direction boundary condition.
This means that all displacements at this node in the positive Y direction will be resisted with a
stiffness of 500k/in. However the node is free to move in the negative Y direction.
l When a model contains T/C only springs, the program must iterate the solution until it
converges. Convergence is achieved when no more load reversals are detected in the T/C
only springs. During the iteration process, each T/C only boundary condition is checked. If
any springs are turned off (or turned back on), the stiffness matrix is rebuilt and model is
resolved. For models with lots of T/C only elements, this can take a bit longer than a regular
static solution.

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Tethered Nodes
You may tether any or all of the node degrees of freedom to another node. See Tethering Nodes for
more information.

Story Drift Nodes

The Boundary spreadsheet is also used to record nodes to be used for story drift calculation. For
example, to indicate that a particular node is to represent the fourth story level for X direction drift, you
would enter “STORY 4” for the X direction boundary condition for the node. These STORY entries
may only be made in the translation degrees of freedom. See Drift for more information.

Boundary Conditions at Wall Panels

If the edge of a wall panel is to be viewed as continuously pinned or fixed, then the boundary
condition for that wall must be set in the wall panel editor. Situations can arise where there is a
difference between the wall panel edge boundary condition and the boundary condition defined at a
node along that edge. In these situations the node boundary condition will always govern for that
node. However, the rest of the edge will be based on the wall panel's boundary conditions.

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Cold Formed Steel

Cold Formed Steel - Databases
Custom vs. Manufacturer Shapes
You can enter your own cold formed shapes as well as use those provided in the manufacturer
database. When the cold formed database type is selected, you'll notice a "Manufacturer" list box
that appears in the Shape Selection dialog. You can specify a manufacturer or choose “Custom” to
select, add or edit your own custom shapes. New shape properties are calculated using the linear
method described in Part I of the AISI code.

Shape Database Files

The cold formed manufacturer shape databases are stored in the file aisidb32.fil, and the custom cold
formed shapes are stored in the file aisicust.fil.

Add a Database Shape

To add a database shape

1. Click the Shape Database icon on the ‘Advanced’ ribbon (as shown in the following
image).

The Shape Selection window opens.

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2. Click the Cold Formed tab.

3. Click the Database down-arrow and choose the database where you want to store the
new shape (as shown in the previous image).
4. Click on the Shape Type you wish to add, then click the Add button (as shown in the
previous image).
The Add Shape window opens.

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5. Type a Shape Name for the shape.

6. Enter in the Basic Properties (D, B, t and R in the above example).
7. Click Calculate to determine the shape properties.
The Calculated Properties section displays the results from the calculation (as shown in the
following image).

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If you are satisfied with the results, save the new shape.
8. Click OK to save the shape and close the Shape Selection window.

Edit a Database Shape

To edit a database shape:

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1. Click the Shape Database icon on the ‘Advanced’ ribbon (as shown in the following
image).

The Shape Selection window opens.

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2. Click the Cold Formed tab.

3. Click the Database down-arrow and choose the database where you want to edit the
shape.
4. Click on the Shape Type of the shape you want to edit, if not already selected.
5. Click on the Shape Name of the shape you want to edit, then click the Edit button.
The Edit Shape window opens.

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You have the option to input ‘Geometric Properties’ and ‘Section Properties’ manually, or
you may choose to have the program calculate the Section Properties based on values
input for the Geometric Properties.
6. Make your Geometric Properties changes, then click Re-Calc to have the program
calculate the Section Properties automatically.

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7. Click OK to save the shape change(s) and close the Edit Shape window.
You are returned to the Shape Selection window.
8. Click OK to save the change to the Shape database and close the Shape Selection window.

Note:
l New shapes are added to the bottom of the database in a blue font to show they
were not originally from the default database.
l To delete a shape, specify the database and shape type you wish to delete and
then click the Delete button.
l Only shapes added to the default database (shown in blue) are able to be edited or
deleted.

Cold Formed Shape Types

There are five types of shapes. Names for each shape type follow the convention of the manufacturer
for each shape. If you know the shape name, you can type the name directly into the Shape field on
the spreadsheets, or use the search box to type part of the name to narrow the scope of names
displayed in the Shape Name list.

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C sections without lips (CU)

For the AISI database, CU shapes are called out by the designation given them in the AISI steel
manual. For example, if you wanted a 12" deep unstiffened C section, you'd call it out as
12CU1.25x071. The '12' is the depth, the CU specifies a C section without lips, the '1.25' is the flange
width, and the '071' is the decimal thickness. Other manufacturer databases generally follow similar
conventions.

C sections with lips (CS)

For the AISI database, CS shapes are called out by the designation given them in the AISI steel
manual. Other manufacturer databases generally follow similar conventions.

Z sections without lips (ZU)

For the AISI database, ZU shapes are called out by the designation given them in the AISI steel
manual. Other manufacturer databases generally follow similar conventions.

Z sections with lips (ZS)

For the AISI database, ZS shapes are called out by the designation given them in the AISI steel
manual. Other manufacturer databases generally follow similar conventions.

Hat sections without lips (HU)

For the AISI database, HU shapes are called out by the designation given them in the AISI steel
manual. Other manufacturer databases generally follow similar conventions.

Closed Box Members (Tube)

For the AISI database, HU shapes are called out by the designation given them in the AISI steel
manual. Other manufacturer databases generally follow similar conventions.

Double Sections
For each of the five shape types the selected shape may be used as a standard single section or as a
double section. The choices for double sections are Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face. A typical double
section is designated with a "2-" preceding the shape name and a "-BB" (Back-to-Back) or "-FF"
(Face-to-Face) following the shape name. For example, a "2-12CU1.25x071-FF" section represents
two 12" deep C sections with 1.25" wide flanges and a 0.071" thickness placed face-to-face.

Cold Formed Steel - Design

Full code checking can be performed on standard cold formed steel shapes, based on the following
codes:

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l The 1996 edition of the AISI code with 1999 Supplement (AISI-99 ASD and LRFD)
l The 2001 edition of the AISI code (AISI NAS-2001 ASD and LRFD)
l The 2001 edition of the Mexican code (CANACERO-2001 ASD and LRFD)
l The 2001 edition of the Canadian code (CSA S136-01 LSD)
l The 2004 Supplement of the AISI code (AISI NAS-2004 ASD and LRFD)
l The 2004 Supplement of the Mexican code (CANACERO-2004 ASD and LRFD)
l The 2004 edition of the Canadian code (CSA S136-04 LSD)
l The 2007 edition of the AISI code (AISI S100-2007 ASD and LRFD) including Supplement
No.1 (August 09)
l The 2007 Supplement of the Mexican code (CANACERO-2007 ASD and LRFD) including
Supplement No.1 (August 09)
l The 2007 edition of the Canadian code (CSA S136-07 LSD)
l The 2010 edition of the AISI code (AISI S100-10 ASD and LRFD contained in the
Supplement No. 2 February 2010)
l The 2010 Supplement of the Mexican code (CANACERO-2010 ASD and LRFD contained
in the Supplement No.2 February 2010)
l The 2010 edition of the Canadian code (CSA S136-10 LSD contained in the Supplement
No.2 February 2010)
l The 2012 edition of the AISI code (AISI S100-12 ASD and LRFD)
l The 2012 edition of the Canadian code (CSA S136-12 LSD)
l The 2012 edition of the Mexican code (CANACERO-2012 ASD and LRFD)
l The 2016 edition of the AISI code (AISI S100-16 ASD and LRFD)
l The 2016 edition of the Canadian code (CSA S136-16 LSD)
l The 2016 edition of the Mexican code (CANACERO-2016 ASD)
l The 2020 edition of the AISI code (AISI S100-16(2020) w/S2-20 ASD and LRFD)
l The 2020 edition of the Canadian code (CSA S136-16(R2021) LSD)
l The 2020 edition of the Mexican code (CANACERO-2020 ASD)

Note:
l Back to Back and Face to Face member checks are available for AISI S100-07 and
newer.
l Unless otherwise specified, all code references below are to AISI S100-16.

Cold formed shape properties are available in the database and the values are based on the AISI or
manufacturer values, whichever is selected (See Cold Formed Steel Database). You may also input
your own basic shapes and the properties will be calculated automatically.

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Design Parameters
The Cold Formed tab on the MembersSpreadsheet records the design parameters for the cold
formed steel code checks. These parameters may also be assigned graphically. See Modifying
Member Design Parameters to learn how to do this.

These parameters are defined for each cold formed member. The entries are explained in the
following table.
Design Parameters

Parameter Description
Label You may assign a unique Label to all of the members. Each label
must be unique, so if you try to enter the same label more than
once you will get an error message. You may relabel at any time
with the Relabel options on the Tools menu.
Shape The member Shape or Section Set is reported in the second
column. This value is listed for reference only and may not be
edited as it is dictated by the entry in the Section/Shape column on
the Primary tab.
Length The memberLength is reported in the third column. This value
may not be edited as it is dependent on the member end
coordinates listed on the Primary Data tab. It is listed here as a
reference for unbraced lengths which are discussed in the next
section.
Unbraced Length See the Unbraced Lengths topic.
K Factors (Effective See the Unbraced Lengths topic.
Length Factors)
Sway Flags See the Unbraced Lengths topic.
Cm - Interactive ‘Cm Coefficients’ are described in Section C5 of the AISI code. If
Bending Coefficient these entries are left blank, they will be automatically calculated.
The Cm value is influenced by the sway condition of the member
and is dependent on the member's end moments, which will
change from one load combination to the next, so it may be a good
idea to leave these entries blank.
Cb - Bending For the cold formed codes, Cb Coefficients are used in the

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Parameter Description
calculation of the nominal flexural strength, Mn. If this entry is left
blank, it will be calculated automatically.
R Value The R Value for cold formed steel design is described in Section
I6.2.1 of the AISI code and is used to calculate the moment
capacity of beams that have one flange fastened to deck or
sheathing. This value only applies to C or Z members and can vary
from 0.4 to 0.7 based on the depth of the member (See Table
I6.2.1-1 in the AISI Supplement for the actual values).
If a value is entered by the user, that value will be used by the
program in the moment capacity calculation of the member. There
are a number of restrictions that must be met to use this section of
the code for moment capacity and the user is responsible to check
that these restrictions are satisfied.

Note:
l If the R value is entered, the program will use
Section I6.2.1 to check moment capacity
calculations.

a - Connector Spacing For double sections, the connector spacing 'a' is used in the
calculation of the KL/r. There are also limitations on the connector
spacing length that are checked.
Function The stiffness of gravity members will not be adjusted.

AISI Steel Code Check Results

Access the Code Check spreadsheet by selecting the Results tab Envelope (or LC) button
Code Check. Alternatively, on the Results toolbar you can select Code Check.

The final results of the code checking are the code check values UC Max and Shear UC. These
values represent a factored ratio of actual to allowable load for ASD or ultimate load to design
strength for LRFD or LSD, based on the provisions of Section H1. Section H2 is also used to check
combined bending and shear. So, if this value is less than 1.0, the member passes. If it is greater

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than 1.0, the member fails. If the value is greater than 9.999 it will be listed as "9.999". The Shear
Check is based on section C3.2.1. Note that torsional shear, if any, is also included in this check. The
location for the shear check is followed by "y" or "z" to indicate the direction of the shear. The Loc
field indicates at what location the maximum code check occurs measured from the I-joint location of
the member. See Model Display Options – Members to learn how to view the code check results
graphically.
The following remaining columns provide some of the values used in the code check with the
equation number itself given in the last column. The Member Detail Report gives more values used to
perform the code check.
For ASD, the available strengths Pn/Omega, Tn/Omega, Mnyy/Omega, Mnzz/Omega, Vny/Omega,
and Vnz/Omega are calculated for the member.
For LRFD or LSD, the values for factored compression Phi*Pn, factored tension Phi*Tn, factored
moments Phi*Mnyy and Phi*Mnzz, and factored shears Phi*Vny and Phi*Vnz are displayed.
Pn is calculated according to the provisions of AISI 2016, Chapter E. Tn is based on Chapter D. The
Mn values are calculated based on Chapter F. The Vn values are calculated based on Chapter G.
Note that for RISA-3D, "zz" corresponds to "xx" in the AISI code, i.e. RISA-3D substitutes Mnzz for
Mnx, to maintain consistency with the member local axis system.
Cb will be calculated automatically if not specifically entered by you, which is conservative. For
AISI S100-12, the Cm coefficients described in Section C5 are also listed. These also are influenced
by the sway flag settings.
The final column Eqn, lists the controlling equation for the code check. This will be one of the
equations from Section H1 or H2.
For enveloped results, the combination that produced the listed code and shear checks is given in the
column "LC". The other values are the corresponding values and are not necessarily the maximums
across all the combinations.
The moving load results are enveloped and the governing load combination and step location is
shown for each result value under the "LC" column. The first number is the load combination, the
second is the step number: (load combination - step number). See Moving Loads to learn more.

Cold Formed Steel Detail Report

The image below is the last portion of a detail report for a Cold Formed Steel member showing the
member warnings, code checks, and section properties.

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Below describes the Cold Formed Steel specific parameters. Refer to the Member Detail Report for
more information on the values used to perform the code check.
Cw- Torsional warping constant. This will only be shown for Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face shapes.
See Unbraced Lengths topic to understand how the bracing affects this calculation.
a (conn. Spacing)- distance between connections locations of built-up shape. This spacing is
checked by code prescribed limits and is used in the calculation of KL/r. This will only be shown for
Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face shapes.
A eff. (Fy)- The effective Area used in determining the nominal strength of the section, where the
maximum stress is the yield stress.
A eff. (Fn)- The effective Area calculated at stress Fn, where Fn is the nominal buckling stress.
Iy eff. – The effective Moment of Inertia about the y-axis.
Iz eff– The effective Moment of Inertia about the x-axis.
Sy eff(L) - Effective section modulus about the Y axis for the extreme left fiber.
Sy eff.(R) Effective section modulus about the Y axis for the extreme right fiber.
Sz eff(T) - Effective section modulus about the Y axis for the extreme top fiber.
Sz eff.(B) - Effective section modulus about the Y axis for the extreme bottom fiber.
The effective properties listed above are based on the governing values used to determine the Mny
and Mnz. The labels on the effective properties will al always state "Sy eff" however depending on the
governing value it might be the fully unreduced section (Sf), effective section calculated relative to the
extreme compression fiber at Fc (Sc) or effective section calculated relative to the extreme
compression or tension fiber at Fy (Se).
When the Combined Tensile Axial load and Bending unity equations govern, the Detail Report will
display the Sf. When the Combined Bending and Shear unity equations govern, the Detail Report will
display the Se. When the Combined Compressive Axial load and Bending unity equations govern,
the display depends if governing equations are: local yielding (Se), Lateral Torsional Buckling (Sc) or
Distortional Buckling (Sf).

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l See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how to use Find, Sort and other options.
l See Results View Settings - Members to learn how to plot member results.

Assumptions and Limitations

For all shape types, it is assumed that the transverse load on the member is occurring through the
member's shear center. This means secondary torsional moments that may occur if the load is not
applied through the shear center are not considered.
Iterations for the effective section modulus (Se and Sc) are ended when a difference less than 1% is
achieved in the neutral axis distance calculation with a maximum of 5 iterations. Holes in sections are
not considered in the shear strength calculations or for effective width calculations. Deflections are
based on the full section properties, not the effective section properties.
Torsional warping effects are not included. Torsion stiffness and stress are calculated as pure torsion
only. Web crippling is not considered.
See the Unbraced Lengths for Cold Formed Steel section for the full details.
Kt in Section F2.1 is assumed to be 1.0. Effects of shear stiffeners for Section G2 are not considered.
Z Shapes – The bracing length in Lbyy is assumed to brace the minor principal axis. Z sections in
compression are assumed to buckle in Euler buckling about their weakest principal axis. The value of
rmin is used rather than the geometric rx and ry values.
H Shapes – Hat sections in bending about the y-y axis such that the brims are in compression are
assumed braced such that the brims cannot each fail in lateral torsional buckling independently. For
AISI S100-12 and older, lateral-torsional buckling is not checked for HU shape.
Slenderness Limitations - The w/t limits of Section B4 are enforced. However, the shear lag effects
(Section B4.3) are not enforced. Below is an example showing the slenderness checks (AISI S100-
12) for a CU and CS shape:

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Double Sections
The distance between connector spacing is checked per smax (AISI Eq I1.1-1) however the spacing is
considered uniform. The concentrated loads are not checked (AISI Eq I1.1-2) and there is no covered
plate sections available (AISI Section I1.3).
The Slenderness ratio is altered based on the intermediate fastener spacing when applicable
(AISI Eq I1.2-1). The Detail Report will display the modified KL/r if it governs. This modification is
applied if the spacing meets the code limits that states a/ri does not exceed one-half the governing
slenderness ratio of the member. The welds length and/or weld/fastener strengths are not checked in
RISA (Section I1.2b,c). If the fastener spacing does not satisfy the aforementioned conditions, the
global buckling stress of the built-up member is calculated based on the section properties of the
individual stud members.
For Back to Back sections, the Weak Axis moments (My) or shear forces (Vz) for back-to-back
shapes are not considered in the code check and this is noted in the Detail Report. The program will
give you analysis information in the Detail Report and spreadsheets.
For Face to Face sections, the Torsional Constant (J) and Torsional warping constant (Cw) are
calculated based on a tube shape if the Connector spacing is set to fully connected (a=0). If the
connector spacing is greater than zero (a>0), the J and Cw calculation will be based on the
summation of each element.

Special Messages

AISI Code Check Not Calculated

This message is displayed when the member is not defined with a database shape, or a steel code is
not specified on the Model Settings, or no units were specified.

Can't do code check, stiffener D/w > 0.7 (Table B4.1-1)

The ratio D/w exceeds the limiting criteria listed in Table B4.1-1 (AISI S100-16) or Section B4.2
(AISI S100-12) for simple lip stiffeners. (“D” and “w” are length of the stiffener and the flat length of the
flange as defined in B4.2)

Stiffener angle gamma is < 40 or > 140 (Sect. B4.2)

The angle (gamma) for a simple lip stiffener must be greater or equal to 40 degrees or less than or
equal to 140 degrees per the criteria in Commentary Section 1.3 (AISI S100-16) or Section B4.2
(AISI S100-12). The angle gamma for this shape is outside this range.

Can't do code check, flange w/t > limit (Table B4.1-1)

The ratio w/t exceeds the limiting criteria listed in Table B4.1-1 (AISI S100-16) or Section B1.1
(AISI S100-12) for flanges. A value of 60 is used per the AISI code for unstiffened elements and
elements stiffened with simple lips.

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Can't do code check, web h/t > 200 (Table B4.1-1)

The ratio h/t exceeds the limiting criteria listed in Table B4.1-1 (AISI S100-16) or Section B1.2
(AISI S100-12) for webs. The program currently considers all webs as unreinforced, so a value of 200
is used as the limit.

Can't do code check, Connector spacing 'a' > L/6 per I1.1
The connector spacing "a" exceeds the limiting criteria listed in Section I1.1 (AISI S100-16) or Section
D1.1 (AISI S100-12). The "L" in this equation is the beam span (full length of the member).

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Cold Formed Steel Walls - Design Rules

The CFS wall panel element allows you to easily model, analyze and design CFS walls for in plane
loads. Here we will explain the CFS specific inputs and design considerations. For general wall panel
information, see the Wall Panels topic. For information on CFS wall design considerations, see the
CFS Wall - Design topic. For CFS wall results interpretation, see the CFS Wall Results topic.

Unity Check

Max Bending Chk

Wall Panel Unity Check Spreadsheet Columns

Column Header Description

Max Bending Chk The Max Bending Chk column defines the hold-down maximum code
check value. Currently, hold-down design/optimization is not available
for CFS walls. However, this will be made available in a future release.
Max Shear Chk The Max Shear Chk column defines the shear panel selection maximum
code check value. Typically this is always 1.0, but it allows the option of
having the program pick out a shear panel layout that is not at maximum
capacity. Putting a value of 0.8 chooses a panel thickness and nailing
that is at 80% of capacity.

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CFS Wall (Studs)

CFS Wall Panel Parameters Spreadsheet Columns

Column Header Description

Top Plate The Top Plate column lets you specify the member to be used as a top plate
for your wall. A top plate is a member that runs continuously along the top of
the wall studs.
Sill Plate The Sill Plate column lets you specify the member to be used as a sill
plate for your wall. A sill plate is a member that runs continuously along
the bottom of the wall studs.
Studs The studs column lets you specify the member to be used for studs in
your wall. Studs are vertical members in the wall, attached to the sill
plate at the bottom and the top plate at the top. Note that you can use
back-to-back or toe-to-toe options as well.
Stud Space The Stud Space column lets you specify the spacing between the studs
within the wall.
You may specify a minimum and maximum spacing of wall studs. The
program can then optimize the stud spacing based on axial design only.
For information on how the optimization works, see the Wood Wall -
Design topic.
l If you specify the maximum and minimum stud spacing as the
same value, then we will use that value exclusively.
l Out of plane design is not performed for wood walls, so any
optimization is based only on axial forces in the studs.
Header Size The Header Size column lets you define the default header size for all
openings. Note that the program does not provide a design for CFS
headers at this time.

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Design Rules - CFS Wall (Fasteners)

Design Rules - CFS Walls (Fasteners) Spreadsheet Columns

Column Header Description

Type of Wall The Type of Wall column shows the design methodology of the CFS wall
panel. Currently, CFS walls can only be designed using the Type I -
Segmented method.
Sheathing Material The Sheathing Material column lets you choose which sheathing material you
would like to be used for lateral design optimization. The specific sheathing
material that you choose automatically populates the corresponding sheathing
database in the adjacent Schedule column.
Schedule The Schedule column lets you choose the sheathing database and Panel
Group you would like to use for design optimization.
By selecting the Select Individual Panel option, an individual panel
type can be assigned.
For information on how the optimization works, see the CFS Wall -
Design topic. For more information on this schedule, as well as
information on how to edit or create your own custom schedule, see
Appendix G-CFS Design Databases.
Design Method The Design Method column lets you choose the method in which the
lateral capacity is determined by the program. If you choose the Table
option, the program references tabulated shear capacities in the AISI
S240 and AISI S400 manual. The Effective Strip Method is only
available for the Steel Sheet sheathing material option.
For more information on this see the CFS Wall - Design topic.
Min Panel Thick The Min Panel Thick column lets you set minimums for the thickness of
the sheathing to be designed.
If the same value is set for both max and min, then that is the thickness
used.
Max Panel Thick The Max Panel Thick column lets you set maximums for the thickness of
the sheathing to be designed.
If the same value is set for both min and max, then that is the thickness
used.
Fastener Min Edge The Fastener Min Edge Space column lets you set minimums for the
Space spacing of the nails that fasten the sheathing to the boundary members
(top plate, sill plate, hold down chords).
Note that a 12" spacing is assumed for all field nailing (nails fastening

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Column Header Description

the sheathing to the internal studs).
Fastener Max Edge The Fastener max Edge Space column lets you set maximums for the
Space spacing of the nails that fasten the sheathing to the boundary members
(top plate, sill plate, hold down chords).
Note that a 12" spacing is assumed for all field nailing (nails fastening
the sheathing to the internal studs).
HD Chords The HD Chords columns lets you choose what member size you would
like to use for the Hold Down Chords (Posts) at both ends of the wall
panel.
Eccentricity The Eccentricity checkbox lets you control whether the eccentricity
distance of the hold-down (input into the Ecc Dist column) is used in the
calculation of the hold-down force.
For more information, see the Hold Down force calculation section in the
CFS Wall - Design topic.
Ecc Dist The Ecc Dist column lets you input an eccentricity distance to be used in
the calculation of the hold down force. This distance should be
measured from the centerline of the HD chord to the actual hold-down
anchorage.
HD Deflection The HD Deflection column lets you input the manufacturer hold down
deflection which is used in the reported shear wall design deflection
calculation.

CFS Walls
Cold Formed Steel Walls - Design
The CFS wall panel element allows you to easily model, analyze and design CFS walls for in-plane
loads. Here we will explain the specific inputs and design considerations. For general wall panel
information, see the Wall Panels topic. For CFS wall results interpretation, see the CFS Wall Results
topic.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: CFS Walls
Full code checking and design can be performed on the panel sheathing, studs, and chords based on
the following codes:
l The AISI S240-15 CFS Structural Framing
l AISI S400-15 w/S1-16 Seismic Design of CFS Structural Systems

CFS Wall Input

The Walls ribbon gives some specific information and options for modeling/analysis of CFS walls. It
can be accessed by double clicking on a wall panel in the 3D view window.

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CFS View Controls

Button/Icon Name Description

Chords Allows you to turn the display of wall panel
region chords on and off.
Studs Allows you to turn the display of the studs on
and off.
Header Allows you to turn the display of the studs on
and off.
Top/Sill Plate Allows you to turn the display of the top/sill
plates on and off.

Design Rules
You must set up design rules for the stud/chord sizes, as well as make a database selection for shear
panels. This is done in the Wall Design Rules spreadsheet in the CFS Wall (Studs) and CFS Wall
(Fasteners) tabs. See the CFS Wall - Design Rules topic for more information.

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Create Openings in CFS Walls

In the Walls ribbon, you have the option of adding rectangular openings to CFS wall panels. To draw
an opening:
1. Click the Openings icon.

2. Click on two nodes or grid intersections which make up the two diagonal corners of your
opening.

Note: Currently header design is not available for CFS walls.

When an opening is drawn, a header beam is automatically created above the opening (as
indicated by the H1 block in the image).

Hold-Downs and Straps

Hold-downs and straps are automatically added to your walls in their required locations. For a Type I -
Segmented design, you must have hold-downs or straps at the bottom corners of each of your design

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segments. The program will not permit the drawing of hold-downs or straps at locations where they
are not allowed.
If there are custom locations that you want to add hold-downs or straps, you can do this from the
Walls ribbon .
Hold downs can represent the anchorage of your wall to the foundation or the connection of shear
wall chords between floors. To add hold-downs to the base of your wall, first select theHold Downs
icon in the ‘Walls’ ribbon.

Hold downs must be added after regions are created and can only be added at the corners of regions.
Hold down requirements depend on the type of wall design you are performing.
Straps represent the connection of the current wall panel to a wall panel below. To add straps to the
base of your wall, first select the Straps icon in the ‘Walls’ ribbon.

Straps also can only be added after regions are created and can only be added at the corners of
regions. Strap requirements also follow the same logic as hold downs as to where they must be
defined as far as regions are concerned.

Note:
l Hold-downs and straps are not designed for CFS Walls. However, the required
forces will still be reported. More information on this can be found in the CFS Wall
Results topic.
l All boundary conditions for wall panels should be defined in the wall panel editor.
Adding external boundary conditions can create problems.
l The locations of hold-downs and straps define where the program will calculate
tension forces in your walls.
l By default, the program will automatically add hold-downs to the base of walls that
have boundary conditions applied to them and will apply straps to walls that have
walls below.
l All Straps and Hold-downs are placed at the base of walls only. So, if you would like
to put a strap or hold-down between floors, you would apply it to the base of the
upper wall.

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General Requirements for Shear Walls

The design of CFS shear walls per the available design codes requires that many criteria are satisfied
before a wall can be considered adequate. For RISA to work within this framework, we require that
certain modeling practices be followed. Outlined below are many general wall modeling practices and
limitations as well as specific requirements for the Type I - Segmented method that is available for
CFS Walls in the program.

Note: RISA-3D does not currently support Type I with FTAO or Type II walls.

Type I - Segmented Method

The Type I - Segmented methodology is defined in Section B5.2 of the AISI S240-15 North American
Standard for Cold-Formed Steel Structural Framing.
Where there is a wall panel with openings, the area above and below the openings is disregarded
and the wall is designed as being made up of separate, smaller shear walls.
Like all wall panels, the segmented CFS wall is broken into a series of meshed plate elements to
represent the overall wall. The portions of the segmented shear wall that are considered "ineffective"
in resisting shear are modeled with a plate elements that have a significantly reduced shear stiffness
so that they will not receive any significant moment or shear from the FEM analysis.
See the diagram below for more information:

In addition, the out of plane stiffness and in plane stiffnesses of the segmented CFS wall are modeled
separately based on different assumed plate thicknesses. This is done to insure that the shear
stiffness is based entirely on the properties of the sheathing and is not influenced by the out-of-plane
stiffness of the wall studs.

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Note: If you have several stacked Segmented wall panels with misaligned openings, you will
receive the Warning Message shown below upon solution. This message means that RISA-
3D has assumed that the strap force from the above wall panel will be spread out across the
region directly under it. Therefore, you need to be aware of this assumption and detail the
wall panel accordingly.

l A shear panel design will be chosen for the worst-case region in a segmented wall. That
panel will then be used for all regions in that wall. The worst-case region is the one that has
the highest Shear UC value.

Geometric Requirements and Limitations

The program will check the geometric requirements per AISI S240-15 B5.2.1.1 and AISI S400-E1.4
as required unless otherwise noted below. The sections noted below are assumed to be satisfied and
are not checked.

Note:
l AISI S400-E1.4 parts (d) - (g) and (k) - (r)
l AISI S240 B5.2.2.3.2.1.1 parts (c) and (e)
l AISI S400 E2.3.1.1.1.1 parts (c) and (e)

General Program Functionality and Limitations

Assigning Code and Design Methodology
CFS wall designs will be based on the AISI S240-15 North American Standard for Cold-Formed Steel
Structural Framing and S400-15 w/S1-16 North American Standard for Seismic Design of Cold-
Formed Steel Structural Systems. You can select these codes in the CFS Walls dropdown within the
Codes section of the Model Settings. If you set this code to “None”, the program will not perform
design for the CFS walls.
The design properties of CFS stud and chords within the wall are referenced from the AISI S100
specification referenced in the Cold Formed Steel dropdown.
In this manner, the design methodology (ASD or LRFD) for the entire wall panel (stud, chord and
sheathing design) is determined by the design method selected in the Cold Formed Steel dropdown.
For example, if the AISI S100-16: ASD code is selected as shown below, the CFS walls will use ASD
factors in the stud, chord and sheathing designs.

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RISAFloor and RISA-3D Interaction

When using RISAFloor and RISA-3D in combination, the interface transitions nicely between the two
programs. Here is a quick walk through of this interaction.

Input Interface
1. Model the entire building (gravity and lateral members) within RISAFloor.
Be sure to model all openings and regions for all of the wall panels in the model.

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2. Add loading and solve the model.

3. Take the model into RISA-3D via the Director tool.
4. Once in RISA-3D you must add your hold downs and straps to your wall panels.

Note:
l You can not modify your openings or regions in RISA-3D. All region and
opening modifications must be taken back to RISAFloor to be done.
l Hold downs and straps can not be added to wall panels in RISAFloor.
l Hold downs are required at the corners of all full height regions in the wall
panel for the Segmented design method.
l The Design Rule and Design Method can be changed in either program at
any time.

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Modeling Tips- Platform Framing

The CFS wall height in RISA is measured from the bottom of the sill plate to the top of the floor
framing as shown below. However, platform framing causes the wall height to be significantly shorter
than a RISA model would represent.
This is especially problematic for the FTAO design method where the region above openings is
assumed to be much larger than it is built. However, currently only the Type I - Segmented method is
available and the portions above and below the opening are not used to transfer shear forces.

Limitations for Hold-downs / Straps (Including deformation)

l The program does not currently have a database for or optimize hold-downs/straps for CFS
walls.
l The manufacturer listed or user defined hold-down deformation can be input in the Wall
Design Rules spreadsheet for inclusion in the design deflection calculation. See the
CFS Wall - Results topic for more information.

Automatic Boundary Conditions

l In RISA-3D, if no boundary conditions or hold downs are defined for CFS wall panels at the
lowest level of the structure, the program will automatically create hold downs at the

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corners of the wall panel. If you do not want the hold downs to be automatically created,
define a "free" boundary condition at the base of the wall panel in the wall panel editor.

Deflection
The program will report the design deflection for CFS shear walls that have wood or steel sheathing.
l There is currently no code check for drift or deflection for CFS shear wall panels.

Stud Design
Studs are only designed for load combinations which do not contain a wind or seismic load. The
maximum axial load, determined as an envelope force from all of the "gravity" load combinations
which have been solved, is determined for each region.
Studs are checked per AISI S240-15 B3.2: Wall Stud Design. The program currently only uses the All
Steel Design methodology in which case bracing from the attached sheathing or structural bracing is
ignored. Therefore the unbraced length for the buckling of the stud is taken as the full wall height. The
top and bottom track thicknesses are considered negligible and are not deducted from the total
height.

Note:
l The program currently does not optimize the stud size or spacing.
l The program will use an effective length factor, K, equal to 1.0 for the design of the
studs.

Stud force demand and number of studs calculation:

The program first divides the maximum axial force in the region by the length of the region. Then it will
multiply this distributed force by the stud spacing to get a maximum stud demand.
The program calculates the number of studs based on the following procedure:
1. Determines the number of spaces between studs by dividing the region length by the stud
spacing.
2. Rounds this number up to the nearest whole number.
3. Determines the number of studs by adding one to this number.

Openings
l Currently, the program does not perform header design. This will be available in an updated
version.

Chord Design
The chord design is based on forces that are calculated differently for Compression versus Tension.
The tension chord force is calculated including the dead load stabilizing moment. The compression

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chord force includes the only the tributary area of one stud spacing in the compression force. For
Segmented design, the chord forces are found based on each region.

Chord forces are calculated per the following equations:

Where:
l M = Moment at the base of the wall
l L = Length of the wall

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l P = Axial force at the base of the wall

l n = Number of Studs = Length/Stud Spacing

Note:
l In RISA-3D, the edge of the CFS walls represent the centerline of the chord
member. Therefore, the depth of the chord member will not affect the chord force
calculation since the centerline of the chord member will always be assumed at the
edge of the wall.
l The eccentricity checkbox in the Wall Design Rules spreadsheet will not affect the
chord force calculation.
l RISA-3D models the shear walls using only the sheathing. The vertical resistance
occurs only at the tension and compression chords. Thus, if two wall panels are
stacked on top of each other, the load transfer will only happen at the chord
locations. Therefore, the lateral analysis should agree very well with hand
calculations. However, it also means that gravity load design may be more
appropriate in RISAFloor.

Hold-Down Force
Hold-Down forces are calculated per the following equations:
Note that the hold-down force calculation depends upon whether the eccentricity checkbox has been
checked, and the value entered in the eccentricity field.
l When the "Eccentricity" check-box is unchecked in the CFS Wall Design Rule (Fasteners
tab), the hold-down force is exactly equal to the chord force indicated above.

l When the "Eccentricity" check-box is checked in the CFS Wall Design Rule (Fasteners tab),
an eccentricity distance should be indicated in the "Ecc Dist" column. This distance should
be the distance between the hold-down and the centerline of the chord member.

The Hold-Down force is calculated by finding the Tension chord force. In order to accommodate an
unsymmetrical vertical load on the wall, the program adopted a more accurate approach by
calculating the moment at the compression side first and then finding the resulting reaction on the
tension side.

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The resulting equation to determine the hold-down force is as follows:

Where:
l Ma = moment at point A(CL of compression chord)
l M = moment at base of the wall
l P = Axial load at the base of the wall
l L = length of the wall
l bc = width of chord member
l Rb = reaction at point B = hold down force
l CL = Hold down eccentricity distance (per selected hold down)

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Lateral Force Distribution

l The lateral force distribution between piers is based on the relative stiffness of the
sheathing, not on the length of the shear wall. For example, if you have an 8 foot wall and a
4 foot wall, the 8 foot wall will take more than 8/(8+4)*100% of the force. The moment of
inertia in the 8 foot wall will allow for a larger proportion of load to go into that pier.

Shear Panel Material Capacities

Shear capacity of the wall will be dependent on the Sheathing Material and Design Method that was
chosen in the Design Rules spreadsheet - CFS Wall (Fasteners) tab. When design values are pulled
from design tables, the program will use the appropriate capacity from the table based on the height-
to-width ratio of the wall, member thickness of the stud members and type of loading used.
Tabulated shear capacities are based on the AISI S240-15 CFS Structural Framing and AISI S400-
15 w/S1-16 Seismic Design of CFS Structural Systems codes. If the governing lateral load is a
seismic load (under the load category EL, ELX, ELY, ELZ, etc) then the capacity will be pulled from
the AISI S400-15 code.

Note: Curtain wall considerations per AISI S240-15 are not considered in the program.

Wood Sheathing
Tabulated design values are referenced from AISI S240-15 Table B5.2.2.3-2 and AISI S400-15 Table
E1.3-1.

Steel Sheathing
Tabulated design values are referenced from AISI S240-15 Table B5.2.2.3-1 and AISI S400-15 Table
E2.3-1.
If the Effective Width Method is used as the design method, this will be referenced from AISI S400-15
Chapter E2.3.

Note: The program will not perform the end distance check in the effective width method.
This is assumed to be satisfied.

Fiberboard
Tabulated design values are referenced from AISI S240-15 Table B5.2.2.3-4. AISI S400-15 does not
apply for this material.

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Gypsum
Tabulated design values are referenced from AISI S240-15 Table B5.2.2.3-3. AISI S400-15 does not
apply for this material.

Stiffness Assumptions

Vertical Direction
RISA uses an orthotropic plate element to de-couple the vertical and shear stiffness of the CFS walls.
The vertical stiffness will be based on the E value of the studs and chords as specified in the Materials
spreadsheet and the thickness of the wall. The thickness is taken as

Where,

In-Plane Shear
The in-plane shear stiffness will be based on the Ga value designated within the specified nailing
schedule divided by the sheathing thickness. Both the Ga value and the sheathing thickness are
defined in the specified sheathing schedule.

Out-of-Plane Shear
For the out of plane shear, RISA uses the same Young's Modulus (E) as used in the vertical direction
and a thickness that is calculated from the out of plane moment of inertia. This becomes:

CFS Wall Self Weight

The program will calculate CFS wall self weight as a sum of all the weights of the components. The
material density is used to calculate the self weight of the studs, chords, top plates, sill plate, and
sheathing. These are all then summed together to give the self weight of the entire wall.

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Note:
l For this calculation, stud height equals full wall height.
l The number of studs is calculated using the stud spacing specified in Design Rules.

CFS Wall Optimization

The program will optimize CFS walls based on the required demand forces. The program can
optimize sheathing for in-plane shear design.
This optimization can substantially modify the stiffness of the wall. To properly adjust the stiffness
requires an iterative solution that updates the stiffness of the model. This includes updating the
strength properties of the wall as well as the stiffness. The program will handle this
optimization/iteration automatically.
To update the stiffness portion of the wall, the program must re-solve your model with these updated
stiffnesses as this will change the distribution of forces through the model. Thus, the program will start
with it's initial stiffness parameters and solve the model. It will then optimize the wall to meet strength
criteria. Another solution will then be run with the new stiffnesses and the program will again optimize
the wall to meet strength criteria. This procedure will continue to occur until all wall panel results
match those of the previous solution.
The program will always present results in the output that coincide with the stiffness used in the final
solution.

Panel Optimization

The procedure that RISA uses for design optimization is fundamentally based upon the assumption
that there is a 'cost' to shear capacity, and therefore the ideal panel design would have as little shear

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capacity as possible to meet code requirements. Once the program has determined the shear
demand on the wall it will choose the most economical panel configuration based on that which has a
Shear Capacity closest to, but not exceeding the shear demand.
The program will also only pick shear panels that qualify based on the region height-to-width ratio and
minimum stud thickness requirements.
The default shear panels in the program come straight from published tables in the AISI S240-15 and
AISI S400-15.

Note:
l The shear forces listed in the XML spreadsheet are nominal shear strength values.
The force capacity will be adjusted by the appropriate factor depending on if the
ASD or LRFD design method is selected in the Cold Form Steel code dropdown.
l Panels with a label containing the characters "_W" together will be ignored during
design optimization.

Cold Formed Steel Walls - Results

CFS Wall results are presented in the Wall Panel Design Spreadsheet and the detail reports.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: CFS Walls.

CFS Wall Results Spreadsheets

CFS Wall Axial Results

The following table provides descriptions of the columns in the spreadsheet.

CFS Walls Axial Results Spreadsheet

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Column Header Description

Wall Panel The Wall Panel column lists the CFS wall panels that you have defined.
Region The Region column lists the wall panel region that the results are based
on.
Stud Size The Stud Size column shows the size of the stud chosen for your wall
based on the Design Rules you have defined.
Stud Spacing The Stud spacing column shows the spacing between stud chosen for
your wall, based on the Design Rules you have defined.
Axial Check The Axial Check column displays the code check ratio between the
member load and the member capacity.
Gov LC The Gov LC column adjacent to the Axial Check column, shows the
governing load combination for the design.
Chord Size The Chord Size column shows the optimum chord size chosen for your
wall, based on the Design Rules you have defined. Note that the chords
are the vertical hold-down members/posts at the both ends of the wall.
Chord Axial Check The Cord Axial Check column displays the code check ratio between the
member load and the member capacity.
Gov LC The Gov LC column adjacent to the Chord Axial Check column, shows
the governing load combination for the design.

Note:
l When running the Segmented design method, the wall panel regions above and
below the opening are not considered in design. Thus an NC (no calculation) is
displayed.
l If there are some constraints that will not allow a wall to be designed, an NC (no
calculation) will be displayed. Check the “Warning Log” within the program for more
information on this.

CFS Wall In-Plane Results

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The following table provides descriptions of the columns in the spreadsheet.

CFS Walls In-Plane Results Spreadsheet

Column Header Description

Wall Panel The Shear Panel Label shows the optimum shear panel arrangement
chosen for your wall, based on the Design Rules you have defined.
Sheer Panel Label The Shear Panel Label column displays the name of the panel in the model.
Region The Region gives the region for which the design values are being
displayed.
Shear Check The Shear Check value is a code check ratio between the panel shear
load and the panel shear capacity.
Shear Force The Shear Force column displays the value that governed the design.
Gov LC The Gov LC column adjacent to the Shear Force column, displays the
load combination that governed the design.
Hold-down Force The Hold-Down Force show the maximum value of hold-down/strap that
produced the highest strap force. This maximum force could occur on
either end of the wall/region.
Gov LC The Gov LC column adjacent to the Hold-down Force column, shows
the load combination that produced the highest strap force.

Note:
l When running the Segmented design method, the wall panel regions above and
below the opening are not considered in design. Thus an NC (no calculation) will be
displayed. If running a combined RISAFloor and RISA-3D model use RISAFloor to
get header results.
l If there are some constraints that will not allow a wall to be designed, an NC (no
calculation) will be displayed. Check the “Warning Log” within the program for more
information on this.
l If “default” is shown in the ‘Hold-Down Label’ column it means that a hold down is
not required for this wall/region.

CFS Wall Self Weight

The program will calculate the self weight of a CFS wall based on the weights of the individual
components. Using the material density, the self weight is calculated for the studs, chords, top plates,
sill plates, and sheathing. These are all then summed for the total self weight of the wall.

CFS Wall Detail Reports

The detail report gives detailed information about the wall design. The detail reports are specifically
molded to the type of design specified.

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Note:
l Only the Segmented design method is considered for CFS walls at this time.
l Many of the values for design checks seen below are not performed in RISAFloor
as it is strictly a gravity design program.

Accessing the Detail Reports and the Specific Windows

Once you have a solved model, the detail reports become available. They are accessible in two ways:
l If you have the Wall Panel Design spreadsheet open, you can right-click on a line in the
spreadsheet and select Detailed Report.
l
If you are in a graphic view of your model, there is a button that will open up the detail
report window.

Note: Detail report information is not available for an envelope solution.

Once the detail report window is open, you will see a dialog area at the top.

Option Name Description

Prior/Next The left and right arrows let you cycle
between the different wall panels in your
model.
Print Lets you print the Detail Report (found at
the bottom of the Detail Report window).
The Wall detail report gives an overall summary of your wall, complete with governing code
checks and opening information.

Segmented Method
The Segmented design method uses each of the three detail report sections to give design
information.

Wall Window
This window gives an overview of the wall, giving controlling region information and deflection
information. Note that this window only gives information on the full-height segments in your wall, as
this is the basis of the Segmented method.

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Input Echo

This lists information about the wall, similar to the Region report and also gives an image of the wall.
The image shows the location of hold-downs/straps, regions and headers.

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Design Summary

Design Summary Sections

Section Description
Envelope Results The Enveloped Results gives the code checks for all of the
controlling elements in the wall and their associated load
combinations.
Region Information The Region Information gives the tabulated results of all of the full-
height regions in your wall.
Opening Information The Opening Information simply states that header design cannot
be completed with the Segmented method. The regions above and
below the opening have their shear stiffnesses set to be zero and
this causes the header forces to be invalid.
Deflection Results The Deflection Results gives both the calculated AISI code
deflection (Maximum Region Deflection) and the FE deflection for
use as a means of comparison. Because the AISI equations are
empirical and take into account many non-elastic considerations
such as nail slip, these two values may not be the same.

Region Window
This window gives information for your wall on a region by region basis. Note that only full-height
regions of the wall panel will have a region detail report. The Segmented method only considers
these full height segments in the design of the wall.

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The region detail report is split into four portions: input echo, diagrams, design details, and cross
section detailing. Note that in RISAFloor the detail reports are less detailed because RISAFloor does
not consider lateral forces which RISA-3D does.

Input Echo
Below is the input echo portion of the detail report.
Criteria table

Criteria Description
Code Gives the code used to design your wall panel.
Design Method Gives the design method that was used.
Wall Material Specifies the CFS type assigned to the entire wall.
Panel Schedule Specifies the sheathing material used to optimize panel selection (set in
Design Rules).

Materials table

Material Description
Wall Studs Specifies the CFS material type assigned to the wall studs.
Stud Size Specifies the member size used for the wall studs.
Chord Material Specifies the CFS material type assigned to the chords (vertical
members at both ends of the wall).
Chord Size Specifies the member size used for the chords (vertical members at both
ends of the wall).
Top Plate & Sill Specifies the CFS material type assigned to the top and sill plates.
Top Plate Size Specifies the member size used for the top plate.
Sill Plate Size Specifies the member size used for the sill plate.

Geometry table

Geometry Description
Total Height This is the height of the wall panel region.
Total Length This is the length of the wall panel region.
Region H/W Ratio This is the ratio of wall height to length, using the minimum wall height.
Cap. Adj (2w/h) This is an aspect ratio reduction factor for the shear panel strength per
AISI S240-15 B5.2.2.1. This factor applies only for wall panels that have
an aspect ratio greater than 2 but less than or equal to 4. This factor is
applied separately for each full-height region in your wall.
Stud Spacing This is the optimized stud spacing based on your Design Rules.
K This is the effective length, K Factor used for stud and chord
compression design.

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Geometry Description
HD Eccentricity This is the eccentricity of the hold-down connection. This is based on
user input (set within the Design Rules).

Envelope Diagrams
These diagrams show the axial forces, in-plane shear, and in-plane moments of the wall, as well as
the maximum and minimum forces and their locations.

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Note:
The diagrams are not actually enveloped.
l The Axial diagram shown is the diagram from the governing load combination for
Stud design.
l The Shear and Moment diagram is the diagram from the governing load
combination for Shear Panel design.

Design Details
This portion gives you the capacity and strength values at the section in the wall where the combined
check is maximum, as well as the governing load combination. Much of this information is also
reported in the CFS Wall Panel Design spreadsheets.

Design Details Sections

Section Description
Studs The provided capacities of the Studs members are calculated using the
standard provisions for tension/compression members. These members
are assumed to be fully braced in the weak axis, and unbraced in the

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Section Description
strong axis.
Chords The provided capacities of the Chords members are calculated using
the standard provisions for tension/compression members. These
members are assumed to be fully braced in the weak axis, and unbraced
in the strong axis.
For more information on the chord force calculations, see the CFS Wall -
Design topic.

Note: For chord results, the tension/compression capacity is

computed using the reduced cross-sectional properties caused
by the hold-down bolt hole.

Shear Panel The Selected Shear Panel section shows the call-out from the shear
panel database. The information below it, is the information describing
the call-out.
The provided capacity of the shear panel is taken from the Shear
Capacity column of the panel database. This is the adjusted capacity
based on tables within the AISI S240-15 and S400-16. The Governing
LC explicitly states if the controlling load combination was based on
Wind or Seismic. The program does a unity check for all LCs that are
being solved, finds the maximum value and reports that information.
This section of the report echoes the database information for the
selected shear panel. For more information on these properties refer to
Appendix G-CFS Shear Wall Files.

Note:
l The displayed "Shear Capacity" takes the given
nominal shear capacity from the design code and
multiplies or divides it by the appropriate code factor
and aspect ratio factor when applicable.
l A shear panel design will be chosen for the worst-case
region in a segmented wall. That panel will then be
used for all regions in that wall. The worst-case region
is the one that has the highest Shear UC value.
l Because wind and seismic loading allows for different
design capacities, the highest shear in the wall may not
be the governing shear (if that highest shear was due to
wind).

Deflections The Deflections section shows the Detail Report based on an

approximation from the design code.
See the following Deflection section for more information.

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Deflection

The deflection listed in the detail report is based on an approximation from the design code:

AISI Design Deflection

Per the AISI S240-15 North American Standard for Cold-Formed Steel Structural Framing Equation
B5.2.5-1:

Refer to the AISI 240-15 standard page 52 for detail definitions for each term in the equation.
The first component of the above equation determines the Bending Component of the deflection.
The second component of the above equation determines the Shear Component of the deflection.
The third component of the above equation determines the Hold-Down Elongation, which causes
additional deflection. The delta_v term refers to vertical deformation of the hold-down. This is a user
input within the Wall Design Rules.

Note: This is the theoretical deflection of the wall. This may differ from the deflection of the
wall as performed by finite element analysis within RISA. Therefore, this deflection value may
not coincide with the reported deflection value in the deflections spreadsheets.

Cross Section Detailing

The last section of the detail report consists of the wall detailing information. This information is
provided as a visual confirmation of the wall design. The wall thickness, and stud spacing are shown

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as dimensions. The triangle shows sheathing on one side of the wall, with the abbreviated panel
designation. The chord sizes/forces are shown at either end.

Note:
l The graphic will show hold-downs regardless if one is required or not.
l The chord members will always be shown as CS members face-to-face despite
what is specified in the Design Rules. This is just a graphical representation of the
chord member placement.

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Concrete Members
Concrete Member - Database
There are two types of concrete shapes currently supported, Rectangular and Circular. If you’re
familiar with the shape definitions, you can type the name directly into the appropriate field.

Alternately you can click the (ellipsis) button to have the program generate the desired shape
definition for you.

Rectangular Sections
Rectangular sections are defined using a parametric shape code since a rectangular shape may be
any depth or width. The code is CRECT'depth'X'width', where 'depth' and 'width' are the values in the
current dimension units. For example, if you wanted a beam that was 18" deep and 12" wide, you
would enter "CRECT18X12". Note that the dimensions can also be decimal values like "18.25".

Circular Sections
Circular/Round sections are also defined using a parametric shape code since a round shape may
have any diameter. The code is CRND'diameter', where 'diameter' is the value in the current
dimension units. For example, if you wanted a column that was 14" in diameter, you would enter
"CRND14". Note that the dimension can also be a decimal value like "14.5".

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Custom Rebar Layout Database

On the Advanced tab of the ribbon, the Custom Rebar button opens the database that is used
for creating and storing custom rebar layouts. This allows you to create multiple layers of bars and
add in compression reinforcement or unusual bar arrangements.
These reinforcement layouts can be assigned to beam or column members in the same way as the
other concrete design parameters are assigned. This can be done from the Concrete Beam (or
Column) tabs of the Members Spreadsheet, or the Rebar Design dropdown in the Properties
Panel.

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For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Custom Rebar Layouts.

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Beam Rebar Layouts

Since beams are only designed for uni-axial bending, the only requirements for the beam layouts are
that you specify the depth at which the bars are located and the size & number of the bars that are
present at that depth. You can specify the depth with respect to the top surface of the beam or the
bottom surface.

The Start and End locations dictate the location along the length of the beam where these bars will
be present. You can use these entries to specify partial length bars that will only be present in
locations with a higher moment demand. If the bar should be present for the entire length of the
beam, the start location should be '0' and the end location should be '%100' as shown in the dialog
above.

Rectangular Column Rebar Layouts

Since columns are designed for bi-axial bending, they require more information about the location
and arrangement of the bars.
Normally, column bars are arranged in layers. One 'Top' and one 'Bottom' horizontal layer must
always be defined, each containing at least two bars. These layers, as well as any additional
horizontal layers, are specified by entering a y1 value to specify the depth from the top or bottom fiber
to the centerline of the reinforcing steel. The number and size of the bars must then be entered. The
z1 and z2 values dictate where the first and last bar in that layer are located. Additional bars in that
layer are placed so that they are evenly spaced in that layer.

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Vertical layers can be specified by entering a y1 value specifying the depth from the right or left most
fiber to the centerline of the reinforcing steel. The number and size of the bars must then be
entered. The z1 and z2 values are ignored for vertical layers because the bars are assumed to be
evenly spaced between the required top and bottom layers referred to previously. If this is not
desired, then the side bars should be entered individually as custom single bars.
Custom single bars are specified by their y and z coordinates measured from the local y and z-axis
respectively. A positive y coordinate would place the bar closer to the top fiber and a negative y
coordinate would place the bar closer to the bottom fiber. Similarly, a positive z coordinate would
place the bar closer to the right side and a negative z coordinate would place the bar closer to the left
side.
The Start and End locations dictate the location along the length of the member where these bars will
be present. You can use these entries to specify partial length bars that will only be present in
locations with a higher moment demand. If the bar should be present for the entire length of the
member, the start location should be '0' and the end location should be '%100' as shown in the dialog
above.

Circular Column Rebar Layouts

For circular columns, you can specify equally spaced concentric rings of bars at given depths, z1,
measured from the exterior fiber of the column. You can also specify custom single bars.
Custom single bars are specified by their y and z coordinates measured from the local y and z axis
respectively. A positive y coordinate would place the bar closer to the top fiber and a negative y

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coordinate would place the bar closer to the bottom fiber. Similarly, a positive z coordinate would
place the bar closer to the right side and a negative z coordinate would place the bar closer to the left
side.

The Start and End locations dictate the location along the length of the member where these bars will
be present. You can use these entries to specify partial length bars that will only be present in
locations with a higher moment demand. If the bar should be present for the entire length of the
member, the start location should be '0' and the end location should be '%100' as shown in the dialog
above.

Shear Rebar Layouts

These rebar layouts may be assigned to either columns or beams. They are specified by giving the
size and spacing of the bars as well as the location on the member where that reinforcement will be
present.

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The Start and End locations dictate the location along the length of the member where these bars will
be present. You can use these entries to specify partial length reinforcement that will only be present
in locations with a higher shear demand. If the reinforcement should be present for the entire length
of the member, the start location should be '0' and the end location should be '%100' as shown in the
dialog above.

Concrete Member - Design

Concrete design and optimization can be performed for standard concrete shapes based on the
following codes:
l The 2022, 2019, 2014, 2011, 2008, 2005, 2002 and 1999 Editions of ACI 318
l The 1997 Edition of the British code (BS 8110)
l The 1992 EuroCode (EC2) and the British publication of the 2014 and 2004 Eurocode
(BSEN)
l The 1994 and 2004 Editions of the Canadian code (CSA A23.3)
l The 2000 Edition of the Indian code (IS 456)
l The 2001 Edition of the Australian code (AS 3600)
l The 1995 Edition of the New Zealand code (NZS 3101)

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l The 2004 Edition of the Mexican code (NTC-DF)

l The 2007 Edition of the Saudi Building Code (SBC 304)

Note:
l Unless otherwise specified, all code references below are to ACI 318-14.
l Beams and Columns designed in RISA meet all of the requirements for Ordinary
Moment Frames except for the additional requirements indicated in ACI 318-14
Section 18.3. Those provisions should be checked by hand outside of RISA.
l ACI 318-19 (22) re-approves previous ACI 318-19 without any technical changes,
therefore all references in the help documentation and in the program continue to
use ACI 318-19.

The program designs the longitudinal and shear reinforcement for rectangular beams and
rectangular or circular columns. These calculations encompass all the code requirements except
those noted in the Limitations section of this document. The program also provides reinforcement
detailing information for concrete beams and interaction diagrams for concrete columns in the
member detail reports.
Apply a Concrete Design Code
To Apply a Concrete Design Code
1. On the Codes tab of ‘Model Settings’ window.
2. Choose the Concrete code from the drop down list.
3. Click Apply or OK.

Concrete Spans
Beam member types are supported by the following: Vertical Boundary Conditions (Fixed, Reaction),
Column Members, Near Vertical Plate Elements, and other Beam Members that are supporting that
member.
Column member types are supported by the following: Horizontal Boundary Conditions (Fixed,
Reaction, Spring), Beam Members, Near Horizontal Plate Elements, and Rigid Diaphragms.

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Note:
l The quickest way to create new joints at beam / column intersections is to run a
Model Merge.
l Clear spans must be greater than 1 ft for the program to design the member. This
considers half the depth of the columns or beams framing into the ends of the
member.
l The program's ability to recognize spans is important because it gives you more
relevant span to span information without overwhelming you with independent
design results for each finite element segment that comprises your physical
member.
l For continuous beam members, the program evaluates the framing to determine
which beams elements are supporting other beam elements so that only supporting
members are treated as supports and not vice versa.
l Currently, members of type HBrace, VBrace and None do not affect the span
distances. Nor do any arbitrary joints within each span along a member.

Concrete Design Parameters - Columns

The Concrete Column tab on the Members Spreadsheet records the design parameters for the
code checks of concrete columns. These parameters can also be assigned graphically. See
Modifying Member Design Parameters to learn how to do this.

The following parameters can be defined for each concrete column.

Label
You can assign a unique Label to all of the members. Each label must be unique, so if you try to enter
the same label more than once you get an error message. You can relabel at any time with the
Relabel options on the Tools menu.

Shape
The member Shape or Section Set is reported in the second column. This value is listed for
reference only and can not be edited as it is dictated by the entry in the Section/Shape column on the
Primary tab.

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Length
The member Length is reported in the third column. This value can not be edited as it is dependent
on the member end coordinates listed on the Primary Data tab. It is listed here as a reference for
unbraced lengths which are discussed in the next section.

Unbraced Length
You can specify unbraced lengths or have RISA-3D calculate them for you. The unbraced lengths are
Lu-yy and Lu-zz.
The Lu values, Lu-yy and Lu-zz, represent the unbraced length of column members with respect to
column type buckling about the member's local y and z axes, respectively. These Lu values are used
to check the column for Euler buckling, and for the Moment Magnification Procedure in older editions
of the ACI code.
If left blank, these unbraced lengths all default to the member's full length.
For physical members, you can enter the code “Segment” in the unbraced length fields and the
length of each segment is used. A “segment” is the distance between the joints that are on the
physical member. For example, suppose you have a physical member that is 20 feet in length, and
there are two joints along the physical member, one 5 feet from the end and one at 15 feet. An
unbraced length of 5 feet is used for the first segment, then a value of 10 feet is used in the middle
segment, and again a value of 5 feet would be used in the last segment.

Note:
l When the "segment" code is used, ALL joints on a column are considered, to brace
the column for that type of buckling, even if a joint is associated with a member that
would actually only brace the column against buckling in the other local axis.
Therefore, the "segment" code should only be used for columns that are truly
braced in that direction at each interior joint.
l The calculated unbraced lengths are listed on the Member Detail report.

For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks website:
www.risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Unbraced Lengths.

K Factors (Effective Length Factors)

The K Factors are also referred to as effective length factors. Kyy is for column type buckling about
the member's local y-y axis and Kzz is for buckling about the local z-z axis.
If a value is entered for a K Factor, that value is used for the entire length of the physical member. If
an entry is not made (left blank), the value internally defaults to '1' for that member. See ACI 318-14
Section R6.2.5 (ACI 318-11 Section R10.10.1) for an explanation of how to calculate K Factors.
RISA-3D is able to approximate the K-values for a column based on the member's sway condition
and end release configuration. The K-factor approximation is based on the idealized tables given in
the AISC steel specification. The following table gives the values used for various conditions.

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Table Case End Conditions Sidesway? K-Value

(a) Fixed-Fixed No .65
(b) Fixed-Pinned No .80
(c) Fixed-Fixed Yes 1.2
(d) Pinned-Pinned No 1.0
(e) Fixed-Free Yes 2.1
(f) Pinned-Fixed Yes 2.0

Note: This is an approximation of K-values and is NOT based on the Jackson and Moreland
Alignment Charts presented in ACI 318-14 Section R6.2.5.

RISA-3D recognizes a pinned boundary condition for the K approximation for a full pin, i.e. if all the
rotations in the boundary condition are released. If any of the rotations in a boundary condition are
restrained, the boundary condition is considered “fixed” for the K approximation.
Any configuration not described here is given the default value of 1.0.
If any value that influences these K values is changed, the K approximation should be redone. For
instance, if you have RISA-3D approximate K-values then change some end release designations,
you should redo the K approximations.
Remember that the K-values are approximations, and you should check to make sure you agree with
all K-values RISA-3D assigns. You can always override a K-value after an approximation by directly
entering the value that you want in the appropriate field. Keep in mind that a subsequent
approximation will overwrite any manually input values so you need to override the approximation
each time it is performed.
Limitation:
RISA-3D currently neglects the influence of adjoining framing members when those members are
connected at a joint that also has degrees of freedom restrained by boundary conditions. For
example, suppose a column and beam member connect at a joint that is restrained for translation in
all directions (I.e. the joint is “pinned”). The K factor approximation neglects the beam member when
it calculates the K factor for the column and vice versa. The effect is, the ends of the members at that
joint are seen as “pinned” and not “fixed” for the K-factor approximation.

Sway Flags
The Sway Flags indicate whether the member is to be considered subject to sidesway for bending
about its local y and z axes. The y sway field is for y-y axis bending and the z sway field is for z-z axis
bending. Click on the field to check the box and indicate that the member is subject to sway for that
particular direction, or leave the entry blank if the member is braced against sway. These sway flags
influence the calculation of the K Factors as well as the Cm.

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Cm – Equivalent Moment Correction Factor

The Cm Coefficients are used to check the column for Euler buckling, and for the Moment
Magnification Procedure in older editions of the ACI code. Cm-yy is for bending about the columns's
local y-y axis and Cm-zz is for bending about the local z-z axis. If these entries are left blank they are
automatically calculated.
In the ACI design code, the Cm values are only applicable for non-sway frames. Therefore, this value
is ignored if the corresponding sway flag is checked.

Flexural and Shear Rebar Layout

You can choose to manually create the reinforcement layout for the column. This must be done if the
user wishes to take advantage of bundled bars, multiple layers of reinforcement, or an unequal
number of bars per face. See the section on the Concrete Database and Rebar Layouts for more
information. If 'Default' is specified, then the program designs for an equal number of bars in each
face of the rectangular column and may vary that reinforcing based on ACI minimums, maximums
and the moment and shear demand at each section along the span.

Icr Factors (Cracked Moment of Inertia Factors)

The Icr Factor is used to reduce the bending stiffness of concrete columns per ACI 318-14 Table
6.6.3.1.1(a) (ACI 318-11 Section 10.10.4.1). If this entry is left blank, default values of 0.35 for beams
and 0.70 for columns are used.

Note:
l The Icr Factor is ignored if the “Use Cracked Sections” box is not checked on the
Concrete tab of the Model Settings dialog.
l The alternative calculations in ACI 318-14 Table 6.6.3.1.1(b) (ACI 318-11
Equations 10-8 and 10-9) are not considered.
l The sustained load reduction of ACI 318-14 Section 6.6.3.1.1 (ACI 318-11 Section
10.10.4.2) is not considered.

Service Level Stiffness - Columns

Due to cracking and material non-linearity, modeling the stiffness of concrete members is more
complex than it is for steel or wood members.
For typical applications, ACI 318-14 Section 6.6.3.1 (ACI 318-11 Section 10.10.4) requires that
member stiffness be reduced to account for the cracking that occurs when a member is subjected to
ultimate level loads. As described in the previous section, RISA uses the Icr Factor to account for
this stiffness reduction. However, for service level analysis, the level of cracking is significantly less.
Therefore, the stiffness used in your analysis should be representative of the reduced loading and
reduced cracking. Per the ACI 318-14 Section R6.6.3.2.2 (ACI 318-11 Section R10.10.4.1), the
program accounts for this increased stiffness by applying a factor of 1.43 to the cracked section

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properties for any load combination that has the “Service Load” flag checked on the Design tab of
the Load Combinations Spreadsheet.

Concrete Design Parameters - Beams

The Concrete Beam tab on the Members Spreadsheet records the design parameters for the code
checks of concrete beams. These parameters may also be assigned graphically. See Modifying
Member Design Parameters to learn how to do this.

The following parameters can be defined for each concrete member.

Label
You can assign a unique Label to all of the members. Each label must be unique, so if you try to enter
the same label more than once you receive an error message. You can Relabel options on the Tools
menu.

Shape
The member Shape or Section Set is reported in the second column. This value is listed for
reference only and can not be edited as it is dictated by the entry in the Section/Shape column on the
Primary tab.

Length
The member Length is reported in the third column. This value can not be edited as it is dependent
on the member end coordinates listed on the Primary Data tab. It is listed here as a reference only.

Flexural and Shear Rebar Layout

You can choose to manually create the reinforcement layout for the beam. This must be done if the
user wishes to take advantage of compression steel, or multiple layers of reinforcement. See
Concrete Database - Rebar Layouts for more information. If Use Design Rule is specified, then the
program designs for one layer of reinforcing and may vary that reinforcing based on ACI minimums,
maximums, and the moment and shear demand at each section along the span using the Member
Design Rules as the parameters of the reinforcement selection. If you define your own rebar layout,

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and compression reinforcement is defined, then the program considers the compression
reinforcement in the analysis.

Icr Factors (Cracked Moment of Inertia Factors)

The Icr Factor is used to reduce the bending stiffness of concrete beams.
For ACI and Canadian codes (ACI 318-14 Section 6.6.3.1 and A23.3-04 section 9.2.1.2), if this entry
is left blank, the Icr factor defaults to a value of 0.35 for beams and 0.70 for columns.
For Australian and New Zealand codes (per section 6.6.2 of AS3600-2001), this defaults to a value of
0.4 for beams and 0.8 for columns.
For Indian and Saudi codes, this entry defaults to a value of 1.0 for beams and columns.

Note: The Icr Factor is ignored if the “Use Cracked Stiffness” box is not checked on the
Concrete tab of the Model Settings dialog.

Service Level Stiffness - Beams

Due to cracking and material non-linearity, modeling the stiffness of concrete members is more
complex than it is for steel or wood members.
For typical applications, ACI 318-14 Section 6.6.3.1 (ACI 318-11 Section 10.10.4) requires that
member stiffness be reduced to account for the cracking that occurs when a member is subjected to
ultimate level loads. As described in the previous section, RISA uses the Icr Factor to account for
this stiffness reduction. However, for service level analysis, the level of cracking is significantly less.
Therefore, the stiffness used in your analysis should be representative of the reduced loading and
reduced cracking. Per ACI 318-14 Section R6.6.3.1.1 (ACI 318-11 Section R10.10.4.1), the program
accounts for this increased stiffness by applying a factor of 1.43 to the cracked section properties for
any load combination that has the “Service Load” flag checked on the Design tab of the Load
Combinations Spreadsheet.

T-beam & L-beam Sections

T-beams and L-beams can be specified by assigning effective slab widths and slab thicknesses for
the left and right side of the beam on the Concrete Beam tab of the Members Spreadsheet. These
modifications can also be made graphically via the Modify Properties tab of the Draw Members
tool.

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RISA-3D automatically trims the effective slab widths, B-eff Left and B-eff Right, to the maximum
values indicated in ACI 318-14 Table 6.3.2.1 (ACI 318-11 Sections 8.12.2(a) and 8.12.3(a) & (b)) if
the value entered by the user is greater than that allowed by the code. It should be noted that RISA-
3D does not check ACI 318-14 Table 6.3.2.1 portions referring to adjacent framing (ACI 318-11
Sections 8.12.2(b) and 8.12.3(c)) because no adjacent framing checks are performed.
If the values of either B-eff Left or B-eff Right are left blank, a value of zero is assumed, indicating
no additional slab width beyond 1/2 the beam width on that side.

Note: B-eff Right corresponds to the positive local z-axis of the beam. Subsequently, B-eff
Left corresponds to the negative local z-axis.

Parabolic vs. Rectangular Stress Blocks

You can specify whether you want your concrete design to be performed with a rectangular stress
block, or with a more accurate parabolic stress block. While most hand calculations are performed
using a rectangular stress block, the parabolic stress block is more accurate. In fact, most of the PCA
design aids are based upon the parabolic stress distribution. A good reference on the parabolic
stress block is the PCA Notes on ACI 318-99.

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Biaxial Bending of Columns

You can specify whether you want your column design to be performed by using Exact Integration,
or by using the PCA Load Contour Method. While most hand calculations are performed using the
Load Contour Method, this method is merely an approximation based on the uniaxial failure
conditions and the Parme Beta factor. In contrast, the Exact Integration method uses the true biaxial
strain state to design the member. A good reference on the Load Contour Method is chapter 12 of the
PCA Notes on ACI 318-99.

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British Eurocode Design Parameters (BS EN 1992-1-1: 2004)

General
l f’ck – Can not be more than 50 MPa (7252 psi) for normal strength concrete
l αcc is assumed to be 1 (recommended value) : See 3.1.6
l Effective length of T and L: Lo=.7*span length and beff,i =Lo/10
l φconcrete = 1.5
l φrebar = 1.15
l Maximum bar spacing for beams = 300 mm

Tension Development Length

l αct= 1 (assumed in Eq 3.16)
l η1= η2=1 (assumed in Eq 8.2 to calculate bond stress)
l λ3, λ5, λ4=1 (assumed in Eq 8.4)

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l Cd in Table 8.2 assumed to be 1 bar diameter rebar spacing

l Development length when hooks are provided uses same assumptions as BS 8110-1: 1997

Shear Capacity of Concrete

To compute the shear capacity of concrete the following recommended values are being used:
l CRd,c =0.18/γc for Eq 6.2.a
l vmin =0.035 k3/2 fck1/2

l ν =.6*[1- fck /250]

l Vmax is calculated from Eq. 6.5.
l θ is assumed 45 degrees in Eq 6.8.

Slender Column Design

l Biaxial column design done using Eq. 5.39
l Design based on nominal curvature
l λlim = 20 A B C/n1/2 (A=.7, B= 1.1, C=0.7 for unbraced)

l Kϕ =1 in Eq 5.34; the effect of creep is neglected.

Limitations

Limitations - General
Torsion – Beams and columns ignore torsion with respect to the design of shear reinforcement. A
message is shown in the detail report to remind you of this. You can turn the warning messages off on
the Concrete tab of the Model Settings Dialog. However, when using the 2002 and newer ACI 318
code the program does check the torsion on the member against the Threshold Torsion value (see
ACI 318-14 Section 22.7.4.1 and ACI 318-11 Section 11.5.1). A warning is produced, implying that
the shear reinforcement has to be designed by the engineer for torsion.
Creep / Long Term Deflections – No considerations are taken in the analysis to account for the
effects of creep or long term deflections.
Beam Design – Beams are not designed for weak axis y-y bending, weak axis shear, or axial forces.
A message is shown in the detail report to remind you of this. You can turn the warning messages off
on the Concrete tab of the Model Settings Dialog. Beams currently do not consider any
compression steel in the calculation of the moment capacity. Beam "skin reinforcement" per the
requirements of ACI 318-14 Section 9.7.2.3 (ACI 318-11 Section) 10.6.7 for beams with "d" greater
than 36" is currently not specified by the program. The provisions in ACI 318-14 Section 9.9 (ACI 318-
11 Section 10.7) for deep beams are not considered.
Column Design – Columns with biaxial moment and no axial load are currently designed using the
PCA Load Contour Method even if Exact Integration is selected on the Model Settings dialog. This
is shown on the detail report.

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Limitations - ACI
Shear Design –When ACI 318-19 is selected, the shear strength of concrete (Vc) uses equations in
Table 22.5.5.1. Note that for members meeting the minimum shear reinforcement requirement
(Av≥Av,min), Vc is taken as the larger of the results calculated by the equations (a) and (b) in the
table. ACI 318-19 code suggests ρw can be taken as the sum of the areas of longitudinal bars located
more than two-thirds of the overall member depth away from the extreme compression fiber.
Therefore, RISA calculates ρw as the sum of the areas of longitudinal bars on the tension face.
When other ACI 318 editions are selected, the shear strength of the concrete alone is limited to the
standard 2*λ*sqrt (f'c) equation from ACI 318-14 Section 22.5.5.1 (ACI 318-11 Section 11.2.1.1) and
does not use the more detailed calculations of ACI 318-14 Table 22.5.5.1 (ACI 318-11 Section
11.2.2). Also, note that for members with significant axial tension (greater than 0) the program
designs the shear reinforcement to carry the total shear per ACI 318-14 Section R22.5.7.1 (ACI 318-
11 Section 11.2.1.3).
Deep Beam Design – The program does not design deep beams as defined in ACI 318-14 Section
9.9.1.1(a) (ACI 318-11 Section 10.7).
Threshold Torsion - The program does not adjust the threshold torsion value for the presence of
axial force in a beam, though it does do this for columns.

Limitations - Canadian Code

Concrete Stress Profile – Concrete stress strain curve (parabolic) is assumed same as PCA
method for the Canadian codes.
Bi-Axial Bending - The program uses the simplified uniaxial solution provided in the Canadian
specification rather than performing a complete biaxial condition.
Mid-Depth Flexural Strain for Shear Design - The program uses the code equation (per the
General Method) to calculate exwith the moment and shear at the section taken from the envelope
diagrams. The maximum ex for each span is conservatively assumed for the entire span. Currently
the program has no option for pre-stressing, so Vp and Ap are both taken as zero.
Shear Design - The shear strength of concrete is calculated using β and θ, which are both calculated
per the General Method (Clause 11.3.6.4 from the 2004 CSA A23.3). Sze is calculated per equation
11-10 and ag is always assumed to equal 20 mm (maximum aggregate size).

Limitations - Australian and New Zealand Codes

Concrete Stress Profile – Concrete stress strain curve (parabolic) is assumed same as ACI for the
New Zealand and Australian codes.
Neutral Axis Parameter – Ku in AS code is always assumed to be less than 0.4.
Rebar Spacing – NZS and AS codes: max spacing of rebar (beam) is 300 mm and minimum
spacing is one bar diameter or 25mm whichever is bigger.
Shear Strength in Beams – In AS code, when calculating the shear strength of a beam β2, β3 are
always assumed to be unity. This is always conservative for beams with little axial load, or beams in
compression. But, may be unconservative for members subjected to significant net tension.

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Bi-Axial Bending – The New Zealand code does not appear to give a simplified method for solving
biaxial column design. Therefore, the PCA load contour method is being used instead.
Shear Tie Spacing – Column/beam shear tie spacing is based on (a) and (c) of NZS 9.3.5.4 :1995.
Development Length – Development length in NZS is based on NZS 7.3.7.2 where αa is
conservative assumed to be 1.3 (top bars) for all cases. For the AS code, it is assumed that K1=1
and K2=2.4 in clause 13.1.2.1 of AS 3600:2001.
Slender Column Calculations – EI is assumed to be equal to 0.25EcIg (with βd =0.6) in slender
column calculations in AS and NZS codes (like in ACI).

Limitations - British
Concrete Stress Profile – Concrete stress strain curve (parabolic) is taken from the British
specification.
Cracked Sections – Icracked defaults to 1.0 for the British code. But, you can enter a value if you
want. Service level stiffness is assumed to be 1.43 times the strength stiffness, but is not allowed to
exceed Igross.
Bi-Axial Bending – The program uses the simplified uniaxial solution provided in the British
specification rather than performing a complete biaxial condition.

Limitations - Euro
Concrete Stress Profile – Concrete stress strain curve (parabolic) is taken from the EuroCode
specification.
Cracked Sections – Icracked defaults to 1.0 for EuroCode. But, you can enter a value is you want.
Service level stiffness is assumed to be 1.43 times the strength stiffness, but is not allowed to exceed
Igross.
Bi-Axial Bending – The program uses the simplified uniaxial solution provided in the EuroCode
rather than performing a complete biaxial condition.

Limitations - Indian
Concrete Stress Profile – Concrete stress strain curve (parabolic) is taken from the Indian
specification.
Cracked Sections – Icracked defaults to 1.0 for the Indian code. But, you can enter a value if you
want. Service level stiffness is assumed to be 1.43 times the strength stiffness, but is not allowed to
exceed Igross.
Bi-Axial Bending – The program uses the simplified uniaxial solution provided in the Indian
specification rather than performing a complete biaxial condition.

Limitations - Saudi Code

Concrete Stress Profile – Concrete stress strain curve (parabolic) is assumed to be the same as
the ACI code.

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Shear Strength– The shear strength is based on 11.3.1.1 and does not include the more detailed
provisions of section 11.3.1.2.
Yield Strength of Shear Ties - The yield strength of shear ties is not allowed to exceed 420MPa.
Shear Tie Spacing - Minimum spacing of shear ties is set to 50mm
Bi-Axial Bending – Both the Exact Integration and the PCA Load Contour methods for bi-axial
bending are supported in the Saudi code.

Special Messages
In some instances code checks are not performed for a particular member. A message is usually
shown in the Warning Log and Detail Report explaining why the code check was not done. There
are also instances where a code check is performed, but the results may be suspect as a provision of
the design code was violated. In these cases, results are provided so that they can be examined to
find the cause of the problem. Following are the messages that may be seen.

No Load Combinations for Concrete Design have been run.

None of the load combinations that were run had the Concrete Design box checked on the Design
tab of the Load Combinations Spreadsheet. Since there are no concrete design specific load
combinations, there are no results or force diagrams to show.

Warning: No design for spans with less than 5 sections.

Certain very short spans in physical members can end up with less than 5 design sections. No design
is attempted without at least 5 sections because maximum values can be missed and an un-
conservative design may result.

Warning: No design for spans less than 1 ft.

Certain very short spans in physical members can end up with lengths less than 1 foot. No design is
attempted for these sections.

Warning: Member is slender and can sway, but P-Delta Analysis was NOT
run.
Under older ACI codes slender sway members need to be run with the P-Delta option turned on to
account for secondary forces and moments. In some situations, a preliminary design without P-Delta
is useful and so a design is performed and this warning is shown to remind you to run the final
analysis including P-Delta effects. Alternately, if you’re using the redesign feature, the next
suggested column may resolve this issue if it’s not slender.

Warning: Slender Compression Failure (Pu > .75Pc). No Slender calculations

done.
Since RISA-3D allows you to specify a starting column size, it’s possible that for slender columns
under substantial axial load you'll exceed the critical buckling load used in the slenderness equations

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in ACI 318-14 Section 6.6.4.5.2 (ACI 318-11 Section 10.10.6). Design results are still shown so the
suggested shapes can be used to pick a new suggested column size that will not have this problem.
Note that the design results shown are NOT valued because the slender moment effects have NOT
been considered.

Warning: KL/r > 100 for this compression member. See ACI 318-05 Section
10.11.5
Members that violate the KL/r limit still have design results calculated and shown. If you’re using the
redesign feature, the next suggested shape should resolve this problem. Note this is only checked for
the 2005 code and older. Newer codes require a P-Delta analysis and omit this consideration.

Warning: Exact Integration selected but PCA method used

This message is shown when you've requested the Exact Integration option on the Model Settings
Dialog, but we weren't able to converge a solution for the column in question. When Exact Integration
does not converge, the PCA Method is used instead to give an idea of the demand vs. the capacity.

Warning: PCA Method Failed. Axial Load > Axial Capacity.

One of the limitations of the PCA Method is that it requires the column being checked to have a
greater axial capacity than the axial demand. Since RISA-3D allows you to set a starting size, it’s
possible that the demand may be greater than the capacity. In this case a very rough estimate of the
capacity is calculated by using the independent moment capacity about each axis considering the
axial load. The resulting code check value is then based on the combined demand vector over the
combined capacity vector and is always greater than 1.0. The purpose of the results in this case is to
show the column failed, not to give an accurate estimate of the over-demand. The redesign feature
suggests a larger shape to resolve this issue.

Warning: The shear tie spacing does not meet the code Minimum
Requirement
This warning is stating that either minimum spacing or strength requirements are not being met for
the shear reinforcement in the concrete member.

P-Delta analysis required for all ACI 318-14/11/08 Load Combinations

A second order analysis is required as of the 2014, 2011 and 2008 editions of the ACI 318 code. A
code check is only be given if P-Delta is turned on in the Load Combinations spreadsheet, or if this
requirement is intentionally waived in the Application Settings.

Concrete Member - Design Results

Access the Code Check spreadsheet by selecting the Results tab Envelope (or LC) button
Code Check. Alternatively, on the Results toolbar you can select Code Check. Unlike wood and
steel, concrete results are different for beams and columns so they each get their own results

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spreadsheet. Note also that concrete results are always based on envelope results, even if you've
run a batch solution.
For beam flexural design, the required bars are based on the envelope moment diagrams. For
column flexural design, the required bars for each load combination are calculated at various sections
for the moments and axial forces at those sections. The required bars for all load combinations are
then enveloped. For both beam and column shear steel design, the required bars are based on the
enveloped shear force diagrams.

Beam Results
Beam results are shown in the three following spreadsheets: Design Results, Beam Bending
Reinforcement, and Beam Shear Reinforcement.

Design Results Spreadsheet

The Design Results Spreadsheet shows the governing maximum code check for the top and
bottom of the beam for all spans.

These top and bottom code checks, UC Max Top and UC Max Bot, are based on the top/bottom
moment capacities and maximum top/bottom moment. Currently the moment capacity is based only
on the tension steel (NO compression steel is considered in the capacity calculation). The governing
maximum shear check for all spans, Shear UC, is also shown. The capacities shown are only for the
governing section. Capacities for each span, as well as beam reinforcement detailing diagrams, may
be viewed on the Detail Report.

Beam Bending Reinforcement Spreadsheet

The Beam Bending Reinforcement Spreadsheet records the top and bottom flexural
reinforcement steel required for the left, middle, and right locations of each beam. This spreadsheet
may be accessed by selecting Members Concrete Reinforcing on the Results Menu and the
results are listed on the Beam Bending tab.

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The Member column lists the beam label.

The Shape column displays the beam size. When no adequate member could be found from the
available shapes list, this field will display the text "not designed". Consider re-framing, relaxing the
design requirements (see Design Optimization), or adding more shapes to the available Redesign
List (see Appendix A – Redesign Lists).
The Span column displays the span number corresponding to the reinforcement sections listed.
Span '1' is the span beginning at the "start" of the beam and subsequent spans are numbered '2', '3',
'4', and so forth moving from the "start" to the "end" of the beam.
The program assumes that the moment diagrams for all beam spans have two or fewer points of
inflection. Therefore, each span is broken into Left, Middle, and Right Reinforcement Sections for
flexural steel layout. Each section is further broken into Top and Bottom Reinforcement Sections.
Note that a beam may have only two or even one reinforcement section. In this case, the other
reinforcement sections would be left blank in this spreadsheet.
The Left Top, Left Bot, Mid Top, Mid Bot, Right Top, and Right Bot entries record the number
and size of flexural reinforcement bars that are required in each of the six Reinforcement Sections.
The first number indicates the number of parallel reinforcement bars in that section. The second
number, preceded by the '#' sign, indicates the size of reinforcement bars used.

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Note:
l Only reinforcement bars selected by the program are listed in this spreadsheet. If a
custom rebar layout is used for a particular beam, all six reinforcement section
entries will report "CUSTOM" as a reminder that the user applied a custom rebar
layout.
l Longitudinal reinforcement bars are assumed to be in a single layer at the top
and/or bottom of the member.
l Longitudinal reinforcement bars for the left and right sides of adjacent spans have
been "smoothed" such that the larger steel area is used for both sides.

Beam Shear Reinforcement Spreadsheet

The Beam Shear Reinforcement Spreadsheet records the shear reinforcement ties required in
each shear region of each beam. This spreadsheet may be accessed by selecting Members
Concrete Reinforcing on the Results Menu and the results are listed on the Beam Shear tab.

The Member column lists the beam label.

The Span column displays the span number corresponding to the shear regions listed. Span '1' is the
span beginning at the "start" of the beam and subsequent spans are numbered '2', '3', '4', and so forth
moving from the "start" to the "end" of the beam.
Each beam's shear reinforcement layout is broken into either two or four Shear Reinforcement
Regions. The user can control whether the program uses '2' or '4' regions from the Concrete tab of
the Model Settings Dialog. The program will try to group the required shear ties/stirrups into two or
four regions and will allow for a middle region to have no shear reinforcement if the shear force is
lower than that for which the code requires shear reinforcement.
The Region 1, Region 2, Region 3, and Region 4 entries record the number, size, and spacing of
shear reinforcement ties/stirrups that are required in each of the Reinforcement Regions. The first
number of each entry indicates the total number of ties/stirrups that are required in that region of the
beam span. The second number, proceeded by the '#' sign, indicates the size of reinforcement bars

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used. The third number, proceeded by the "@" symbol, indicates the spacing of the ties/stirrups in
that region of the beam span.

Note:
l If '2' shear regions are selected on the Concrete tab of the Model Settings Dialog,
the Region 2 and Region 3 entries in this spreadsheet will be left blank.
l The concrete code checks are only performed at the sections where the internal
forces are calculated. The number of internal force calculations is based on the
setting in the Model Settings dialog. Normally, this is acceptable for design and
analysis. However, it is possible for the design locations (face of support for
moment and "d" from the face of support for shear) to be located far enough away
from the nearest internal force location that it could affect the code check results. If
this happens, it may be advisable to use a larger number of internal sections. Or,
the user may be forced to calculate the maximum Vu and Mu themselves.

Column Results
Column results are shown in the three following spreadsheets: Design Results,Column Bending
Reinforcement, and Column Shear Reinforcement.

Design Results Spreadsheet

The Design Results Spreadsheet shows the governing maximum code check for the column for all
spans.

The governing maximum shear check for all spans is also shown. The governing load combination for
the governing code check is shown because the column capacity is based upon the actual moments
and axial forces for that load combination. The capacities shown are only for the governing section.
Capacities for each span, as well as column reinforcement detailing diagrams, may be viewed on the
Detail Report.
The moving load results are enveloped and the governing load combination and step location is
shown for each result value under the "UC LC" column. The first number is the load combination, the
second is the step number: (load combination - step number). See Moving Loads to learn more.

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Column Bending Reinforcement Spreadsheet

The Column Bending Reinforcement Spreadsheet shows the perimeter flexural reinforcement
steel required in each span of each column. This spreadsheet may be accessed by selecting
Members Concrete Reinforcing on the Results Menu and the results are listed on the Column
Bending tab.

The Column field displays the column label.

The Shape column displays the physical column or lift size. When no adequate member could be
found from the available shapes, this field will display the text “not designed”. Consider re-framing,
relaxing the design or deflection requirements (see Design Optimization), or adding more shapes to
the available Redesign List (see Appendix A – Redesign Lists).
The Span column displays the span number corresponding to the perimeter reinforcement listed.
Span '1' is the span beginning at the "start" of the column and subsequent spans are numbered '2',
'3', '4', and so forth moving from the "start" to the "end" of the column.
The Perim Bars column records the number and size of perimeter longitudinal reinforcing bars. The
first number indicates the total number of longitudinal bars in that span. The second number,
preceded by the '#' sign, indicates the size of the reinforcement bars used.

Note:
l Only reinforcement bars selected by the program are listed in this spreadsheet. If a
custom rebar layout is used for a particular column, the Perim Bars entry will be left
blank.
l Longitudinal reinforcement bars are assumed to be uniformly arranged around the
perimeter of the column for both rectangular and round column sections.
l A minimum of 6 bars will be used in round column sections.
l Longitudinal reinforcement bars for the bottom and top sides of adjacent spans
have been "smoothed" such that the larger steel area is used for both sides.

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Column Shear Reinforcement Spreadsheet

The Column Shear Reinforcement Spreadsheet shows the shear reinforcement ties required in
each shear region of each column. This spreadsheet may be accessed by selecting Members
Concrete Reinforcing on the Results Menu and the results are listed on the Column Shear tab.

The Column field displays the column label.

The Span column displays the span number corresponding to the shear regions listed. Span '1' is the
span beginning at the "start" of the column and subsequent spans are numbered '2', '3', '4', and so
forth moving from the "start" to the "end" of the column.
Each column's shear reinforcement layout is broken into either two or four Shear Reinforcement
Regions. The user can control whether the program uses '2' or '4' regions from the Concrete tab of
the Model Settings dialog. The program will try to group the required shear ties into 2 or 4 regions.
Unlike beams, columns cannot have a zero shear steel region. Note also that columns in tension
receive NO shear capacity from the concrete.
The Region 1, Region 2, Region 3, and Region 4 entries record the number, size, and spacing of
shear reinforcement ties/stirrups that are required in each of the Reinforcement Regions. The first
number of each entry indicates the total number of ties/stirrups that are required in that region of the
column span. The second number, proceeded by the '#' sign, indicates the size of reinforcement bars
used. The third number, proceeded by the "@" symbol, indicates the spacing of the ties/stirrups in
that region of the column span.

Note: If '2' shear regions are selected on the Concrete tab of the Model Settings dialog, the
Region 2 and Region 3 entries in this spreadsheet will be left blank.

Concrete Detail Reports

The Concrete Detail Reports allow you to see the overall force, stress, and deflection state for any
particular member. Detail reports for concrete members are not based on individual load
combinations as they are for steel or wood members. Instead, they are based on an envelope of the
solved load combinations. Concrete columns are the exception to this in that the columns are solved
for all load combinations and then the resulting required steel is enveloped. The detail reports for

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concrete Column member types are also different than those for concrete Beam member types in
terms of the design information that is shown below the force diagrams.
Detail reports for concrete members can, and often do, go more than one page in length due to the
large amount of information that must be displayed for concrete design. One reason for this is that
RISA figures out the number of spans for concrete beams and columns based on the number of
internal supports, thus one physical member may have several spans that all must be reported.

Note: The New Floor Plan button will allow you to take a snapshot of the current detail
report you are viewing so that it can be added to a report. View the Printing topic for more
information.

Beam Detail Reports

The image below is the first portion of a detail report for a concrete beam member showing the
member information, warnings, force diagrams, code checks, and span information.

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You can tell the Member Type by looking at the black title in the upper left corner next to the red
member label. This title will always show the member type (Beam, Column, HBrace, VBrace). If the
member type is 'None', this title will be displayed as 'Member'.
The Member Information in the text above the force diagrams shows basic member information as
well as the Concrete Stress Block type used in the solution, whether Cracked Sections were used
for the nominal design, and the Cracked 'I' Factor that was used for that member.

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The next section of the detail report contains the Member Force Diagrams. The diagrams shown
are envelope diagrams of all solved load combinations. Any Unused Force Warnings or critical
Design Warnings will be shown directly below the force diagrams in the detail report.

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Each enlarged diagram will also have a slider bar at the bottom of the window for checking forces at
all locations along the member. There is also an Abs Max button that will jump the slider bar to the
absolute maximum value in the diagram. Note that once an enlarged diagram is opened, diagrams for
other forces may be accessed via the pull down menu on the left.
The Code Check Information directly below the force diagrams is a summary of the governing
checks for bending and shear, their location, and the section capacities at those locations. Separate
bending checks for the most critical top and most critical bottom condition are given. Gov Muz Top
and Gov Muz Bot represent the governing ultimate moment in the top and bottom of the beam
respectively. Gov Vuy represents the governing ultimate shear along the local y axis of the beam.
The values phi*Mnz Top and phi*Mnz Bot represent the nominal moment strength in the top and
bottom of the beam respectively, reduced by the appropriate Strength Reduction Factor, Phi, as
indicated in the code. Likewise, the value phi*Vuy represents the nominal shear strength in the
beam, reduced by the appropriate Phi Factor.
There is also general concrete, reinforcement, and bar cover information about the section provided
which you would need if you were doing a hand check. Concrete Type (Normal Weight vs Light
Weight) is automatically determined from the Concrete Weight density per the ACI code. λ is taken
from the Materials spreadsheet. The E_Concrete value shown here is either the value entered on
theConcrete tab of the Materials Spreadsheet or is the calculated value based on the given f’c and
weight density (if the 'E' value was left blank on the Materials Spreadsheet).

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The Span Information gives the start and end of each span centerline within the member, as well as
the distance from the column centerline to the face of the column for each end of the span.
The next portion of the detail report shown below contains detailed information for the placement of
the Bending Steel and the Bending Span Results for each span. The bending capacity for the
governing section in each span is shown as Mnz, the nominal moment strength. Rho Min and Rho
Max are the minimum and maximum required reinforcement ratios at each location. These values are
based on the minimum and maximum reinforcing requirements for flexural members as described in
ACI 318-14 Sections 9.6.1 and 21.2.2/9.3.3.1 respectively (ACI 318-11 Sections 10.5.1 and
10.3.3/10.3.5 respectively). Rho is the ratio of reinforcement corresponding to the area of steel
provided at each location, As Prvd. The As Req value is the area of steel required at each location.

Note: Per ACI 318-14 Section 9.6.1 (ACI 318-11 Section 10.5.3), the reinforcement ratio (ρ)
chosen by the program can be less than ρmin when As Provided exceeds As Required by
more than 33%

The next portion of the detail report, shown above, contains detailed information for the placement of
the Shear Steel and the Shear Span Results for each span. Shear results are shown by region

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within each span. The number of regions used is a function of the shear diagram, with the maximum
number of regions being taken from the Shear Regions setting on the Concrete tab of the Model
Settings Dialog. The number, size, and spacing of reinforcing bars is given for each region. Also
indicated is the nominal shear strength, Vn, in each region. The portion of the nominal shear strength
provided by the concrete and the steel, Vc and Vs respectively, is given for each region. The area of
steel required, As Reqd, and the area of steel provided, As Prvd, are also given for each shear
region and are reported as 'area of steel per unit dimension', i.e. in2/in or mm2/mm.
It should be noted that the values for Mn and Vn given in this section of the detail report are the
UNREDUCED nominal capacities of the member at each span/region. The actual design capacities
would be obtained by multiplying these values by their respective Phi Factors indicated in the code.
The last section of the detail report shows the Beam Reinforcement Detailing Diagrams. The
Rebar Detailing portion of the report shows elevation views of the beam complete with top and
bottom flexural reinforcement indicated for the left, middle, and right portions of each span. The
number and size of bars required in each section is indicated on the top middle of each drawn
bar. The required length of each bar is indicated on the bottom middle of each drawn bar in
parenthesis. Development lengths are shown in parenthesis at one end of each bar and is
represented by a dashed line. For bars at the ends of the beam, hook lengths are given in addition to
the development lengths and are shown in brackets.

Note: Development lengths are calculated per ACI 318-14 Sections 25.4.2 and 25.4.3
(ACI 318-11 Sections 12.2.2 and 12.5.2. No additional factors are used, aside from the
lightweight modification factor.

The values shown at the bottom corner of each span indicate the distance from the start of the beam
to the face of a support. Flexural bars at the ends of the beam are measured beginning at the face of
the support and bars at intermediate supports are measured to the center of the support.
The number, size, and spacing of shear reinforcement is also indicated below each span in the
corresponding shear region. Each shear region is indicated by vertical lines at the bottom of the
beam.

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The Cross Section Detailing portion of the report shows cross sectional views for the start, middle,
and end of each beam span. The number and size of flexural bars for each cross section are shown
as well as the orientation of the shear ties/stirrups. The clear cover to each stirrup for the top and
sides is shown. The overall beam dimensions for each span are indicated on the 'Start' cross section.

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Column Detail Reports

The image below is the first portion of a detail report for a concrete column member showing the
member information, warnings, force diagrams, code checks, and span information. As can be seen,
the concrete column results are very similar to the beam results with just a few additions and
differences.

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You can tell the Member Type by looking at the black title in the upper left corner next to the red
member label. This title will always show the member type (Beam, Column, HBrace, VBrace). If the
member type is "None", this title will be displayed as "Member".
The Member Information in the text above the force diagrams shows basic member information as
well as the Concrete Stress Block type used in the solution, whether Cracked Sections were used
for the nominal design, and the Cracked 'I' Factor that was used for that member. The Biaxial
Bending Solution method that was used is also reported, and if applicable, the Parme Beta Factor.
The next section of the detail report contains the Member Force Diagrams. The diagrams shown
are envelope diagrams of all solved load combinations.Any Unused Force Warnings or critical
Design Warnings will be shown directly below the force diagrams in the detail report. An enlarged
interactive member force diagram can be accessed by clicking on the desired diagram. For more
information, see Beam Detail Reports.
The Code Check Information below the force diagrams is a summary of the governing checks for
bending and shear, their location, and the section capacities at those locations. Gov Pu represents
the governing ultimate axial load in the column. Gov Muy and Muz represent the governing ultimate
moment about each local axis of the column. Gov Vuy and Vuz represent the governing ultimate
shear along each local axis of the column.
There is also general concrete, reinforcement, and bar cover information about the section provided
which are useful for hand calculation verification.Concrete Type (Normal Weight vs Light Weight) is
automatically determined from the Concrete Weight density per the ACI code. The E_Concrete
value shown here is either the value entered on the Concrete tab of the Materials Spreadsheet or is
the calculated value based on the given f’c and weight density (if the 'E' value was left blank on the
Materials Spreadsheet).

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Note: When solving using the PCA Load Contour method, Pu will always equal Pn. This
represents the axial value at which the controlling slice of interaction diagram was taken. The
bending check is taken as the following equation, which is derived from the PCA Notes on
ACI 318-99, Chapter 12.

l When solving using the Exact Integration method, a worst-case combination of Pu, Muy,
and Muz is determined. A straight line is essentially drawn between the origin of the
interaction diagram, and this coordinate within the 3D interaction diagram. The bending
check is taken as the length of that line, divided by the distance from the origin to the
intersection of that line and the interaction diagram. For this reason the ratios (Pu/φPn),
(Mu/φMn) are all equal to the bending check.

The next portions of the detail report shown above contain the Column Interaction Diagrams for the
column member and the Span Information.
A Column Interaction Diagram for uniaxial bending is shown for each axis of the column. These
diagrams plot the unreduced nominal strengths P vs. M for the corresponding column local axis. If
the column only has bending about one axis there will be only one interaction diagram shown.
For columns under biaxial bending there is also a diagram which plots the unreduced nominal
moments strengths Mz vs. My at the governing ultimate axial load, P. The last diagram is for the
biaxial bending condition where the exact integration method is used and shows the interaction
surface plotted at the angle of applied load (Pu, Muy, Muz). This last diagram is only shown when the
Exact Integration Method is used.
The Span Information section shows the length of each span and the distances from the centerline
of each support to the face of each support.

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This portion of the report shown above contains the sections pertaining to the axial, bending, and
shear results as well as the longitudinal and shear reinforcement.
The Column Steel section indicates the longitudinal reinforcement in each span as well as the
governing load combination and location. The ultimate axial load, Pu, and the ultimate moments,
Muy and Muz, are also given for each span.
The Axial Span Results show the strength reduction factor, Phi_eff, used for each span. The axial
capacities for each span are shown as Pn, the nominal axial strength, and Po, the nominal axial
strength with zero eccentricity. The area of longitudinal reinforcement provided in the column is listed
as As Prvd and the ratio of As Prvd to the gross cross sectional area of the column is listed as Rho
Gross.
The Bending Span Results show the calculated eccentricities, ecc. y and ecc. z, due to the
ultimate moment about each axis divided by the ultimate axial load. The neutral axis depth for
bending about the local y-axis and z-axis are listed as NA y-y and NA z-z respectively. These neutral
axis locations are always given with respect to the geometric center of the column. Also shown in this
section are the unreduced nominal moment capacities, Mny and Mnz, for each span of the column. If
the PCA Load Contour Method is used, Mnoy and Mnoz are given, representing the maximum
allowable moment for uniaxial bending at the nominal axial strength, Pn (see Biaxial Bending of
Columns). If the Exact Integration Method is used, these values will be left blank.
The Shear Steel section of the report shows each span of the column broken into one or more shear
regions and the number, size, and spacing of shear stirrups required in each of those regions is
given. The shear design for columns is the envelope of all the shears for both directions.
The y-Dir and z-Dir Shear Span Results show the nominal shear strength, Vny and Vnz, in each
shear region of the column followed by the nominal shear strengths of the concrete, Vcy and Vcz,
and the nominal shear strengths of the steel, Vsy and Vsz. The area of shear reinforcement required
in each shear region of the column is shown as Asy Reqd and Asz Reqd. The area of shear
reinforcement provided in each shear region of the column is shown as As Prvd. Shear demand and
concrete capacity are shown for both directions, but only one design of shear ties is used. Thus the
As_reqd may vary for each side, but the As_prvd will always be the same.

Note: ACI 318-19 requires the consideration of shear interaction in y and z directions when
both Vuy/φVny and Vuz/φVnz are larger than 0.5. In this case, the program recalculates the
shear UC based on Equation 22.5.1.11. If the UC considering shear interaction happens to
govern, a new section is added in Detail Report to present this check:

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l In the Code Check spreadsheet the direction (Dir) becomes “y,z” to indicate the governing
load combination is considering shear interaction.

Magnified Moments / Slenderness Effects

The Slender Bending Span Results give the ultimate moments for each axis amplified for the
effects of member curvature, Mcy and Mcz. These values will be left blank for spans that do not meet
the criteria for slender columns in the specific direction. Also shown in this section are the values
KL/rfor the y and z-axis, followed by the equivalent moment correction factors Cm yy and Cm zz.
The unbraced lengths of the column for each span and each direction, Lu yy and Lu zz, are given as
well.
For Non-Sway frames, the assumption is that EI = 0.25*Ec*Ig. This is equivalent to setting Bdns to 0.6
in ACI 318-14 Equation 6.6.4.4.4a (ACI 318-11 Equation 10-15). For sway frame columns with a KL/r
value greater than 22, the moment amplification is applied to the total moment rather than the "non-
sway" portion of the moment.
Warning Log Messages will be produced when the following occurs:
l If the KL/r for the column exceeds 100 per Section 10.11.5 of ACI 318-05. Note this
message only occurs for 2005 and older codes.

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l If a slender member is classified as being part of a Sway frame, but a P-Delta analysis was
NOT performed. For sway frames this P-Delta requirement applies anytime the
slenderness ratio KL/r exceeds 22.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual RISAConnection Integration

RISAConnection Integration
RISAConnection can be used with RISAFloor and/or RISA-3D to design hot-rolled steel connections.
The integration will send the member geometry, loads, and connection type information into
RISAConnection. You can then open RISAConnection to edit/adjust the details of the connection.
When satisfied with an appropriate connection design, you can then send the connection design
results back into RISAFloor and RISA-3D for results presentation.

Available Connection Types

The list of available connection types depends on what version of RISAConnection you are
integrating with. The following table lists the available connection types from the current version of
RISAConnection.
Available Connections

Connection Description
Beam to Column Shear (Shear tab, clip angle, end plate)
Connections
l Columns may be Wide Flanges, HSS tubes, or
HSS pipes (shear tab only).
l Beams may be Wide Flanges or Channels (not
for end plate).
lDouble-sided connections available for clip angle
shear connections into the column web.
Beam to Girder Shear (Shear tab, clip angle, end plate)
Connections
l Girders may only be Wide Flanges.
l Beams may be Wide Flanges or Channels (not
for end plate).
lDouble-sided connections available for clip angle
shear connections into the girder web.
Shear Splices (Beam and column)
l Columns may only be Wide Flanges.
l Beams may only be Wide Flanges.
Beam to Column Flange Moment (Direct weld, extended end plate, flange plates, flush end
Connections plate)
l Direct Weld and Flange Plate moment
connection columns may be Wide Flanges or
HSS Rectangular Tubes.
l Extended End Plate and Flush Plate moment
connection columns may only be Wide Flanges.
l Beams may only be Wide Flanges.

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Connection Description
Beam to Column Web Moment (Direct weld, flange plates)
Connections
l Columns may only be Wide Flanges.
l Beam may only be Wide Flanges.
Beam to Column Web Moment (Continuous beam over column)
Connections
l Columns may only be Wide Flanges, HSS
Tubes, or HSS pipes.
lBeam may only be Wide Flanges.
Moment Splices (Beam and column, direct weld, end plate, flange plate)
l Columns may only be Wide Flanges.
lBeams may only be Wide Flanges.
Vertical Brace Connections (Chevron, Diagonal Brace, and Knee Brace)
l Columns may be Wide Flanges, HSS Tubes, or
HSS Pipes.
l Beams may be Wide Flanges, HSS Tubes
(Chevron and Knee Brace connections only), or
HSS Pipes (Chevron and Knee Brace
connections only).
l Chevron and Diagonal Braces may be Wide
Flanges, HSS Tubes, HSS Pipes, Channels,
WTs, Double Angles, or Single Angles.
l Knee Braces may be HSS Tubes, HSS Pipes,
Channels, WTs, Double Angles, or Single
Angles.
Single Column Base Plate l Column may be a Wide Flange, Tube, or Pipe.
Connections
Brace to Base Plate Connections l Column may be a Wide Flange, Tube, or Pipe.
Brace to Column Base Plate l Column may be a Wide Flange, Tube, or Pipe.
Connections l Brace may be HSS Tube, HSS Pipe, Single
Angle, Double Angle, WTs, or Channels.
Truss HSS T-Connections l Chord member must be a HSS Tube.
l Branch member must be a HSS Tube.
See Troubleshooting for more assistance with connection type limitations.

Integrated Connection Design Procedure

The steps required to design connections using this integration are as follows:

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1. Complete the Full Structural Model

2. Define the Connection Rules
3. Assign the Connection Rules
4. Assign Load Combinations
5. Design Connections
6. Connection Design Results
7. Multiple Round Trips Between RISAFloor/RISA-3D and RISAConnection

1. Complete the Full Structural Model

You must first draw your model in RISA-3D or RISAFloor. It is important that you use the Member
Type (Column, Beam, VBrace, HBrace) designation properly. Otherwise your connections will not be
designed. Keep in mind that connection design will only work for hot rolled connections at this point.
Future versions will add to the current RISAConnection connection type capabilities.

2. Define Connection Rules

The second step is to define Connection Rules. These rules allow you to specify which types of
connections you want to design in your model. You must have a rule for each type of connection you
want considered.
You may also want to create two separate rules for the same connection Type, so you can
manipulate these groups separately.
To open the Connection Rules spreadsheet:
1. Click on Connection Rules in the ‘Explorer’ panel, as shown in the following image.

The Connection Rules spreadsheet opens.

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2. Create rules for each type of connection that you want to be designed through
RISAConnection.
The spreadsheet entries are explained in the following table.
Connection Rules Spreadsheet Columns

Column Description
Label Allows you to identify your Connection Rule in other areas in
the program. Each Connection Rule must have a unique
'Label'.
Conn Type Allows you to filter the list of ‘Types’ based on the a specific
connection type. Available Connection Types are Shear,
Moment, Brace, Baseplate or Truss.
Type Allows you to choose the Type of connection from a list of
available types currently considered in RISAConnection.
You need to set up at least one connection rule for each
connection type in your project. When you solve the
connections in RISAConnection, the member ends assigned
to an individual Connection Rule are grouped together.

Note: You may have many double angle shear

connections in your project. However, some are
bolted with A325 bolts and some use A490 bolts.
You should define these as separate Connection
Rules.

Beam Conn Allows you to define how the beam is connected to the
supporting pieces (plate, clip angle, etc.). When you go to
RISAConnection, all connections grouped in this Connection
Rule default to this type of connection.

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Column Description

Note: Many connections do not have options for

these, so "N/A" is shown instead.

Col/Girder Conn Allows you to define how the supporting member (column or
girder) is connected to the supporting pieces (plate, clip
angle, etc.). When you go to RISAConnection, all
connections grouped in this Connection Rule default to this
type of connection.

Note: Many connections do not have options for

these, so "N/A" is shown instead.

Eccentricity This value has no effect on the RISAConnection integration.

Instead, it is used only for analysis purposes.
In models integrated with RISAFloor, beam/column shear
connections add an automatic eccentricity equal to half the
column's depth automatically (see the Model Settings -
Solution tab for more information on this). However an
additional eccentricity away from the column face may be
entered in the Connection Rules spreadsheet. This column
allows you to enter that value here. The value entered
should be equal to the distance between the face of column
and the resultant beam end reaction (i.e. centroid of
bolt/weld group on beam web).
l This column is only available in RISAFloor and in
RISA-3D if you came in from RISAFloor.
l This eccentricity is only applied to beams which
connect to columns and which have the Connection
Rule specified in the Connections tab of the Beams
spreadsheet in RISAFloor.

3. Assign Connection Rules

Once the Connection Rules are defined they must be applied to the member ends in your model.
l For Column/Beam connections the rule is assigned to the beam end but not the column.
l For Girder/Beam connections the rule is assigned to the beam end but not the girder.
l For Column/Beam/Brace connections the rule is assigned to the beam and brace(s) ends
but not the column.
l For Chevron Brace connections the rule is assigned to the brace ends but not the beam.
l For Knee Brace connections the rule is assigned to the brace ends but not the supporting

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beam or column.
l For Splice connections, the rule is assigned to both of the Column or Beam ends.

Assigning Connection Rules in the Properties Panel

To Assign Connection Rules:
1. Click on a member and expand the RISAConnection Properties section in the ‘Properties’
panel, as shown in the following image.

2. For both the Start and End of the member, click the down-arrow and choose the proper
Connection Rule.
You can apply a Connection Rule to one member at a time, or select multiple members to
assign a Connection Rule to multiple members.

Assigning Connection Rules in the Members Spreadsheet

The RISAConnection tab of the Members spreadsheet provides a place to assign, edit and view
Connection Rules as they apply to individual members.

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RISAConnection Spreadsheet Columns

Column Description
Label Displays the name of the member for all Hot rolled Steel members
in the model.
Shape Allows you to view what shape is assigned to the member.
Start/End Conn Allows you to select a rule from the ‘Connection Rules’
spreadsheet. You need to know which end of the member is the
Start (I end) and the End (J end), which you can view graphically.
Start Release/End Displays the end release for the beam. This is useful in verifying
Release that the chosen connection for the beam is valid for its end fixity (i.e.
sheer connection for pinned-end beams).

Note: Connections can only be designed for Hot Rolled Steel members, so only those
members are shown on the RISAConnection tab in the spreadsheet.

Viewing Connection Rules Graphically

The ‘Quick View’ toolbar can be used to view the assigned connection rules directly on your model.
To view the assigned Connection rules using the Quick View toolbar:
1. Click the Member Ends icon’s down-arrow on the Quick View toolbar.

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2. Choose Connection Rules from the list that appears.

3. Click the Member Label icon’s down-arrow on the Quick View toolbar.

4. Choose Connection Rules from the list that appears.

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The following image shows how the members with connection rules applied appear in
color-coded view, along with their labels.

4. Assign Load Combinations

Once you have all of your Connection Rules assigned properly, you must define which load
combinations you wish to use for connection design.
To assign load combinations:

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1. Click on Load Combinations in the Explorer panel, as shown in the following image.

The Load Combinations spreadsheet opens to the ‘Combinations’ tab.

2. Click on the Design tab to view the Load Combination Design spreadsheet, as shown in the
following image.

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The checkboxes in the ‘Connections’ column allow you to define whether or not you want
your connections designed for each LC.
There are times where the member design may be designed by LRFD methods and the
connections designed by ASD methods. The ‘Connection’ check box allows for that
flexibility.

5. Design Connections
To design connections you must first have either a Single LC or Batch solution present. Once there is
a solution, there are two ways to design connections.

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l Choose Solve - Design Connections.

This option does not automatically open RISAConnection. Instead, it runs in the
background, using whatever default or previous settings are in RISAConnection. Once
you've done this the Connection Results browser is populated. To fully export into
RISAConnection, use the Director tool, as shown next.
l Choose Director - RISAConnection.

This option automatically launches RISAConnection where you can modify the connection
parameters, such as number of bolts, clip angle size, clearances, etc., for all the valid
connections in your project (see the RISAConnection Help file for more information on how
to design connections using RISAConnection). You can then solve your model in
RISAConnection and then send the information back to RISA-3D to populate the
Connection Results browser.

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RISAConnection File Creation and Workflow

When using RISAConnection integration, a RISAConnection file is created automatically. The file has
the same naming convention as the RISA-3D file and is created in the same directory as the RISA-3D
file. It has a .rcn file extension.
Once this RISAConnection file is created you can:
l Use the file separately to make connection changes
l Transfer the file to another machine and work on it separately
l Modify items (bolt criteria, weld criteria, connector sizes, clearances, edge distances, etc.)
related to the connections
l Modify or design your connections so that they now work. Move the file back to the location
where the RISA-3D model is located. Then, redesign connections in RISA-3D. Your
changes are then considered.
Note that any items defined by the RISA-3D models cannot be modified (beam/column sizes, bolted
vs welded connections, design code, etc). Any of these changes must be taken care of in RISA-3D
and then sent back over to RISAConnection.

6. Connection Design Results

Once the connections have been designed in RISAConnection from either of the methods above the
results is available in RISA-3D. You can view the results browser or see color-coded results
graphically.

Connection Results Spreadsheet

The following table provides descriptions of the columns in the spreadsheet.

Connection Design Results for Hot Rolled Steel

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Column Description
Label / Member End These two columns display the location in the model that this
connection results corresponds to.
Connection Rule Displays the Connection Rule assigned to this location.
Pass/Fail Indicates whether or not the connection passes ALL connection
checks.
Max UC Displays the maximum unity check for the worst case LC.
Gov LC Displays which LC provided the Max UC.
Limit State Displays the governing Limit State which produced the worst case
code check or failing criteria.
When viewing this spreadsheet there is a Connection icon in the ‘Results’ ribbon toolbar, as shown
in the following image.

Clicking this icon opens up RISAConnection to this specific connection, allowing you to take a further
look at the connection results and to edit connection properties in a quick, efficient manner.

Note: The Limit State field also gives notes for any connections that were not able to be
designed in RISAConnection. See Troubleshooting for more information.

Viewing Results Graphically

Use the Quick View toolbar to view the connection results directly on your model.

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1. Click on the Member Color icon down-arrow to open a list of members.

2. Choose Connection Results to display the results in a color-coded view (as shown in the
image under step 1).
A color legend appears in the 3D View panel, and the connection members are color coded
based on that legend.
(See the example after step 4 that shows both the color coded connections and their
governing unity check values.)
3. Click on the Member Label icon.

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4. Choose Connection Results, to display the governing unity check value, as shown in the
following image.

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5. (Optional) If you are in a graphic view and have valid connection results, you can click the
Connection Detail Results icon on the left-hand side of the 3D View panel.

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This shows a selection cursor and allows you to click on a member end that has a
Connection Rule defined, and open RISAConnection to the specific connection that you’ve
clicked on.

7. Multiple Round Trips Between RISAFloor/RISA-3D and

RISAConnection
When round tripping between RISAConnection and RISAFloor/RISA-3D multiple times there are a
few items to consider:
l After the first pass into RISAConnection, connection property changes in the
RISAConnection file are saved. This means that if the RISAFloor/RISA-3D model is
modified and the connections are re-designed you do not lose the connection information
that you have modified.

Note: One exception to this is if you make a change to the Connection Rule for that
member end. If that occurs, then the basic input of the connection is modified and
your connection changes are deleted and replaced with the new connection's
default settings.

l Thus, you are able to work on a RISAConnection file separately from the RISAFloor/RISA-
3D file. You can then re-locate them back in the same directory and they are able to work
together, as long as none of the Connection Rules changed in RISAFloor/RISA-3D. Any
change of an individual member end's Connection Rule wipes out any changes made in the
RISAConnection file.

Seismic Connections
With the help of the Seismic Detailing feature within RISA-3D, the program can handle a variety of
column/beam moment and vertical brace connections with additional seismic level checks per the
Seismic Design Manual (AISC 341 and AISC 358). These connections include:
l Reduced Beam Section (RBS) Moment Connection
l Welded Unreinforced Flange-Welded Web (WUF-W) Moment Connection
l Bolted Extended End Plate Moment Connections (Unstiffened and Stiffened)
l Bolted Flange Plate (BFP) Moment Connection
l Diagonal Vertical Brace Connection.
l Chevron Vertical Brace Connection.

Rules for Export

In order to export a seismic connection, you must do the following:
1. Assign the connection with a Seismic Design Rule in RISA-3D.

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This defines what level of ductility (OMF, IMF, SMF, OCBF, SCBF) will define your
connection and, if it is a seismic moment connection, which predesignated type (RBS,
WUF-W, BFP, BEEP, etc.) it shall be designed as.

2. Assign the connection with a Seismic Moment Connection Rule, if the connection is a
moment frame connection.

3. Assign the connection with the appropriate Diagonal Brace Seismic or Chevron Brace
Seismic connection type, if the connection is a braced frame connection.

Limitations
l As with the regular moment connections, all beams in seismic moment connections must
be connected to the flange of the column.
l The model must be solved in both RISAFloor and RISA-3D in order to send the lateral load
combination results to RISAConnection.
l Seismic moment splice connections are not currently supported.
l The program does not put any limitations on which RISA-3D load combinations
(overstrength or not) are solved and sent to RISAConnection. Therefore, we assume that

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the user is selecting the correct combinations to include for connection design. Once in
RISAConnection, you will be able to scroll through the results from each load combination.

Tapered Wide Flange Connections

Several connections (listed below) can be designed for tapered wide flange members as well as for
prismatic wide flanges. RISA-3D requires that the connection occurs at the ends of the members (no
mid span connections). This is because RISAConnection imports the section as a prismatic (non
tapered) section with the cross-sectional dimensions equal to those of the selected end of the
tapered member in RISA-3D.

Available Tapered WF Member Connections

l Beam members in the Beam Shear Tab Splice Connection
l Column members in the Column Shear Tab Splice Connection
l Column and Beam in the Column/Beam Clip Angle Shear Connection
l Column and Beam in the Column/Beam End Plate Shear Connection
l Column and Beam in the Column/Beam Shear Tab Shear Connection
l Beam member only in the Girder/Beam Clip Angle Shear Connection
l Beam member only in the Girder/Beam End Plate Shear Connection
l Beam member only in the Girder/Beam Shear Tab Shear Connection
l Beam members in the Beam Direct Weld Moment Splice Connection
l Beam members in the Beam Extended End Plate Moment Splice Connection
l Beam members in the Beam Moment Plate Moment Splice Connection
l Column members in the Column Direct Weld Moment Splice Connection
l Column members in the Column Extended End Plate Moment Splice Connection
l Column members in the Column Moment Plate Moment Splice Connection
l Column and Beam in the Column/Beam Direct Weld Moment Connection
l Column and Beam in the Column/Beam End Plate Moment Connection
l Column and Beam in the Column/Beam Flange Plate Moment Connection

Limitations
l Currently this is limited to just doubly-symmetric tapered members (flanges must be equal).
In the future, we plan on also allowing singly-symmetric tapered WF sections with unequal
flanges.
l Tapered WF connections are only considered if they occur at the member ends. (For
example, connections applied to beams who are supported by girders or columns along
their mid span are not designed).

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l A custom Tapered WF shape must be entered and saved permanently to the shape
database through RISA-3D, before it can be accessed for use in RISAConnection.

Troubleshoot RISAConnection Integration

If you have difficulty getting your RISA-3D or RISAFloor model to integrate into RISAConnection, it is
possible that you have defined connection or member information incorrectly, or there may be a
program limitation which prevents the integration. Please see the following for assumptions,
modeling rules, and possible error messages.

Moment Connection Considerations

The following moment connections are currently supported in RISAConnection:
l Beam to column flange plate moment connections for wide flange or HSS tube columns and
wide flange beams.
l Beam to column direct weld end plate moment connections for wide flange or HSS tube
columns and wide flange beams.
l Beam to column extended end plate moment connections for wide flange members.
l Beam to column partially extended end plate moment connections for wide flange
members.
l Beam to column flush end plate moment connections for wide flange members.
l Column flange plate moment splice.
l Beam flange plate moment splice.
l Column direct weld moment splice.
l Beam direct weld moment splice.
l Column extended end plate moment splice.
l Beam extended end plate moment splice.

Continuous Beam over Column Connections

In order to properly export a continuous beam over column connection to RISAConnection you must
obey the following rules:
l A continuous beam over connection rule must exist in the Connection Rules spreadsheet.
l That connection rule must be applied at the top of the column where a continuous beam
passes over it.
l No other column members from above can frame into he connection.
l Connection rule must be applied to the top floor of the structure.
l The column member must be a prismatic Wide Flange, a HSS Tube, or a HSS Pipe.
l The beam member must be a prismatic Wide Flange.

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Shear Connection Considerations

The following shear connections are currently supported in RISAConnection:
l Single or double clip-angle connections for wide flanges
l Shear tab connections for wide flanges
l End plate connections for wide flanges
l Single or double clip-angle connections for channel beams
l Shear tab connections for channel beams
l Double-sided double clip angle connections to the column or girder web.
l Beams on either side of the web must be within 3 inches (parallel) to be considered a
double-sided connection.

Vertical Brace Connections

The following vertical brace connections are currently supported in RISAConnection:

Diagonal Brace Connections

In order to properly export a diagonal brace connection to RISAConnection you must obey the
following rules:
l A Diagonal Brace connection rule must exist in the Connection Rules spreadsheet.
l That connection rule must be applied to the end of the VBrace which connects to the gusset
l That connection rule must also be applied to the end of the beam which connects to the
gusset and to the column.
l There may be one or two VBrace members per connection. If there are two VBrace
members, they must frame in from above and below the beam respectively
l There must be one beam member on the same side as the VBrace per connection.
l The VBrace(s) may be offset from the beam / column work point. If the offset is along the
length of the column then each brace cannot be more than 18 inches from the work point. If
the offset is along the length of the beam then the two VBrace members must share a
common work point. This eccentricity will be accounted for in the design of the connection.
But, the connection design will NOT consider any of the EBF (Eccentrically Braced Frame)
requirements of AISC seismic provisions.
l The beam must be horizontal, and the VBrace cannot have an angle of less than 10
degrees with respect to the Beam or the column.
l The column must be a prismatic Wide Flange, a HSS Tube, or a HSS Pipe.
l The beam must be a prismatic Wide Flange.
l The brace(s) must be a single angle, double angle, channel, tube, pipe, WT, or prismatic
Wide Flange shape.

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Chevron Brace connections

In order to properly export a Chevron Brace connection to RISAConnection you must obey the rules
below:
l A Chevron Brace connection rule must exist in the Connection Rules spreadsheet.
l That connection rule must be applied to the ends of both VBraces which connect to the
gusset.
l There must be exactly two VBrace members per connection. They must frame in from the
same side (above or below) of the beam.
l The VBraces need not share a common node. However, any eccentricity that exists will not
be accounted for in the connection design.
l The beam and VBraces must exist in the same plane.
l The beam must be horizontal, and the VBraces cannot have an angle of less than 10
degree with respect to the beams or the vertical plane.
l The beam must be a prismatic Wide Flange, a HSS Tube, or a HSS Pipe.
o Note: Currently HSS beams on seismic chevron braces are not supported.
l The brace(s) must be a single angle, double angle, channel, tube, pipe, or WT, or prismatic
Wide Flange shape.

Knee Brace Connections

In order to properly export a Knee (or Kicker) brace connection to RISAConnection you must obey the
following rules:
l A Knee Brace connection rule must exist in the Connection Rules spreadsheet.
l That connection rule must be applied to the end of the VBrace which connects to the
gusset. This can either be at the end that connects to a beam or the end that connects to a
column.
l The VBrace cannot have an angle of less than 10 degrees with respect to the Beam or the
column.
l The supporting member (beam or column) must be a prismatic Wide Flange, a HSS Tube,
or a HSS Pipe.
l The Vbrace must be a HSS Tube, HSS Pipe, Channel, WT, Double Angle, or Single Angle
shape.
l The Vbrace and its supporting member (beam or column) must be in the same plane.

Splice Connections
RISAConnection can design wide flange (including tapered wide flange) splice connections for beam
and column splices. These can be either shear or moment splices. Keep in mind these items when
creating your model:

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l For beam to beam column to column splices, both members must be oriented in the same
direction.
l You must apply your splice Connection Rule to both sides of the splice.

Base Plate Connections

RISAConnection can design single column base plate connections for shear and/or moment forces.
Keep in mind these items when creating your model:
l A Base plate connection rule must exist in the Connection Rules spreadsheet.
l The column must be a Wide Flange, a HSS Tube, or a HSS Pipe.
l Base plate connection rules may only be assigned to the bottom of a column member.

Brace to Base Plate Connections

RISAConnection can design vertical brace into a column base plate connections for shear and/or
moment forces. Keep in mind these items when creating your model:
l A Brace to Base Plate connection rule must exist in the Connection Rules spreadsheet.
l The column must be a Wide Flange, a HSS Tube, or a HSS Pipe.
l The brace must be a HSS Tube, HSS Pipe, Channel, WT, Double Angle, or Single Angle.
l Base plate connection rules must be assigned to the bottom of a column member and the
end of the brace that connects to the column.
l The brace end node may be offset along the column center-line up to 24 inches away from
the end of the column.

Truss HSS T-Connections

RISAConnection can design HSS T-Connections that have been exported from your RISA-3D model.
Keep in mind these items when assigning the connection rule in RISA-3D:
l A Truss HSS T-Connection rule must exist in the Connection Rules spreadsheet.
l The branch member (vertical member) must be an HSS Tube section.
l The chord member (horizontal member) must be an HSS Tube section.
l The branch and chord members may be assigned as one of the following Shape Type
Combinations:
l Beam supported by Column
l Column supported by Beam
l VBrace supported by Column
l VBrace supported by Beam
l HBrace supported by Column
l HBrace supported by Beam

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l The chord member must be continuous under the branch. If the chord member is broken
into two members it will not export.
l The branch and chord member must be in the same plane.
l The branch and chord member must be perpendicular to one another.

Integration Error Messages

If you try to send a connection to RISAConnection from RISAFloor or RISA-3D, the program will test
whether that is a valid connection. If the program finds the connection or the Connection Rules to be
incorrect or unsupported, then the program will not design the connection and will give the error in the
Connection Results spreadsheet - Limit State column.
The possible error messages are:
Integration Error Messages

Error Message Cause(s)

Connection not supported This message occurs when there is a
connection configuration that RISAConnection
can not design. An example would be a
horizontal brace connection where brace
members frame into a beam web.
Invalid or missing supporting connection This message occurs if the member(s) that a
members member is framing into is not of the proper
material, shape, member type, etc. Also check
that the Member Function is the same (lateral
or gravity) for all members for a particular
connection.
Invalid connection member material This message occurs if the member's material
is not hot-rolled steel.
Invalid connection member shape This message occurs if the member's shape is
not one of the supported shape types for that
connection type.
Invalid member/beam slope (more than 15 This message occurs if the member being
degrees) connected has an invalid slope. Currently,
beam/column connection design is only for
orthogonal connections. If the angle between
members is greater than 15 degrees from
orthogonal, then this message appears.
Invalid member/brace rotation (more than This message occurs if the member being
15 degrees) connected has an invalid rotation. Currently,
members can only be designed at certain
orientations. For example; weak axis beam to
column design is not currently supported, so
this message appears.
Invalid member skew (more than 15 This message occurs if the member being
degrees) connected has an invalid skew. Currently,

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Error Message Cause(s)

beam/column connection design is only for
orthogonal connections. If the angle skew
between members is greater than 15 degrees
from orthogonal, then this message appears.
Connections on skewed members are not This is a similar message to the invalid
supported member skew message.
Invalid vertical brace connection This message occurs if there was not a valid
configuration. If there is not a valid column,
beam and vertical brace intersection (at proper
orientation, member type, member material,
etc) then you may see this message. Note that
for integration you must assign BOTH the
beam and the brace to the vertical brace
Connection Rule.
Brace angle is invalid For a corner brace or chevron vertical brace
connection, the brace angle with the column
and beam must be > 10 degrees.
Members have different/missing If there is a vertical brace connection and the
connection rules beam and brace have different Connection
Rules, this message appears.
Beam must be a WF in a Chevron brace This message occurs if you have assigned a
connection chevron brace connection type to a tapered
WF beam member.
Beam and Column must be WF in Diagonal This message will come up if you have
brace connections assigned a diagonal brace connection type to a
tapered WF beam member.
Invalid code. HR Steel and Connection This message occurs if the design codes do
design codes must be the same not match on the Model Settings Codes tab.
Seismic design requires that these match.
Invalid design method. IMF/SMF This message occurs if an IMF or SMF seismic
connections must be design with LRFD connection is applied to a model that is
assigned the AISC 360-10 (14th edition) ASD
design code. Section 1.3 of the AISC 358-10
design code requires that seismic connection
design must be done per LRFD.
Incomplete definition of connection rule This message occurs if you have not selected
an appropriate "Beam Conn" or "Col/Girder
Conn" input in the Connection Rules
spreadsheet. To correct this, simply go back to
Connection Rules and select the connection
type (Bolted or Welded).
Beam must be drawn continuously over This message occurs when utilizing a
the column Continuous Beam over Column connection
type, and the beam framing is set to terminate
at the column without spanning the entire width
of the column. This error serves as a reminder

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Error Message Cause(s)

to ensure that the beam is consistently drawn
in a continuous manner over the entire top
surface of the column.

Connection Types Not Currently Supported

l Skewed or sloped connections. If the skew or slope is less than 15 degrees, the program
transfers the connection to RISAConnection as an orthogonal connection. If the skew or
slope is greater than 15 degrees, the connection is not transferred.
l Horizontal brace connections.

RISAFloor & RISA-3D Connection Design Interaction

RISAFloor and RISA-3D both have the ability to have their connections designed with
RISAConnection. Thus, there are three possible scenarios for connections between RISAFloor,
RISA-3D and RISAConnection:
l Scenario 1: Connections that are only in RISAFloor (Gravity connections in a combined
RISAFloor/RISA-3D model).
l Scenario 2: Connections that are in both RISAFloor and RISA-3D (Lateral connections in a
combined RISAFloor/RISA-3D model).
l Scenario 3: Connections that are only in RISA-3D. This scenario does not involve
RISAFloor, so it is not discussed here.

Scenario 1: RISAFloor Gravity Member Connections

Connections that are gravity in RISAFloor (option 1) are only RISAFloor members, which makes this
more straightforward. When designing connections from RISAFloor you get a very similar behavior to
what is shown in the behavior above.
The difference is when you use the Director to go into RISA-3D and then into RISAConnection, the
Gravity connections are still in the RISAConnection project. The .rcn file contains BOTH RISAFloor
AND RISA-3D connections. Therefore, when entering RISAConnection from RISA-3D, you will see
more connections in RISAConnection then just those sent over from RISA-3D.

Scenario 2: RISAFloor Lateral Member Connections

Additional items to consider are Load Combinations and Naming Convention, as explained in the
following sections.

Load Combinations
Lateral connections in RISAFloor are also brought into RISA-3D. Thus, two sets of load combinations
are brought into RISAConnection. Below is the Load Combination drop-down list from
RISAConnection after coming in from a RISAFloor/RISA-3D model.

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Here we can see that the RISA-3D LC's come in first, followed by those from RISAFloor.

Note: This also occurs in scenario 1, except that all of the RISA-3D load combinations will
have zero loading.

When reporting results in the Connection Results spreadsheets, both programs may list load
combinations from the other program if those LC's happened to be governing. In RISAFloor, it would
look similar to the following image:

Naming Convention
RISAFloor and RISA-3D have different naming conventions for members. Thus, members taken from
RISAFloor to RISA-3D do NOT have the same name between both programs.

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RISAConnection ALWAYS uses the RISAFloor naming convention. This may be a little confusing.
For easier comprehension, the Connection Results spreadsheet in RISA-3D displays BOTH the
RISAFloor and RISA-3D labels.

In this image the F1_M and F1_C labels are the RISA-3D labels. The labels in parentheses are the
RISAFloor labels.

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Customizing RISA-3D
You may customize many of the default parameters, design and analysis options in RISA-3D. In this
way you can modify the program so that it best suits you and your work processes. All customization
may be defined or redefined at any time. The Application Settings option the provides you control
over the behavior of the software by clicking the File button and selecting Application Settings. The
Save as Defaults feature allows you to specify the default settings for new model files. These
features are discussed below. Custom reports may also be defined and saved for future use. See
Printing to learn how to build a custom report.

Save as Defaults
You may use the Save as Defaults feature in the following dialog boxes by entering the default
information in the dialog and clicking the Save as Defaults button: Model Settings, Units, and
Drawing Grids. This will cause the program to use these settings with any new files that are then
created.

Many of the spreadsheets also provide the option to save the current data as the default and every
subsequent new file will already have that data. Simply enter the data you want then save it as the
default by clicking on the Save as Defaults button. This way the office standards that you might use
in most of your models are already entered and available in new models. This feature is available in
the following spreadsheets: Materials, Custom Wood Species, Design Rules, and Load
Combinations.
Once you create a new file you may redefine any of the default data and settings for that particular file
so the Save as Defaults feature may be used to give you a good starting point for new files but won’t
hold you to those settings.

Application Settings (Preferences)

The Application Settings window allows you to choose your program preferences. You can set
general preferences such as showing the “Starting a Model” window when you open RISA-3D,
opening the “Project Information” window when loading a model, showing a warning before filtering
input, and many other options for setting up your application to best suit your liking. for options may
be accessed by clicking on File in the ribbon toolbar and selecting Application Settings.
To open the Application Settings window:

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1. Click on File in the ribbon toolbar, as shown in the following image.

The Application Settings window opens to the General tab.

2. (Optional) Click on the tab associated with the preferences you want to set.
Many of the Application Settings themselves are self-explanatory. However, the following sections
provide more details on the available preference settings.

General Application Settings

The general Application Settings are straightforward. For help on an item click for more
information. You can set the backup timing within the general section. See Automatic Backup to learn
about the backup capabilities of RISA-3D. The Reset all Program Defaults button in the Advanced
General Application Settings will clear all of the Application Settings that you have set on any of the
tabs.

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The following table provides descriptions for the settings.

General Application Settings

Setting Description

Show "Starting a Model" Panel The New Model Dialog will be displayed when opening
when starting a new model the program or selecting 'New File' from the File Menu.

Open Project Information window Displays the Project Information settings automatically
when loading model after loading a file.

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Setting Description

Warn before Filtering Input With this option checked, the program will always warn
you before you filter input.

Show Detailing Info for members Choose to display the Detailing information in the
(CIS/2 Translator only) spreadsheets and Properties panel. This information is
only applicable for the CIS/2 translator.

Omit unused items from Color This option will clean up the Color Coded Legend to only
Coded Legend for input display items used in the model.
information

Show Basic Load Case Factor This option will allow you to factor your Basic Load
Cases. A new column will display in the Basic Load
Cases spreadsheet called Basic Load Case Factor. The
loads in a particular Basic Load Case will be factored by
the value entered into this column.

Hover to show detailed Click the Hover Details button to customize the
information on elements information shown when hovering over an element.

Show Delete Based on Criteria This provides an option to display a summary of all items
Summary that were deleted after deleting base on a specific
criteria.

Click Workspace to Clear This option allows you to click the white space in the
Selected Items 3D View to clear your current selection.

Enable Smart Ribbon Toolbar The Smart Ribbon Toolbar behavior will predict which tab
behavior of the Ribbon Toolbar to open based on the actions
performed in the program.

Enable Auto Input/Output This option will automatically filter both input and output
Filtering in Viewer Mode spreadsheets based on visible items in Viewer Mode.

Show Rotation Increment in This option will show the degree increment field in the
3D View Incremental Rotate bin.

Enable ability to move nodes This provides an option to move nodes with cursor by
with cursor clicking them

Background Color Choose which color to make the background color in the
user interface.

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Setting Description

Window Behavior Choose your window behavior option. For more

information, see Window Behavior.

Automatic Backup Timing Automatic backup of the currently open model occurs at
the specified interval. Each backup overwrites the
previous one, such that only one backup of a given model
exists at any time.

Max. no. of models to backup This controls how many models are kept in the backup
folder. Once the folder becomes "full" according to this
setting, the oldest backups will be deleted automatically.
Setting this to zero turns off automatic backups.

Advanced Application Settings

Additional program options can be found by clicking the Advanced button in the Application Settings
window, under the General tab.

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The following table provides descriptions for the settings.

Advanced Application Settings

Setting Description

Number of Animation Frames This option allows you to specify how many frames are
used in the animation to move from the undeflected state
of the model to the fully deflected state.

Size This option controls the size of the Global Axes.

Grab Rotation Coeff This option controls the rate of rotation when rotating the
model with mouse cursor. A small grab rotation
coefficient will cause the model to rotate less as your
rotate it with your mouse. A large grab rotation coefficient
will cause the model to rotate at a higher rate as you
rotate using your cursor.

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Setting Description

Face Color This option controls the color of the front of the Global
Axes icon.

Back Color This option controls the color of the back face of the
Global Axes icon.

Node Scale This setting controls the size of the nodes displayed in
the 3D View.

Text Scale This setting controls the size of the text displayed in the
3D View.

Rotation This setting controls the rotational increment for the Click
to Rotate function

Interface Layout Template This setting controls the layout of the Bins in the 3D View.

No Logo This option will not include a logo on your printed output.

RISA Logo This option will place the RISA logo on all printed output.

Custom Logo This option allows you to add a custom company logo to
your printed output.

Default Region Choose the default region for your projects.

Reset all Program Defaults Choose this to reset all of the Application Settings that
you have a set on any of the tabs.

Input Application Settings

Here you can specify the number of decimal places that are displayed. The one exception is the
Node Coordinates. RISA-3D maintains the coordinates to 15 significant figures and the exact value
is always displayed. You may also use the Round off Coordinates button in the Modify tab to round
off node coordinates.

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If you wish to use a prefix with your node, member, and plate labels, such as "N" with nodes, you can
specify the default prefix. The prefixes may be changed as you build your model.

The following table provides descriptions for the settings.

Input Application Settings

Setting Description
Node Labels Sets the default prefix to be used in node labels.
Member Labels Sets the default prefix to be used in member labels.
Plate Labels Sets the default prefix to be used in plate labels.
Wall Panel Labels Sets the default prefix to be used in wall panel labels.

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Setting Description
Solid Labels Sets the default prefix to be used in solid labels.
Decimal places for Input Sets the number of decimal places to display in the data
spreadsheets with a maximum of four places.

Output Application Settings

At solution time RISA-3D finds and locks any instabilities to allow the solution to occur. See Stability
to learn more about this. Rotational instabilities are commonly inconsequential and RISA-3D allows
these instabilities to be locked without any warning.
RISA-3D can provide a warning when clearing results. You may also specify the number of decimal
places that are displayed. The number of figures displayed may not be the actual number. Behind the
scenes RISA-3D maintains numbers to numerous decimal places.

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The following table provides descriptions for the settings.

Output Application Settings

Setting Description
Lock isolated rotational Locks insignificant rotational instabilities at solution time
instabilities without notification without warning. This will cut down on joint instabilities
that are technically unstable but in practice are
unnecessary.

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Setting Description

Note: If you are getting a Warning Log message

that states "Sum of reaction is not equal to the
sum of the loads", you may need to uncheck this
box to look for instabilities in your model.

Warn before clearing results Verifies that results are to be cleared to edit the model.
Warn before filtering results With this option checked, the program will always warn
you before you filter output results.
Enforce code RECOMMENDED Unchecking this option waives the slender check for
slenderness limits (KL/r > 200, slender members.
etc)
Enforce code required P-Delta Unchecking this option waives the P-Delta analysis
analysis requirement for certain design codes.
Compare total input load against Enables a check in the program to confirm that the total
total reaction and warn if applied load equals the sum of the joint reactions. See
different the Warning Log topic for more information on this. For
additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips
& Tricks website: www.risa.com/post/support. Type in
Search keywords: Sum of Reactions.
Display seismic capacity-limited This provides option to display the capacity-limit
boundary conditions boundary conditions in seismic analysis
Decimal Places for Output Sets the number of decimal places to display in the
results spreadsheets with a maximum of four places.
Round rotations in radians down Shows 0 for the rotation when smaller than this value.
to 0 below
Display Batch Results by The results of a batch solution may be grouped by load
combination or by item. For example you can group
results for all members under each particular load
combination or you can group results from each
combination under a particular member. The setting here
is merely a preference. Once you have solved a model
you can switch back and forth using the Sort by
Combination or Sort by Item options found on the
Results tab.
Display Instabilities in new 3D If the model has instabilities, the program can provide an
View additional 3D view selecting only the nodes that were
locked as a result of the instability. This option lets you
control if and when this additional view is displayed.
Save Results with Model These options let you control what is done with the
results when saving a file.
Spreadsheet to open after static This option allows you to select the default results
solution spreadsheet to open after solution. You can also choose
'None'.

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File Location Application Settings

The locations for data files, databases, temporary space, importing, and backing up may be specified
separately by choosing from the list.

For each file type in the list the current setting is displayed.

Click the browse button to choose a different location.

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Keyboard Application Settings

RISA-3D provides options to customize hot keys. All buttons in the ribbon and all input/output
spreadsheets can be assigned hot keys for quick access. The hot keys are grouped by the ribbon
tabs or by the spreadsheet types as shown below:

The program defines some default hot keys for the most commonly used functions. Note that some
hot keys are reserved for specific functions and grayed out with a lock. These hot key can not be
modified. You can customize the rest of the keys as needed.

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You can type in keywords in the search box to quickly find the hot key for a specific function:

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Note: You can quickly access the Keyboard tab by right-clicking in the 3D View and selecting
"Hotkeys".

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Member Design Optimization

Member Design Optimization

RISA-3D will optimize Hot Rolled Steel, Cold Formed Steel, Wood, and Concrete members. The
criteria used for this optimization are the selected design code and the Design Rules assigned to the
member. The sizes are chosen from a Redesign List assigned to the member.
The Member Design Rules Spreadsheet records the parameters for the optimization. Optimization
is performed for minimum weight, taking into consideration any depth, width, rebar limitations, etc.
Note that the design rules input is one large spreadsheet, thus all of your design rules will be in the
same place. Note that the dimensional rules and the reinforcement rules are all a separate entity.
They have no interaction with each other in the program. They are simply all input into the same
location. For example, your minimum member width rules will not be influenced by concrete beam
reinforcement rules.
You can assign the design rules graphically as you draw members or later as a modification. See
Modifying Member Properties for more information.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Redesign.

Wall Design Optimization

The program will also optimize concrete, masonry, and wood walls. For Wall Design Rule information
see these topics:
l Concrete: Concrete Wall - Design Rules
l Masonry: Masonry Wall - Design Rules
l Wood: Wood Wall - Design Rules

Note:
l For the optimization procedure on concrete walls see Concrete Wall - Design.
l For the optimization procedure on masonry walls see Masonry Wall - Design.
l For the optimization procedure on wood walls see Wood Wall - Design.

Member Design Lists

A Design List defines a set of member sizes that are considered when the program is suggesting
member sizes. You may assign a Design List to a member based on Member Type. The design lists
available for Column members may not match the design lists for Beam members, because some
shapes are more appropriate for use as beams than as columns. You may edit these lists or create
additional custom lists of your own. For more information on these redesign lists, including file format,
editing procedure, and user defined lists refer to Appendix A - Redesign Lists.

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Member Design Rules – Size / U.C.

The Design Rules Spreadsheet records the limitations for the design and can be accessed by
selecting Design Rules on the Spreadsheets Menu. You can create and name any number of
design rules and assign different rules to various members.

The spreadsheet has three tabs: Size/UC, Deflection, and Concrete Rebar. The entries for the Size
/ UC tab are explained in the following table.
Size/UC columns

Column Heading Description

(Design Rule) Label You must assign a unique label to the design rules. You
then refer to the design rule by its label when assigning it
to members. The label column is displayed on all tabs of
the spreadsheet.
Max/Min Depth You may enforce depth restrictions by setting either a
maximum and/or minimum depth.
Max/Min Width You may enforce width restrictions by setting either a
maximum and/or minimum width.
Max Bending and Shear Check Enter the maximum bending and shear unity checks.
This should usually be specified as "1". If you desire a
larger factor of safety, provide a lower factor (i.e. ".95")

Member Design Rules – Deflection

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This spreadsheet allows you to define deflection criteria for beams in the model. You must choose
specific load combinations from the Load Combinations spreadsheet (up to three) and give the
maximum deflection L/y criteria.

Note:
l In the Load Combination Generator - Gravity tab the program will create deflection
load combinations for you automatically to match up with the defaults.
l If you write "None" in the LC column the program will ignore this criteria when
checking deflections. If all three LC columns are defined as "None" then no
deflection checking will be done for beams in the model.

Member Design Rules – Concrete Rebar

Note: If you would like to define specific flexural and shear rebar layouts for beams and
columns, either use the Explicit option below or see Rebar Layout Database for Custom
Rebar layout.

The entries for the Concrete Rebar tab are explained in the following table.
Concrete Rebar

Column Header Description

Optimize The options in this column are Optimize and Explicit.
Optimize indicates the program will find the most optimal
size and spacing of the reinforcement. Explicit indicates
the exact number of and size of reinforcement bars.
When Explicit is selected the additional columns are
editable and allow you to enter the quantity for
Top/Bottom Bars, Add'l Side Bars, and Shear Bar
Spacing. These columns are grayed out when Optimize
is selected.
Flexural Bars Use the Min Flex Bar and Max Flex Bar columns to
restrict bar sizes for your flexural reinforcing. Currently
we support the ASTM A615 (imperial), ASTM A615M
("hard" metric, i.e. #8M is an 8mm bar), BS 4449 (British),
prENV 10080 (Euro), CSA G30.18 (Canadian), and IS
1786 (Indian) reinforcement standards. You may specify
your rebar set in the Model Settings - Rebar. You can

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Column Header Description

force the program to analyze one bar size by setting the
Min and Max values to be the same bar.
Shear Ties Use the Shear Bar column to enter the size of your shear
ties. Currently we support the ASTM A615 (imperial),
ASTM A615M ("hard" metric, i.e. #8M is an 8mm bar), BS
4449 (British), prENV 10080 (Euro), CSA G30.18
(Canadian), and IS 1786 (Indian) reinforcement
standards. You may specify your rebar set in the Model
Settings - Rebar.
Legs per Stirrup Use the Legs per Stirrup column to enter the specific
information about how may legs (2 to 6) each of your
shear ties is expected to have.
Concrete Cover The last three columns are used to specify the clear
cover measured to the shear reinforcing. Note that the
Top Cover is used for all sides of Column members.

Member Design Rules Editor

The Member Design Rules Editor provides a way to create or modify member design rules in a
graphical way. This editor automatically updates any information input into the Member
Design Rules spreadsheet.

Note:
l Keep in mind that this dialog has three tabs. Make sure to fill out the information on
all the tabs before clicking OK.
l See the information in the Status Bar for more information on each of these entries.

The Design Rule Label is editable and will change the spreadsheet label. It is useful to name the
design rule with a descriptive name like "First Floor Columns".
The Member Type listed is for reference of the picture only in this dialog. The member type will not
control the Member Type of the beam or column which you will need to assign separately when the
member is drawn.

The Size/UC tab:

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Explicit Optimize
D

e
flection (Beams) tab:
This only applies to Beam members.

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Rebar tab:
You can select Optimize or Explicit to set the rebar design parameters.

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Explicit Optimize
A

c
cessing the Member Design Rules Editor
To access this editor you can click the three dots on any tab in the Member Design Rules
spreadsheet (click in the Label cell to make the three dots appear).

Member Optimization Procedure

Member optimization is performed both on explicitly defined members and on members defined
through the use of Section Sets. Members defined as part of a Section Set are checked to determine
which member has the highest code check value and which member has the highest shear check
value. These members are considered to be the controlling members for that section set.
The controlling forces on a member or a section set are then applied to new shapes satisfying the
redesign parameters and a code check is calculated. If the calculated code check and shear check
falls within the specified range the shape is considered to be an acceptable alternate.

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Optimization Results
Suggested Shapes Spreadsheet
Access the Member Suggested Shapes spreadsheet by selecting the Results tab Envelope (or
LC) button Suggested Design. Alternatively, on the Results toolbar you can select Suggested
Design.

These are the suggested shapes resulting from the optimization calculations. They are chosen from
each member's assigned Design List. The suggested shape is estimated to most closely meet the
criteria specified in the Member Design Rules without exceeding them. If the member is a "Beam"
member type then the Controlling Criteria could be based on either strength criteria or deflection
criteria.

Note: The suggested shape may be larger or smaller than the current shape, except for the
case of members brought over from RISAFloor, for which the program never recommends
downsizing.

To confirm that these alternate shapes are acceptable you MUST adopt any changes into the model
then re-solve and check the results. The suggested shapes are based on the forces for the current
model. Keep in mind that the current results are based on the stiffness of the current

shapes. Changing the shapes will change the stiffness, which is why the model needs to be resolved.

It may be necessary to cycle through this process a few times to achieve the best shapes.

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You may try the new shapes by right clicking in the Suggested Shapes spreadsheet and selecting
Solve Again Using the Suggested Shapes. The shapes listed in the Suggested Shapes column
will only be used to update the model file if the "Use Suggested?" box is checked for that particular
member or section set.

If the message "No Shapes Found" is given, then no satisfactory shapes could be found in the Design
List specified for that member or section set. This can occur for a number of reasons. Common
reasons are:
l The loads applied are too large for the shapes in the redesign list.
l No load combinations were checked for the design of this material type. See Load
Combinations - Design Tab for more information.
l A code check could not be performed for a member in the section set. See the Code Check
spreadsheet or the Warning Log for these members.
l The member has not been assigned an initial redesign list. Check the Members and
Section Sets spreadsheets to be sure they are defined with a redesign list.
l On-line shapes (RE, PI and BAR) cannot be redesigned.
l If you've entered a minimum code check value and the members assigned to this section
set are lightly loaded, it is possible that no shape generates a code check value high
enough to exceed the minimum.
l A code was not specified for that material on Model Settings - Codes.

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Note:
l For masonry wall design optimization see the Masonry Wall - Design topic.
l For wood wall design optimization see the Wood Wall - Design topic.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Diaphragms

Diaphragms
Diaphragms provide lateral load distribution functions, and are necessary for automatic Wind and
Seismic load generation. There are three fundamental types of diaphragms in structural modeling;
Rigid, Simi-Rigid and Flexible. The following sections provide more details.
l Rigid Diaphragms
l Semi-Rigid Diaphragms
l Semi-Rigid Diaphragms (RISAFloorES)
l Flexible Diaphragms

Note:
l See the Diaphragms - Analysis and Results topic for more information on flexible
diaphragm analysis and design.
l Wall panels can be detached from a diaphragm from the Wall Panel Editor.

For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Diaphragms.

RISAFloor linked with RISA-3D Includes Rigid

RISA-3D Rigid Diaphragm
and Flexible Diaphragms

Rigid Diaphragms
Rigid diaphragms represent a plane of very high rigidity. Rigid diaphragms distribute load to elements
which connect to them solely based on the stiffness of the elements. They achieve this by tying all of
the nodes within the diaphragm plane together for both translation and rotation, but only within the
plane of the diaphragm. This is typical behavior for most slabs and decks, which attribute vertical
loads based on the tributary area of their supporting members.

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Note:
l There is no rigid diaphragm design in the program. This is strictly an analysis tool.
l Sloped rigid diaphragms are not supported. Therefore, rigid diaphragms always
exist in a flat horizontal plane.

Load Attribution
Loads applied within the plane of a diaphragm will be attributed to all elements which connect to the
diaphragm. The amount of load which each element takes is proportional to its stiffness. Diaphragms
are capable of both translation and rotation, so the torsional effects of the moment arm between the
center of load and the center of rigidity are accounted for. This is also true for a dynamic mass which
is offset from the center of rigidity.
Because a rigid diaphragm is part of the stiffness matrix, an explicit Center of Rigidity is not
calculated or reported. Internally, the program creates a hidden set of rigid links which interconnect all
of the nodes in the diaphragm, therefore preserving the diaphragm's rotational degree of freedom
(something which traditional nodal slaving is incapable of).

Connectivity
All nodes which fall within the plane of the diaphragm automatically become connected to it. Nodes
may be intentionally disconnected from the diaphragm by checking the Detach From Diaphragm
box in the Node Coordinates spreadsheet. If a boundary condition exists within the plane of a
diaphragm it will act as a restraint for all of the nodes connected to the diaphragm.
Rigid Diaphragms must be defined along the Global Axes, therefore they can only exist in the XY, XZ,
or YZ planes. If rigid behavior is desired along a plane other than these, a semi-rigid diaphragm
(made of plates) with a large stiffness value can be used instead.

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Rigid Diaphragm Stiffness

The stiffness of the rigid diaphragm is set to a unitless value of 1 x 107 by default. This value has been
calibrated as providing the best behavior for most models. It can be adjusted from within the
diaphragms spreadsheet, however adjusting this value is only recommended in the following
circumstances:
l The lateral stiffness of elements which pass through the diaphragm is sufficiently large to
cause the rigid diaphragm to behave as a semi-rigid diaphragm (i.e. the translations of the
nodes within the diaphragm do not correspond to a uniform rotation about one point). If this
is the case, try a diaphragm stiffness of 1 x 108.
l The dynamics solver is not converging. In this case, try reducing the diaphragm stiffness to
1 x 106, however, be sure to confirm that the diaphragm is not behaving semi-rigidly (see
#1)
l The program has generated a warning that the sum of the reactions does not equal the total
applied load. In the case of points on the diaphragm which have a very close proximity to
each other, the stiffness of the internally generated rigid link between them may approach
the stiffness of a boundary condition. If this happens, the model can have Ghost Reactions,
which are points which act as boundary conditions (dumping load out of the model) without
any notification. In this case try reducing the diaphragm stiffness to 1 x 106. However, be
sure to confirm that the diaphragm is not behaving semi-rigidly (see #1).
To adjust the diaphragm stiffness:
1. Open the Diaphragms spreadsheet from the Explorer panel or from the Data Entry list.
2. Right-click in the Diaphragms spreadsheet and choose Set Diaphragm Stiffness from the
menu.
.
You may also modify this value in Model Settings Solution tab Advanced options:

Rigid Diaphragms in a RISA-3D Only Model

With RISA-3D's diaphragm feature, a node can be defined within a given plane as the diaphragm
node, and all points in that plane will be rigidly connected to each other with internal rigid links. Thus,
each node will rotate and translate as one rigid body and exhibit rigid diaphragm behavior. RISA-3D's
rigid diaphragm feature is discussed further in the Diaphragm Modeling Tips section.

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Rigid Diaphragms in a Combined RISAFloor/RISA-3D Model

A RISA-3D model that is linked up to RISAFloor has an automatic rigid diaphragm analysis and
design. Each individual slab/deck polygon is converted to a rigid diaphragm within RISA-3D.
Therefore, it is possible to have multiple independent diaphragms at any given floor elevation.

Semi-Rigid Diaphragms
A semi-rigid diaphragm is one which distributes loads based on both the stiffness of elements which
connect to it and on the stiffness of the diaphragm itself. For more details about semi-rigid
diaphragms when RISA-3D is integrated with RISAFloor, see Semi-Rigid Diaphragms (RISAFloorES).

Semi-Rigid Modeling Tips for Concrete Floor Slabs

Lateral Elements: When modeling with a Semi-Rigid diaphragm, it's important to make all columns
and walls Lateral. This will bring all the columns and walls into RISA-3D which will support the slab as
the vertical loads are applied. In RISA-3D, the program will apply both lateral and vertical loads to the
diaphragm for analysis of the lateral system. This is different than Rigid diaphragms because only the
lateral resisting system needs to be transferred into RISA-3D.
Reinforcement Design: RISA-3D will not design the reinforcement for the slab. The reinforcement is
designed in RISAFloor and is based on the vertical loads. However, you can find forces in the slab in
RISA-3D using the tools listed below.
l Contours: The contours will display the global axis forces over the slab. See the Results
View Settings - Diaphragms section of the RISAFloor help, for further information on
display of the contours. The contours can be used to find the high and low forces as needed
for reinforcement design.
l Internal Force Summation Tool (IFST): There is an IFST Slab tool that allows you to find
forces from a point on the submesh to another point on the slab. This tool can be used to
"cut" across the slab and will finds forces along the "cut". This is the same tool that is used
internally in RISAFloor to find Auto-Design Cuts inside the Design Strips. For further
information on this tool, see IFST for more details.

Semi-Rigid Modeling Tips for Beam Supported Floors

Vertical Loads: The semi-rigid diaphragm has self weight and out-of-plane stiffness. Internally, the
plates are modeled as normal so that there is stiffness out-of-plane. The diaphragm is used for out-of-
plane and in-plane load distribution.
Diaphragm Material:The Semi-Rigid diaphragm material uses the General Materials. There are a
list of default General Materials, however you can add to this list to match your diaphragm. See
Materials for further information on creating your own General Material.
Diaphragm Thickness:The Semi-Rigid diaphragm thickness should be selected based on the
approximate stiffness you expect from the slab or deck for lateral loading. The semi-rigid diaphragm
is modeled using isotropic plates. Therefore, there is no association with the deck direction for the
semi-rigid diaphragms. If your diaphragm is truly one-way, you may consider using a Flexible
diaphragm.

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Semi-Rigid Diaphragms for RISA-3D Only Models

RISA-3D does not have the ability to automatically define a Semi-Rigid diaphragm. However, Semi-
Rigid diaphragms can be represented in the model using plates.
A semi-rigid diaphragm is modeled with plates, and requires you to model and submesh the plates
appropriately. In order to adequately mesh your plates it is good to be familiar with Plate-Member
Interaction. Plates are modeled using general materials, so the first step is to set up a material with
the material properties of your diaphragm.

Next, model your plates using the specified material, and with an accurate thickness. Be sure to
check the “Plane Stress” option. This makes it so that the plates only have stiffness within their own
plane, and as a result won’t add any composite bending strength to the beams in the plane of the
diaphragm.

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Note: When meshing a floor diaphragm around members, you want to make sure that the
corners of your plates meet at members. Otherwise, when applying surface loads to plates,
the members will not see that load.

Semi-Rigid Diaphragms in a RISAFloorES Model

The Semi-Rigid diaphragm in RISA-3D helps you distribute the lateral forces based on the stiffness of
the slab. When RISA-3D is integrated with RISAFloor, the program can create a Semi-Rigid
diaphragm automatically. The Semi-Rigid diaphragm is defined in Diaphragm Parameters in a Beam
Supported Floor and the Slab Definitions spreadsheet in a Concrete Floor Slab in RISAFloor.
During the integration between RISAFloor and RISA-3D, the program creates a mesh of FEA plate
elements within the edges of the slab. The thickness of the plates is defined by the slab/diaphragm
defined in RISAFloor. The plate elements are automatically submeshed so that they attach to all
vertical elements (columns and walls) as well as any new members or loads added into the RISA-3D
model. Below shows an example of a simple L-shaped building with the mesh displayed.For further
display information see the Results View Settings - Diaphragms topic.

When the model is in RISA-3D, the mesh size is controlled by the Model Settings - Solution Tab -
Semi-Rigid Mesh . For RISAFloor ES models, the slab stiffness can be reduced, based on the Icr
factor in the RISAFloor Slabs spreadsheet and the Use Cracked Slabs checkbox in the Model
Settings window in RISA-3D. The Icr slab stiffness only affects the out-of-plane stiffness. For further
information on cracked slabs, see Elevated Slabs - Analysis in RISAFloor. The top of the columns
are fixed to the diaphragm using links to distribute the forces over a 12"x12" area rather than a single
column node. For further information see the Column Meshing section of the help in RISAFloor.

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Note: Sloped semi-rigid diaphragms are not supported. Therefore, semi-rigid diaphragms
always exist in a flat horizontal plane.

Semi-Rigid Diaphragms (RISAFloorES)

If you are running a RISAFloor ES/RISA-3D combined model that has semi-rigid diaphragms then at
solution time, the elevated slab will be automatically meshed into quadrilateral plate elements. The
automatically generated plate elements are transient in the program and will not be saved in the input
file.
The slab meshing is treated similar to analysis results. When the results of an analysis are deleted,
the slab mesh is cleared to be re-built during the next solution. When a solution results file is saved,
the meshed elements will be included in that file.

Note:
l This topic is only applicable for RISAFloor ES/RISA-3D combined models that have
semi-rigid diaphragms. For information on semi-rigid considerations for RISA-3D
only models see the Diaphragms topic.
l The program uses the finite element analysis, along with cracking factors (columns,
beams and slabs) to come up with the stiffness of each element and the system as
a whole. ACI 318-14 Sections 8.11.3, 8.11.4 and 8.11.5 (ACI 318-11 Sections
13.7.3, 13.7.4 and 13.7.5) provide ways to estimate the stiffness of individual
elements in the equivalent frame method. These provisions are not used in the
program.

RISA-3D Linked With RISAFloor

The following table lists the General tab settings and their descriptions.
General tab settings

Setting Description

Elevation Displays the elevation of the diaphragm. This is the same

elevation as the floor which the diaphragm was created
on.

Mass Displays the dynamic mass tributary to the diaphragm.

This mass is used to calculate seismic forces for both
static and response spectra methods.

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Setting Description

Mass MOI Displays the dynamic mass moment of inertia of the

diaphragm. This moment of inertia is used to calculate
seismic forces for response spectra analysis.

Center of Mass Displays the X and Z coordinates of the center of mass of

each diaphragm. This is the location at which static
(equivalent lateral force) seismic loads are applied for
each diaphragm.

Eccentricities Indicates the percent of length/width of the diaphragm,

which are used to place "accidental eccentric" seismic
loads for each diaphragm. This only applies to the static
(equivalent lateral force) procedure. See ASCE 7-16,
Section 12.8.4.2 for more information.

Inactive When this box is checked, the diaphragm is ignored by

(checkbox) the program. It provides a convenient way to disable
diaphragms without deleting them.

Diaphragm Displays the diaphragm label. This label is used for the
naming of Diaphragm Regions.

Type Specifies whether the diaphragm is Rigid (Membrane) or

Flexible for a Beam Supported Floor or Rigid
(Membrane) or Semi-Rigid for Concrete Floor Slab. If a
diaphragm has been defined as Flexible within
RISAFloor it can be toggled between Rigid and Flexible
in RISA-3D.

Region Lists the diaphragm regions for each diaphragm.

Diaphragm regions are used for the design of wood
flexible diaphragms, and are also useful for explicitly
defining how flexible load attribution is to be performed.

Design Rule Specifies the Design Rule which is assigned to each

region. Only the information on the Diaphragms tab of the
Design Rules Spreadsheet is considered.

SGAF The specific gravity adjustment factor for the design of

wood flexible diaphragms. For more information see
AF&PA NDS SDPWS, Table A4.2, Note 2. This value
defaults to 1. However, it should be manually changed if
the framing supporting the wood flexible diaphragm is not

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Setting Description

Douglas Fir-Larch or Southern Pine.

The ‘Material’ column specifies the material properties of

Material the diaphragm (when a semi-rigid diaphragm is
selected).

The ‘Thickness’ column indicates the thickness of the

Thickness diaphragm 9when a semi-rigid diaphragm is selected).

No Wind/Drift You may designate any floor level as a No Wind/ Drift

(i.e. mezzanine) level in order to omit it from the
generated wind load calculation and the drift calculations.

Note: For information about the Wood Diaphragms tab see the Diaphragms - Analysis and
Results topic.

Mesh Considerations

Mesh Size
The global mesh size for the slab can be input on the Solution tab of the Model Settings. As a smaller
mesh size is more accurate, the mesh size can get too small. The smaller mesh size will lead to a
longer solution time and more memory usage.

Graphical Display of the Slab Mesh

By default, the plate elements associated with the slab are not visible to you. The mesh can be turned
on using the setting on the Model View Settings - Diaphragms tab. Listed under the Wireframe
selection, the Show Mesh check box turns the display of the slab mesh on or off.

Note: The display of the mesh is only available when there are active analysis results.

Point and Line Constraints for the Slab Mesh

Point constraints are the locations within the slab that require connectivity to the meshed plate
elements. The program automatically generates point constraints at the following locations:
l Support points which include: joints along a wall panel and column joints (see Column
Meshing for full description).
l Beams points which include: the start, end and intermediate joints along the beam.

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l Any nodes that land in the plane of the semi-rigid diaphragm that have Joint Loads applied
to them.

Note: The P-Delta Leaning Column effect is not considered for RISAFloor gravity columns in
a combined RISAFloor/RISA-3D model.

Beam Connectivity to Mesh

Beams drawn on a Two-Way slab are meshed directly to the surrounding plates. The following image
shows that the center-line of the beam is meshed to the plates.

Column Meshing
The top of the column will be submeshed and connected to the surrounding plates with rigid links in a
12" x 12" square. This approach is more accurate than modeling the column connection at only one
node. When only one node is used the slab will have a higher peak moment and higher deflection at
that one point. Instead the rigid links create a rigid region over the top of the column that approximate
the stiffness of the column attachment to the slab. The size of the rigid links will not change based on
the column dimensions as this is only approximate. In most cases there will be 4 plates inside the
rigid links.

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The column node will connect to the slab via the additional diagonal rigid links. After the slab is
meshed, additional diagonal rigid links are drawn to connect the column node to the square rigid links
(shown below). The column node has rotational and translational support so there will be vertical and
rotational constraint at the column location.

In most cases, the column node will land inside the 2x2 plate mesh in the same location as a plate
corner. However, in certain edge and corner situations, as well as beam intersections, the column
node will not align with the plate corners.

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Edge Column Beam Intersecting a Column

Slab Stiffness Considerations

Cracked Slabs
Selecting a Deflection Method of I Cracked/Elastic (available only in RISAFloor) in Model Settings,
controls the stiffness reduction based on the Icr factor in the ‘Slabs’ spreadsheet.

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The Icr factor default is set to 0.25 per ACI 318-14 Section 6.6.3.1.1 (ACI 318-11 Section 10.10.4.1).
You can modify this factor with any value between zero and 1.0 by typing in this field. The Icr factor
adjusts the stiffness of the plate elements comprising the slab by altering the thickness during

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solution. This adjusted thickness does not, however, affect design values (reinforcement
calculations).

Service Checkbox
The Service checkbox in Load Combinations- Design tab currently only applies to Concrete Floor
Slabs in RISAFloor ES.

The commentary in ACI 318-14, Section 6.6.3.1.1 (ACI 318-11 Section 10.10.4.1) recommends a
1.43 factor to be applied to the cracked moment of inertia for all service loads. The program applies
this factor to all Load Combinations that have the Service checkbox checked, as long as the Use
Cracked Slabs is selected in the Model Settings in RISAFloor. This results in an effective default
slab moment of inertia of (0.25)*(1.43)*Ig = 0.3575*Ig

Note: The Long Term Deflection also gives the cracking analysis for the Service Load
Combinations in the graphical display, spreadsheet results and Detail Report.

Flexible Diaphragms
Flexible diaphragms distribute loads to elements which connect to them solely based on the tributary
area of the element within the plane of the diaphragm.

Flexible Diaphragms in a RISA-3D Only Model

The diaphragm feature in RISA-3D cannot be used to create a flexible diaphragm. To consider a
flexible diaphragm in RISA-3D there are a couple of options. The main option is to manually calculate
how much force is going to each frame or shear wall in the lateral system and apply that load directly
to those elements as a point or distributed load. Another option is to essentially use a semi-rigid path
to use plates with an equivalent thickness and material properties as your diaphragm. You may
choose a very small equivalent thickness which will still be semi-rigid, but much closer to flexible than
rigid.

Flexible Diaphragms in a Combined RISAFloor/RISA-3D Model

A flexible diaphragm can be defined in a combined RISAFloor/RISA-3D model. For wood
diaphragms, the program actually designs the sheathing and nail spacing, incorporating the code
specified design tables from the NDS/IBC. See the Diaphragms - Analysis & Results topic for more
information on how the design works and how loads are attributed both for wind and seismic loads.

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The diaphragm can be defined as flexible when drawing the deck edge or from the Diaphragms
spreadsheet.
RISAFloor RISA-3D

Note: Flexible diaphragms cannot be defined on an elevated slab floor.

Flexible diaphragms within RISAFloor/RISA-3D are used solely as load-attribution devices, and do
not exist as elements within the stiffness matrix, unlike rigid or semi-rigid diaphragms. Flexible
diaphragms have no stiffness, and are incapable of transferring load from one element within them to
another. Thus, members that do not have lateral resistance out of plane are susceptible to stability
issues. To increase stability in a model with a flexible diaphragm, it may be necessary to add small
springs in the out-of-plane directions on the frames at the tops of the columns. This will stabilize the
members while generally having a minimal effect on the analysis of the model.

Ceiling Diaphragm (Sloped Roofs)

When a flexible diaphragm is applied to a sloped roof in RISAFloor, a setting exists to specify whether
a ceiling diaphragm is present.

The load attribution for the flexible diaphragm occurs only for Lateral Members from RISAFloor when
a ceiling diaphragm is not specified. This is illustrated above where the lateral load follows the rafters.
When a ceiling diaphragm is specified, it is necessary to draw in collector beams at the ceiling
elevation so that the load can be carried directly the columns or walls at the base of the sloped
members. With a ceiling diaphragm, the sloped members will not experience any lateral load directly.
Note that the same total amount of lateral force will be applied regardless of this setting. This only
controls whether the lateral load is applied to the sloped members, or in a horizontal flat plane.

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Diaphragms Spreadsheet - General Tab

The Diaphragms spreadsheet contains diaphragm information. For RISA-3D models there are two
different versions of the Diaphragms spreadsheet; one for models which have been created in RISA-
3D and another for models which are linked to RISAFloor.
To open the Diaphragms spreadsheet:
1. Open the Spreadsheets ribbon, as shown in the following image.

2. Click on Data Entry.

3. Click on the Diaphragms checkbox, to open the Diaphragms

spreadsheet.

Alternatively, you can access the spreadsheet by clicking on Diaphragms in the Explorer

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panel, as shown in the following image.

RISA-3D Only

Rigid Diaphragms Spreadsheet

Column Description
Node Label The ‘Node Label’ column defines the primarynode for the diaphragm.
For diaphragms in the ZX plane, the diaphragm will be created at the Y-
coordinate of the specified node. Similarly, XY diaphragms will use the
node's Z coordinate, and YZ diaphragms will use the node's X
coordinate.
Plane The ‘Plane’ column indicates which plane the diaphragm is in.
Inactive When the ‘Inactive’ checkbox is checked, the diaphragm is ignored by
the program. This is a convenient way to disable diaphragms without
deleting them.
No Wind/Drift You may designate any floor level as a No Wind / Drift (i.e. mezzanine)
level in order to omit it from the generated wind load calculation and the

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Column Description
drift calculations.

Note:
l Only the in-plane rigidity is in play and not the out-of-plane rigidity.
l There are not semi-rigid or flexible options for RISA-3D as a standalone program.

RISA-3D Linked With RISAFloor

The following table lists the General tab settings and their descriptions.
General tab settings

Setting Description

Elevation Displays the elevation of the diaphragm. This is the same

elevation as the floor which the diaphragm was created
on.

Mass Displays the dynamic mass tributary to the diaphragm.

This mass is used to calculate seismic forces for both
static and response spectra methods.

Mass MOI Displays the dynamic mass moment of inertia of the

diaphragm. This moment of inertia is used to calculate
seismic forces for response spectra analysis.

Center of Mass Displays the X and Z coordinates of the center of mass of

each diaphragm. This is the location at which static
(equivalent lateral force) seismic loads are applied for
each diaphragm.

Eccentricities Are the percent of length/width of the diaphragm which

are used to place "accidental eccentric" seismic loads for
each diaphragm. This only applies to the static
(equivalent lateral force) procedure. See ASCE 7-16,
Section 12.8.4.2 for more information.

Inactive When the Inactive box is checked, the diaphragm will be

(checkbox) ignored by the program. This is a convenient way to

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Setting Description

disable diaphragms without deleting them.

Diaphragm Displays the diaphragm label. This label is used for the
naming of Diaphragm Regions.

Type Specifies whether the diaphragm is Rigid (Membrane) or

Flexible for a Beam Supported Floor or Rigid
(Membrane) or Semi-Rigid for Concrete Floor Slab. If a
diaphragm has been defined as Flexible within
RISAFloor it can be toggled between Rigid and Flexible
in RISA-3D.

Region Lists the diaphragm regions for each diaphragm.

Diaphragm regions are used for the design of wood
flexible diaphragms, and are also useful for explicitly
defining how flexible load attribution is to be performed.

Design Rule Specifies the Design Rule which is assigned to each

region. Only the information on the Diaphragms tab of the
Design Rules Spreadsheet is considered.

SGAF The ‘Specific Gravity Adjustment Factor’ for the design of

wood flexible diaphragms. For more information see
AF&PA NDS SDPWS, Table A4.2, Note 2. This value
defaults to 1. However, it should be manually changed if
the framing supporting the wood flexible diaphragm is not
Douglas Fir-Larch or Southern Pine.

Material The ‘Material’ column specifies the material properties of

the diaphragm (when a semi-rigid diaphragm is
selected).

Thickness (in) The ‘Thickness’ column indicates the thickness of the

diaphragm (when a semi-rigid diaphragm is selected).

No Wind/Drift You may designate any floor level as a No Wind/ Drift

(i.e. mezzanine) level in order to omit it from the
generated wind load calculation and the drift calculations.

Note: For information about the Wood Diaphragms tab see the Diaphragms - Analysis and
Results topic

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Diaphragm Modeling Tips

Modeling a Rigid Diaphragm in RISA-3D

In the Diaphragms spreadsheet:
1. Enter the node in the Node Label column that the diaphragm will be defined by.
2. Designate the Plane the diaphragm will act.

Internally, the Rigid Diaphragm ties all nodes at that elevation together with Rigid links.

To view the diaphragm:

1. Click the Toggle Display of Diaphragms button .

This allows you to visually see the location of the diaphragms. Inactive diaphragms do not
show up graphically.

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2. (Optional) From here you can run the Wind and Seismic load generators.

Axial Load Limitation

Members in the plane of the diaphragm will have no axial load attributed to them. This is because the
internal rigid links that are created to achieve rigid behavior take the entire load. In these cases, the
axial loads in these members will need to be considered outside of the program.

Openings in a RISA-3D Only Model

If there are openings within the defined diaphragm, where portions of the structure are not rigidly
connected, it is possible to disconnect those locations from the diaphragm in the Node Coordinates
spreadsheet.

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Use of Rigid Diaphragms with the Top of Member Offset

Never use Top of Member Offsets with the diaphragm feature. This combination will almost surely
make the forces in the member incorrect. This is because a Vierendeel-type truss is created, where
the internal rigid links created by the diaphragm feature acts as a top flange and the member acts as
the bottom flange. What now is drawn as a single member has multiple internal members influencing
these forces.

Partial Diaphragms in a RISA-3D Only Model

There may be times when you want to model a partial diaphragm, i.e., a diaphragm that extends over
only a portion of a floor or plane. For example, let’s say you are trying to model a floor that is
composed of a relatively rigid section (thick concrete slab) and a relatively flexible section (corrugated
steel decking). You would like a way to model a rigid diaphragm for only the rigid portion of the floor.
To accomplish this, specify that a node or group of nodes be detached from the diaphragm.
To detach a node or group of nodes from the diaphragm:

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1. Select the Detach from Diaphragm option in the Node Coordinates spreadsheet or click a
node.
2. Specify the node in the Information Coordinates window.
Another way this can be done is to offset the elevations of the nodes that comprise the rigid floor
section so that they are all a little higher or a little lower than the surrounding floor. The offset only
needs to be slightly larger than the Merge Tolerance, since this is the tolerance for other nodes to be
on the same plane as the primarynode. This works because the rigid diaphragm feature will only
rigidly connect nodes that are at the same elevation as the primarynode. The other nodes, which are
on the flexible portion of the floor and are now at a different elevation than the primarynode, will not
be incorporated into the diaphragm. This can also be used for a "twin tower" situation where you want
each tower to act independently of the other.

Partial Diaphragms in a Combined RISAFloor/RISA-3D Model

For buildings where a flexible diaphragm and rigid diaphragm occur on the same floor you can model
the diaphragms using separate slab edges. This will require a gap between the framing of the two
diaphragms however, such that load will not automatically be shared between the diaphragms.
The following image is an example of the gap:

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Sloped Roof Flexible Diaphragms (RISAFloor/RISA-3D Integration)

The flexible diaphragms at sloped roofs require members that are in the horizontal plane to attribute
load to. These members must exist at the base roof elevation. For that reason, in the example below,
the program reports "Loads are not attributed for Diaphragm". In the direction perpendicular to the
ridge, there are no members for the program to attribute the wall wind loads to, so no loads are
attributed to the diaphragm at all in that direction.
To correct this issue, simply draw horizontal bracing in the structure which can pick up the load and
transmit it to the main lateral force resisting system.

For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Sloped Roofs.

Flexible Diaphragms - Analysis and Results

Flexible diaphragms can only be designed in RISA-3D if they have come in from an integrated
RISAFloor / RISA-3D model. This is because RISAFloor contains information about slab edges, deck
direction and geometry that cannot be entered in RISA-3D. To get this design, however, you must
create diaphragm regions in RISAFloor. See the Diaphragms topic in the Flexible Diaphragms
section for more information.

Analysis / Loading For Flexible Diaphragms

Seismic Load
The program only applies seismic loads to flexible diaphragms that were generated using the seismic
load generator. The load is internally converted into a one way member area load where the direction
of the load attribution is perpendicular to the direction of the applied load. This internal conversion is
done at solution time. This area load then gets broken down into a series of "transient" distributed
loads that are applied to the members which support the diaphragm. These transient loads can be
viewed as Basic Load Cases. Refer to Member Area Loads for more information about how these
transient loads are generated.

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Wind Loads
The program only applies wind loads to flexible diaphragms that were generated using the wind load
generator. The load is internally converted into a distributed load at the front face of the diaphragm.
Then it is broken into area loads of varying magnitudes depending on the depth of the diaphragm. In
this way, an L shaped building will have less load per foot applied at the deep section of the L than the
skinny section, since an equal amount of wind from each side is spread over more floor area in the
deeper section.
These area loads then gets broken down into a series of "transient" distributed loads that are applied
to the members which support the diaphragm. These transient load can be viewed as Basic Load
Cases. Refer the section on Member Area Loads for more information about how these transient
loads are generated.

Note: The shear capacities of the diaphragm panels will automatically be multiplied by 1.4 for
wind forces if the Wind ASIF function is enabled.

Wood Diaphragm Design Rules

Note that these are only available in a combined RISAFloor/RISA-3D model. Here you can input the
parameters for your diaphragm design.

The program uses your min/max panel thickness and nail spacing to choose an appropriate nailing
and panel layout from the Database chosen. The database options can be viewed by clicking the
(ellipsis) button in the Database column.

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For more information on this, see the Appendix F - Wood Shear Wall Database Files topic.

Diaphragm Regions
Diaphragm Regions are used for explicitly defining load attribution, and for wood diaphragm design.
They are not required for flexible diaphragm analysis. To draw a diaphragm region, click on the
button on the graphic editing toolbar.

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A diaphragm is drawn by clicking the opposite corners of the rectangular area. For regions that have
already been created it is possible to update the design rule by clicking the Modify Diaphragm
Region tab:

The following are some limitations for drawing diaphragm regions:

l Diaphragm Regions can only be drawn on flexible diaphragms. Therefore, a Flexible slab
edge must be present around the portion of the floor where the diaphragm region is drawn.
l Diaphragm Regions must be rectangular.
l Diaphragm Regions must have a closed-circuit of lateral members around their perimeter.
This ensures that there will be chords and collectors for diaphragm design.
l Diaphragm Regions must be oriented along the Global X and Z axes.

Load Attribution
Only automatically generated lateral loads (wind, seismic, and notional) are considered for flexible
diaphragms. Any user-defined loads are ignored.
If Diaphragm Regions have not been drawn, loads are attributed to all horizontal members within the
floor plane (except members perpendicular to load direction). Therefore, drag struts and collectors
MUST be modeled in order to get proper load attribution into lateral frames.
If Diaphragm Regions have been drawn, loads are attributed to the perimeter of the diaphragm
region, and all members within the region are ignored.

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If a diaphragm region has been drawn on a Floor, the total generated lateral load within that region
will be attributed to the edges of that diaphragm region, and no other members within that region will
receive lateral loads. This allows you to use diaphragm regions to explicitly define load paths in the
building.

Note:
l Openings which fall within diaphragm regions are ignored.
l When a flexible diaphragm has been defined on a sloped roof, the generated lateral
loads (wall wind and roof seismic) are applied at the base of the roof. This assumes
that a 'ceiling diaphragm' is present to flexibly distribute the loads. This assumption
is not valid for structures which have no ceiling or horizontal bridging/bracing, such
as log cabins.

For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks website:
www.risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Flexible Diaphragm Design.

Diaphragms Spreadsheet - Wood Diaphragms Tab

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Note: In RISA-3D the wood diaphragms tab of the Design Rules spreadsheet is only
available if the model is being transferred from RISAFloor.

Database
Within the Wood Diaphragm Schedule dialog, you can select between oriented strand board (OSB)
or wood structural panels (WSP) databases (plywood or OSB), which have values that are pulled
directly from the 2006 IBC. You are also allowed to select between design groups based on cases
and whether the diaphragm is blocked or not. You may also specify exact diaphragm parameters by
selecting "Use Individual" in the Current Selection Type. For more information on this database, as
well as information on how to edit or create your own custom database, see Appendix F-Wood
Design Databases

Panel Grade
This column allows you to specify the sheathing grade for your diaphragm. The program will then
choose a diaphragm selection from the database that has this grade.

Max/Min Panel Thickness

These values set minimums and maximums for the thickness of the sheathing that will be designed. If
the same value is input for both max and min, then that will be the thickness used.

Max/Min Nail Spacing

These values set minimums and maximums for the edge nailing spacing. If the same value is input for
both max and min then that nail spacing will be used. These values will only control the outer-most
zones of a multi-zone diaphragm region.

Nail Spacing Increment

The nail spacing increment defines how much the spacing must differ between adjacent zones. The
program will design the diaphragm panel with the highest demand for the outer zone, and then step-
up the nail spacing by the increment until it finds the next nail spacing that matches all other criteria.
This nail spacing will be used to create the next zone.

Flexible Diaphragm Results - Detail Reports

Diaphragm results can be accessed by the Detail Report button then clicking on the Flexible
Diaphragm perimeter. This opens the Diaphragm Detail Report Key Plan, from which a diaphragm
region can be chosen by clicking to review its results.
The Diaphragm Region detail report gives detailed information about the diaphragm design. It is split
into four main sections: Input, Envelope Diagrams, Design Summary and Chord Force Summary.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Flexible Diaphragm Design.

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Input
Below is the input echo portion of the detail report:

Input - Results

Result Description

Code Reports the code used to design the diaphragm.

Design Rule Lists the Design Rule which has been assigned to this diaphragm
region.

Panel Grade Reports the grade of the panels used in the design (Structural-I,
Rated Sheathing, or Other).

Panel Schedule Reports the nailing schedule database used to optimize panel
selection.

SGAF The specific gravity adjustment factor, input in the Diaphragms

spreadsheet, reduces the capacity of the diaphragm. Note 2 from
Tables A.4.2A-A.4.2C of the NDS 2005 SDPWS gives the
calculation of this value as: SGAF = (1 - (0.5 - G)), where G =
Specific gravity of the floor framing members.

In addition the basic geometry information for the diaphragm (Total Length, Total Width, Elevation,
and L/W Ratio) are also reported here.

Envelope Diagrams
The detail report presents envelope diagrams for the shear and moment demand seen on the flexible
diaphragm for both the strong and weak directions. The diagrams are color coded yellow for strong
direction and green for weak direction for quick reference.

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Design Summary
The results for design summary are displayed for both strong and weak directions as shown below.

Design Summary - Results

Result Description

Panel Required The scaled maximum design shear, also reported on the envelope
Capacity diagram. The maximum shear as determined from analysis is
compared against Fp for seismic loads. If Fp exceeds the shear as
determined by analysis then that shear is scaled up to match Fp.
For more information see ASCE7-10, Section 12.10.1.1.

Panel Provided The capacity of the designed diaphragm. For diaphragms with
Capacity multiple nailing zones, this will be reported as capacity at the point
of maximum shear. For more information on how the program
selects between the various nailing schedules provided in the
database, please refer to Appendix F.

Ratio Provides the code check for the diaphragm based on shear
demand versus shear capacity.

Governing LC Provides the load combination that controls the design. This is
based on whichever load combination resulted in the highest ratio

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Result Description

for shear capacity. In parentheses it is stated whether the

governing load combination was seismic or wind based. If the panel
was governed by wind, then you are allowed to use a 40% increase
in panel strength. The program will automatically consider this, as
long as you have checked the Increase Nailing Capacity for
Wind checkbox in the Model Settings-Solution tab.

Deflection The deflection of a diaphragm is comprised of two main terms,

depending on the equation used.

The terms are:

l The Flexure Component accounts for the deflection of
the diaphragm based on bending stresses. Refer to
Diaphragm Deflections for more information.
l The Shear Component accounts for the deflection of the
diaphragm based on shear stresses. Refer to Diaphragm
Deflections for more information.
This deflection is based on the actual maximum shears in the
diaphragm, which are given. It is not based on the scaled Fp forces,
thus we report the unscaled shears.

Chord Force Summary

The chord force summary gives an overall view of the chords on all sides of the diaphragm design
region. The chord force calculation is simply the calculated moment divided by the length of the
diaphragm (M/L). As the diagram above shows, we will give both tension and compression maximum

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values, if there are both tension and compression forces for the solved load combinations. The global
axes are shown as a reference.

Design Details
The details of the designed panel are reported here:

Design Detail - Results

Result Description

Panel Label This is the call-out that the program uses to describe the specific
panel and nailing. This information is expanded upon afterward.

Layout Case This reports the case (panel layout) used for the diaphragm design.
Because each diaphragm has a strong and weak direction, the
program will actually report two cases associated with each
diaphragm.

Blocked This reports whether the diaphragm was designed as blocked or

unblocked.

Panel Thickness This reports the decimal thickness of the wood panels. For
convenience the following table lists the decimals that correspond

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Result Description

with common panel thicknesses:

Panel Thickness Decimal Equivalent

5/16 0.3125
3/8 0.375
7/16 0.4375
15/32 0.4688
19/32 0.5938

Required Nail This is the minimum nail penetration as required by the IBC/NDS.
Penetration This value is taken from the diaphragm nailing schedule/database.
For more information on the database refer to Appendix F.

Nail Size This is the size of the nail required for this call-out.

Nail Spacing Schedule

A diaphragm region is split into various nailing zones. The optimum nailing is chosen from the
diaphragm nailing database for the highest point of shear of the diaphragm region in each direction.
The program considers the Nail Spacing Increment as defined in the Design Rules. If a nailing
arrangement is available that has spacing wider than the sum of the nailing increment and the
spacing in the “higher” zone then a new nailing zone can be created. The arrangement of the nailing
zones is such that they line up with the threshold shears of the capacities of the zones.

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The nail spacing schedule reports the nail spacing for each zone. The zones are shown on a legend
below.

Note: If there is only one zone defined in each direction, their default names will be A and D.

The following information is shown in the nail spacing schedule:

Nail Spacing Schedule

Column Description

Zone Provides the zone label so you can compare it to the zone layout below.

Location Defines the distance to that zone from the edge of the diaphragm. Note
that this is a symmetric distance from either side of the diaphragm.

Label Provides the call-out for the diaphragm panel.

Lines Provides the number of lines of nails on each panel edge. Normally, this
value is greater than one only for High-Load diaphragms. This entry is
taken directly from the diaphragm nailing schedule database and is not
otherwise used in the diaphragm design.

Framing Width Displays the nominal width required of the framing members that support
the diaphragm panels. This entry is taken directly from the diaphragm
nailing schedule database and is not otherwise used in the diaphragm
design.

Note: If there is only one zone, the location value will just be
zero.

Boundary Provides the required boundary edge nail spacing.

Cont Edge Provides the required nail spacing at continuous boundary edges that are
parallel to the direction of load.

Other Edge Provides the required nail spacing at all other edges. i.e. edges that are
not considered to be boundaries or continuous edges parallel to load.

Collector Forces
The collector forces are not currently reported in the Detail Report. However, the applied seismic
forces are considered in the normal member design of the collectors. The only issue here is that the

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seismic forces have not been amplified by the seismic overstrength factor (Ω).

Deflection Calculations

Flexure Component
If you think of the diaphragm as a beam with the chord members acting as the flanges, then this is the
deflection due to the tension and compression forces that develop in the chords.

v = Maximum shear load in diaphragm region

L = Diaphragm dimension perpendicular to the direction of applied load
E = Chord modulus of elasticity
A = Chord cross-sectional area
W = Diaphragm dimension parallel to the direction of applied load

Shear Component
If you think of the diaphragm as a beam with the diaphragm sheathing acting as the web of the beam,
then this component represents the deflection due to the shear forces in the sheathing. This term is
based on the apparent shear stiffness (Ga) as described in the NDS Special Design Provisions for
Wind and Seismic. As such, this term includes the effects of both elastic shear deformation of the
sheathing and nail slip of the panels.

v = Maximum shear load in diaphragm region

L = Diaphragm dimension perpendicular to the direction of applied load
Ga = Apparent diaphragm shear stiffness
For diaphragm regions that have only one zone in each direction the value of Ga is taken directly from
the nailing database. For multi-zone diaphragm regions the program internally calculates an
equivalent Ga using the formula below:

vs = Diaphragm shear capacity (ASD value taken from nailing database)

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Gt = Shear stiffness of panel depth (taken from nailing database)

en = Nail slip (taken from nailing diaphragm nailing schedule / database)
α = Nail slip adjustment factor. This factor accounts for non-uniform nail slip across multiple zones,
and is derived from the process outlined in the ATC-7 and further explained in the APA design /
Construction Guide on Diaphragms and Shears Walls.

Diaphragm Key Plan

The diaphragm key plan is just a plan view of the diaphragms at a given level. The key plan can be
accessed by clicking the Detail Report button then click on the Flexible Diaphragm perimeter. This
opens the Diaphragm Detail Key Plan, from which a diaphragm region can be chosen by clicking to
review its results.

The key plan will list each diaphragm (D1, D2, etc.) and the diaphragm regions within (DR1, DR2.
etc.). This key plan is to be used as a summary in RISA-3D for where the diaphragm regions are
located within the floor plan. The elevation is also given.
In the future this key plan will give a summary of the diaphragm designs at this level.

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Diaphragm Design Limitations

Diaphragm Design Limitations

Limitation Description

Rigid Diaphragms Currently, the program does not provide any design or code check
information for Rigid diaphragms. The rigid diaphragms are solely
used to attribute load to the supporting frames or walls.

Unblocked Diaphragm The program will not optimize multiple nailing zones for unblocked
diaphragms.

Chord Slip The deformation due to chord slip is not considered in the
deflections calculations.

Required Framing Size The detail report lists a required framing nominal width, however no
check is performed to ensure that the framing modeled actually
meets this requirement

Diaphragm Loading The only load seen by flexible diaphragms is the load coming
directly from the automatically generated loading. Any loading
added in RISAFloor or RISA-3D will not be considered in the design
of the diaphragms and will not be attributed to the shear walls.

Sloped Diaphragms Currently the program will not design sloped flexible diaphragms.
At solution in RISAFloor the program will force you to change the
diaphragm to rigid. This feature will be added in an upcoming
release.

Moisture Content The program is not considering a reduction in strength due to

moisture content.

Orientation No diaphragm design is done for regions placed over deck that is
not parallel to the Global X and Z axes.

2021 SDPWS Provisions 2021 SDPWS provisions are not considered for flexible
diaphragms.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Drift

Drift
You may calculate and report inter-story drift based on calculated node displacements. The
calculations will be performed in the two horizontal translation directions, but not for the vertical
direction.

Drift Definitions Spreadsheet

The Drift Definitions spreadsheet defines where the drift calculations will be performed. If the model
contains diaphragms, the nodes connected to that diaphragm are automatically considered in the
drift calculations. Drift calculations can be performed at specific elevations (where diaphragms don't
exist). However, these elevations must be manually entered in the Drift Definitions spreadsheet.
These elevations are defined with respect to the vertical axis of the model.
In addition, you can specify individual nodes to be used in drift calculation. Node definitions are
included for a number of reasons. They allow models, defined in older versions of the program (which
only used defined "story joints"), to produce identical drift results in the current version. They also
allow you to get drift reporting at specific points of interest, even if these points don't line up well from
floor to floor or don't behave the same as other nodes at that elevation. See Drift Modeling Tips for
more information.

Note:
l Elevations and Diaphragms are treated interchangeably for drift calculations.
Nodes must be in exactly the same location on the upper and lower floors for drift to
be calculated.
l When Elevations are entered manually, there MUST be defined nodes at that
elevation.
l When Node definitions are used, the drift calculation for the node is based only on
the defined nodes. Therefore, you must also create a Node definition for the story
below (unless it is at zero ft) in order to get correct behavior.
l The Drift Definitions spreadsheet is currently applicable to rigid diaphragms only.

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Inactive Diaphragms
Drift is not reported for elevations that have been flagged as "Inactive" on the Diaphragms
Spreadsheet. However, the inactive diaphragm is still considered for the drift calculation for the floor
above, in the determination of story height.

No Wind / Drift Checkbox

When the No Wind / Drift box is checked on the Diaphragms Spreadsheet, then that diaphragm will
be completely ignored for drift calculations. Drift will not be reported at that level. It will also not affect
the story height calculation for the floor above or below.

Define Elevation for Drift Calculation

To Define an Elevation for Drift Calculation:
1. Open the Drift Definitions spreadsheet from the ‘Explorer’ panel.
2. Add a new row to the spreadsheet:
a. Right-click in the spreadsheet to open an options menu.
b. Click on either Add New Row to End or Insert Row Above Selected, depending on
where you want the new row to appear in the spreadsheet.
3. Click the Type column down-arrow in the new row.

4. Click on Elevation in the list that appears.

This indicates the type of drift definition you are creating.
5. Click in the Elevation [ft] column of the new row and type the value for the elevation, as

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shown in the following image.

Note: The program assumes a default base elevation of 0. This will NOT be done if there are
any drift definitions defined for elevations below 0.

Define Node for Drift Calculation

To Define a Node for Drift Calculation:
1. Open the Drift Definitions spreadsheet from the ‘Explorer’ panel.
2. Add a new row to the spreadsheet:
a. Right-click in the spreadsheet to open an options menu.
b. Click on either Add New Row to End or Insert Row Above Selected, depending on
where you want the new row to appear in the spreadsheet.
3. Click the Type column down-arrow in the new row.

4. Click on Node in the list that appears.

This indicates the type of drift definition you are creating.

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5. Click in the Node Label column of the new row and type in the name, as shown in the
following image.

Note: This node is included in the drift calculations for both horizontal deflections.

For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Story Drift.

Drift Results
Open the Story Drift Spreadsheet
Once the solution is performed you may view the drift results in the ‘Story Drift’ spreadsheet.
To open the Story Drift spreadsheet:
1. Ensure you have “Solved” the model so that the Results section appears in the Explorer
panel.
2. Click on Story Drift in the Explorer panel under the Results section.
This opens the Envelope Story Drift results report/spreadsheet to the first tab.

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This report lists the drift for all defined Diaphragms, Elevations and Nodes that exist in the
Drift Definitions spreadsheet. The results are reported in the order in which they appear in
the Drift Definitions spreadsheet.
3. Click on the X Direction Service tab (if not already open) to view its results.
Service level and strength level drifts are reported on different tabs of the Envelope Story
Drift results spreadsheet. This is because seismic drift checks are usually checked purely
for the strength level Load Combinations, while wind drift is usually checked against service
level Load Combinations.

How Drift is Calculated

l Inter-Story Drift: To calculate inter-story drift for a particular direction, the displacement at
the lower level is subtracted from the current story displacement.
For example, to calculate X direction drift for story 2, the X displacement for the node
representing story 1 is subtracted from the X displacement for the node representing story
2.
l Diaphragm and Elevation Definitions: For Diaphragm and Elevation definitions, the drift
calculations are only done at locations where columns or walls have nodes at the current
level and at the level below.
l NodeDefinitions: For NodeDefinitions, the calculations are done for the current defined
drift node compared to the nearest defined drift node at a the level below. Node definitions
never look at the nodes in a Diaphragm or Elevation definition. These are user-defined drift
nodes which act completely independent of the more automated Diaphragm and Elevation
drift results and offer flexibility for cases where the Diaphragm or Elevation options don't
give the output needed.
l Story Height: For story height, the vertical axis is used to determine the distance.
For example when the Y-axis is specified as the vertical axis, the story node Y coordinate
values are used to calculate heights for X and Z direction drift. If Y direction drift is being
calculated, the Z coordinate values for the story nodes are used to calculate heights.
l Structure Base Elevation: The base elevation of the structure is assumed to be zero. If
the 0 ft elevation should NOT be used as the base of the structure for drift calculations, then
you should enter in an Elevation entry in the Drift Definitions spreadsheet to define the
elevation of the base of the structure. This applies whether the base is a positive or
negative value. If the value is positive, then there will be a reported drift (probably zero) at
the base elevation that you can ignore.

Story Drift and Drift Ratio %

The Drift at a given level is equal to the deflection at that level minus the deflection at the level below.
For the image below:
1st Level Drift = X1
2nd Level Drift = X2 - X1

The Drift Ratio (%) is equal to the drift at that level divided by the height from that level to the level
below. For the image below:
2nd Level drift ratio % =((X2 - X1) / H2 ) *100%
1st Level drift ratio % = (X1 / H1 ) *100%

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Seismic Drift Checks

Seismic drift are reported for all codes for load combinations containing earthquake loads, but the
program reports failures in red text for the ASCE 2005, 2010, and 2016 codes, based on the following
table of allowable seismic drift versus Risk Category / Occupancy Category.

Drift Category I or II III IV

High Drift Design 2.5% 2% 1.5%
Masonry Cantilever 1% 1% 1%
Other Masonry 0.7% 0.7& 0.7%
Other 2% 1.5% 1%
When the ASCE and IBC codes are used, the Story Drift for the strength level combinations accounts
for the inelastic deflection (i.e. the Cd factor) by amplifying the node deflections at each level by Cd/ I
per Section 12.8.6 of ASCE-7. Where Cd is the Deflection Amplification factor intended to convert the
elastic deflection levels given in the analysis to the inelastic levels used for seismic drift checks.
Similarly, I is the importance factor (based on Risk / Occupancy Category) which was presumably
used to amplify the seismic forces applied to the structure.
For codes other than the US codes, the drift results are not modified for Cd, I or rho, and are never
reported in red text to indicate a failure.

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Note:
l These seismic checks are only performed for strength level load combinations.
l Stiffness reduction (per AISC Direct Analysis Method) does NOT change the drift
code checks in RISA even though it may cause significant increase the reported
drift.
l Load Combinations with Overstrength (Omega) seismic loading are not included in
the drift reporting at all.
l To negate the effect of the redundancy factor (rho), the node deflection results are
divided by rho before drift calculations are perform. This only occurs, of course, for
load combinations where rho was used to amplify the seismic loading. This is done
because the redundancy factor is not intended to affect story drift calculations per
section 12.3.4.1 item 2 of ASCE-7 2016.

2nd Order / 1st Order Deflection Ratio

The program reports the ratio of 2nd order deflection to 1st order deflection for the nodes used in the
drift calculation. This is useful when determining whether it is required by the AISC code to use the
Direct Analysis Method. In general, if the ratio is greater than 1.5 (or 1.7 if stiffness adjustment has
been turned on) then you MUST use the Direct Analysis Method on your structure.
To facilitate this check, RISA colors the check in red whenever the ratio exceeds the 1.5 limit (or 1.7
when stiffness adjustment is used). This is done regardless of what has been chosen for the HR steel
code. While the 1.5 or 1.7 may not be a code trigger in other HR steel codes, it remains because it
can be an indicator of when 2nd order effects become troublesome.
There is an internal tolerance of 0.0005 inches, below which the deflection is not reported in drift
results. This is because while the drift is essentially zero, testing showed cases where minor
increases in these small values could result in high 2nd order / 1st order deflection ratios. Which were
falsely indicating 2nd order effects as reaching high or troublesome levels.

Drift Modeling Tips

Inclined Columns
When using diaphragm or elevations, the drift is reported for aligned nodes connected by columns or
walls. This doesn't help for inclined columns because those nodes will very specifically NOT align
from level to level. If drift reported is required for these nodes, then they should be defined using the
Node option instead. When defined this way, the drift from level to level will be reported based on the
nearest node at the level below.

Multi-Story Columns
In the image below, node N2_3 should have its drift calculated based on a story height that is twice
what the other nodes at that level would be based on. In that case, the user should use Elevation or
Diaphragm definitions for the majority of the nodes, but use Node definitions for N2_3.

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Troubleshooting NC results
There are times when drift results are reported as "NC" (which stands for Not Calculate). This can
occur for a number of reasons:
l The Story Drift for that floor is below the 0.005" minimum tolerance for reporting.
l If a diaphragm is flagged as inactive then all results for that diaphragm will report NC.
l When there are no aligned drift nodes between that diaphragm / elevation and the one
below.
l The 2nd / 1st Ratio will report NC for any load combinations where a P-Delta analysis was
not included in the solution.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual DXF Files

DXF Files
You can read and write export DXF files. Generally, you would read in a DXF file to create the
geometry for a new structural model, or you could write out a DXF file from an existing model to form
the basis for a model or a CAD drawing. This feature provides two-way compatibility with any other
program that can read and write DXF files. This includes most major CAD programs and many
analysis programs.

Note:
l Perform a Model Merge on any model created from a DXF file. See Model Merge
for more information.
l You may want to round off the joint coordinates after importing a DXF file. You may
do this from the Tools menu.
l When importing a DXF file it is essential to specify a column layer. Only beams that
are fully supported will be imported.
l You can also import a DXF as a Drawing Grid. See the Import DXF section of the
Graphic Editing topic for more information.

Import a DXF File

You can translate POINT’s, LINE elements and 3DFACE’s. POINT’s are converted into nodes,
LINE’s are converted into members and 3DFACE’s are converted into plates. Circles, arcs, polylines,
text, etc. can be present in the DXF file, but they are ignored. At this time, only the basic geometry is
translated via DXF files. You have several options available for controlling how DXF files are
imported.

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The following table describes the options.

Import DXF File Options

Option Usage / Description

Select DXF Units Allows you to choose the unit. Supported DXF units are: none,
inches, feet, mm, cm or meters.
You need to choose the same units as used in the CAD model
from which you produced the DXF file.
CAD Scale Factor Allows you to choose the scale factor that causes the DXF file
to scale up or down in relation to the full scale. The default is
1.0
For example, if you created a scaled model in AutoCAD at a
scale of 1/4”=12”, the appropriate scale factor to produce a full
size RISA-3D model would be 48.
CAD Vertical Axis Although it is not specifically noted in the AutoCAD
documentation, the implied default vertical axis is the positive
Z-axis of the current User Coordinate System. Whereas, the
default vertical axis in RISA is usually the positive Y-axis,
which can be specified in ‘ Model Settings’ under the Axis tab.
With this option, when you import your model from a DXF file,
you can tell the program to automatically rotate your geometry
so that the Y axis is now the vertical axis for your RISA model.
Translate Layers to Section This is a Yes/No slider. If you drag the slider to the right (Yes),
Sets the program translates the DXF file's layer names into RISA

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Option Usage / Description

Section Sets Labels. The program requires that you add a
prefix to each Layer Name to designate what type of material
that section set is defined for. The prefixes are as follows:

Material Type Layer Prefix

Cold Formed Steel CF_
Concrete CN_
Hot Rolled Steel HR_
General Materials GN_
Wood WD_

For example, let’s say you have designed a structure with Hot
Rolled steel section sets that you want to call "Column"and "
Girder", as well as a Wood section set called "Joist". If you do
not prefix your section sets then they are all imported as
General Material section sets. To have them imported into the
proper Material type the column layer would have to be named
"HR_Column", the girder a layer "HR_Girder" and the joists
layer "WD_Joist".
Translate Layers to Shapes This is a Yes/No slider. If you drag the slider to the right (Yes),
the program takes members and assigns them to a shape
based on their shape label. If no database shape corresponds
to the DXF Layer Name, then these members are assigned a
general RE4x4 shape or a BAR2.

Note: When assigning layer names in AutoCAD, remember to use an underscore character
("_") in place of a period (".") where a period would normally occur. For instance a C10X15.3
should be entered as C10X15_3. RISA-3D automatically converts the “_” to a “.” when the
DXF file is read in.

Export a DXF File

Only the node, member, wall and element geometry are translated and used to create an ASCII DXF
file. Any other information such as the boundary conditions, loads, member end releases, etc. are not
translated at this time. You have several options available for controlling how DXF files are exported.

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The following table describes the available options.

Export DXF File Options

Option Usage / Description

Select DXF Units Select the units you want the CAD model to be created in. The
options for the DXF units are none, inches, feet, mm, cm and
meters.
CAD Scale Factor Enter the scale factor that causes the full scale RISA model to
be scaled up or down to the desired drawing scale. For
example, if you created a full scale model that you wanted
scaled down to 1/4"=12", the factor would be 0.020833, which
is (.25/12).
Line End Standoff Distance Enter the distance you wish to have the line entities “stand off”
from the nodes to which they are attached. The standoff
distance is measured along the axis of the line. The distance
is in the DXF units, which is defined below. The distance is
used as entered and is not scaled by the CAD Scale factor.

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Option Usage / Description

Note that if you create a DXF file with a non-zero standoff
distance, it will be difficult to use the file for model geometry if
you read the file back into RISA. (If you read such a file back
in, you will end up with multiple nodes at each member
endpoint which will separated by the standoff distance).
CAD Vertical Axis Although it is not specifically noted in the AutoCAD
documentation, the implied default vertical axis is the positive
Z-axis of the current User Coordinate System.
The default vertical axis in RISA is usually the positive Y-axis
and may be specified on the Model Settings. When you
export your model to a DXF file, you can have the program
automatically rotate your geometry to match the vertical axis
of your CAD program.
Joint Label Type the name of the label for the joint point entities. If you
don’t enter anything, the default label name is “JOINT”.
Member Label Type the name of the label for the line entities. If you don’t
enter anything, the default label name is “MEMBER”. Note
that this entry is ignored if you select the ‘Translate Shapes to
Layers’ option to translate section set database shape names
to layer names.
Plate Label Type the name of the label for the plate elements, which will
be represented as 3DFACE entities. If you don’t enter
anything, the default label name is “PLATE”.
Translate Section Sets to This is a Yes/No slider. If you drag the slider to the right (Yes),
Layer Names the program translates Section Set Labels to layer names.
Layers are created in the DXF file corresponding to the
section set labels in the RISA model. A “Yes” choice here
overrides any layer name entered for the member layer.
The program will add a prefix to each section set layer to
designate what type of material that section is. The prefixes
are as follows:

Material Type Layer Prefix

Cold Formed Steel CF_
Concrete CN_
Hot Rolled Steel HR_
General Materials GN_
Wood WD_

For example, let’s say you have designed a structure with Hot
Rolled steel section sets called "Column"and " Girder", as well
as a Wood section set called "Joist". If you type in a member
layer name such as "STEEL" then all members, regardless of

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Option Usage / Description

size, will appear on a layer named "STEEL". However, if you
choose “Yes” for the translate section sets to layers option,
then all the member that are assigned to the Column section
set will appear on a layer named "HR_Column", the girders on
a layer named "HR_Girder", and the joists on a layer called
"WD_Joist".
Translate Shapes to Layer This is a Yes/No slider. If you drag the slider to the right (Yes),
Names the program takes members and assigns them to a layer
which uses their shape label as the layer name. Layers are
created in the DXF file corresponding to the shape labels in
the RISA model. A “Yes” choice here overrides any
layer name entered for the member layer.

Note:
l If BOTH the Translate Section Sets to Layer Names and Translate Shapes to Layer
Names options are turned on (set to ‘Yes’), only the explicitly defined shapes are
placed on layers according to their shape labels. All members defined with section
sets are still placed on layers according to their section set label.
l Please note that if the section set database shape designation includes one or
more decimal point (".") characters, the export translates each occurrence of a
decimal point character into an underscore (“_”) character. For instance, a section
set or shape label such as C10X15.3 will translate into a layer name of "C10X15_3"
or "HR_C10X15_3".
l The DXF format does not properly recognize certain ASCII text characters for layer
names (< > / \ “ : ; ? * | = ‘). Therefore, these characters should be avoided for shape
or section sets when using the "translate to layer names" options.

Merge After a DXF Import

It's always a good idea to do a Model Merge on any model created from a DXF file! In the process of
creating a wire frame model in your CAD software, certain events may take place that cause end-
points of LINE elements that were once matched to become mismatched by very small amounts.
This most often happens as a result the following:
l Use of mirroring or rotating operations.
l Improper use or lack of use of point snaps.
l Trimming or breaking operations.
l Inconsistent precision when inputting point coordinates from the keyboard.
Model Merge combines nodes that are within the “merge tolerance” distance of one another. The
default distance for the merge tolerance is 0.01 ft. for all unit types.
You can also deal with several other possible problems by performing a Model Merge. This feature
also deals with intermediate nodes along member spans, a common problem in models created from

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DXF drawings and members that cross, but do not have nodes at their intersection point. See Model
Merge for more information.

DXF Element Numbering

Different CAD packages handle ordering of geometric data in their DXF files using two basic methods

Method 1
Entities are written out into the DXF file based on the order in which they were created in the CAD
program itself, regardless of the order in which they were selected at the time the DXF file was
made. Different operations such as copying, mirroring, arraying, etc. can produce unexpected results
and therefore, becomes necessary to consult your CAD program documentation to understand how it
stores and orders the geometry that you create via these various operations.

Method 2
Entities are written out into the DXF file based on the order in which they were selected at the time the
DXF file was made. AutoCAD is such a program. In order to control the ordering of the LINE entities,
you must select the "Entities" option under the DXFOUT command and then select the lines in the
order that you want them to appear in the RISA model.

Note: Another option to help improve the ordering of the nodes, members and elements in a
model obtained from reading in a DXF file is to sort and relabel them once in RISA.

DXF File Format

The specific DXF file that you may read and write is the ASCII Drawing eXchange Files (DXF)
file. Please note that AutoCAD has several different forms of DXF files available. ASCII is the default
form and is the only form currently supported. The DXF read/write feature was written based on the
DXF documentation for AutoCAD release 14. The feature has been tested with AutoCAD Versions 13
and 14.
The following is a short excerpt of the AutoCAD ASCII DXF format. This information is provided to
help you debug any problems you may be having with DXF files that you are trying to read. For more
complete information, consult your CAD documentation.

General
A DXF file is composed of sections of data. Each section of data is composed of records. Each record
is stored on it’s own line. Each particular item is stored as two records, the first record is a group code
and the second record is the data or a keyword. RISA only reads the ENTITIES section.

Group Codes
Each 2 record items start with an integer group code. RISA recognizes the following group codes:

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Group Code Description

0 Identifies the following overall
keywords: SECTION, ENDSEC,
and EOF.
In the ENTITIES section, it also
identifies POINT, LINE, and
3DFACE.
2 Identifies a section name (I.e.,
ENTITIES)
8 Identifies a layer name.
10, 11, 12, 13 Identifies the X coordinate of the
1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th points of an
item.
20, 21, 22, 23 Identifies the Y coordinate of the
1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th points of an
item.
30, 31, 32, 33 Identifies the Z coordinate of the
1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th points of an
item.

First and Last Records for a DXF file

Each DXF file must start with the first record as the group code “0”. The 2nd record must be the
keyword “SECTION”. Each DXF file must have the 2nd to last record as the group code “0". The last
record must be the keyword “EOF”.

Entities Section
The ENTITIES section is identified by a group code of “0”, followed in the next record by the keyword
“SECTION”. The next record is the group code 2, followed in the next record by the keyword
“ENTITIES”.

Item Formats within the ENTITIES Section

The POINT format is started by a group code of “0” followed by the keyword “POINT”. The layer name
for the POINT starts with a group code record of 8, followed by a record with the actual layer name.
The coordinates for the point is started by the 10, 20 and 30 group codes respectively for the X, Y and
Z coordinates. Other group codes and data may be present in the POINT data but they are ignored.
The LINE format is started by a group code of “0” followed by the keyword “LINE”. The layer name for
the LINE starts with a group code record of 8, followed by a record with the actual layer name.
The coordinates for the first point are started by the 10, 20 and 30 group codes respectively for the X,
Y and Z coordinates. The coordinates for the second are started by the 11, 21 and 31 group codes
respectively for the X, Y and Z coordinates. Other group codes and data may be present in the
LINE data, but they are ignored by RISA-3D.

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The 3DFACE format is started by a group code of “0” followed by the keyword “3DFACE”. The layer
name for the 3DFACE starts with a group code record of 8, followed by a record with the actual layer
name.
The X, Y, and Z coordinates for the 1st through 4th points are started by the 10, 20 and 30 through
14, 24 and 34 group codes respectively. Other group codes and data may be present in the 3DFACE
data but they are ignored.

AutoCAD Layer Names

The only valid characters in an AutoCAD layer name are letters A to Z, numbers 0 to 9, and the
characters: dollar sign “$”, underscore “_”, and dash “-”.

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Dynamic Analysis
The Dynamic (Modal) Analysis uses the mass and stiffness matrices to calculate natural
frequencies and natural modes of vibration for a structure, due to free or unforced vibration. The
analysis calculates the modes and frequencies of vibration for the model.
The following sections provide more detailed information regarding the Dynamic Analysis and related
processes.
l Eigensolution - Eigensolution refers to the process used to calculate the modes for a
Dynamic Analysis.
l Response Spectra - A Response Spectra Analysis uses the Dynamic Analysis frequencies
to calculate forces, stresses and deflections in the model.
l Time History - A Time History Analysis uses the mass, stiffness and damping matrices to
solve for the forced vibration of the structure due to an applied load that varies with time.

Dynamic Analysis - Eigensolution

The dynamic analysis calculates the modes and frequencies of vibration for the model.
“Eigensolution” refers to the process used to calculate the modes. The frequencies and mode
shapes are referred to as eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Refer to the Program Limits section for
information on the maximum number of modes that can be solved for in RISA. The program can also
solve for an approximate type of eigenmode called a Ritz Vector.

Note: The Dynamic Analysis is a prerequisite to the Response Spectra analysis, which uses
the Dynamic Analysis frequencies to calculate forces, stresses and deflections in the model.
For more information, see Dynamic Analysis - Response Spectra.

Perform a Dynamic Analysis / Eigensolution

To Perform a Dynamic Analysis / Eigensolution:
Suggestion: You may wish to solve a static analysis first to verify that there are no instabilities.
1. Go to the Home ribbon.

2. Click the Solve icon down-arrow.

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3. Choose Dynamics from the solution options that appears, to open the Dynamics window.

4. Click the Load Combinations for Mass down-arrow and choose the load combination to
use as the mass and the number of modes to solve.
The dynamic analysis uses a lumped mass matrix with inertial terms. Any vertical loads that
exist in the Load Combination for Mass is automatically converted to masses based on
the acceleration of gravity entry on the Solution tab of the Model Settings window.
However, you must always enter the inertial terms as Nodal Masses.

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Note:
l You can view the mode shapes graphically by choosing this option from the Model
Display Options window.
l For information about the solver options (Standard, Accelerated and Ritz Vectors)
see the Model Settings - Solution tab Advanced options. For documentation
information on these solvers see the Solution section.
l For more information on that type of dynamic analysis, see the Dynamic Analysis -
Response Spectra section.
l For more information about the Calc Residual Mass? checkbox, see the Residual
Rigid Response section.
l For more information about the Use Dominant Mode for Signage checkbox, see
the Dynamic Analysis - Response Spectra section.

Eigensolutions In a Combined RISAFloor/RISA-3D model

When a dynamic solution is run from within a combined RISAFloor / RISA-3D model, the
Eigensolution portion of the dialog includes eccentric mass and Floor Diaphragm mass options as
described in RISAFloor Diaphragm Mass Options.

Required Number of Modes

You can specify how many of the model’s modes (and frequencies) are to be calculated. The typical
requirement is that when you perform the response spectra analysis (RSA), at least 90% of the
model's mass must participate in the solution. Mass participation is discussed in the Response
Spectra Analysis topic.
The catch is you first have to do a dynamic analysis in order to know how much mass is participating,
so this becomes a trial and error process. First, pick an arbitrary number of modes (5 to 10 is usually a
good starting point) and solve the RSA. If you have less than 90% mass, you'll need to increase the
number of modes and try again. Keep in mind that the more modes you request, the longer the
dynamic solution will take.

Note: If you are obtaining many modes with little or no mass, they are probably local modes.
Rather than asking for even more modes and increasing the solution time see Dynamics
Troubleshooting – Local Modes to learn how to treat the unwanted modes.

Dynamic Mass
The eigensolution is based on the stiffness characteristics of your model and also on the mass
distribution in your model. There must be mass assigned to be able to perform the dynamic
analysis. Mass may be calculated automatically from your loads or defined directly.
In order to calculate the amount and location of the mass contained in your model, RISA takes the
vertical loads contained in the load combination you specify for mass and converts them using the

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acceleration of gravity defined in the Model Settings. The masses are lumped at the joints and
applied in all three global directions (X, Y and Z translation).
You can also specify mass directly. This option allows you to restrict the mass to a direction. In
addition, you can apply a mass moment of inertia to account for the rotational inertia effects for
distributed masses. See Loads - Nodal Load / Displacement to learn more about this.

Note:
l Only the VERTICAL loads (including vertical components of inclined loads)
contained in the load combination are converted to mass.
l The Model Settings - Axis tab is where you can designate which of the three global
axes is to be considered the vertical axis.
l The self-weight of the model is NOT automatically included in the mass calculation.
If you wish to have self-weight included, you must have it defined as part of the load
combination for mass.
l You may want to move the mass to account for accidental torsion, which is
discussed in the next section.

RISAFloor Diaphragm Mass Options

Models that get generated by RISAFloor automatically assign dynamic mass and mass moments of
inertia (MMOI) to each of the RISAFloor diaphragms. This mass and MMOI is based on the self
weight and loading information defined in RISAFloor and specified in RISAFloor's Model Settings.
There are 4 different sets of Mass defined for each diaphragm. The Centered Mass solution is when
the mass is located at the mass centroid of the diaphragm. The Plus X, Minus X, Plus Z, and Minus
Z solutions are when the mass has been offset to account for accidental eccentricity as specified in
the Floor Diaphragms spreadsheet.
Whether this diaphragm mass / mass moment of inertia is included in the definition of dynamic mass
is determined by the Include Floor Diaphragm Mass checkbox.
If the Include Floor Diaphragm Mass option is included in the analysis, then a Load Combination in
most cases should not be considered for mass. The reasons you may wish to check the Include
Load Combination box are:
l If you have RISA-3D only elements that you want to also include their mass in the
eigensolution.
To do this you would need to create a load combination that either contains only this
additional seismic load, or that one that includes ALL seismic weight. If you choose to
include ONLY the additional seismic weight in this load combination then you would check
both the Include Floor Diaphragm Mass and the Include Load Combination
checkboxes. If you include ALL seismic weight in your load combination then you would
only choose the Include Load Combination checkbox.
l If you had a specific reason to not wish to use the RISAFloor calculated masses.
In that case you would uncheck Include Floor Diaphragm Mass and have only the
Include Load Combination checkbox checked.

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Eccentric Mass Solutions (for Accidental Torsion)

The eccentric mass options give an automated way to consider accidental torsion.
When more than one eigensolution option is selected (centered mass or one of the eccentric mass
options), the program solves for a different set of frequencies and mode shapes for each of the mass
options included in the solution. For information on how this affects response spectra analysis results,
see RISAFloor Spectra Results.

Note: The eccentric mass solution options have no effect on semi-rigid or flexible
diaphragms.

Modeling Accidental Torsion

Most design codes require an assumed accidental torsion that is in addition to the natural torsion
created by the location of mass with respect to rigidity. While RISA-3D calculates the natural torsion
you may want to model additional accidental torsion. This can be done easily by taking advantage of
the rigid diaphragm feature.

Note: Review the specific requirements of the building code to confirm this. But, most codes
allow you to neglect accidental torsion for dynamic analysis and response spectra.

If you have modeled the dynamic mass at the center of mass only, then you may simply move the
nodes that specify the center of mass. For example, if the required accidental eccentricity is 5% of the
building dimension, then move the nodes that distance, perpendicular to the applied spectra. You can
then run the dynamic/rsa solution and combine the results with a static solution to check your
members and plates for adequate capacity. You need to do this by running solutions for all four
directions to capture the controlling effects on all frames. You will not be able to envelope your results
since you are changing the dynamic results each time you move the mass. This means you’ll
probably want to check all your load conditions one additional time after all your member sizes work
to make sure that any force redistribution in your frames hasn't caused other members to fail.
Note that when you lump all your floor mass to the center of mass, you should also enter a Mass
Moment of Inertia for your diaphragm as well by applying it as a Nodal Mass to the center of mass
node. The rotational inertial effects of the diaphragm mass will contribute to your torsion shears and
should not be ignored in most cases. See Loads - Nodal Load / Displacement to learn more about
this.
If you have not modeled the mass at discrete points that can be easily moved, then you have to apply
the accidental torsion as a static load that is be part of a static analysis solution which includes the
response spectra or equivalent lateral force procedure results. The magnitude of the torque is the
product of the story force and the accidental offset distance.
The accidental offset distance is usually a percentage of the building dimension perpendicular to the
assumed earthquake direction. The story force is the story mass times the acceleration at that story
level. If you are using an equivalent lateral static force procedure, you have already calculated your
story forces. If you are performing a response spectrum analysis, you can get the story forces exactly
as the difference between the sum of the shears below and above the floor. Alternatively, you could

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simply use the full weight of the floor as the story force and then apply the scaling factor for your
normalized spectra to this value as well. This simplified method can be unconservative if your floor
accelerations have large amplifications as compared to your base acceleration due to the dynamic
characteristics of your building.
The torsion can be applied as a point torque that you can apply to a node on the diaphragm. The
torque can also be applied as a force couple, with the magnitude of the forces determined by the
distance between them to make the needed torque value. Often it is convenient to apply the forces for
the couple at the ends of the building. One advantage of applying the accidental torsion as a static
force is that you can set up all your required load combinations and let RISA-3D envelope them for
you in one solution run.

Note: For rigid diaphragms in a combined RISAFloor/RISA-3D model, the accidental

eccentricity is automatically accounted for see the Eccentric Mass Solutions section for more
information.

Eigensolution Convergence
The eigensolution procedure for dynamic analysis is iterative, i.e. a guess is made at the answer and
then improved upon until the guess from one iteration closely matches the guess from the previous
iteration. The tolerance value is specified in the Model Settings and indicates how close a guess
needs to be to consider the solution to be converged. The default value of .001 means the
frequencies from the previous cycle have to be within .001 Hz of the next guess frequencies for the
solution to be converged. You should not have to change this value unless you require a more
accurate solution (more accurate than .001?). Also, if you're doing a preliminary analysis, you may
wish to relax this tolerance to speed up the eigensolution. If you get warning 2019 (missed
frequencies) try using a more stringent convergence tolerance (increase the exponent value for the
tolerance).

Saving Dynamic Solutions

After you’ve done the dynamic solution, you can save that solution to file to be recalled and used
later.

Note: This solution is saved in a .__R file and will be deleted when the Save or Save As
options are used to overwrite the file. You may also delete this file yourself.

Work Vectors
When you request a certain number of modes for dynamic analysis (let's call that number N), RISA
tries to solve for just a few extra modes. Once the solution is complete, RISA goes back to check that
the modes it solved for are indeed the N lowest modes. If they aren't, one or more modes were
missed and an error is reported.

Dynamics Modeling Tips

Dynamics modeling can be quite a bit different than static modeling. A static analysis almost always
gives you some sort of solution, whereas you are not guaranteed that a dynamics analysis will

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converge to a solution. This is due in part to the iterative nature of the dynamics solution method, as
well as the fact that dynamics solutions are far less forgiving of modeling sloppiness than are static
solutions. In particular, the way you model your loads for a static analysis can be very different than
the way you model your mass for a dynamic analysis.
The term “dynamics solution” is used to mean the solution of the free vibration problem of a structure,
where we hope to obtain frequencies and mode shapes as the results.
In general, the trick to a “good” dynamics solution is to model the structure stiffness and mass with
“enough” accuracy to get good overall results, but not to include so much detail that it take hours of
computer run time and pages of extra output to get those results. Frame problems are simpler to
model than those that include plate elements. “Building type” problems, where the mass is
considered lumped at the stories, are much easier to successfully model than say a cylindrical water
tank with distributed mass. It is often helpful to define a load combination just for your dynamic mass
case, separate from your “Dead Load” static case (You can call it “Seismic Mass”). Your seismic
mass load combination will often be modeled very differently from your “Dead Load” static case.
Modes for discretized mass models with very few degrees of freedom may not be found by the solver,
even if you know you are asking for fewer modes than actually exist. In this case it may be helpful to
include the self weight of the model with a very small factor (i.e. 0.001) to help the solver identify the
modes.

Self-Weight Considerations
Distributed mass models with plate elements, like water tanks, often require special consideration.
You will want to use a fine enough mesh of finite elements to get good stiffness results. Often though,
the mesh required to obtain an accurate stiffness will be too dense to simply model the mass with
self-weight or surface loads. You will want to calculate the water weight and tank self-weight and
apply it in a more discrete pattern than you would get using surface loads or self-weight. This method
of using fewer nodes to model the mass than to model the stiffness is often referred to as
"discretizing" the mass. You want to lump the mass at fewer points to help the solution converge
faster, however you have to be careful to still capture the essence of the dynamic behavior of the
structure.
Whenever you perform a dynamic analysis of a shear wall structure, and the walls are connected to a
floor, you must be careful to use a fine mesh of finite elements for each wall. Each wall should be at
least 4 elements high between floors. This gives you at least 3 free joints between them.

Beam Vibration Considerations

When you perform a dynamic analysis of beam structures, such that you are trying to capture the
flexural vibrations, (i.e., the beams are vibrating vertically or in the transverse direction), you must
make sure that you have at least 3 free joints along the member between the points of support. If you
use a distributed load as the mass, you must remember that some of the load will automatically go
into the supports and be “lost” to the dynamic solution. In general, you get the best results by applying
your mass as joint loads to the free nodes.
If you are trying to model dynamic effects on a 2D frame, you’ll want to make sure that you restrain
the out-of-plane degrees of freedom. See Boundary Conditions at ALL Nodes to learn how to do this.

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Calculate Residual Mass

The mass of the structure that has not been activated by the solved number of periodic modes may
still be included in the response spectra analysis results. This is done by checking the Calc. Residual
Mass box. This checkbox calculates a residual mass mode shape which helps to show where the
missing mass in the structure is located. It also includes the response of this missing mass as a static
correction to the response spectra results. The acceleration used to calculate this static correction
vector is based on largest acceleration from the specified response spectra which occurs between
the user entered Cut Off frequency (see below) and the zero period acceleration.

Note:
l The inclusion of Residual Mass does not guarantee that dynamic solution will
achieve 100% mass participation, though it will normally be close.
l This feature is intended to capture missing RIGID response. When unsolved mode
shapes would produce significant periodic response (at frequencies less than 33
Hz, for example), it would be more accurate to include these modes in the analysis
than to assume that they are accounted for in the residual mass correction.
l The implementation of the residual mass feature is based on the requirements of
ASCE 4 - 1998: Seismic Analysis of Safety-Related Nuclear Structures.

Common Application for Missing Mass Vectors

If you apply your dynamic mass with distributed loads or surface loads on members/plates that are
adjacent to supports, remember that the some of the load goes directly into the support and is lost to
a traditional dynamic solution. The mass that can actually vibrate freely is your “active mass”, as
opposed to your “static mass” which includes the mass lost into the supports. If you are having trouble
getting 90% mass participation, you should roughly calculate the amount of mass that is being lost
into your support to determine if that is the cause of the problem.
Since this mass is directly associated with boundary conditions and cannot be activated by a
traditional eigensolution mode, it is referred to as the Residual Rigid Response of the structure. The
common solution to account for this response, is to check the Calc. Residual Mass? checkbox. This
calculates a "Missing Mass Vector" or "Residual Mass Vector" to account for this residual mass in the
dynamic analysis.
Alternatively, you can switch to the Ritz Vector dynamic solver because Ritz modes inherently include
correction for the rigid response.

Modal Frequency Results

To access the Frequencies spreadsheet:

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1. Go to the Explorer panel Results section.

2. Click on Frequencies.
The Frequencies spreadsheet opens.

The Frequencies spreadsheet shows the calculated model frequencies and periods. The
period is simply the reciprocal of the frequency. These values are used along with the mode
shapes when a response spectra analysis is performed. The first frequency with a high
participation is sometimes referred to as the model's natural or fundamental
frequency. These frequency values, as well as the mode shapes, are saved and remain
valid unless you change the model data, at which time they are cleared and you need to re-
solve the dynamics to get them back.
Also listed on this spreadsheet are the participation factors for each mode for each global
direction, along with the total participation. If the participation factors are shown in red (as
opposed to black) then the response spectra analysis (RSA) has not been performed for
that direction. If the RSA has been done but a particular mode has no participation factor
listed, that mode shape is not participating in that direction. This usually is because the
mode shape represents movement in a direction orthogonal to the direction of application of
the spectra. See Dynamic Analysis - Response Spectra for more information.

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Note:
l If you have not solved an RSA for a given direction, the participation factor
shows in red as an indicator. This is not an indication that there is anything
wrong with the solution.
l If you are using the Calc Residual Mass? checkbox, you get three "residual"
mode shapes that account for the missing mass vector. For more information
on this see the Residual Rigid Response section.
l At this time residual / missing mass modes are not considered in Time History
analysis.

Mode Shape Results

To access the Mode Shape spreadsheet:

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1. Go to the Explorer panel Results section.

2. Click on Mode Shapes.

The Mode Shape spreadsheet for the first Mode Shape Period.
These are the model's mode shapes. Mode shapes have no units and represent only the
movement of the nodes relative to each other. The mode shape values can be multiplied or
divided by any value and still be valid, so long as they retain their value relative to each
other. To view higher or lower modes you may select them from the drop-down list of
modes on the Window Toolbar.

Note:
l Keep in mind that the X, Y, and Z mode shapes do not, in and of themselves,
represent model deflections. They only represent how the nodes move
relative to each other. You could multiply all the values in any mode shape by
any constant value and that mode shape would still be valid. Thus, no units
are listed for these mode shape values.
l The rotation is in units of radians.

These mode shapes are used with the frequencies to perform a Response Spectra
Analysis. The first mode is sometimes referred to as the natural or fundamental mode of the
model. The frequency and mode shape values will be saved until you change your model
data. When the model is modified, these results are cleared and you will need to re-solve
the model to get them back.

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3. (Optional) To plot and animate the mode shape of the model, got to the ‘View‘ ribbon and
click the Results icon in the Animate section, as shown in the following image.

This allows you to verify the mode shapes that were obtained and highlights local
modes making them easy to troubleshoot. See Results View Settings - Deflections for
more information.

Dynamics Troubleshooting – Local Modes

A common problem you may encounter are “localized modes”. These are modes where only a small
part of the model is vibrating and the rest of the model is not. A good example of this is an X brace that
is vibrating out of plane. Localized modes are not immediately obvious from looking at the
frequency or numeric mode shape results, but they can be spotted pretty easily using the mode
shape animation feature. Just plot the mode shape and animate it. If only a small part of the model is
moving, this is probably a localized mode.
The problem with localized modes is that they can make it difficult to get enough mass participation in
the response spectra analysis (RSA), since these local modes don’t usually have much mass
associated with them. This will show up if you do an RSA with a substantial number of modes but get
very little or no mass participation. This would indicate that the modes being used in the RSA are
localized modes.
Quite often, localized modes are due to modeling errors (erroneous boundary conditions, members
not attached to plates correctly, etc.). If you have localized modes in your model, always try a Model
Merge before you do anything else. See Model Merge for more information.

Eliminating local modes Using Boundary Conditions

To get rid of localized modes that are not the result of modeling errors, you can sometimes use
boundary conditions to restrain the mode shape.

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For example, if your localized mode is at a weak X brace (as mentioned before), you could attach a
spring to the center of the X brace to restrain the mode shape. Alternatively, in this instance you could
also:
l Make the braces a weightless material. In that case no mass would be assigned to the X-
brace intersection and it would not participate in the eigensolution.
l Delete the node at the crossing of X-braces. If there is no node here there is no degree of
freedom. This location will not likely be crucial for a dynamic solution anyway, so
eliminating the node eliminates a flexible mode with minimal mass participation.

Using Ritz Vectors to Minimize Local Modes

Another cause of local modes is including the self-weight in models with walls or horizontal
diaphragms modeled with plate/shell elements. These walls and floors can have many modes that
will tend to vibrate out-of-plane like drums, but will have very little effect on the lateral seismic
response of the structure. For cases like this it will often be better to switch from the standard or
accelerated dynamic solvers to the Ritz Vector dynamic solver because Ritz vectors are inherently
biased to avoid modes with little mass participation in the desired direction.

Dynamic Analysis - Response Spectra

A Response Spectra Analysis can be performed after the dynamic analysis to obtain forces, stresses
and deflections. In general, the response spectra analysis procedure is based on the assumption that
the dynamic response of a structural model can be approximated as a summation of the responses of
the independent dynamic modes of the model.

Response Spectra Analysis Procedure

To run a Response Spectra analysis:
1. Go to the Home ribbon.

2. Click the Solve icon down-arrow.

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3. Choose Dynamics from the solution options that appears, to open the Dynamics window.

4. Click the Load Combinations for Mass down-arrow and choose the LC you want.
5. Set the No. of Nodes using the “-” or “+’” to increase or decrease the number.
6. Use the Response Spectra Analysis checkboxes to indicate which directions you want to
perform the analysis.
7. Choose the spectra to be used for each direction.
8. Type the Damping Ratio percentage.
9. Type the Cutoff Frequency (in Hz).

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10. Click Solve to run the analysis.

Note:
l For a more thorough explanation of the Eigensolution options refer to
Dynamic Analysis - Eigensolution.
l Upon the completion of the solution you are returned to the Frequencies
spreadsheet and the participation yielded by the RSA is listed. To view model
results such as forces/deflections/reactions you will need to create a load
combination on the Load Combination spreadsheet that includes the
spectra results. See below.
l The Dynamic Solver options are located in the Model Settings - Solution tab
Advanced options.

Include Response Spectra Analysis Results in Load Combination

To in the Response Spectra analysis results in a Load Combination:
1. Go to the Explorer panel Data Entry section.

2. Click on Load Combinations.

The Load Combinations spreadsheet opens.

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3. Click the BLC ellipsis button.

A Set Basic Load Combination Entry window opens.

4. Choose Spectral Load and then click the down-arrow.

5. Choose "SX","SY", or "SZ" as the BLC entry.
l SX for the X direction RSA results
l SY for the Y direction RSA results
l SZ for the Z direction RSA results
6. (Optional) To scale the spectral results, click in the Factor column of the row and type the
spectra-scaling factor, as shown in the following image.

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Note:
You can include more than one spectra solution in a single load combination (as
shown in the following image). If you do this, you can also have RISA-3D combine
the multiple RSA results using an SRSS summation. To use the SRSS summation,
set the RSA SRSS flag for the combination to "+" or “-”.
l Use “+” if you want the summed RSA results (which will be all positive) added
to the other loads in the load combination.
l Use “-” if you want the summed results subtracted.

Response Spectra
The response spectra represent the maximum response of any single degree of freedom (SDOF)
system to a dynamic base excitation. The usual application of this method is in seismic (earthquake)
analysis. Earthquake time history data is converted into a "response spectrum". With this response
spectrum, it is possible to predict the maximum response for any SDOF system. By "any SDOF
system", it is meant a SDOF system with any natural frequency. "Maximum response" means the
maximum deflections, and thus, the maximum stresses for the system.

Response Spectra Analysis Procedure

In the response spectra analysis procedure, each of the model's modes is considered to be an
independent SDOF system. The maximum responses for each mode are calculated independently.

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These modal responses are then combined to obtain the model's overall response to the applied
spectra.
The response spectra method enjoys wide acceptance as an accurate method for predicting the
response of any structural model to any arbitrary base excitation, particularly earthquakes. Building
codes require a dynamics based procedure for some structures. The response spectra method
satisfies this dynamics requirement. The response spectra method is easier, faster and more
accurate than the static procedure so there really isn't any reason to use the static procedure.
If you wish to learn more about this method, an excellent reference is Structural Dynamics, Theory
and Computation by Dr. Mario Paz (1991, Van Nostrand Reinhold).

Frequencies Outside the Spectra

If a response spectra analysis is solved using modal frequency values that fall outside the range of
the selected spectra, RISA extrapolates to obtain spectral values for the out-of-bounds frequency. If
the modal frequency is below the smallest defined spectral frequency, a spectral velocity is used for
the modal frequency that results in a constant Spectra Displacement from the smallest defined
spectral frequency value. A constant spectral displacement is used because modes in the “low”
frequency range tends to converge to the maximum ground displacement. If the modal frequency is
above the largest defined spectral frequency, a spectral velocity is used for the modal frequency that
results in a constant Spectra Acceleration from the largest defined spectral frequency value. A
constant spectral acceleration is used because modes in the “high” frequency range tend to converge
to the maximum ground acceleration (zero period acceleration).

Mass Participation

The mass participation factors reported on the Frequencies spreadsheet reflect how much each
mode participated in the Response Spectra Analysis solution. Remember that the RSA involves
calculating separately the response for each mode to the applied base excitation represented by the
spectra. Here is where you can tell which modes are important in which directions. Higher
participation factors indicate more important modes. The participation factor itself is the percent of
the model's total dynamic mass that is deflecting in the shape described by the particular mode.
Thus, the sum of all the participation factors in a given direction can not exceed 100%.
The amount of participation for the mode may also reflect how much the mode moves in the direction
of the spectra application. For example, if the 1st mode represents movement in the global Y direction
it won't participate much, if at all, if the spectra is applied in the global X direction. You can isolate
which modes are important in which directions by examining the mass participation.

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Note:
l Usually for the RSA to be considered valid, the sum of the modal participation
factors must equal or exceed 90% (e.g. ASCE7-10, Section 12.9.1). If you do an
RSA and the total participation is less than 90%, you need to return to the dynamic
solution and redo the dynamic analysis with more modes. If you are getting a lot of
modes with little or no participation see Dynamics Troubleshooting – Local Modes.
l You may also want to account for accidental torsion. See Modeling Accidental
Torsion to learn how to do this.
l Models with a large amount of mass lost into boundary conditions may have
difficulty achieving 90% mass participation. See Dynamics Modeling for more
information.

Modal Combination Option

There are three choices for combining your modal results: CQC, SRSS or Gupta. In general, you’ll
want to use either CQC or Gupta.
l CQC stands for "Complete Quadratic Combination".
Use CQC for models where you don’t expect much rigid response.
A complete discussion of this method will not be offered here, but if you are interested, a
good reference on this method is Recommended Lateral Force Requirements and
Commentary, 1999, published by SEAOC (Structural Engineers Assoc. of Calif.). In
general, the CQC is a superior combination method because it accounts for modal coupling
quite wel
l Use Gupta for models where the rigid response could be importan.
An example of one type of model where rigid response would be important is the analysis of
shear wall structures.
l Use the SRSS method in case you need to compare results with the results from some
older program that does not offer CQC or Gupta.
CQC stands for "Complete Quadratic Combination". A complete discussion of this method will not be
offered here, but if you are interested, a good reference on this method is Recommended Lateral
Force Requirements and Commentary, 1999, published by SEAOC (Structural Engineers Assoc. of
Calif.). In general, the CQC is a superior combination method because it accounts for modal coupling
quite well.
The Gupta method is similar to the CQC method in that it also accounts for closely spaced modes. In
addition, this method also accounts for modal response that has “rigid content”. For structures with
rigid elements, the modal responses can have both rigid and periodic content. The rigid content from
all modes is summed algebraically and then combined via an SRSS combination with the periodic
part which is combined with the CQC method. The Gupta method is fully documented in the
reference, Response Spectrum Method, by Ajaya Kumar Gupta (Published by CRC Press, Inc.,
1992).

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The Gupta method defines lower ( f 1 ) and upper ( f 2 ) frequency bounds for modes containing both
periodic and rigid content. Modes that are below the lower bound are assumed to be 100%
periodic. Modes that are above the upper bound are assumed to be 100% rigid.

Unsigned (All Positive) Results and the Use Dominant Mode For Signage
Checkbox
A response spectra analysis involves calculating forces and displacements for each mode
individually and then combining these results. The problem is both combination methods offered
(SRSS and CQC) use a summation of squares approach that loses the sign. This means that all the
results are positive, except reactions, which are all negative as a result of the positive displacements.
Because the RSA results are unsigned you cannot directly add the results to other static loads in you
model. One way around this is to treat the RSA results as both positive and negative by manually
providing the sign. Using two combinations for each RSA result, one with a positive factor and the
other with a negative factor you can capture the maximum deflections, stresses and forces when
combining with other loads. See Load Combinations with RSA Results for an example.
The mass participation may indicate that a model is dominated by a single mode in a direction. You
can base the signs for the final combined RSA results on the signs for the RSA for this single
dominant mode, by checking the box that says “Use Dominant Mode for Signage?”. When
selected, the Mode that has the highest mass participation in that direction is considered to be the
dominant mode.

Limitations on Response Spectra Results

Because of the statistical method used to combine the results , response spectra results can be
confusing or misleading to engineers that are not familiar with the process. The confusion is usually
associated with the fact any single response spectra result is correct, but that it is not known whether
the sign of that result should be positive or negative. This results in a number of limitations that should
be considered when using response spectra analysis.
Limitations on Response Spectra Results

Limitation Description
Statics By default with an RSA solution the results will not obey statics, due
to the nature of combining the modes via SRSS, CQC, etc. Thus, if
you view the reactions, member forces, etc., the model will not
obey statics. If the model has a "dominant" mode in the given
direction then the normal path forward would be to select the Use
Dominant Mode for Signage? checkbox when solving for the
dynamic solution.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips
& Tricks webpage at risa.com/post/support. Type in Search
keywords: Response Spectra Reactions Satisfy Statics.
Deflected Shape By default with an RSA solution the results will not obey statics, due
to the nature of combining the modes via SRSS, CQC, etc. Thus, if
you view the deflected shape you will see that the deflected shape

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Limitation Description
looks odd. Similar to the "Statics" limitation above, one possible
path forward is to use the Use Dominant Mode for Signage?
checkbox when solving your dynamic solution.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips
& Tricks webpage at risa.com/post/support. Type in Search
keywords: Response Spectra Reactions Satisfy Statics.
Plate and Wall Contours Plate contours are not presented to the user for RSA load
combination unless the Use Dominant Mode for Signage? option
has been chosen. This is because the results can be misleading
due to the "Statics" issue described above.
Wall Panel Reactions Wall Panel reactions consist of a number of internal nodal reactions
that are then summed together across the wall. Since the signs of
those reactions are unknown, the reactions for each Wall Panel
cannot be correctly calculated. There are two methods of dealing
with this issue:
l Use the solution described in the "Statics" limitation.
l Use the Wall Forces spreadsheet results or Wall Detail
Report instead.

Note: The Wall Force results (in the detail reports and the
Wall Force Results spreadsheet) are calculated correctly
because each force is calculated and stored for each
mode, which allows a final RSA result to be calculated
using the combination method (SRSS, CQC etc) chosen by
you. A future revision to the program may be to calculate
and store wall reactions for each mode similar to what is
done for the Wall Forces spreadsheet.

Internal Force Because the Internal force summation tool relies on plate corner
Summation Tools forces, these results are not available for wall panels for any load
combination which contains RSA results. Internal force summation
tools may be used on other portions of the model. However, they
will face the same issue that is described under the "Statics"
limitation above. For that reason the results are suppressed unless
the Use Dominant Mode for Signage? option has been chosen.

Other Options

Cut Off Frequency

This is the frequency used by the Gupta method to calculate the upper bound for modes having
periodic and rigid content. The “rigid frequency” is defined as “The minimum frequency at which the
spectral acceleration becomes approximately equal to the zero period acceleration (ZPA), and

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remains equal to the ZPA”. If nothing is entered in this field, the last (highest) frequency in the
selected response spectra will be used.
For seismic response, the typical cutoff frequency would be 33 Hz.

Damping Ratio
The damping ratio entered here is used in conjunction with the CQC and Gupta combination
methods. This single entry is used for all the modes included in the RSA, an accepted practice. A
value of 5% is generally a good number to use. Typical damping values are:
l 2% to 5% for welded steel
l 3% to 5% for concrete
l 5% to 7% for bolted steel, wood

RISAFloor Spectra Results

When a response spectra analysis is run in a combined RISAFloor/RISA-3D model with multiple
eigen solutions (centered mass versus eccentric mass solutions), the results for each item is based
on the worst case of the response spectra for the multiple modes. An example would be that node N1
gets its base reaction value from the centered mass response spectra solution, while another node,
N2, gets its base reaction from the Plus X eccentric mass response spectra solution.
When using the Use Dominant Mode for Signage option with multiple eigen solutions under
RISAFloor, the dominant mode is defined by the centered mass solution with highest mass
participation in that direction.

RSA Scaling Factor (Manual Scaling)

The most difficult part of the entire RSA procedure is normally calculating the scaling factor to be
used when including the RSA results in a load combination.
The ASCE 7 uses a particular “shape” for it’s spectra (See Figure 11.4-1), but the parameters SDS
and SD1 make it specific to a particular site. However, the ASCE 7 imposes several requirements
regarding the minimum design values. ASCE 7-16 Section 12.9.1.4.1 specifies a modification factor,
V/Vt( ASCE 7-10 Section 12.9.4.1 specifies a modification factor, 0.85*V/Vt), that can be used to
scale the response spectra results to something less than or equal the base shear calculated using
the static procedure (ASCE 7 Sect. 12.8).
The static base shear (V) is calculated using the equations in ASCE 7-16 Sect. 12.8.1
Note that there are limiting values for the static base shear in ASCE 7-16 equations 12.8-3 through
12.8-6.
Therefore, in order to calculate the proper scaling factor, we need to know what the unscaled RSA
base shear (this is called the Elastic Response Base Shear in the IBC) is, and we also need to
calculate the value of "V" (static base shear). The calculation of V isn't particularly difficult because
the two values that present the biggest problem in this calculation (T and W) are provided by
RISA. To calculate the value of W, simply solve a load combination comprised of the model seismic
dead weight. This almost certainly will be the same load combination you used in the Dynamics
settings for the Load Combination for Mass. The vertical reaction total is your "W" value.

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The T value is simply the period associated with the dominant mode for the direction of interest. For
example, if you're calculating the scaling factor for a Z-direction spectra, determine which mode gives
you the highest participation for the Z direction RSA. The period associated with that mode is your T
value. Note that there are limiting values for T, see ASCE 7-16 section 12.8.2.
Calculating the unscaled RSA base shear also is very straightforward. Just solve a load combination
comprised of only that RSA, with a factor of 1.
Example:

l Assuming we're looking at a Z direction RSA, enter “SZ” in the BLC field of the Load
Combinations spreadsheet and for the Factor enter "1". Leave all the other BLC fields
blank.
l Solve the load combination and look at the Z direction reaction total. This total value is
the unscaled RSA base shear.
l To get the correct scaling factor, solve this equation:
Scale Factor = (V / Unscaled RSA base shear)

You would do this calculation to obtain the scaling factors for all the directions of interest (X, Y and/or
Z). Unless the model is symmetric the fundamental period for each direction is probably different. Be
sure to use the proper value for "T" for the direction being considered.

Note: The ASCE 7 has additional requirements for vertical seismic components.
(See ASCE 7-16 section 12.4.2.2).

RSA Scaling Factor (Automatic Scaling)

The most difficult part of the entire RSA procedure is normally calculating the scaling factor to be
used when including the RSA results in a load combination. The Scaling Factor tool can be used to
automatically calculate the RSA scaling factor for each direction within your model.
The RSA scaling factors automatically default to 1.0 and can only be changed in the Scaling Factor
window. You can open the window by clicking the scale factor button, RSA Scaling Factor, at the top
of the Load Combinations spreadsheet.

Note: Currently these factors are only calculated when you open this window and click the
Calculate button. Therefore, if you have previously calculated these and then made changes
to your model, you need to come back into this window and re-click the Calculate buttons to
update the scaling factors.

Base Shear
The Base Shears section of the Spectra Scaling Factor window box reports to you the static base
shear and the un-scaled RSA base shear for each direction. If these values have not been calculated
yet, then you may press the Calculate button. This launches the Seismic Load Generation window

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for the calculation of the Static Base Shear, or the Dynamic Solution dialog for the calculation of the
Unscaled Base Shear for your Response Spectra results.

Scaling Factor

Program Calculated
This section compares the ELF (Equivalent Lateral Force) Limit, as reduced by the Base Shear
Multiplier, and the I/R Limit. These values are explained in detail below.
l The Base Shear Multiplier is used in the calculation of the ELF Limit. This multiplier can
be used to reduce the calculated (unscaled) base shear lower (typically no more than 85%)
than the Equivalent Lateral Force Method per ASCE 7-10. For the 1997 UBC, this is
covered in section 1631.5.4. For the 2000 IBC, this is covered in section 1618.7. For the
2015 NBC, it is discussed in clause 4.1.8.12 (8). In the ASCE 7-16, it is discussed in section

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12.9.1.4.1.
l The ELF Limit is the limiting scaling factor calculated per the Equivalent Lateral Force
procedure:

l The I/R Limit simply takes the elastic dynamic base shear and reduces it to an inelastic
base shear. This value is calculated per the I (Importance Factor) and R (Response
Modification Coefficient). You may edit these values in the Seismic tab of Model Settings.
l The Controlling Limit is the governing (larger) value of the ELF limit and I/R limit.

User Input
You may manually override the program calculated factor by selecting the User Input option and
entering in an alternate value.

Apply Checkbox
The Apply SF to all RSA Load Combinations checkbox applies to the SF scale factors for all load
combinations that currently reference response spectra results. The final Load combinations will
appear similar to those shown below:

Automatic Response Spectra Generation

1997 UBC
You can have the 1997 UBC spectra generated automatically by selecting "UBC 97, Parametric
Design Spectra" for your RSA. The Ca and Cv seismic coefficients are needed to calculate the values
for the UBC ’97 spectra. See Figure 16-3 in the UBC for the equations used to build the spectra. See
Tables 16-Q and 16-R to obtain the Ca and Cv values. The default values listed are for Seismic Zone
3, Soil Type “Se” (Soft Soil Profile). These values can be edited in the Seismic tab of Model Settings.

2000 IBC
You can have the 2000 IBC spectra generated automatically by selecting "IBC 2000, Parametric
Design Spectra" for your RSA. The SDS and SD1 seismic coefficients are needed to calculate the
values for the IBC 2000 spectra. See Figure 1615.1.4 in the IBC for the equations used to build the
spectra. See section 1615.1.3 to obtain the SDS and SD1 values. These values can be edited in the
Seismic tab of Model Settings.

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2005 ASCE
You may have the 2005 ASCE spectra generated automatically by selecting "ASCE 2005,
Parametric Design Spectra" for your RSA. The SDS, SD1, and TL seismic coefficients are needed to
calculate the values for the ASCE 2005 spectra. See Figure 11.4-1 in ASCE-7 2005 for the equations
used to build the spectra. See section 11.4.4 to obtain the SDS and SD1 values and Figures 22-15
thru 22-20 for the TL value. These values can be edited in the Seismic tab of Model Settings.

2010 ASCE
You can have the 2010 ASCE spectra generated automatically by selecting "ASCE 2010, Parametric
Design Spectra" for your RSA. The SDS, SD1, and TL seismic coefficients are needed to calculate
the values for the ASCE 2010 spectra. See Figure 11.4-1 in ASCE-7 2010 for the equations used to
build the spectra. See section 11.4.4 to obtain the SDS and SD1 values and Figures 22-12 thru 22-16
for the TL value. These values can be edited in the Seismic tab of Model Settings.

2016 ASCE
You can have the 2016 ASCE spectra generated automatically by selecting "ASCE 2016, Parametric
Design Spectra" for your RSA. The SDS, SD1, and TL seismic coefficients are needed to calculate
the values for the ASCE 2016 spectra. See Figure 11.4-1 in ASCE-7 2016 for the equations used to
build the spectra. See section 11.4.5 to obtain the SDS and SD1 values and Figures 22-14 thru 22-17
for the TL value. These values can be edited in the Seismic tab of Model Settings.

2005 NBC
You can have the 2005 NBC spectra generated automatically by selecting "NBC 2005 Parametric
Design Spectra" for your RSA. The Site Class and the Savalues are needed to calculate the values
for the NBC 2005 spectra. Please see section 4.1.8.4(7) to obtain the Sa values and Table 4.1.8.4(A)
for the Site Class. Please see section 4.1.8.4(7) for the equations used to build the spectra.These
values can be edited in the Seismic tab of Model Settings.

2010 NBC
You can have the 2010 NBC spectra generated automatically by selecting "NBC 2010 Parametric
Design Spectra" for your RSA. The Site Class and the Savalues are needed to calculate the values
for the NBC 2010 spectra. Please see section 4.1.8.4(7) to obtain the Sa values and Table 4.1.8.4(.A)
for the Site Class. Please see section 4.1.8.4.(7) for the equations used to build the spectra.These
values can be edited in the Seismic tab of Model Settings.

2015 NBC
You can have the 2015 NBC spectra generated automatically by selecting "NBC 2015 Parametric
Design Spectra" for your RSA. The Site Class and the Savalues are needed to calculate the values
for the NBC 2015 spectra. Please see section 4.1.8.4(7) to obtain the Sa values and Table 4.1.8.4(.A)
for the Site Class. Please see section 4.1.8.4.(7) for the equations used to build the spectra.These
values can be edited in the Seismic tab of Model Settings.

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Adding and Editing Spectra

You can add your own spectra to the database and edit and delete them once they are created. You
can add/edit spectra data pairs in any configuration by choosing between Frequency or Period and
between the three spectral values. You can also choose to convert the configuration during
editing. At least two data points must be defined. Log interpolation is used to calculate spectra values
that fall between entered points. Make sure that all of the modal frequencies in your model are
included within your spectra.

Add or Modify a Spectra

To add or edit a Spectra:
1. Open the Advanced ribbon.

2. Click the Response Spectra icon.

The Response Spectra Library window opens.

3. Click the Generate or View/Edit button.

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4. Select the format to be used and specify the parameters.

5. (Optional) Click the Help icon for help on an item.

Note:
l Zero values are not allowed in the data.
l The spectra data is not currently stored with the RISA model file. Instead it is stored
in the RSPECT32.FIL database file located in the directory set using 3D Button -
Application Settings - File Locations. If a file with a custom spectra needs to be
transferred to another computer, then this file must also be transferred to the new
computer.

Tripartite Response Spectra Plot

This plot is a convenient logarithmic representation of all the values of interest in the response
spectra definition.

These values are as follows:

l Frequency (f)
l Period (T)
l Pseudo Velocity (Sv)

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l Pseudo Acceleration (Sa)

l Pseudo Displacement (Sd)
The relationships between these values (for the undamped case) is as follows:
l T = 1. / f
l Sv = Sd * 2πf = Sa / 2πf
For the tripartite plot, the frequency values are plotted along the bottom with the reciprocal period
values displayed along the top. The ordinate axis plots the Sv values (labeled on the left side) and the
diagonal axes plot the Sa (lower left to upper right) and Sd (upper left to lower right) values.
The spectra data itself is represented with the thick red line. Therefore, to determine the Sv, Sa or Sd
value for a particular frequency or period, locate the desired period or frequency value along the
abscissa axis and locate the corresponding point on the spectra line. Use this point to read off the Sv,
Sa and Sd values from their respective axes. Remember, all the axes are logarithmic!

Single Spectra Plot

This plot is a Response spectra representation that is given in the building codes. The vertical axis
can plot the spectra using Pseudo-Acceleration, Pseudo-Velocity, or Pseudo Displacement on a
vertical or logarithmic scale. The horizontal axis plots the Period or Frequency using a Linear or
Logarithmic scale.

These values are as follows:

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l Frequency (f)
l Period (T)
l Pseudo Velocity (Sv)
l Pseudo Acceleration (Sa)
l Pseudo Displacement (Sd)
The relationships between these values (for the undamped case) is as follows:
l T = 1. / f
l Sv = Sd * 2πf = Sa / 2πf
The spectra data itself is represented with the thick red line. Therefore, to determine the Sv, Sa or Sd
value for a particular frequency or period, locate the desired period or frequency value along the
horizontal axis and locate the corresponding point on the spectra line. Use this point to read off the
Sv, Sa and Sd values from their vertical axis.

Dynamic Analysis - Time History

An Eigensolution uses the mass and stiffness matrices to calculate natural frequencies and natural
modes of vibration for a structure due to free or unforced vibration. A Time History Analysis uses the
mass, stiffness and damping matrices to solve for the forced vibration of the structure due to an
applied load that varies with time. Therefore, the program must have information about the force (as a
function of time) applied to the structure and the structure's damping in order to solve the dynamic
analysis.

Time History Functions / Pattern

To open the Time History Function Library:
1. Go to the Advanced ribbon .
2. Click the Time History icon (as shown in the following image).

The Time History Function Library window opens.

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The time history functions listed in the window are each stored in their own *.FIL file in the
Time History sub-folder of the RISA working directory. The path to these files is specified in
3D Button Application Settings on the File Locations tab.
Time History Load Functions / Patterns may be Generated or Imported. Typically, seismic
blast loading functions are imported. Loading from dynamic equipment is likely to be
generated from a simple sinusoidal function.

Generated Loads
Generated Loads may be used for simple sine and cosine functions. The generate option also allows
for those functions to be assigned Ramp Up functions at the beginning of the pattern, or Coast Down
functions at the end of the pattern. These functions can adjust how both the frequency and magnitude
change with time.

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Base Function - tab

Time History Function: Base Function - tab Settings

Setting Description
Function Type Function Type allows you to define the type of function. Currently, a
generated function may be defined as either a sine or cosine.
l Sin - Sine
l Cos - Cosine
Freq / Period Freq / Period allows you to enter the function based on whatever criteria
(Hertz, Rotations per Minute, or natural period) is most convenient for
them. First choose the criteria, then enter the frequency / period.
Criteria options are:
Hz - Hertz
RPM - rotations per Minute
sec - (Seconds) the natural period of time
Duration (sec) Duration allows you to change the length (in seconds) of the Time
History function cycle.
Complete Last Cycle The Complete Last Cycle button allows you to change the duration of the
function so that the last cycle is completed.
Scale Factor Scale Factor allows you to scale a function up or down by a given amount.
This is often entered in as the total force produced by the sinusoidal function.

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Setting Description
Phase (deg) Phase allows you to identify the sinusoidal loading angle (in degrees) that
starts at values other than the maximum or zero.
Apply The ‘Apply’ button forces the plotted image of the function to be updated.
The text of this button turns bold when the program detects that changes
have been made that are not reflected in the current function plot.

Display Range
This section controls the display of the function. This may be useful when it is necessary to zoom in
on certain times within the overall pattern / function, especially ramp up or coast down regions. This
allows you to verify that the function is created correctly and that no discontinuity exists at the ramp
up or ramp down transition points.

Time History Function: Display Range Settings

Setting Description
Steps The number of steps is not as relevant to generated functions because these
are displaying general functions. The default displayed step is 0.001 seconds
in the generation window and currently cannot be changed.
Apply The ‘Apply’ button (found under the Base function section) forces the plotted
image of the function to be updated. The text of this button turns bold when
the program detects that changes have been made that are not reflected in the
current function plot.

Note: The 0.001 second display can be problematic for high frequency functions greater than
about 100 Hz. But, this is merely a limitation in the display behavior and does not represent a
problem with the internally created function.

Ramp Up - tab
The Ramp Up tab controls how the frequency and magnitude change with time at the beginning of the
function. When AutoCalc option is selected for the magnitude that means that it will vary with the
square of the frequency. This can be thought of as the behavior of the equipment when it is first
turned on before it attains its normal operating speed.

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Time History Function: Ramp Up Settings

Setting Description
Freq Function The Frequency Function option lets you choose which frequency function to
use for Ramp Up. Choices are; no Frequency Function, Linear Frequency
Function or Quadratic Frequency Function.
Mag Function The Mag Function option lets you choose which mag function to use for
Ramp Up. choices are; no Mag Function, AutoCalc Mag Function, Linear
Mag Function or Quadratic mag Function.
Apply The Appl’ button forces the plotted image of the function
to be updated.
The text of this button turns bold when the program
detects that changes have been made that are not
reflected in the current function plot.

Coast Down - tab

The Coast Down tab controls the frequency and magnitude change with time at the end of the
function. When AutoCalc option is selected for the magnitude that means that it will vary with the
square of the frequency. This can be thought of as the behavior of the equipment as it is turned off
and slows down from its operating speed.

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Time History Function: Coast Down - tab Settings

Setting Description
Freq Function The Frequency Function option lets you choose which frequency function to
use for Coast Down. Choices are; no Frequency Function, Linear Frequency
Function or Quadratic Frequency Function.
Mag Function The Mag Function option lets you choose which mag function to use for
Coast Down. choices are; no Mag Function, AutoCalc Mag Function, Linear
Mag Function or Quadratic mag Function.
Apply The Appl’ button forces the plotted image of the function to be updated.
The text of this button turns bold when the program detects that changes
have been made that are not reflected in the current function plot.

Import Load
For more complex functions, the program allows importing from a text file. That text file must be
written in a particular format in order to be read properly. See information below for a brief example:
[TIME_HISTORY_INPUT_DATA]
[HEADER]
Original Blast
[END_HEADER]
[FUNCTION_INFO]
[.MULTIPLIER] <1>
1 ;
[.END_MULTIPLIER]
[.TIME_STEP] <1>

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0.1 ;
[.END_TIME_STEP]
[.RECORD_PER_LINE] <1>
1;
[.END_RECORD_PER_LINE]
[END_FUNCTION_INFO]
[RECORDS] <7>
0.
5.
3.
1.
-1.
-0.5
0.
[END_RECORDS]
[END_FILE]
The following table describes the main sections for the text file import.
Text File Import Main Sections

Section Description
[HEADER] The [HEADER] section is the name of the time history as it will appear in
the library of time history patterns / functions. This section is a required
field.
[FUNCTION_INFO] The [FUNCTION_INFO] section gives information on the function itself,
like time step, number of records per line, et cetera.
[.MULTIPLIER] The [.MULTIPLIER] is used for converting the units of the record data.
For example, acceleration records in RISA are assumed to be entered in
terms of acceleration of gravity. If the record gives the acceleration in
terms of meters per second squared, then this multiplier would be set to
0.10194 (1/9.81). This value will be assumed to be equal to 1.0 if not
specifically entered.
[.TIME_STEP] The [.TIME_STEP] is assumed to be 0.01 sec, if not entered.
[.RECORD_PER_ The [.RECORD_PER_LINE] field corresponds to the number of records
LINE] per line. This will be assumed to be 1 if not entered.

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Section Description

Note:
l Acceleration based functions are assumed to already
be entered in terms of the acceleration of gravity (g).
Therefore, it is not necessary to multiply.
l Text files which illustrate example functions exist in the
RISA\Time History\ sub-folder of the main RISA
directory. These are merely ASCII text files with an
extension of *.TH to identify them as Time History
functions.

[RECORDS] The [RECORDS] section gives the actual time history records. These
values may be separated by spaces, semi-colons or carriage returns.
The <number> which follows this entry is the number of lines of data, not
the total number of records. Therefore, if the file contains 3 records per
line and 500 lines of data. This entry would say <500> not <1500>.

View / Edit
The View / Edit Time History Function window looks different depending on what type of time history
function is being viewed. When it is a generated sinusoidal function, there are controls that allow the
user to edit the function. This editing is performed with the same controls (Freq/Period, Ramp Up,
Coast Down) shown in the Generate screen.
When it is an imported time history, the only editing that can be done is to shorten the duration time of
the motion. This can be done, for example, if the imported Seismic Record contains 50+ seconds of
data, but the strong motion data lasts only a fraction of that time. If this is desired, then enter cutoff
time in the duration and the time history function will be truncated at that time.

In this view / edit window, the Values table lists the time / value pairs for the function. This can be
used to view the exact time at which the function reaches a maximum or the exact value of a function
at a given moment in time.

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Hovering the cursor over the graph makes a vertical gray line appear that follows the cursor, so long
as it is hovered over the graph area. Clicking anywhere in the graph area highlights the
corresponding values in the Values table on the right-hand side.

Time History Loads Spreadsheet

The Time History Loads spreadsheet allows you to assign one of the existing time history to specific
nodes or all nodes in the model.
To access the Time History Loads spreadsheet:
1. Click on Time History Loads in the Explorer panel to the right side of the model editing
panel.

Alternatively, you can access the spreadsheet from the Spreadsheets ribbon.

To access from the Spreadsheets ribbon

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a. Go to the Spreadsheets ribbon.

b. Click the Data Entry icon.

c. Click the Time History Loads checkbox.

The Time History Loads spreadsheet opens.

The following table provides information about the data in the Time History Loads
spreadsheet.
Time History Spreadsheet Columns

Column Description
Tag Each Time History Load definitions is automatically assigned a “Tag”
(such as T1, T2, et cetera) as shown on the left side of the
spreadsheet. These tags are assigned by the program and may not
be edited. Time History Loads are included in the analysis by
referencing this Tag in the Load Combinations spreadsheet.
Multiple loads or lines of data may be assigned within a given time
history tag.
Label A tab’s Label is editable and is used for your reference as an identifier
for that specific set of time history loads. Only one label is allowed per

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Column Description
time history tag, even if the tag contains multiple lines of data.
Time Step Time Step is used to specify the integration time step used in the time
(sec) history analysis. Refer to the section titled What integration time step
should I use? for more information on this subject. Only one time step
is allowed for a given time history tag, even if the tag contains multiple
lines of data.

Note:
l You have the option of leaving the time step blank. If
this is done the program automatically uses a value of
1/10th the lowest mode with at least 10% mass
participation. If the time history forcing function were
imported, the time step is not taken greater than the
time step specified in the imported function. If your input
time step is greater than either of the two above limits,
a warning log message is produced.
l Using the HHT method for a Direct Integration solution
in combination with a negative alpha integration
constant, creates some energy dissipation of higher
frequency response. This may allow you to set
integration time steps that are greater than the values
described above.
l If multiple Time Histories are applied at the same time
for a single load combination, the lowest integration
time step is used.
l If multiple time histories are applied to a load
combinations, which do not overlap, each time history is
integrated based on the smaller time step.

Type Type indicates whether this time history function applied to the model
is a Force or an Acceleration. Units for each are reported in the status
bar at the bottom of the application. Acceleration functions are always
assumed to be given as a fraction of the acceleration of gravity.
Function Function identifies the Time History Function / Pattern that will be
applied to the model.
Node Node indicates whether the time history load function is applied to the
node specified. For seismic time history analysis, the node should be
identified as ALL to indicate that the acceleration load is applied to
the entire model.
Dir Dir (Direction Setting) identifies the direction of the load. This is input
with respect to the global axes, X, Y, and Z.
F Factor F Factor is a magnification factor applied to the function. This can be
used for any purpose you want. A common use would be to use
F Factor to account for an increase in the operating speed of dynamic
equipment, or to account for tributary area for a blast analysis. A
blank value defaults to 1.0.
For example, the BLASTLOADEXAMPLE function is really Pagea329
timeof 1436
dependent pressure resulting from some form of explosion. The load
is applied to individual joints thus the F Factor is used to enter the
tributary area for each node. Therefore, this effectively converts the
blast load from pressure to force.
RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Dynamic Analysis

Column Description

T Factor T Factor adjusts the time steps in the forcing speed of the forcing
function. A factor less than 1 increases the speed of the equipment
and a factor greater than 1 decreases the speed of the equipment.
This can be a quick and useful way to adjust a given TH function for
variations in speed instead of having to create new functions for each
case. A blank value defaults to 1.0.

For example, the 0.9 T Factor is used to adjust the 3000 RPM function
to something that is about 11% higher (1/0.9 = 1.11111). This would
be about 3333 RPM.
Similarly, use a factor of 1.10 is used to adjust the 3000 RPM function
to something that is about 9% lower (1/1.10 = 0.90909). This would be
about 2727 RPM.

Note: One important consideration is that the integration time

step is not automatically converted based on the T Factor.
This is the reason the time step changes from 0.001 seconds
to 0.00909 in the example above. This is only necessary in
this example because the intent was to have exactly 20
integration steps for each full cycle of the sine wave. This
means that there is an integration time step for every pi/10
radians of cyclic motion.

Arrival (sec) Arrival indicates the time at which the forcing function starts. A blank
value defaults to 0.
Run Out Run Out indicates how long to continue the time history integration
(sec) after the function has ended. A blank value defaults to 0.
2. (Optional) To include Time History Loads in the analysis, reference the load’s Tag in the
‘Load Combinations’ spreadsheet (as shown in the following example image).

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What Integration Time Step Should I Use?

The answer to this question is a matter of engineering judgment, of course. And, a good reference on
dynamic analysis should be consulted. However, there a few basic factors that come into play. This
section is not meant to provide definitive recommendations on what the engineer should do. Rather it
is meant to identify some common practices.
For dynamic equipment with a known excitation frequency, the answer is usually based on the
operating frequency. A common choice would be to pick an integration step equal to 1/20th or 1/24th
the operating period of the equipment. Though the exact fraction of the operating period can be
debated, the 1/20th and 1/24th values ensure there is an integration step for every 18 or 15 degrees
of rotation.
For a more random excitation (like seismic loading), the important consideration is more likely to be
related to the natural frequencies of the structure which have significant mass participation. A
common choice would be to make sure that the integration step is less than 1/10th the smallest
significant natural period. Though again, the exact fraction of the significant period can be debated. It
may also be necessary, however, to identify the frequency content of the forcing function and use a
time step (similar to the 1/20th of the lowest equipment period) that can capture the frequency content
of the forcing function.

Apply a Time History Load

To apply a Time History Load:
1. Click on Time History Loads in the Explorer panel to the right side of the model editing
panel.

Alternatively, you can access the spreadsheet from the Spreadsheets ribbon.

To access from the Spreadsheets ribbon

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a. Go to the Spreadsheets ribbon.

b. Click the Data Entry icon.

c. Click the Time History Loads checkbox.

The Time History Load spreadsheet opens.

2. Click in the Function column, then click the down-arrow and specify a function / pattern (as
shown in the following image).

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3. In the Time Step (sec) column, specify the time (in seconds) between each integration
time step.
4. Use the Type column to indicate whether the entry corresponds to a force / moment or an
acceleration.
5. Specify the node and direction using the Nodes and Dir fields.
6. The remaining columns adjust the force factor, the time step / period of the input motion and
arrival time. These may be left blank if no modification is necessary.

Note: If the load is to apply to all nodes in the model, enter the ‘Node’ label as
"ALL".

Include a Time History Load in a Load Combination

To include a Time History Load in a Load Combination analysis:
1. Click on the BLC column of the Time History Load you want to include.
2. In the BLC column, type the Time History load Tag (T1, T2, etc.) into the cell.

Alternatively, you can click the ellipsis button to open the Set Basic Load
Combination Entry window where you can choose the appropriate Time History load from
a drop down list, as shown in the following image.

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3. In the Factor column, type in a corresponding BLC factor.

Required Number of Modes

The time history solution requires the use of the structure's mass matrix. In order to ensure that this
matrix is present and valid, RISA requires an active Dynamic / eigen solution before a Time History
Analysis can be run. The number of modes that need to be solved, however, depends on the Time
History Solution method you choose.

Modal Superposition
For dynamic equipment with a known excitation frequency, the required number of modes is usually
related to the operating frequency of the equipment. This means solving for all modes within certain
percentage of the operating frequency of the equipment, even if those modes have little mass
participation.
For more random excitation (like seismic loading), the important consideration is likely the total mass
participation for the solved modes.

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Note:
l If you are obtaining many modes with little or no mass they are probably local
modes. Rather than asking for even more modes and increasing the solution time
refer to Dynamics Troubleshooting – Local Modes to learn how to deal with these
unwanted local modes.
l At this time residual mass / missing mass vectors are NOT considered in a Time
History analysis. Therefore, models with low mass participation would be more
efficiently solved using the Ritz Vectors solution option.

Direct Integration
The number of modes solved during a dynamic analysis does NOT affect the accuracy of the Time
History solution when the Direct Integration solution method is chosen. The dynamic analysis is only
required to ensure that RISA has a valid stiffness matrix available to be used during the time history
solution.

Damping

Modal Superposition
When the Modal Superposition option is chosen, RISA requires you to enter in a single damping
value which applies to all modes. While it is technically possible to assign a different damping value
for specific modes, RISA does not currently support this behavior.
The modal superposition method does not support the building of a damping matrix. Therefore, your
defined damping values, that are associated with translational or rotational springs, are not used in
the solution.

Direct Integration
When the Direct Integration solution option is chosen, the damping matrix is generally built using the
classic Rayleigh Damping formulation based on the Mass proportional and Stiffness proportional
damping, as shown in the following equations where mu and kappa are merely constants used to
form the damping matrix out of the existing mass and stiffness matrices.

The relationships between mass and stiffness and frequency means that the % damping values vary
with frequency (see curve below). These values can be adjusted so that a targeted damping ratio is
achieved at two specific frequencies. In the image below, the target damping ratio was 5% at 15 Hz
and 18.33 Hz. It remains relatively close to 5% between those target frequencies, but will be slightly
less than 5%.

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You can directly assign the mu and kappa constants, or you can choose to use the window below,
which is activated by clicking on the ellipsis button in the advanced solution window of the Model
Settings. You need only enter in your targeted damping ratio and the two target frequencies, then the
program will calculate a mu and kappa value that produces the desired damping for those
frequencies.

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Note: It is technically possible to build the damping matrix so that different material types
have different damping values. This could be accomplished by setting different mu and
kappa values for the different materials. The RISA interface does not currently support this
type of damping, but it is being considered for a future release.

User Defined Spring Damping

When the structure is supported on spring boundary conditions, you can directly enter damping
values using the boundary conditions spreadsheet or window. This directly sets the values of the
damping matrix for those boundary condition degrees of freedom. The most common usage for this is
when you want to use Rayleigh Damping for the super structure, but a higher damping ratio to model
that represents the higher levels of damping that occur at the soil / structure interface, due to the
radiation of the vibrational energy into semi-infinite material that is not part of the structural model.

Soil Properties
For industrial foundations subject to large dynamic forces, one of the variable properties to be
considered are the properties (stiffness and damping) of the soil. This section is not meant to provide
true recommendations on what the engineer should do. Rather it is meant to identify some common
practices and point to some references which may discuss the matter in more depth.

Stiffness and Damping

One of the considerations for soil stiffness is the magnitude of the anticipated response. For most
dynamic equipment, the amplitude of the vibration response may be assumed to be low. The type of
elastic soil stiffness that is estimated in a soils report, may be intended to limit settlement or prevent
soil failure. If so, this would be an inappropriately low estimate for a vibration response. That's
because it is based on large strains at ultimate failure levels. Instead, it would be more appropriate to
use a higher soil stiffness based on low magnitudes of vibration that are expected during normal
operation.
The American Concrete Institute (ACI) has an excellent report titled ACI 351.3-R Foundations for
Dynamic Equipment. This document references a number of other good technical sources. But, in the
opinion of the Engineers at RISA, this ACI document is probably the best starting point for
understanding how to set these parameters. In particular this document describes two common
methods for assessing the stiffness properties of the soil.
Richart - Whitman Model: This is a frequency independent method of determining foundation
stiffness (vertical, horizontal, and rocking) and damping. Equations for calculating this stiffness are
found in section 4.2.1.1 of ACI 351.3-R.
Veletsos Model:This is a frequency dependent criteria for establishing soil stiffness (vertical,
horizontal and rocking) and damping. The dominant operating frequency of the equipment would be
the normal choice for calculating the Veletsos stiffness and damping values.
Unfortunately, it is not as simple as just calculating a value from these models and using that value.
The final decision involves some engineering judgment and experience. Decisions which require
engineering judgment:

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l What criteria should be used for establishing the soil properties the Richard-Whitman
(frequency independent) or the Veletsos (frequency dependent) model?
l How much variation should be assumed in the soil stiffness? Since the soil properties are
not know precisely, do you run a separate analysis at +10% and -10% of the base values
calculated?
l How do you adjust the damping values? The ACI sections referenced above describe the
radiation / geometric damping that would occur. This likely accounts for the majority of the
energy loss in the soil, but there is also material damping (somewhere between 2 and 5% of
critical damping) that would occur as well.
l What is the maximum damping value allowed per your design criteria? There is often
design criteria that will limit the maximum damping to be considered in the analysis to some
percentage of critical damping.

Note: User entered damping values for spring boundary conditions are only considered
when using the Direct Integration method of Time History analysis and are not supported
when using the Modal Superposition method.

Results - Time History Trace

When Time History results are available, you can view a trace of particular node results as a function
of time.
To view Time History Trace Results:
1. Go to the Results ribbon.

2. Click on the TH Trace icon in the Time History section.

3. In the model, click on the Node you want to see the Time History results for.
In the following example, we chose N31.

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4. (Optional) Click on the Values to Trace down-arrow and choose the values you want to
view.
Options are Displacement, Velocity, Acceleration or Reaction.
5. (Optional) Click on the second block down-arrow (as shown in the following image) to
choose a different axis direction to view.

You can display as the X, Y or Z direction. Though, you can also choose to view the RX, RY
or RZ rotational displacement, velocity, acceleration or moment reaction. These values are
all given with respect to the global axes.
6. (Optional) Use the Display Range section to view only selected portions of the solved data,
if extra clarity is needed for a relative tight window of time. Make sure you ‘Apply’ your

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selection for the view to change accordingly.

7. (Optional) Click the Print button to open the Print Options window.
The Print Options window allows you to print the trace as an image. Several formats may be
listed, depending on the programs you have installed on your PC.
You can also export the data to an ASCII text file that can be opened in Excel or Access.
See Export Time History Traces for instructions.

Results - Export Time History Traces

The Export TH Trace feature allows you to export a series of time history traces to an ASCII text file
that can be opened in Excel. This can be done for a graphical selection of nodes.
To export a Time History Trace:
1. Go to the Results ribbon.

2. Click on the Export TH Trace icon in the Time History section.

This icon becomes available whenever a valid time history solution is present.
The Batch Export Time History Traces window opens.

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The following table provides descriptions for the sections in this window.
Batch Export Time History Traces

Section Description
Values to Export The ‘Values to Export’ section allows you to choose whether
to export displacements, velocities, accelerations, reactions
or input functions. It also lets you dictate which direction the
export is being performed on.

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Section Description
Field Delimiter The ‘Field Delimiter’ section allows you to choose what
characters are used to separate individual fields.
Load Combinations The ‘Load Combinations’ section allows you to export for all
the solved time history load combinations or only a single
one. It also allows you to export only a specific time range of
the overall response. This allows you to ensure that you are
getting only the steady response when performing an
equipment vibration analysis and that any transient
response, due to start-up effects, can be excluded.
Report Section The ‘Report Section Options’ allows you to control the
Options column headers in the ASCII text files, as well as whether or
not you want to see the time values or time steps in the file
itself.
3. Choose all the options that correspond to the data you want exported.
4. Click the Export button.

Results - Animate Time History Deflection

When a time history load combination has been solved, you can build a animation movie of the
deflected shape of the structure as a function of time. You can speed up or slow down the animation
to control the length of the movie, and you can pause it and re-start it at a particular time step or time.

Note:
l Time History Deflection diagrams only display joint translation. Joint rotation is not
currently displayed.
l The Export Animation feature may be used to save a video file of the animated
mode shapes.

View a Time History Animation

To view a Time History animation:
1. Go to the View ribbon.
2. Click the Results icon in the ‘Animate’ section.
An Animation Settings window opens.

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3. Click on the Time History option.

4. Click the Load Combination down-arrow and select the load combination you would like to
animate.

5. Click on .
The Animation window opens displaying am animation similar to what is shown here:

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Add Trace Data to the Animation

To add Trace Data to the animation:
1. Click the Trace icon.
A Set Trace Reference window opens.

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2. Click on the node Direction you want to specify (X, Y or Z, or X Rot, Y Rot or Z Rot. Note
that ‘Rot’ = rotation).
3. Click on the Display Type (Displacement, Reaction or Input Function).
4. Click OK.
A Time History Trace of the specified joint result or input function is appended to the bottom
of the deflection animation, as shown in the following image.

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Member Stiffness Issues

Cracking for Concrete Member

The Design tab of the Load Combinations spreadsheet has a ‘Service’ checkbox which indicates
whether the loading is at service level or ultimate level.

Service - checked: If the Service checkbox is checked, the concrete stiffness will be the larger
stiffness assumed for service level loads.

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Service - unchecked: If the Service checkbox is unchecked, the concrete members will have the
lower stiffness that is applicable for ultimate level loads.

Note:
l This applies to both Concrete members and concrete walls.
l This does NOT currently apply to Masonry walls, which always assume a level of
cracking that occurs at ultimate level loads.
l Refer to relevant sections in the Concrete Design, and Wall Panel topics for more
information.

What Solution Method should I Use?

Two different Time History procedures are discussed in detail in the Solution topic.
The choice between the two solution methods comes down to questions about solution speed and
damping. The ‘Modal Superposition’ method is faster for models that don't require large number of
modes in the dynamic solution. But, the advantage in solution speed gets reduced as the number of
modes solved gets very high. Therefore, this solution method would normally be used in cases where
solution speed is the main consideration.
The ‘Direct integration’ procedure doesn't technically require any modes to be solved. However,
RISA requires that one mode be solved so that the program can build and validate the mass matrix
before the Time History solution. Therefore, in models where it is very difficult to capture enough
modes to get a comfortable level of mass participation, the Direct Integration procedure would likely
be chosen. In addition, the Direct Integration method allows you to directly set damping values at
boundary condition springs. Therefore, in models where this extra sophistication in the damping
terms is required, the Direct Integration method is the obvious choice.

Note: The solution time may be reduced by setting the members', solids', plates' or wall
panels' activation status to "Active but Excluded". Deflections will still be calculated for all
nodes, but force and stress results for the excluded elements will not be produced.

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File Operations
You may create, save, and recall files from the File Menu ribbon or from the Quick Access Toolbar.
Importing and exporting other file types may also be accomplished from the File Menu,as shown in
the following image.

Start Off
Starting a Model window
When you open the program,you are presented with a ‘Starting a Model’ window that includes the
following options: Create New, Open Existing, Sample Models and Recent Projects. The bottom area
of the window contains an Explore More section that provides links to other helpful options for
learning about and working with RISA-3D.

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Create a New Model

l
Click the Create New icon in the Starting a Model window.
OR
l Click the New Model icon on the Quick Access Toolbar, if you’ve already closed the
‘Starting a Model’ window, turned off the display of it (checked the Don’t show this again

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checkbox) or currently have a model open in the program.

You are prompted to 'Save' if you have made any changes to the current model that has not
yet been saved.

Open an Existing Model

To open an existing model:
l
Click the Open Existing icon in the Starting a Model window.
OR
l Click the Open Model icon on the Quick Access Toolbar, if you’ve already closed the
‘Starting a Model’ window, turned off the display of it (checked the Don’t show this again
checkbox) or currently have a model open in the program.

You are prompted to 'Save' if you have made any changes to the current model that have
not yet been saved.

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Tip:
To open a model you have used recently, click the File Menu and select from the list of
‘Recent Projects’ (shown to the right of the standard menu). Each model is listed along with a
preview image of the rendered structure.

Open a Sample Model

To open a sample model:
l
Click the Sample Models icon in the Starting a Model window.

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Save a Model

New Untitled Model

To save a new, untitled model:
l Click the Save Model icon on the Quick Access Toolbar.

You are prompted to 'Save' the model by giving it a file name and specifying a folder to save
it to.

Existing Model
To save an existing model:
l Click the Save Model icon on the Quick Access Toolbar.

You are not prompted to save the model. Instead, the model file is simply saved with its
current file name and in the folder you’ve previously specified.

Append Models
You can append other models into the current model by choosing Append from the ‘File’ menu. This
lets you have a library of common model parts that you can use later or to lets you divide projects into
smaller parts and later combine them. This feature does not allow you to combine two unopened
models. You must first open one of the models, and then append the second model into the first
model. If you want to have an unmodified copy of the first model, you need to save the new combined
model under a new file name.
You can only append files from version 6.0 and newer files. If you’ve got an older file that you want to
append, you first need to open that file by itself and save it.

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Your appended model will be placed in the current model using the original coordinate data that was
in the appended model. The appended model is NOT moved to the origin of the current model. So, if
the appended model had an X coordinate of 9.0 for all joints, then it will be placed at a X coordinate of
9.0 in the current model.
When appending, the Drawing Toolbar is already open in the model view, so you can easily adjust
the placement of your appended model using the graphics editing tools. The entire original model is
automatically unselected and your appended model is selected. If you're going to make several
adjustments to the position of your appended model, you should probably click the Lock Unselected
icon in the ‘3D View’ panel ‘Selection’ toolbar, then use the graphical editing tools to put your
appended model where you want it in the current model.
You can use the labels for the Joints, Members, and Plates to help identify the parts as you append
them into your current model. Use the Relabel Joints, Relabel Members and Relabel Plates
options on the ‘Tools’ menu to make the label prefix unique for each of your model parts before you
append them.

Note:
l The appended model properties will be set to the current model properties in cases
where there is a conflict. For example, if both models use the same section set
label, the current model properties will be used to define the section set. The same
is true for material properties, moving loads, and so on.
l Loads remain in the same basic load case. For example if the appended model has
loads in BLC 3 these loads will be placed in BLC 3 of the current model.
l tnxTower model files may also be appended together.

For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Append.

Import and Export

You can import RISA-2D files, STAAD files, tnxTower files, DXF drawing files and BIM Exchange
files. See DXF Files, Appendix C, and Appendix E for more on these file types.

Import Other File Types

To import other file types:
1. Click on the File menu.
2. Click on Import.
3. Choose the File Type.
4. Choose the file you wish to import.
5. Choose from the options associated with the type of file.
6. Perform a Model Merge. See Model Merge for more information.

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Export Other File Types

To export other file types:
1. Click on the File menu.
2. Click on Export.
3. Choose the File Type from the list.
4. Choose the file you wish to export.
5. Choose from the options associated with the type of file.

Importing RISA-2D (v4.0 and Newer)

RISA-2D models can only be imported if they are from version 4.0 or higher and are imported into the
3D XY plane. "PIN" member releases are converted to "BENPIN" in RISA-3D. If the 2D members are
not assigned a database shape, the torsional stiffness, J, is set to '1'. The out of plane translational
degree of freedom (Z), and the out of plane rotational degrees of freedom (2y and 2x), are fixed in the
3D model for all joints.

Automatic Backup
RISA-3D provides an automatic backup for systematically backing up your models. The purpose of
this is to provide a means for you to recover your data in the event RISA-3D or your computer closes
unexpectedly. As you work within RISA-3D your model is saved with a "_backup" suffix to a model
backup folder. By default, this automatic save operation takes place every 5 minutes, but you can
alter the timing and location with the Application Settings option in the File Menu. Backups for the
last 100 models that you worked on are saved, although you can control how many models are
backed up with the Application Settings.
If RISA-3D does close unexpectedly, the next time you start the program the following message
appears:

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Generation
You can automatically generate regular structures or portions of structures to start a new model or
add to an existing model.

Access the Generation types from the Home tab by clicking on the Templates button. You will see
the following options, which require you to specify basic parameters to generate structures with beam
elements, plates, or a combination of both.

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Note:
l To generate items that are not coincident to the global axes first define them in the
global directions and then rotate them into the correct position.
l The plate and member generation is optional for each generation. For example the
cone generator can generate a cone of nodes, members and plates or just a cone of
nodes.
l The generations are powerful but as a result of this some also have many options.
Remember that any generation may be undone by clicking Undo so don’t hesitate
to try something just to see what it does.

Circular Arc Generation

The circular arc generation lets you generate a full circle or partial arc comprised of beam elements.

Circular Arc Generation Options

Option Description
Circular Arc - tab
Rotation Axis Allows you to define the axis to which the direction of the arc will be
oriented.
Arc Segments Allows you to define the number or segments the arc is broken into.
Polar Origin Allows you to define the reference point from which the arc height
and width are measured, and the rotation axis is defined.
Arc Radius Allows you to define the distance from the polar origin to the highest
point on the parabolic arc.

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Option Description
Start Angle Allows you to define the starting angle of the circular arc.
Sweep Angle Allows you to define the ending angle of the circular arc.
Member Section Data - tab
Material Allows you to define the material used to assign the arc member.
Section Set Allows you to define the section set assigned for the arc member.
x-x Rotation Allows you to define the local x-axis rotation of the arc relative to
the global X axis.
Member Prefix Allows you to define prefixes to member labels for members
created using the circular arc generator.
Node Prefix Allows you to define prefixes to node labels for members created
using the circular arc generator.
The polar origin is the center point of the arc. A global axis (X, Y or Z) is entered as the axis of rotation
and the arc is in the plane normal to this axis. You can generate an arc the full 360 degrees around
the axis of rotation or generate a partial arc by specifying the start and sweep angles.
The arc radius is the length from the polar origin to the arc. The arc increment determines how many
piecewise straight segments are used to model the arc.
To generate members for the arc, you must select a valid section set. This section set is used for all
parts of the arc. If you don’t select a section set, it generates an arc of joints without members. The “x-
axis rotate” can be used to rotate the local axes to a desired orientation, however you may find that a
K-node better serves this purpose in some instances. You can also have unique labels assigned to
the generated members, by entering a start label.
For additional advice on this topic and how to use the Circular Arc to model a Dome structure, please
see the RISA Tips & Tricks website: www.risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: 3D
Dome.

Parabolic Arc Generation

The Parabolic Arc generation is used to make arcs that are parabolic. The arc model is comprised of
nodes and optional members.

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Parabolic Arc Generation Options

Option Description
Parabolic Arc - tab
Rotation Axis Allows you to define the axis to which the direction of the arc will be
oriented.
Arc Segments Allows you to define the number or segments the arc is broken into.
Polar Origin Allows you to define the reference point from which the arc height
and width are measured and the rotation axis is defined.
Arc Height Allows you to define the distance from the polar origin to the highest
point on the parabolic arc.
Arc Width Allows you to distance between the two ends of the parabolic arc.
Member Section Data - tab
Material Allows you to define the material used to assign the arc member.
Section Set Allows you to define the section set assigned for the arc member.
x-x Rotation Allows you to define the local x-axis rotation of the arc relative to
the global X axis.
Member Prefix Allows you to define prefixes to member labels for members
created using the parabolic arc generator.
Node Prefix Allows you to define prefixes to node labels for members created
using the parabolic arc generator.
Specify the polar origin about which the arc will be generated.
You must enter the arc height and the arc width and choose a rotation axis.
Enter the number of arc increments to be used to model the arc. The more increments used, the more
closely the final geometry follows the desired parabola. The minimum increments are two, which
gives you a triangular shape.

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You may optionally enter a Node Label prefix that is used for all the nodes generated as part of the
arc. This is useful if you want a way to track individual parts of your model by looking at node prefixes.
To generate members for the arc, you must select a valid section set. This section set is used for all
parts of the arc. If you don’t select a section set, it generates an arc of nodes without members. The
“x-axis rotate” can be used to rotate the local axes to a desired orientation, however you may find that
a K-joint better serves this purpose in some instances. You can also have unique labels assigned to
the generated members, by entering a start label.

Grid Generation
This generation enables you to generate 2D or 3D grids (or even 1D (line) grids) of nodes, plates, and
members with equal or unequal grid increments.

3D Grid Generation Options

Option Description
3D Grid - tab
Polar Origin Polar Origin defines the reference point from which the arc height
and width are measured and the rotation axis is defined.
Node Prefix Node Prefix defines prefixes to node labels for members created using
the parabolic arc generator.
Plates (checkbox) When selected, this option draws plates between members
generated using the Grid Generation.
Plane Allows you to define which plane the plates are generated for.
Material Allows you to define the material used to assign to plate elements.
Thickness Allows you to define the thickness of the plate elements.
Fluid Load (checkbox) When selected, this option automatically generates

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Option Description
hydrostatic loads to the generated plates.
Depth Allows you to define the height of which the hydrostatic loads
should be applied onto the structure.
Density Allows you to define the density of the hydrostatic load that is
applied to the structure.
BLC Allows you to define the Basic Load Case at which the hydrostatic
loads will be generated.
X-Axis Members - tab
X-Axis Members (checkbox) When selected, this option toggles the members being
drawn in the X-Axis.
Material Allows you to define the material used to assign the member.
Section Set Allows you to define the section set assigned for the member.
x-Axis Rotate Allows you to define the local x-axis rotation of the member relative
to the global X axis.
Member Prefix Allows you to define prefixes to member labels for members
created using the Grid generator.
Segments (checkbox) When selected, this option allows for the drawing of
members into several segments or a single member.
No. of Increments Allows you to define how many segments of members to drawn.
Panel Length Allows you to define the length of each panel.
Z-Axis Members - tab
Z-Axis Members (checkbox) When selected, this option toggles the members being
drawn in the Z-Axis.
Material Allows you to define the material used to assign the member.
Section Set Allows you to define the section set assigned for the member.
x-Axis Rotate Allows you to define the local x-axis rotation of the member relative
to the global X axis.
Member Prefix Allows you to define prefixes to member labels for members
created using the Grid generator.
Segments (checkbox) When selected, this option allows for the drawing of
members into several segments or a single member.
No. of Increments Allows you to define how many segments of members to drawn.
Panel Length Allows you to define the length of each panel.
Y-Axis Members - tab
Y-Axis Members (checkbox) When selected, this option toggles the members being
drawn in the Y-Axis.
Material Allows you to define the material used to assign the member.
Section Set Allows you to define the section set assigned for the member.
x-Axis Rotate Allows you to define the local y-axis rotation of the member relative
to the global X axis.
Member Prefix Allows you to define prefixes to member labels for members
created using the Grid generator.

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Option Description
Segments (checkbox) When selected, this option allows for the drawing of
members into several segments or a single member.
No. of Increments Allows you to define how many segments of members to drawn.
Panel Length Allows you to define the length of each panel.
Define the X, Y, and Z coordinates of the origin and the increments for spacing in up to three global
directions. If you don't define any increments parallel to a particular axis no grids are generated in that
direction. Negative increments are OK. Nodes are created at all the grid intersection points.
You can create members in the global directions between the grid points. You can use different
section sets in the three global directions. For example if the Y-axis is the vertical axis you can specify
a column shape for the Y-axis members and different or similar beam shapes for the X-axis and Z-
axis members.
You can have unique labels assigned to the generated members, by entering a start label. You can
also use different labels for the three member directions.
You can create plates in a global plane between the grid points. Keep in mind that the grid increments
you define and the global plane(s) you select must be consistent for the plates to be generated. For
example, if you defined increments only along the X and Y axes, you’ve defined an XY plane of
nodes. If you then enter “ZX” for the plane of the plates, no plates are generated; only the joints in the
XY plane would be generated. You would need to specify “XY” as the plane to have the plates
generated.
A valid material set must be selected in order for plates to be generated. The default is the first
Material listed on the General tab of your Materials spreadsheet.
A hydrostatic load can also be generated along the grid of plates as you generate it. The hydrostatic
load is generated using a series of uniform surface loads on your plate elements. If the fluid depth is
constant along the grid, you just get uniform loads on your plates. If the fluid depth varies along the
grid, you get a series of uniform surface loads that increase in a “stair step” fashion, as you move
down the fluid depth. The value of each uniform surface load is equal to the value of the actual
hydrostatic load at the mid-point of the plate. The load direction is perpendicular to the plates.
The fluid depth is measured in the positive vertical direction from the starting point for the plate grid.
The default fluid density is for water, but any density can be entered. The Fluid Load BLC provides a
drop down list of all the Basic Load Cases. If you’ve defined in any descriptions for your BLC’s, these
are shown in the drop down list. The surface loads generated are placed in the selected Basic Load
Case.

General Truss Generation

The general TrussTemplate generation is used to make various trusses and forms of truss joists. The
truss is comprised of nodes and an optional top chord, bottom chord, vertical strut member and
diagonal brace member. You can make the truss out of any material type (General, Hot Rolled,
Wood, etc.) by choosing your Material.

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Truss Template Options

Option Description
Truss - tab
Plane Plane defines the plane in which the truss is drawn.
Truss Type Truss Type defines the classification or categorization of truss
structure.
Material Material defines the material used to assign the truss member.
Origin Origin defines the reference point or coordinate system used to
establish a fixed position or origin point for the structural model.

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Option Description
Panels - tab
Left Panels Left Panels defines the number of panels left region of the truss.
Right Panels Right Panels defines the number of panels right region of the truss.
Truss Options - tab
Truss Dimensions Truss Dimensions defines centerline to centerline or out to out
dimensions
Pin-Pin Segments Pin-Pin Segments defines if segments should be considered
pinned (checked) or fixed (unchecked).
No. of Copies No. of Copies defines the number of copies the truss is generated.
Member Prefix Member Prefix defines the prefix used in the member label for each
new member generated.
Node Prefix Node Prefix defines the prefix used in the node label for each new
node generated.
Section Set & Rotation - tab
Top Chord Top Chord defines the section set for the top chord members.
Bot Chord Bot Chord defines the section set for the bottom chord members.
Verticals Verticals defines the section set for the vertical members.
Diagonals Diagonals defines the section set for the diagonal members.
Chord Unbraced Lengths - tab
Top Top defines the unbraced lengths for the top chord members.
Bottom Bottom defines the unbraced lengths for the bottom chord
members.
The Origin for the truss generation defines the first point of the bottom chord.
You must enter the truss height and the panel lengths to the left and right of truss "peak".
The Truss Type selects what configuration the truss will use. The Truss Plane defines the plane of
the truss.
Optionally, you can enter a Node label prefix to be used for all the nodes generated as part of the
truss. Similarly, you can enter a Member label prefix to be used for all the members generated as part
of the truss. This is useful if you want a way to track individual parts of your model by looking at
Member or Node prefixes.
You can optionally create members for the bottom chord, top chord, vertical strut and diagonal brace.
For each one of these members you must assign a valid independent section set and ”x-axis rotate
angle”. Note that you must check the checkbox for a member type before you can set any of the
values to indicate that you want generation performed for that member type.
The “x-axis rotate” can be used to rotate the local axes to a desired orientation, however you may find
that a K-node better serves this purpose in some instances.

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Geodesic Dome Generator

The Geodesic Dome generator is used to construct a geodesic dome comprised of member and plate
elements. The following window is displays and allows you to enter the necessary information for the
geodesic dome properties.

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The following table provides descriptions for the options under both the Geodesic Dome and
Geodesic Dome Options tabs in the Geodesic Dome Template window.
Geodesic Dome Template

Option Description
Geodesic Dome - tab
Radius The Radius can be set in the graphical interface.
Dome Height The Dome Height can be set in the graphical interface.
Polar Origin The Polar Origin allows you to choose the dome origin coordinates.
Members Check the Members checkbox to create strut members. Designate
the member prefix, a member material, and a section set.
Plates Check the Plates checkbox to create exterior plate members.
Designate the plate prefix, a general material, and the thickness of
the plate elements.
Geodesic Dome Options - tab
Quantity The Quantity section designates the number of triangular sub-
meshes per side.
Platonic Solid Shape The Platonic Solid Shape section is used to designate the number
of faces of the geodesic dome.
Click OK on the Geodesic Dome Options tab to have the program apply this information to create the
geodesic dome structure.

Cylinder Generation
The Cylinder Plates / Members generation is used to make cylinders comprised of nodes and
optional members and plates.

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The following table provides descriptions for the options under both the Cylinder with Plates and
Stiffeners and Options tabs in the Cylinder Template window.
Cylinder Plates / Members Template Options

Option Description
Cylinder with Plates and Stiffeners - tab
Rotation Axis The Rotation Axis defines the axis to which the direction of the
cylinder is oriented.
Axis Increment The Axis Increment defines the number of segments the cylinder is
broken down into along the height of the cylinder.
Sweep Increment The Sweep Increment defines the number of segments the cylinder
is broken down into along the width of the cylinder.
The number of Sweep Increment determines how many piecewise
straight segments are used to model the arc of the cylinder. The
number and length of increments along the axis of rotation is used
to "extrude" the cylinder in the direction of the axis of rotation.
Sweep Angle The Sweep Angle defines the ending angle of the cylinder arc.
Start Angle The Start Angle defines the starting angle of the cylinder arc.
Radius The Radius is the distance from the polar origin to the furthest point
on the cylinder.
Polar Origin The Polar Origin defines the reference point from which the arc
height and width are measured and the rotation axis is defined.
The Polar Origin is the point about which the arc rotates and a
global axis is the axis of rotation. You can generate a cylinder the
full 360 degrees around the axis of rotation or generate a partial
cylinder by specifying the start and sweep angles.
Material The Material option defines the material used to assign properties
to the cylinder members.
Node Prefix The Node Prefix Defines the prefix used in the node label for each
new node generated.
Options - tab
Axis Members (checkbox) The Axis Member option allows you to toggle members
being drawn in the Axis.
Arc Members (checkbox) The Arc Member options allows you to toggle members
being drawn in the arc.
Section Set Section Set defines the section set assigned axis members or arch
members.
There are entries for a Section Set for both the arc members and
the axis members, so these two sets of members can be different
sizes. To generate these members you must select a valid section
set. If you don't select a section set, you won't generate these
members. Different labels may be assigned to the two member
types.
X-Axis Rotate The X-axis Rotate option defines the local x-axis rotation of the arc

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Option Description
relative to the global X axis. It can be used to rotate the local axis in
to place. However, you may find that a K-node better serves this
purpose.
Member Prefix The Member Prefix defines prefix to member labels for members
created using the generator.
Plates (checkbox) The Plates option allows you to draw plates between
members generated using the Grid Generation.
Material Set You must enter a Material Set for plates to be defined and the label
prefix may be specified as well.
Thickness You must enter Thickness for plates to be defined and the label
prefix may be specified as well.
Plate Prefix The Plate Prefix defines prefix to plate labels for plates created
using the generator.
Fluid Load (checkbox) The Fluid Load option allows you to automatically generate
hydrostatic loads to the generated plates.
Depth The Depth option defines the height of which the hydrostatic loads
should be applied onto the structure.
Density The Density option defines the density of the hydrostatic load that is
applied to the structure.
BLC The BLC option defines the Basic Load Case at which the
hydrostatic loads are generated.

Cone Generation
The cone generation is used to make cones comprised of nodes and optional members and plates.

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Cone with PlatesTemplate Options

Option Description
Cone with Plates - tab
Rotation Axis The Rotation Axis defines the axis to which the direction of the cone
is oriented.
Axis Increment The Axis Increment defines the number of segments the cone is
broken down into along the height of the cone.
Sweep Increment The Sweep Increment defines the number of segments the cone is
broken down into along the width of the cone.
Sweep Angle The Sweep Angle defines the ending angle of the cone arc.
Start Angle The Start Angle defines the starting angle of the cone arc.
Polar Origin The Polar Origin defines the reference point from which the arc
height and width are measured and the rotation axis is defined.
Start Radius The Start Radius defines the starting location of the radius.
End Radius The End Radius defines the ending location of the radius.
Material The Material option defines the material used to assign properties
to the cone members.
Node Prefix The Node Prefix Defines the prefix used in the node label for each
new node generated.
Options - tab
Axis Members (checkbox) The Axis Member option allows you to toggle members
being drawn in the Axis.
Arc Members (checkbox) The Arc Member options allows you to toggle members
being drawn in the arc.
Section Set Section Set defines the section set assigned axis members or arch
members.
There are entries for a Section Set for both the arc members and
the axis members, so these two sets of members can be different
sizes. To generate these members you must select a valid section
set. If you don't select a section set, you won't generate these
members. Different labels may be assigned to the two member
types.
X-Axis Rotate The X-axis Rotate option defines the local x-axis rotation of the arc
relative to the global X axis. It can be used to rotate the local axis in
to place. However, you may find that a K-node better serves this
purpose.
Member Prefix The Member Prefix defines prefix to member labels for members
created using the generator.
Segments (checkbox) When selected, this option allows for the drawing of
members into several segments or a single member.
Plates (checkbox) The Plates option allows you to draw plates between
members generated using the Grid Generation.
Material The Material option defines the material used to assign properties
to the cone members.

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Option Description
A Material Set for plates must be defined.
Thickness The Thickness option defines the thickness of the plate.
A Thickness for plates must be defined.
Plate Prefix The Plate Prefix defines prefix to plate labels for plates created
using the generator.
Specify the polar origin as the point about which the arc rotates and a global axis as the axis of
rotation. You can generate a cone the full 360 degrees around the axis of rotation or generate a
partial cone by specifying the start and sweep angles.
The start radius and end radius are the distances from the axis of rotation to the cone. The number of
increments along the sweep determines how many piecewise straight segments are used to model
the arc of the cone. The number and length of increments along the axis of rotation is used to
"extrude" the cone in the direction of the axis of rotation.
There are entries for a section set for both the arc members and the axis members so these two sets
of members can be different sizes. To generate these members you must select a valid section set. If
you don't select a section set, you won't generate these members. Different labels may be assigned
to the two member types. The “x-axis rotate “ may be used to rotate the local axes in to place
however, you may find that a K-node better serves this purpose.
Finally, you can enter a material set, thickness and label for plates to be defined.

Circular Disk Generation

The Circular Disk generation lets you generate a circular disk comprised of plate elements.

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Circular Disk Template Options

Option Description
Rotation Axis The Rotation Axis defines the axis to which the direction of the
circular disk is oriented.
Radius The Radius defines the distance from the polar origin to the furthest
point on the circular disk.
Increments per The Increment per quadrant defines how many piecewise straight
quadrant segments are used to model the sweep for each quadrant of the
arc.

Note: This entry must be a multiple of 2 (2,4,6, etc.) due to

modeling constraints at the center of the disk. The radius
increment specifies how many “rings” to use to create the
grid

Increments along radius The Increments along radius defines the length of increments along
the radius.
Polar Origin The Polar Origin defines the reference point from which the circular
disk height and width are measured and the rotation axis is defined.
Plates (checkbox) The Plates option allows you to draw plates between
members generated using the Grid Generation.
Material The Material option defines the material used to assign properties
to the circular disk members.
Thickness The Thickness option defines the thickness of the circular disk
plates.
A Thickness for plates must be defined.
Plate Prefix The Plate Prefix defines prefix to plate labels for plates created
using the generator.
Node Prefix The Node Prefix Defines the prefix used in the node label for each
new node generated.
Specify the polar origin as the point about which the grid rotates and a global axis as the axis of
rotation. The grid is generated the full 360 degrees around the axis of rotation.
The radius is total length from the polar origin to the outer edge of the grid. The quadrant increment
determines how many piecewise straight segments are used to model the sweep for each quadrant
of the arc. Note this entry must be a multiple of 2 (2,4,6, etc.) due to modeling constraints at the center
of the disk. The radius increment specifies how many “rings” to use to create the grid.
You must enter a material set and thickness to have plates defined. Only quadrilateral plates are
generated. You can also specify labels assigned to the plates.

Circular Radius Generation

The Circular Radius generation lets you generate a full or partial circular grid comprised of nodes and
optional members and plates.

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Circular Radius Template Options

Option Description
Circular Radius - tab
Rotation Axis The Rotation Axis defines the axis to which the direction of the
circular radius is oriented.
Sweep Angle The Sweep Angle defines the ending angle of the circular radius
arc.
Start Angle The Start Angle defines the starting angle of the circular radius arc.
Sweep Increments The Sweep Increment defines how many piecewise straight
segments are used to model the arc.
Polar Origin The Polar Origin defines the center point of the disk. It is the
reference point from which the arc height and width are measured
and the rotation axis is defined.
A global axis is entered as the axis of rotation (X, Y or Z) and the
disk will be in the plane normal to the axis of rotation. You can
generate a grid the full 360 degrees around the axis of rotation or
generate a partial grid by specifying the start and sweep angles.
Inner Radius The Inner Radius defines the radius of the “hole” in the center. This
distance must be greater than zero and less than the end radius
entry.
Outer Radius The Outer Radius defines the total length from the polar origin out
to the edge of the grid.
Radius Increment The Radius Increment defines the number of increments along the
radius tells RISA-3D how many “rings” to use to create the grid.
Material The Material option defines the material used to assign properties
to the circular radius members.

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Option Description
Node Prefix The Node Prefix Defines the prefix used in the node label for each
new node generated.
Options - tab
Axis Members (checkbox) The Axis Member option allows you to toggle members
being drawn in the Axis.
Arc Members (checkbox) The Arc Member options allows you to toggle members
being drawn in the arc.
Section Set Section Set defines the section set assigned axis members or arch
members.
There are entries for a section set for both the arc members and the
radius members so these two sets of members can be different
sizes. To generate these members you must select a valid section
set. If you don’t select a section set, you won't generate these
members. You may also have unique labels assigned to the
generated members by entering a start label.
X-Axis Rotate The X-axis Rotate option defines the local x-axis rotation of the arc
relative to the global X axis. It can be used to rotate the local axis in
to place. However, you may find that a K-node better serves this
purpose.
Member Prefix The Member Prefix defines prefix to member labels for members
created using the generator.
Segments (checkbox) When selected, this option allows for the drawing of
members into several segments or a single member.
Plates (checkbox) The Plates option allows you to draw plates between
members generated using the Grid Generation.
You enter a material set and thickness to have plates defined. Only
quadrilateral plates are generated. You can also have unique
labels assigned to the generated plates by entering a start label.
Material The Material option defines the material used to assign properties
to the cone members.
A Material Set for plates must be defined.
Thickness The Thickness option defines the thickness of the plate.
A Thickness for plates must be defined.
Plate Prefix The Plate Prefix defines prefix to plate labels for plates created
using the generator.

Rectangular Tank Generation

The Rectangular Tank generation is used to make rectangular tanks out of plate finite
elements. Stiffeners and hydrostatic loads can also be modeled. The tank will be pin supported
around the bottom perimeter. No supports are generated in the interior of the tank floor.

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Rectangular Tank Template Options

Option Description
Rectangular Tank with Stiffeners - tab
Rotation Axis The Rotation Axis defines the axis to which the direction of the tank
is oriented.
Polar Origin The Polar Origin defines the reference point from which the tank
height and width are measured and the rotation axis is defined.
Node Prefix The Node Prefix Defines the prefix to node labels for members
created using the generator.
Member Prefix The Member Prefix defines prefix to member labels for members
created using the generator.
Plate Prefix The Plate Prefix defines prefix to plate labels for plates created
using the generator.
Tank Height The Tank Height defines the height of the tank.
Tank Width The Tank Width defines the width of the tank.
Tank Length The Tank Length defines the length of the tank.
Plate Max. Dimension The Plate Max. Dimension defines the maximum plate thickness used to
generate the tank.
Options - tab
Plates (checkbox) When selected, this option draws plates between
members generated using the Grid Generation.
Material The Material option defines the material used to assign properties
to the plate members.
Thickness The Thickness option defines the thickness of the plate.
Fluid Load (checkbox) When selected, this option automatically generates
hydrostatic loads to the generated plates.
Depth Depth defines the height of which the hydrostatic loads should be
applied onto the structure.
Density Density defines the density of the hydrostatic load that is applied to
the structure.
BLC BLC defines the Basic Load Case at which the hydrostatic loads
will be generated.
Top Stiffeners (checkbox) When selected, this option will add stiffeners to the top
of the tank.
Bottom Stiffeners (checkbox) When selected, this option will add stiffeners to the
bottom of the tank.
Intermediate Stiffeners (checkbox) When selected, this option will add stiffeners to the mid-
height of the tank.
Member Material Member Material defines the material used to assign axis members
or arch members.
Section Set Section Set defines the section set assigned axis members or arch
members.
Segments (checkbox) When selected, this option draws members into
several segments or a single member.

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Specify the origin for the tank generation. This defines the bottom corner of tank floor. The tank height
is always towards the positive vertical axis. The width and length is along the other 2 axes as shown
in the figure. For example, if the vertical axis is Y, then the width would be along the X-axis, and the
length would be along the Z-axis.
A plate element edge length can be specified. The program generates the tank out of plates which
are approximately square, with an edge dimension approximately (+/- 20%) equal to this value.
Regardless of this dimension there is always at least 5 plates along each side of the tank, and there is
always at least three plates (vertically) between each stiffener.
Horizontal stiffeners can optionally be generated around the top, bottom or at intermediate locations
on the tank walls. The middle stiffeners are evenly spaced from the top and bottom of the tank. For
example, specifying 2 middle stiffeners would divide the tank wall horizontally in thirds, with the first
stiffener at one-third the tank height, and the second stiffener at two thirds of the tank height.
You can offset the stiffeners with rigid links in order to model the composite action of the stiffener and
the tank wall due to the center of the stiffener being offset from the tank wall. When this option is not
used, the stiffener and plate centerlines are at the same location and share the same joints. If this
option is used, the generator automatically creates a material set for the rigid links called "TANK_
RIGID_RISAMAT", and a section called "TANK_RIGID_RISASEC". The properties for these are
preset and should only be modified if the rigid links are acting "flexible" relative to the rest of your
model. Each time the generator is run, the properties are reset to the default values if these
material/section sets have already been created.

Note: You cannot use this option for Arbitrary shapes, Tapered WF shapes, and shapes that
are defined on the section screen by typing in their area, moment of inertia’s and torsional
stiffness. These shapes can still be used as stiffeners; you just can’t have the composite
offset automatically calculated and modeled.

A node label prefix can be entered, which is used for all joints generated for the tank. A valid material
set must be selected in order for plates to be generated. A plate label prefix can be entered, which is
used for all the plates generated for the tank.
A valid section set must be selected in order for stiffeners to be generated. A stiffener label prefix can
be entered, which is used for all the members generated for the tank stiffeners. Any rigid
links generated to model the offsets have a prefix of "RIGIDTANK"
A hydrostatic load can also be generated. This load is generated using a series of uniform surface
loads on the plate elements. The fluid depth is measured in the positive vertical direction from the
bottom of the tank and is constant along the floor giving a uniform surface load on the floor plates.
The fluid depth will vary along the walls of the tank and these will increase in a "stair step" fashion, as
you move down the fluid depth. The value of each uniform surface load is equal to the value of the
actual hydrostatic load at the mid-point of the plate. The load direction is perpendicular to the plates
and outward.
The default fluid density is for water, but any density can be entered. The Fluid Load BLC provides a
drop down list of all the Basic Load Cases. If you’ve defined in any descriptions for your BLC’s, these
are shown in the drop down list. The surface loads generated are placed in the selected Basic Load
Case.

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Graphic Display
RISA-3D's robust graphics make building and understanding your model much easier. You can have
numerous independent views open and active at the same time. Fast redraw times, responsive
panning, true to scale rendering, animation capabilities, and graphic editing tools all help you build
and understand your model. You can draw the model and specify loads and boundary conditions
graphically. These items can be modified graphically as well. Verification of your model is made
simple with true-to-scale rendering and color coded code checks. Results such as member force
diagrams, color-coded stress levels, deflected shapes and animations can also be viewed for solved
models.

Window Behavior
Window Behavior can be specified in the ‘Application Settings’ window, under the ‘Window’ section.
The window section allows you to specify the active windows in the program.

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There are three window behaviors to choose from:

l Single Window Focus: With this option, when you click within the 3D view, it automatically
closes all open/visible spreadsheets and detail reports.
l Auto-Docking Windows: With this option, when you click within the 3D view, it
automatically docks all open/visible spreadsheets and detail reports as new tabs.
l Multiple Screen: This option lets you use two monitors. It is useful when you want to keep
detail reports or spreadsheets visible on a separate monitor while navigating through the
3D view. If a detail report or spreadsheet is open and is visible on the same monitor as the

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active 3D view, clicking within the 3D view sends the spreadsheet behind the program
window.
For additional information on working with viewpoint windows, see the Windows Behavior section
under Main UI.
For information about working with multiple views, see the Multiple Windows section under Graphic
Display, Window Behavior.

Multiple Windows
You can have multiple views of a model open at the same time, each with it’s own characteristics. For
example you can simultaneously view and work with members in one window and plates in another.
Multiple spreadsheets can be opened as well.

Open a New 3D View

Whether you want to open a new 3D View panel or open an additional 3D View panel, the steps are
the same.
To open a new 3D View:

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1. Go to the View ribbon.

2. Click on Open 3D Views (as shown in the previous image).

Alternatively, you can right-click in the existing 3D View and select Add New 3D View from
the menu that appears.
A new 3D View window opens with displaying a duplicate of the model, if you already have
a model open.
3. (Optional) To adjust the view of the new model window:
With the model view active, use the snap buttons (shown below) at the top of the 3D View to
adjust the view of the model.

4. (Optional) To snap the 3D View panel within the model editor panel:

a. Drag its purple title bar of any window (3D View or spreadsheet) until you see the
arrow controls appear.
b. While still holding down the mouse button, drag over the arrow control that
corresponds with where you want the view panel to be snapped.
A gray areas appears showing where the panel will be placed when you release the

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mouse button.

Switch Between Open 3D Views

When you have two or more 3D Views open in the view panel, you can easily switch between those
views by choosing the view you want to work with from a menu.
To switch to another view to work with:
1. Open the View ribbon.
2. Click the Open 3D Views down-arrow.

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A menu appears that lists each of the views that are currently open.
3. Click on the view you want to work with.
The view you chose is brought to the front of the view panel and becomes the active view to
work with it.

Adjust the Viewpoint (3D View)

Adjusting the Viewpoint refers to what you can do within a 3D View panel. Following are explanations
of each feature and how to use it.

Zoom Features
There a two methods for zooming; you can simply use your mouse or use the Zoom tools on the View
ribbon.

Use Your Mouse to Zoom

When you want to zoom in on the model to see more detail or zoom out to view the whole model at
once, it is easier to use your mouse wheel.
To zoom in or out using your mouse wheel:
l To zoom IN rotate the wheel forward.
l To zoom OUT rotate the wheel backward.

Use the Zoom Tools

The Zoom tools found on the View ribbon, can also be used for zooming in or out. First, you choose
the zoom state (In or Out) using the appropriate icon in the ribbon, then you use your mouse to
incrementally zoom. There are two additional Zoom tools: ‘Zoom Extent’ and ‘Zoom Box’. These are
explained below.

Zoom Extent - tool

This tool resets the view to Full Model View. It is especially useful for resetting the model view after
you’ve zoomed into a specific area, though it also resets from a zoomed out view.
To zoom to full model view:
l Click the Zoom Extents icon.

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Zoom In - tool
This tool sets the Zoom state to “In” so that each time you click your mouse button, the model view is
enlarged.

1. Click the Zoom In icon on the View ribbon.

2. Click anywhere in the model (3D View panel) to enlarge the model view.
3. Repeat step 2 until the model view is enlarged enough.

Zoom Out - tool

This tool sets the Zoom state to “Out” so that each time you click your mouse button, the model view
is reduced.

1. Click the Zoom Out icon on the View ribbon.

2. Click anywhere in the model (3D View panel) to reduce the model view.
3. Repeat step 2 until the model view is reduced enough.

Zoom Box - tool

This tool lets you select a specific area to zoom into by drawing a box around the area.
To zoom into a specific area of the model:

1. Click the Zoom Box icon on the View ribbon.

2. In the model view, click on one point and hold your mouse button down as you drag down to
the opposite corner, creating a box around the area you want to zoom into.

3. Lift up the mouse button.

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The area is selected and the view automatically zooms in on it.

Pan the View

The Pan feature lets you drag the model view to the edges of the 3D view panel. You can accomplish
this by using one of two methods: your mouse scroll wheel or the right-click menu.

Pan Using Your Mouse Wheel

To pan the model view using your mouse wheel:
1. Click and hold the mouse wheel button to trigger the dynamic pan.
You’ll see a panning icon appear, indicating that you are in panning mode and can
begin dragging. You can drag the model view in any direction.
2. While still holding down the mouse wheel, drag the model view in the direction where you
want to move it.
3. Release the mouse wheel when the model view is placed where you want it.

Pan Using the Right-Click Menu

To pan the model view using the right-click menu:
1. Right-click anywhere in the model view panel.
2. Choose Pan from the menu that appears.
You’ll see the panning icon appear, indicating that you are in panning mode and can
begin dragging.
3. Click and hold your left mouse button and drag the model view in the direction where you
want to move it.
4. Release the mouse button when the model view is placed where you want it.
5. To turn off panning mode, click the right-mouse button.

Snap to a View
To snap to an isometric or planar view of the model:

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1. Click the Snap button at the top of the 3D View window that corresponds to what you want.

Note that you can add your own custom snap view to the toolbar. When doing so, the
current view is saved with the name you provide and added to the end of the toolbar.
Alternatively, you can right-click in the existing 3D View and select Add New 3D View.

Rotate a View
There are two methods for rotating a view; click or drag. An additional feature lets you quickly reset
the model’s rotation to its original, default position.
As you rotate a view, the global X-Y-Z axis orientation is shown by the orientation of the 3D box.

Click to Rotate
To use the click method to rotate a view:
1. Click the rotate icon that corresponds to the rotation degree you want to use.

You can also change the rotation angle by entering a different degree magnitude. This
affects the rotation of the model as you click to rotate.
2. (Optional) To change the rotation angle:
a. Type the degree magnitude in the box, as shown in the following image.

b. Click the rotate icon that corresponds to the rotation angle you want the model
rotated.
The model is set to the degree you’ve entered and the orientation of the 3D box
changes to reflect the angle and degree.

Drag to Rotate
You can use one of the following drag methods to rotate the model view:
l While holding down the SHIFT key, press the mouse wheel to dynamically rotate the
structure. See Dynamic View Controls for more information.
l Click and drag on the 3D box to change the rotation of the model.
Default Rotation Click and Drag

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l Use a global axis to rotate the view by hovering over the axis until it turns blue, then
clicking and dragging to change the rotation of the model.

Note: If you hold down the SHIFT key while rotating the model using the individual
axis, the model only rotates at 45 degree increments around that axis.

Reset Rotation to Default

To reset the rotation of the model view to its original, default position:
l Double-click in the 3D box.

The view is reset to the original, default position and the 3D box is returned to its original
default as well, shown in the following image.

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3D View Display Options

Each 3D View has several display options located at the top of the view; Show Loads, Show Results
and Show Deflection.

Show Loads
The ‘Show Loads’ icon lets you display loads in the model view.
To show loads in the model view panel:
1. Click the Toggle Display of Loads icon to display loads.
2. Click the Type down arrow and choose whether you want to display loads based on Basic
Load Case, Load Category or Load Combination.
3. Click the down arrow in the second box and choose which load case, category or
combination is shown in the view. Note that this box is only active when you choose a Load;
it is not visible when you choose Envelope.
See Model View Settings for more control over the display of loads.

Show Results
The ‘Show Results’ icon lets display color coded results in your model view.
To show results:
1. Click the Results icon.
2. Click the Type down arrow and choose whether you want to display color coded results
based on Basic Load Case, Load Category or Load Combination.
3. Click the down arrow in the second box and choose which load case, category or
combination results are to be colored coded in the model view. Note that this box is only
active when you choose a Load; it is not visible when you choose Envelope.
A color legend appears and color coded results based on your choices, appear in the
model.
See Results View Settings for more control over the display of results.

Note: Deflection and results can only be shown for Load Combination load types.

Show Deflect
The ‘Show Deflect’ icon lets you display the deflected shape in your model view; with or without an
undeflected shadow.
To show the deflected shape:

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1. Click the Deflect icon.

2. (Optional) Click the Deflect down arrow to choose whether to view the deflected shape
with or without an undeflected shadow (as shown in the following image).

The model’s deflected shape is displayed.

Animate Results
With the Animate Results tool, you can animate a model's deflected shape, mode shapes or time
history loads.
To animate results:
1. Open the View ribbon.

2. Click the Results icon in the Animate section.

This action animates deflection, mode shape (dynamic analysis) or time history.
A new model view is created with the animation.

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When this model view is active, an Animation ribbon opens. The Animation ribbon provides
additional settings depending on the type of animation selected. Additional controls are
available for the animation of Time History motion, see Animate Time History Deflection.

3. (Optional) Click the Pause icon to pause the animation.

4. (Optional) Use the Animation Speed slider to control the speed of the animation.
Dragging the marker to the right increases the speed, while dragging it to the left decreases
it.
5. (Optional) Click s the Export Animation icon to export the animation as a .wmv or .mp4
file.
6. (Optional) Use the Scale slider to control the scale of the animated deflection.

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7. (Optional) Check or Uncheck the Undeflected Shadow check box to toggle it on or off.

Create a Custom Snapshot of a Model

RISA-3D includes an ‘Image Capture’ tool on the View ribbon that allows you to create a custom
snapshot by capturing a snap shot of a model and saving it. If you have a view that you like to work
with or have created a view that took some time to set up, save it with this feature. All of the Model
View Settings are saved with the model for later recall.
To create a custom snapshot:

1. Click the Snapshot icon on the Quick Access Toolbar.

Alternatively, you can:
a. Open the View ribbon.

b. Click the Image Capture icon.

A Snapshot Preview panel opens on the right, with a Snapshot panel to its left.

2. (Optional) To print the snapshot, please see Printing for more information.
3. To save the snapshot:

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a. In the File Name box in the Snapshot panel, type a name for the snapshot you are
saving.
b. Click the File Type down-arrow and choose the image format to save the snapshot
in.
c. (Optional) Click the Keep Open After Snapshot slider (it turns blue when selected),
to keep the Snapshot and Snapshot Preview panels open after capturing the
snapshot.
4. Click the Snapshot block in the Snapshot panel (see following image).

A Snapshot Created message briefly appears.

Note:
l If the model has yet to be solved, the image is created in the Model Data Files
location from File > Application Settings > File Locations.
l The relative path of the image file is saved with the model. If the model file is
moved, remember to move the associated Images folder as well, so that all saved
views and snapshots will still be available.

For information on viewing saved snapshots, see Retrieve a Saved View under Save / Retrieve a Model
/ Snapshot View.

View Only Part of a Model

You may want to view only part of your model, especially if it is a big one. You may use the selection
tools to give you the view that you want. You can graphically unselect parts of the model that you
don't wish to see, or you can use a range of coordinates or other criteria to specify what to view.
l To select a part of the model to zoom in on, see Zoom Box under Adjust the Viewpoint (3D
View).
l To select a part of the model to work more closely on, see Selection Modes under Graphic
Selection.

Save / Retrieve a Model / Snapshot View

You can save and recall views for a model, and recall custom snapshot views as well. Saved views
are model dependent, so any views you save stay with the model. A saved view/snapshot includes
information such as the current view angle, zoom state, pan location, plot option settings, etc. So if
you have a view that you like to work with or have created a view that took some time to set up, save it
with this feature or the snapshot feature. All of the Model View Settings are saved with the model for
later recall. Saved views do NOT include the selection state for the model. You can save selection
states separately (see Save Selections for more information). See Create a Custom Snapshot of a
Model for more information on creating a snapshot.

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Save a Model View

If you have a view that you like to work with or have created a view that took some time to set up, save
it with this feature. All of the Model View Settings are saved with the model for later recall.
To save a model view:
1. Open the View ribbon.

2. Click the Saved Views icon.

A Save or Retrieve Views window opens.

3. Click the Save Current button.

A Name Saved View window opens.

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4. In the View Name box, type a name to the view.

5. Click the Save button.
The view is saved and the Name Saved View window is closed. You are returned to the
Save or Retrieve Views window where you can see the view you just saved, along with all
other saved views.

Retrieve a Saved View

To retrieve a saved model or snapshot view:

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1. Open the View ribbon.

2. Click the Saved Views icon.

The Save or Retrieve Views window opens.

3. From the list, choose the view you wish to recall.

4. Click the Retrieve button.
The view you chose is brought forward and becomes the active view to work with.
For information on deleting a view, see Delete a Model View.

Delete a Model View

If you no longer need a view or snapshot view that you have saved, you can simply delete it.
To delete a saved model view or snapshot view:

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1. Open the View ribbon.

2. Click the Saved Views icon.

The Save or Retrieve Views window opens.

3. From the list, choose the view you wish to delete.

4. Click the Delete button.
You are asked to confirm the deletion.
5. Click Yes.
The view you chose is removed from the saved list.
For information on saving a view or retrieving a saved one, see Save / Retrieve a Model / Snapshot
View.

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Graphic Editing
You may draw, edit, and load your model directly in the model views. You can draw members and
plates between existing nodes or draw to grid intersections and have the nodes created
automatically. You may graphically select nodes to be restrained, members to be loaded, and plates
to be submeshed. All or selected parts of the model may be moved, copied, and/or modified allowing
you to quickly model and edit your structure. See Graphic Selection to learn how to make selections.

Draw / Modify Features

There are several graphic editing features that make the creation and modification of models quite
easy. Use the Draw Elements tools on the Home ribbon and the tools on the Modify ribbon to utilize
these features in the model view. To create new members, plates, etc., you can draw them using a
drawing grid or draw "dot to dot" from existing nodes. Once you have created these items you may
use other graphic features to load the model and set boundary conditions.
l See Members for more information on drawing and modifying Members.
l See Plates/Shells for information on drawing and modifying Plates/Shells.
l See Boundary Conditions for information on creating and modifying Boundary
Conditions.
l See Loads - Point Loads for information on drawing Point Loads.
l See Loads - Nodal Load / Displacement for information on drawing Nodal Loads.
l See Loads - Distributed Loads for information on drawing Distributed Loads.
l See Loads - Surface Loads for information on drawing Surface Loads.
l See Loads - Area Loads for information on drawing Area Loads.
All model data is automatically recorded in spreadsheets and are always in tune with the model view.
As you edit a model graphically, the spreadsheets are automatically updated and as you make
changes in the spreadsheets the model views reflect these changes immediately.
All of the graphical modeling tools may be found on the Home and Modify ribbons as shown in the
following images.

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Where to Start
The Project Grid and Drawing Grid are often useful when you are starting a new model from scratch
or adding a new section to a model. They allow you to set up grid lines which may then be used to
define the members, plates, and boundaries. The differences between the two grids are simple. The
Project Grid is part of the model. The Project Grid is limited to the model 'plan'. The Drawing Grid is
independent of the model so you may change the grid and place it anywhere, without affecting the
model and whenever it is convenient. The Drawing Grid may be placed in any global plane so you
may draw in 'plan' or in 'elevation'.
There are also times when it is simpler to define nodes in the spreadsheet and then draw the
members or plates between them. This might be the case if you are working with just a few nodes, or
if the structure is irregular and does not lend itself to a grid.

Apply Options
The Properties Panel makes it very easy to apply modifications to a single member and multiple
members. For example, changing the material of a beam from A36 steel to A572 steel can be
accomplished through the Members Spreadsheet. However, if you had to apply this change to 100
beams you would not want to do that for each of them. A better way to do this would be to graphically
select all of the beams and then apply the changes all at once in the Properties Panel.
Use the tools on the Selection Toolbar to choose the items you want to modify and then make the
changes in the Properties panel to apply the modifications to all selected items at once. See Graphic
Selection for more information on the selection tools.

Note:
l The selection and viewing tools override the graphic editing modes so that as you
are editing the model you can alter the selected state. The Properties Panel will
update based on the selection you make.
l You may also click any single node, member, or plate to view and edit it’s properties
in the Properties Panel.
l To correct any modeling errors it is a good idea to run Model Merge before
performing a solution. Becoming familiar with this feature will also allow you to take
shortcuts while modeling. See Model Merge for more information.

Undo / Redo Operations

Undo Operations
RISA-3D provides an unlimited 'Undo' capability so that you can easily correct mistakes or just back
up to try different possibilities. Simply click the Undo icon on the Quick Access Toolbar as many
times as you wish to undo your previous actions. The model view and the spreadsheets visually
display the "undoing". Remember that spreadsheet edits are undone as well.

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Note: Changes made to the selection state of the model, the zoom level or rotation of the
model view, or to the Model Display Options settings are NOT undone. Only a change to the
model data can be undone.

Redo Operations

RISA-3D provides an unlimited 'Redo' capability so that you can easily redo any actions that were
previously undone using the 'Undo' button. Simply click the Redo icon on the Quick Access Toolbar
as many times as you wish to redo actions that were previously undone. The model view and the
spreadsheets visually display the “redoing”. Remember that spreadsheet edits are redone as well.

Note: Changes made to the selection state of the model, the zoom level or rotation of the
model view, or to the Model Display Options settings are NOT redone, since they cannot be
undone to begin with. Only a change to the model data can be redone.

Project Grid
The Project Grid provides convenient snap points for modeling columns and walls in buildings and
building-type structures. It also provides convenient terminology to refer to locations in a model, such
as "Grid Intersection C-4". The Project Grid is intended to be a permanent part of the model so unlike
the Drawing Grid it is saved with the model.

Show / Hide Project Grid Lines

To view (or hide) Project Grid lines:
1. Go to the View ribbon.

2. Click the Project Grid icon to toggle the display of the Project Grid lines “on”.
The project grid lines appear in the model viewing panel.

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3. (Optional) Click the Project Grid icon again to toggle the display of the lines “off”.

Show / Hide Project Grid Arcs

To view (or hide) the Project Grid arcs:
1. Go to the View ribbon.
2. Click the Project Grid icon to toggle the display of the arcs “on”.
The project grid arcs appear in the model viewing panel.

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3. (Optional) Click the Project Grid icon again to toggle the display of the arcs “off”.

Project Grid Spreadsheet

To open the Project Grid spreadsheet:
1. Click on Project Grid under ‘Data Entry’ in the ‘Explorer’ panel.
The Project Grid window opens to the Lines tab.

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Each Grid Line (as opposed to Grid Arcs) is defined by Start and End coordinates along the
X and Z axes. This method of defining grids allows them to be oriented in any direction,
including skewed grids or non-parallel grids within the same building.
2. (Optional) Click the Arcs tab to view the generated arcs.

Project Grid Line Generation

Project Grid lines can be generated from the Project Grid spreadsheet or from the Home ribbon.
To generate project grid lines:
1. Do one of the following.
Project Grid spreadsheet - if you have the spreadsheet open:

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a. Click on the Line tab if not already displayed.

b. Click the Generate Project Grid Lines button.
Home ribbon:
a. Click the Project Grid icon.

b. Click on Straight Grid Generator.

The Project Grid Lines generation window opens to the Lines tab.

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The generator provides the ability to generate an entire grid system at once rather than
entering the grids in manually in the project grid spreadsheet.
l You can use symbols such as "@", "/" and "," when entering the increments.
l The "@" entry can be used to specify multiple, equally spaced, grid increments.
For example, if you wanted 7 increments at 10 units each, you would type "7@10" in
the increment field.
l The "/" entry subdivides a larger increment into smaller equal increments.
For example, the entry "12/4" would create 4 increments of 3 units each.
l Use commas (",") to enter multiple increments in the increment field.

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For example, if you wanted to define increments of 3, 4, 7 and 2 units, you could enter
"3,4,7,2" in the increment field.
l The Preview button lets you see the project gird lines prior to applying them.
l The Preview and Undo buttons provide an easy way to preview a Project Grid before
adding one to the model.
2. (Optional) Change the options to those you want applied.
Don’t forget to “Preview” your settings before you apply them.
3. Click Apply to generate and apply the project grid lines to the model.
Once the project grid is specified and displayed in the model view, it provides snap points
while drawing your model. The grid exists at an elevation specified in the Elevation field.

Project Grid Arc Generation

Project Grid arcs can be generated from the Project Grid spreadsheet or from the Home ribbon.
To generate project grid arcs:
1. Do one of the following.
Project Grid spreadsheet - if you have the spreadsheet open:

a. Click on the Arc tab if not already displayed.

b. Click the Generate Project Grid Arcs button.
Home ribbon:

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a. Click the Project Grid icon.

b. Click on Arc Grid Generator.

The Project Grid Arcs generation window opens to the Arcs tab.

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The generator provides the ability to generate an entire grid system at once rather than
entering the grids in manually in the project grid spreadsheet.
l You can use symbols such as "@", "/" and "," when entering the increments.
l The "@" entry can be used to specify multiple, equally spaced, grid increments.
For example, if you wanted 7 increments at 10 units each, you would type "7@10" in
the increment field.
l The "/" entry subdivides a larger increment into smaller equal increments.
For example, the entry "12/4" would create 4 increments of 3 units each.
l Use commas (",") to enter multiple increments in the increment field.

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For example, if you wanted to define increments of 3, 4, 7 and 2 units, you could enter
"3,4,7,2" in the increment field.
l The Preview button lets you see the project gird arcs prior to applying them.
l The Preview and Undo buttons provide an easy way to preview a Project Grid before
adding one to the model.
2. (Optional) Change the options to those you want applied.
Don’t forget to “Preview” your settings before you apply them.
3. Click Apply to generate and apply the project grid arcs to the model.
Once the project grid is specified and displayed in the model view, it provides snap points
while drawing your model. The grid exists at an elevation specified in the Elevation field.

Edit the Project Grid Lines (Adding or Moving Grid Lines)

Once a Project Grid has been created the grid lines can be moved, or additional grid lines can be
created, by double clicking on a grid line in the model view.

The Generate Parallel Line button allows a line to be created by offsetting an existing grid line.

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The Move Lines button allows a grid line to be moved by a specified distance. A positive distance
moves the line in the positive global direction, while a negative distance moves the line in the
opposite direction.

Edit the Project Grid Arcs (Adding or Moving Grid Arcs)

Once the Project Grid Arcs have been created, an arc’s shape can be changed by double clicking on
it in the model view and modifying its settings.

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Drawing Grid
The Drawing Grid is a tool that lets you draw new members and plates in the model view. This grid is
independent of the model, so you may change the grid as you build your model without changing any
modeling that you have completed. This is because as you draw the members and plates the joints
used to define them are created automatically. These joints remain in their locations if the grid is
relocated.

Drawing Grid Features

The Drawing Grid tools can be found on the Drawing Tools ribbon. These features allow you to
define, save and reuse rectangular, radial and DXF underlay drawing grids. You can also set a
specific grid as your default.

To use the Drawing Grid features refer to the following table and sections.

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Drawing Grid Features

Feature Description
Drawing Grid section
The ‘Display Grid’ icon lets you turn on (show) or off (hide) the drawing grid
in the current model.
l Gray slider - indicates that the drawing grid is off (hidden)
l Blue slider - indicates that it is on (showing).
See Show / Hide the Drawing Grid for more information.

Type The ‘Type’ feature lets you choose between a rectangular drawing grid,
radial drawing grid or DXF underlay.
Plane The ‘Plane’ feature lets you place the grid in any one of the three global
planes.
Color The ‘Color’ feature lets you choose what color you would like the drawing
grid lines displayed in.
X Increments__ft The ‘X Increments’ feature lets you set the number of and width between
the drawing grid lines.
Y Increments__ft The ‘Y Increments’ feature lets you set the number of and height between
the drawing grid lines.
Skew Angle__ The ‘Skew Angle’ lets you skew the drawing grid perpendicularly to the
deg global axis plane.
The icon located to the bottom right of the ‘Skew Angle’ feature lets you
open the “Rectangular Grid Increments” window.

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Feature Description
The “Rectangular Grid Increments” window lets you enter more X and
Y incremental values.
Drawing Grid Origin section
X__ft The ‘X’ grid origin lets you set the increment, in feet, for the X direction. For
more information see Rectangular Drawing Grid.
Y__ft The ‘Y’ grid origin lets you set the increment, in feet, for the Y direction.
See Rectangular Drawing Grid for more information.
Z__ft The ‘Z’ grid origin lets you set the increment, in feet, for the Z direction. See
Rectangular Drawing Grid for more information.
The ‘Click to Locate’ icon lets you specify or relocate the origin of the
drawing grid. See Relocating the Drawing Grid for more information.

Save and Recall features section

The ‘Save as Default’ feature lets you save any of the grid information as
the default settings so that when you start a new model that information is
already there. See Save a Drawing Grid Default for more information.
The ‘Save Grid’ feature lets you save a drawing grid so you can recall it for
later use. Saved drawing grids are model independent, i.e. when you save
a grid, you can reuse it in any other model you are working with in the
future. See Save a Drawing Grid for more information.
The ‘Load Grid’ feature lets you recall a saved drawing grid. See Recall a
Drawing Grid for more information.

Show / Hide the Drawing Grid

The ribbon includes a feature that works like a toggle; allowing you to show or hide the drawing grid in
the current model.
To show or hide the drawing grid:
1. Open to the Drawing Tools ribbon.

2. Click on the Display Grid icon.

l When the Display Grid slider is blue, it indicates that the drawing grid is turned ‘on’
(shown).
l When the Display Grid slider is gray, the drawing grid turned ‘off’ (hidden).

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Drawing Grid Type

Rectangular Drawing Grid

The rectangular drawing grid is defined by increments in two directions. The X, Y, Z Origins are
where you want the grid increments to start. The X, Y, Z Increments are the distances between the
grid points or lines in two global directions.

You may use symbols such as "@", "/" and "," when entering the drawing grid increments.
l The "@" entry may be used to specify multiple, equally spaced, grid increments.
For example, if you wanted 7 increments at 10 units each, you would type "7@10" in the
increment field.
l The "/" entry subdivides a larger increment into smaller equal increments.
For example, the entry "12/4" would create 4 increments of 3 units each.
l Use commas (",") to enter multiple increments in the increment field.

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For example, if you wanted to define increments of 3, 4, 7 and 2 units, you could enter
"3,4,7,2" in the increment field.
Once the drawing grid is specified and displayed in the model view, it provides snap points while
drawing your model.

Radial Drawing Grid

Increments in two polar directions define a radial drawing grid. The Drawing Grid Origin is the point
about which the grid will rotate. The default is at the global origin (0,0,0). The Start Angle defines the
angle from the global axis that the first spoke will be drawn. The Angle Increment controls the
number and angular spacing of the spokes in the grid. The Radial Increments controls the number
and location of the rings in the grid.

DXF Underlay Grid

This type should only be chosen when you want to import a DXF Grid from a DXF file. The following is
an example of an imported DXF file underlay grid.

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Relocating the Drawing Grid

The origin of the drawing grid may be specified in two ways. The first is to enter the exact global
coordinates for the origin. This can be done by entering the values in the X Origin, Y Origin, and Z
Origin boxes. The second option is to specify the origin by clicking on an existing point in the
model. This option is available by clicking the Click to Locate button, and then clicking on the
specific location in the model view where you wish the drawing grid origin to be located. The drawing
grid origin is then moved to this point.

Skewed Drawing Grid

The rectangular drawing grid can be skewed by specifying a skew angle. This option is available in
the Drawing Grid Section section of the Drawing toolsribbon. This skew angle allows for the
creation of a regular rectangular drawing grid, but displayed in the model view at the specified angle,
inclined from the global axis.

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Save a Drawing Grid Default

You may save any of the grid information as the default setting so that when you start a new model
that information is already there.
To save a drawing grid as the default:
1. In the Drawing Grid and Drawing Grid Origin sections of the ‘Drawing Tools’ ribbon,
enter the information that you want to save.

2. Click on Save as Default in the ‘Drawing Tools’ ribbon.

Save a Drawing Grid

To save a drawing grid:
1. Use the table above to define the grid settings.

2. Click on Save Grid in the ‘Drawing Tools’ ribbon, after defining the grid.
You are prompted for a name for the drawing grid. Once you provide a name, the drawing
grid is saved and added to the list of grids available for recall.

Recall a Drawing Grid

To recall a previously defined drawing grid:

1. Click on Load Grid in the ‘Drawing Tools’ ribbon.

The Edit Saved Drawing Grids window opens.

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2. Click on the drawing grid you want.

3. Click the Load button.

Note: You can also “Rename” drawing grids and “Delete” drawing grids from the Edit Saved
Drawing Grids window. To choose either option, click the Rename or Delete button after
choosing the drawing grid.

Snap Points
Snap Points let you draw in the model view without the use of grids.
To view or modify the snap point settings:
1. Go to the Drawing Tools ribbon.
2. Go to the Snap Settings section.

3. (Optional) Make whatever modifications you want.

l You can set the program to automatically snap to the Quarter Points and/or Third
Points and/or Intersections of a member by checking the appropriate boxes.
l The Universal Snap Points section is used to define a snap grid for "free" drawing to
any incremental location on a plane. To activate this feature, check the Active box.
When snap points are activated, a red dot or asterisk appears on your screen as you move
your drawing cursor over one of these points after you have selected to draw an element.
The exact coordinates of this point, and whether it is a 1/3 or 1/4 point of a member, are
reported in the status bar at the very bottom of the main application window just beneath
the workspace as well as next to the cursor.

Lock to Axis
The “Lock to Axis” feature can be used to draw members and plates while locked to the global or local
axis.

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Lock to Global Axis

1. Go to the Home ribbon.

2. Click on either Draw Members or Draw Plates.

3. Go to the Drawing Tools ribbon.

4. Click on Global Axis in the ‘Lock to Axis’ section.

5. Click in the 3D View to specify the origin of the lock axis, which is shown in dashed red
lines.
This means the lock axis will follow the global axis orientation.
As you draw, the origin of the lock axis changes with every subsequent click. The axis
continues to follow the global axis orientation.
6. To disengage the drawing tool, right-click twice.

Lock to Local Axis

1. Go to the Home ribbon.

2. Click on either Draw Members or Draw Plates.

3. Go to the Drawing Tools ribbon.

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4. Click on Local Axis in the ‘Lock to Axis’ section.

5. Click on a member, plate or wall panel to specify the local axis to lock to.
6. Click in the 3D View to specify the origin of the lock axis, which is shown in dashed red
lines.
7. As you draw, the origin of the lock axis changes with every subsequent click.
The axis orientation remains locked to the local axis of the originally specified element.
8. To specify a new local axis to lock to, right-click twice (the cursor changes to a hand) and
click on a new member, plate or wall panel.
9. To disengage the drawing tool, right-click three times.

Lock to Plane
The “Lock to Plane” feature can be used while drawing members, wall panels, or plates, to draw while
locked to a specific global plane.
1. Go to the Home ribbon.

2. Click on the element you want to draw.

3. Go to the Drawing Tools ribbon.

4. Click on Global Plane in the ‘Lock to Plane’ section.

5. Click the Plane arrow choose the plane (XY, XZ or YZ).
6. Click in the 3D View to specify the location of the plane.
7. To reset the origin of the plane, right-click once; while still in the drawing tool, make

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another click to reset the origin of the plane.

8. To disengage the drawing tool, right-click twice.

Import DXF
Import DXF lets you import a DXF drawing into the model view as a grid. The DXF image is imported
so that you can snap to any point or intersection to aid in the drawing of your model. The DXF Import
Drawing Grid supports Lines, Polylines, Circles, Arcs, Polylines with Arcs, and Points.
To Import a DXF Drawing Grid:
1. Go to the Drawing Tools ribbon.
2. Click on the Type arrow and choose DXF Underlay.

The following table provides information on the various related Drawing Grid settings.
DXF Import Drawing Grid Settings

Setting Description / Explanation

Grid Plane This setting lets you choose the RISA drawing plane for the
DXF file shall be placed.
.dxf Plane This setting lets you choose the DXF drawing plane to import
from the DXF file. The DXF file will be flattened to this plane
and all lines/points visible from this plane will be imported.
.dxf Scale Factor This setting lets you enter the scale factor that will cause the
DXF file to be scaled up or down to full scale.
For instance, if you have created a scaled model in
AutoCAD at a scale of 1/4"=12", then the appropriate scale
factor to produce a full size RISA-3D model would be 48.
The default is 1.0
.dxf Units This setting lets you choose the same units you used in the
CAD model from which you produced the DXF file. The
supported DXF units are none, inches, feet, mm, cm and
meters.
Angle Increment The program breaks an arc or circle into straight line
segments to allow you to snap to them.
This setting indicates the number of degrees that an
imported arc or circle should be broken into.

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Setting Description / Explanation

3. Assign the DXF import options like Scale Factor, Units and Angle Inc. as well as the
.dxf Plane.
4. Click on Import .dxf Grid.
A Select DXF File to Import for Drawing Grid window opens.

5. Choose the DXF file to import then click Open.

Once the file is imported, a Select Layers for Drawing Grid window opens.

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The app defaults to ‘Use All Layers’.

6. Choose whether to Use All Layers or Select Layers from the List.
7. If you chose ‘Select Layers From the List’, check the layers you want and uncheck those
you don’t want.
You can select the color of the grid lines/points from the color box next to each layer name.
8. (Optional) Click on a layer’s color box arrow, to select a color other than the gray default.

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9. Click OK to save your choices and close the window.

10. Set the Drawing Grid Origin or use the drop down menu to select Click to Locate origin.

Locating the DXF Drawing Grid

The origin of the drawing grid may be specified in two ways. The first is to enter the exact global
coordinates for the origin. This can be done by entering the values in the X, Y, and Z fields of the Grid
Origin section. The second option is to specify the origin by clicking on an existing point in the
model. This option is available by selecting the Click to Locate Origin option from the drop down
menu, clicking the OK button, and then clicking on the specific location in the model view where you
wish the drawing grid origin to be located. After you have browsed for your file, the drawing grid origin
will then be set to this point.

Delete Elements
You can delete parts of a model based on the current selection state, or you can click on the items
you wish to delete individually.

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Two noteworthy features are the ability to delete unattached nodes and zero length members.
Sometimes in the process of modeling you accidentally create unwanted unattached nodes or zero
length members. These two parameters give you a convenient way to remove these unwanted items.

Note: Primary nodes for rigid diaphragms are not treated as unattached nodes.

Note: If you request deletion of displayed loads, you'll get exactly that. Any load currently
displayed will be deleted. By controlling what loads are displayed via the Loads tab in the
Model View Settings window, you can easily delete specific types of loads for particular
basic load cases, load categories or load combinations.

Note: You may undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo button in the Quick Access
toolbar.

Delete a Single Model Part

To delete a single model part, or multiple model parts, one at a time:
1. Go to the Modify ribbon.

2. Click the Delete Single icon.

3. Click on the model part you want to remove.
4. Repeat step 3 for each model part you want to remove.
5. When finished, click the Delete Single icon again, to toggle off the single delete feature.

Delete Multiple Model Parts

If you wish to delete based on the current selection state, you must use the check boxes to define the
criteria the program will use to perform the deletion. Only items that are selected and that have their
check boxes "checked" will be deleted. The choices let you delete nodes, members, plates, wall
panels, solids and/or loads.
To delete multiple model parts at once:

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1. Go to the Modify ribbon.

2. Click the Delete Multi icon.

The Properties panel displays a list of all the parts that can be deleted.

3. Do one of the following, depending on exactly what parts you want to delete.
To remove ALL of one or more part types
a. Check the box of each part type you want deleted from the model.
b. (Optional) Click on the Keep Tool Active slider if you want the ‘Delete Multi’ list to
remain open in the Properties panel, so that you can delete additional part types or
parts.
c. Click the Click to Apply button.
This action removes all parts of the type(s) you have chosen in the Properties panel.

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To remove specific parts of multiple types

a. Check the box of each part type you want to delete a part from in the model.
b. Hold down the ctrl key (on your keyboard) while clicking on each part in the model
that you want to delete.
c. Click the Apply to Selected button.
A delete Items window opens displaying the number of each type of model part that
will be deleted.

d. Click OK.
The window closes and the items are deleted from the model view.
Keep in mind that if you delete nodes, any members, plates, etc. attached to the
deleted nodes MUST also be deleted, regardless of whether those elements are
selected or not.

Copy Model Elements

The model elements copy options can be found on the Modify ribbon in the Copy section.

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Copy Selected Items

To copy selected items:
1. Open a model view if one is not already open.
a. Go to the View ribbon.
b. Click the Open 3D Views icon.
2. Select the items you want to copy.
3. To linearly copy the selection:
a. Go to the Modify ribbon.
b. Under the Copy section, choose one of the following options:
l Global
l Local Offset
l Point to Point
l Rotate
See explanations in the following sections for more information about these choices.
4. To Mirror the selection, click the Mirror icon and specify the mirror plane.

Note:
l Be sure to check your member orientations after performing the copy. RISA-3D will
apply the default member orientation if you do not explicitly define it. You may use a
K joint to help maintain orientations. See Defining Member Orientation for more
information.
l Use the "@" symbol to specify multiple equal increments. For example specifying
"3@10" will give you 3 copies at 10 units apart.
l You can undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo icon in the Quick Access toolbar.

Global Copy
The Global icon lets you copy the selected items by entering in increments in any or all of the global
directions. The selected items will copy the increment distance(s) that you have entered.

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Use the "@" symbol to specify multiple equal increments. For example specifying "3@10" will give
you 3 copies at 10 units apart.

For example, if you indicate 3 feet in the Y direction then click on the member, it will be copied 3 feet
in the positive global Y direction.

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Select the Diagonal checkbox to combine the orthogonal increments into a single resultant
increment vector to copy the elements in a direction other than the three global orthogonal directions.
Checking the Copy Loads? box causes ALL loads associated with the original selected model
elements to be copied to the corresponding newly created model elements.
Checking the Connect Bays? box causes new members to be generated that connect all member
end nodes of the originally selected model elements with the corresponding member end nodes in
the newly created model elements. You can also indicate whether the new member end releases are
to be Fixed or Pinned by selecting the corresponding option from the Bay Fixity section.

Note:
l Only member end nodes will be inter-connected. The corner nodes of Plates and
Solids will NOT be inter-connected.
l Member end nodes that have a boundary condition associated with them will NOT
be inter-connected.

Local Offset Copy

The Local Offset icon lets you copy selected members at an offset simply by entering the offset
distance and then clicking on the member to be offset.

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If you indicate 3 feet in the local y direction then click the on the member, it will be copied 1.414 feet in
the positive local y direction.

Point to Point Copy

The Point To Point icon lets you copy the selected items by clicking on any two points. The selected
items will copy the distance between the two points in the direction of the first to second click.

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For example, if you click two points: A then B in the model below, the frame will copy 40 feet in the
positive X direction.

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Rotate Copy
You can copy the selected part of the model by rotating the copies about an axis. Simply enter which
axis is to be rotated about, the rotation angle, the number of increments along the rotation angle, and
the location of the polar origin (the point rotated about). Only two of the three polar coordinate values
are used, the value corresponding to the axis of rotation is not used.

Instead of specifying coordinates for a polar origin, it may instead be chosen by clicking in the model
view. Select Click to Locate, specify the appropriate Rotation Axis and Rotation Angle, then click
Click to Applyor Apply to Selected. The cursor shows a cross-hair, with which a polar origin can be
specified by left-clicking on a Joint or snap point.

For example, suppose you wish to copy the selected part of your model in six 30° increments (for a
total of 180°) about the Y-axis. You would enter "Y" as the axis of rotation, "180" as the rotation angle
and "6" as the number of increments. For the polar origin, enter the X and Z coordinates of where you
want the Y-axis of rotation to pass through the XZ plane.
Checking the Connect Bays? box causes new members to be generated that connect all member
end nodes of the originally selected model elements with the corresponding member end nodes in

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the newly created model elements. You can also indicate whether the new member end releases are
to be Fixed or Pinned by selecting the corresponding option from the Bay Fixity drop down menu.

Note:
l Only member end nodes will be inter-connected. The corner joints of Plates and
Solids will NOT be inter-connected.
l Member end nodes that have a boundary condition associated with them will NOT
be inter-connected.

Checking the Adjust Local Axis box causes the local axis of each member to be rotated with the
newly created model elements. Otherwise, the member local axes will retain their original orientation
with respect to the global axis. The local axes of Plates and Solids will ALWAYS be rotated with the
newly created model elements.
Checking the Copy Loads? box causes ALL loads associated with the original selected model
elements to be copied to the corresponding newly created model elements.

Mirror Copy
You can mirror selected parts of your model.

Enter the global plane that you want to mirror about and enter a location along the normal axis to
move the mirror plane location. If the mirror plane location is left blank, the mirror plane is placed at
the origin.

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For example, suppose you want to mirror part of your model about the XY plane at a location +3.0
feet from the origin along the Z-axis. You would enter "XY" as the Mirror Plane and enter a "3.0" for
the mirror plane location. (If the mirror plane is XY, the normal axis is the Z-axis).
Checking the Connect Bays? box causes new members to be generated that connect all member
end nodes of the originally selected model elements with the corresponding member end nodes in
the newly created model elements. You can also indicate whether the new member end releases are
to be Fixed or Pinned by selecting the corresponding option from the Bay Fixity drop down menu.

Note:
l Only member end nodes will be inter-connected. The corner nodes of Plates and
Solids will NOT be inter-connected.
l Member end nodes that have a boundary condition associated with them will NOT
be inter-connected.

Checking the Copy Loads? box causes ALL loads associated with the original selected model
elements to be copied to the corresponding newly created model elements.

Move / Rotate Model Elements

The model elements move options can be found on the Modify ribbon in the Move section.

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Move or Rotate Selected Items

To move or rotate selected items:
1. Open a model view if one is not already open.
a. Go to the View ribbon.
b. Click the Open 3D Views icon.
2. Select the items you want to move by clicking on them or clicking and dragging over them.
3. To linearly move the selection:
a. Go to the Modify ribbon.
b. Under the Move section, choose one of the following options:
l Global (See Global Move for more information.)
l Local Offset (See Local Offset Move for more information.)
4. Click the Point to Point icon, to move the selection based upon two selected points for
direction and distance.
See Point to Point Move for additional information.
5. Click the Rotate icon and specify the axis and angle, to move the selection in a polar
fashion.
See Rotate Move for additional information.
6. Click the Scale button and enter a scaling factor, to scale the selection.
See the Scale Elements section for more detailed information.

Note:
l Be sure to check your member orientations after performing the copy. RISA-3D will
apply the default member orientation if you do not explicitly define it. You may use a
K joint to help maintain orientations. See Defining Member Orientation for more
information.
l You can undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo button in the Quick Access
toolbar.

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Global Move
You can move the selected part of the model. Just enter the desired translation distances in the
global axes directions.

Local Offset Move

You can offset elements in the model by choosing a local axes direction, specifying an increment,
then clicking the element of the mode you wish to move.

Point to Point Move

You can move elements in the model by clicking on any two points. The selected items will move the
distance and direction based upon the vector drawn from your first to your second points.

Rotate Move
To rotate the selected parts of the model about an axis enter an axis of rotation, the desired rotation
angle, and the coordinates of the polar origin (the point rotated about). Only two of the three polar

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coordinate values are used, the value corresponding to the axis of rotation is ignored. Instead of
specifying coordinates for a polar origin, it may instead be chosen by clicking in the model view.
Select Click to Locate, specify the appropriate Rotation Axis and Rotation Angle, then click Click to
Applyor Apply to Selected. The cursor will show a finger pointer, with which a polar origin may be
specified by left-clicking on a node or snap point.

For example, say you wish to rotate the selected part of your model 90° about the Z-axis. You would
enter "Z" as the axis of rotation and "90" as the rotation angle. Under specify origin, select
Coordinates or Click to Locate. If Coordinates enter the X and Y coordinates of where you want
the Z-axis of rotation to pass through the XY plane. If Click to Locate is selected, press Apply to
Selected then click a location in the 3D view.
Checking the Adjust Local Axis box will cause the local axis of each member to be rotated along
with the model elements. Otherwise, the member local axes will retain their original orientation with
respect to the global axis. The local axes of Plates and Solids will ALWAYS be rotated along with the
model elements.

Drag and Move in 3D View

You can quickly move selected elements using the drag-and-move feature. To turn this feature on or
off, click the "Move Nodes Lock" button on the ribbon toolbar. Unlocking this will enable the drag-
and-move feature.
To use this feature, select the elements you wish to move, then click and hold on a reference node
(similar to a Point-to-Point move). A red line will appear in the 3D view, indicating that you are in drag-
and-move mode. Next, hover over the destination node and release; the selected elements will move
to the new location. If you want to move the elements in the Global X, Y, or Z directions, you can hold
the Shift key while performing the drag-and-move actions.

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Scale Elements
The scale feature lets you change the size of selected items. Selected nodes, members and plates
are all affected when the scaling is applied. Loads are not scaled except distributed and surface loads
that are a function of the size of the element.

Note: If you wish to scale in a direction other than a global direction you can rotate the model
to a global direction, scale it, and rotate it back.

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Scale Selected Items

To scale selected items:
1. Open a model view if one is not already open.
a. Go to the View ribbon.
b. Click the Open 3D Views icon.
2. Select the items you want to scale by clicking on them or clicking and dragging over them.
3. Go to the Modify ribbon.

4. Click the Scale icon.

The Properties panel displays the Move Scale options.

5. Change the scale factors you want.

6. Click the Specify Origin arrow and choose an option.
l Coordinates: If you choose this option, enter an origin about which to scale and a
scale factor to apply to each global direction.

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l Click to Locate: If you choose this option, click a node to define the origin. The origin
is the point that remains stationary during the scaling.
The factors are applied in each direction to adjust the node coordinates, member lengths
and plate sizing. The factors work so that a factor of one has no affect, a factor of two will
double the size of the item, and so on.
When you scale items the node coordinates that define the items are moved. For this
reason, the scaling is applied to all selected items plus unselected nodes of selected items.
For example, if you have selected members to scale but have unselected some of the end
nodes, the nodes are scaled anyway since this is the only way to scale the member.
7. Click Click to Apply or Apply to Selectedbutton.

Note: You may undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo button in the Quick Access
toolbar.

Split Members
You can split members into a number of equal length pieces or you may split into two members at a
specified location from the I joint. You may specify the split location as a length or a percentage of
length. For example specifying %50 will split the members at the midpoints.

Split One or More Members

To split one or more members:
1. Open a model view if one is not already open.
a. Go to the View ribbon.
b. Click the Open 3D Views icon.
2. Go to the Modify ribbon.

3. Modify a single member at a time or an entire selection of members.

Single member at a time

To modify a single member at a time:

a. Click on the Split icon.
The Properties panel displays the Split Members options.

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b. Set the parameters for splitting the member(s).

c. Click on the Click to Apply button.
d. Click on the member(s) you want to split.

Modify an entire selection of members

To modify an entire selection of members at once:

a. Click on the members you want to split.
b. Click on the Split icon.
The Properties panel displays the Split Members options.

c. Set the parameters for splitting the members.

d. Click the Apply to Selected button.

Note: You may undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo button in the Quick Access
toolbar.

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Add Nodes to Members

Adding Nodes to Members

You can add nodes to members at equal length intervals or you may add nodes at specific locations
from the I Joint. You can specify the location as a length or a percentage of length. For example
specifying %25 will add nodes at the quarter points of the members.
For Physical members it is likely that you will not want to actually split the member but prefer instead
that joints be placed along the member so that you may specify other members, plates, loads or
boundary conditions.

Add Nodes
To add nodes to a single member at a time or an entire selection of members:
1. Open a model view if one is not already open.
a. Go to the View ribbon.
b. Click the Open 3D Views icon.
2. Go to the Modify ribbon.

3. Click the Add Nodes icon in the Members section.

4. Set the parameters for adding nodes to the members.
5. Modify members.
You may choose to modify a single member at a time or an entire selection of members.

Single member at a time

To modify a single member at a time:

a. Click on the Add Nodes icon.
The Properties panel displays the Split Members options.

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b. Set the parameters for adding nodes to the member(s).

c. Click on the Click to Apply button.
d. Click on the member(s) you want to add nodes to.

Modify an entire selection of members

To modify an entire selection of members at once:

a. Click on the members you want to add nodes to.
b. Click on the Add Nodes icon.
The Properties panel displays the Split Members options.

c. Set the parameters for adding nodes to the members.

d. Click the Apply to Selected button.

Note: You may undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo button in the Quick Access
toolbar.

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Swap Member Ends

The Swap Ends icon lets you swap the start (I-node) and end (J-node) of a member. This can be
useful if you are trying to assign connection rules to your members and need to quickly swap columns
such that their I-end is at the bottom of the column.

You can also choose to swap the loads with the member ends. If you do not swap the loads, they
remain graphically as they are.

Trim / Extend Members

As you modify the model, you may find that you will need to trim or extend a member. The
Trim/Extend tool will allow you to modify the ends of any member in relation to another member. This
extension is for members only, not walls or plates.

Note:
l This tool is sensitive to the end that you click. Each member has an I and J end.
Make sure to click on the member side that you want to modify.
l You need to click on the member NOT the node. This tool modifies the length of the
member.

Perform a Trim
To perform a trim:
1. Open a model view if one is not already open.
a. Go to the View ribbon.
b. Click the Open 3D Views icon.
2. Go to the Modify ribbon.

3. Click The Trim icon in the Members section.

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4. Click on the member end to Trim.

5. Click on the boundary member.
End to Trim and then boundary member Results from the trim

Perform an Extend
To perform an extend:
1. Open a model view if one is not already open.
a. Go to the View ribbon.
b. Click the Open 3D Views icon.
2. Go to the Modify ribbon.

3. Click on the member end to Extend.

4. Click on the boundary member.

Example 1

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Example 2

The Extend tool can also be used to extend a member to intersection of that
member's projected location.

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Re-Label Selection Items

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You can use the Relabel icons on the Modify ribbon to re-label only selected items or all items. This
is useful when you want all members at a certain elevation to have a prefix which denotes the floor on
which they are located.

Merge Model Elements

As you build your model, you may find that you need to perform a model merge from time to time. In
fact, if you count on doing this, you can generally build your models faster and let the model merge
feature do a lot of the work for you. See Merge Tolerance to learn about inputting the merge
tolerance.

Perform a Model Merge

To perform a model merge:
1. Open a model view if one is not already open.
a. Go to the View ribbon.
b. Click the Open 3D Views icon.
2. Go to the Modify ribbon.

3. Select the items you wish to merge.

Typically you will want everything to be selected.
4. Click the Model Merge icon on the Modify ribbon in the Advanced section.
The Model Merge window opens.

5. Set the parameters for the new merge.

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6. Click either Apply All or Apply Selected, depending on if you are applying the merge to all
items or just selected items.

Match
Use the Match tool to match the properties of one element to another element.

Use the Match Tool

To use the Match tool:
1. Go to the Modify ribbon.

2. Click on the Match icon in the Advanced section.

3. Select the target element you would like to copy the properties of.
The label of this element appears in your properties panel in the Match properties of:
section.

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4. Choose the elements that you would like to match the properties to.
These elements will now share all the properties of the element that was selected in step 3.

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Note:
l Subsequent clicks after the first click will continue matching elements to the first
member.
l If you would like to create a new target member to match the properties of, click the
Reset button in the Properties Panel. This makes the next element you select
become the new target member to match properties of.
l Currently the program matches all of the properties of the target member. There is
no way to match partial properties at this time.

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Graphic Selection
You can graphically select items in order to view or modify part of the model or to print part of the
results. When used in conjunction with the graphic editing features, the selection feature allows you
to quickly model and make modifications to the model. If used with results it allows you to view and
print only the input or results that you want.

The elements that you see in the model views have two possible states; selected and unselected. By
default, all items are unselected, and therefore fully displayed with no selection highlight. If you select
any items, they will be highlighted in a blue shade. To select or unselect an item simply click on it with
the left mouse button. You may also use one of the selection tools below to select multiple items.

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Note:
l As an alternative to using the selection tools, some operations offer a Click to
Apply option, which lets you modify items by clicking or boxing them with the
mouse. This is useful when working with a few items.
l Inactive items can only be selected with Criteria Selection.
l Unselected items remain as part of the model for the solution. To remove items
from the analysis you need to make them inactive.
l If you choose not to display items by turning them off in the Model View Settings
window, they are removed from the 3D View and will not be able to be
selected/unselected until you turn the display back on.

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Selection Shortcuts
l You can add elements to a selection state by pressing Ctrl on your keyboard and clicking
with the left mouse button.
l When pressing Ctrl+Left Mouse Click, a plus sign appears adjacent to the mouse cursor
. You can now select a single element to add to the selection state, or you can select
multiple elements by boxing them with the mouse.
l Similarly, you can remove elements from a selection state by pressing Shift on your
keyboard and clicking with the left mouse button.
l When pressing Shift+Left Mouse Click, a minus sign will appear adjacent to the mouse
cursor . You can now deselect a single element from the existing selection state, or you
can deselect multiple elements by boxing them with the mouse.

Cycle Selection
l To cycle through elements that are near the cursor, press the Crtl key while Scrolling the
mouse wheel, either forward or backward. This can be useful if you have a model with
elements blocking others that you are interested in selecting and do not want to rotate the
model to a position that exposes the desired elements.

Selection Modes
The Selection Toolbar is the vertical toolbar located on the left side of the screen (as shown in the
following image). This toolbar lets you select joints, members, and plates in model views, and is only
active when a model view is active.

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Some of the tools are for one-time applications such as Select All. Other tools, such as Box Select,
place you in a selection mode that remains active until you cancel it. The current mode is indicated by
the mouse pointer and by the state of the button. While in a selection mode the button stays
depressed until you click it again, choose another button, or press the ESC key. You can have more
than one model view open and be in different modes in each view.

Note:
l There are other types of graphic modes such as editing and viewing (zooming)
modes. The viewing mode overrides the selection mode, which overrides the
editing mode. This lets you alter the selected state while you are editing the model.
You are returned to the current editing mode when you terminate a selection mode.
l To cancel a selection mode press the ESC key or click the right mouse button.

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Select All and Unselect All

The Select All and Unselect All tools let you select or unselect all of the active joints,
members, and plates in the model.

Box Select and Unselect Modes

The Box Select and Box Unselect tools let you draw a box around the items that you wish to
select or unselect. Members and plates must be entirely within the box in order for them to be
affected.
When selecting members by boxing, dragging your mouse from left to right will select members
completely encompassed within the selection. This selection style is denoted by the solid blue line
type of the selection box.

Alternatively, dragging your mouse from right to left, will select all elements that you box through. This
selection style is denoted with a striped blue line type.

Polygon Select and Unselect

The Polygon Select and Polygon Unselect tools let you draw a polygon around the items
that you wish to select or unselect. Members and plates must be entirely within the polygon in order
for them to be affected.

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Line Select and Unselect

The Line Select and Line Unselect tools let you draw a line through the items that you wish
to select or unselect. Any element the line crosses will be affected. This is useful when choosing
items between other items such as columns between floors.

Invert Selections
The Invert Selection button is used to invert the selected state of the model. When clicked, all
selected items are made unselected and all previously unselected items are made selected. For
example, this can be very useful when many items are to be selected in a large model. Simply click on
the undesired items to select them, then click the Invert Selection button to make them unselected
and everything else selected.

Criteria Selections
The Criteria Selection button lets you select items based on a wide range of criteria such as
coordinates, labels and many other conditions. When the Criteria Select button is clicked, you will be
presented with the Criteria Selection Dialog with options grouped by tabs across the top. Each tab
represents groups of criteria that you may use to refine your selection.
The options are numerous, making it easy to quickly achieve complicated selections. This is a
powerful tool so it is worth taking the time to experiment with the options so that you will know how to
use it to your advantage. The various tabs in the window are described in the sections that follow.

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Nodes

You can Select or Unselect joints as follows.

l Node Label – Specify a range of node labels. Specifying only one label selects just that
one node.
l Boundary Codes – Specify boundary condition criteria in all six degrees of freedom.
l Diaphragm (Primary Node or Detach From) – When checked, and you’ve chosen (from
the dropdown menu) for either Primary Node or Detach From, it lets you select the nodes
that currently define diaphragms or nodes that currently have their “Detach From

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Diaphragms” flag set.

l Overwrite Lock - When checked, it applies the specified criteria to be selected or
unselected regardless of any part of the model being locked.
l Overwrite previous selection - When checked, it overwrites the previous selection shown
in the 3D View.

Note: If no criteria are specified, all the nodes will be selected/unselected.

Members

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You can Select or Unselect members based on the following criteria.

l Member Label – Specify a range of member labels. If only one label is entered, only that
one member will be selected.
l Parallel – Select members that are parallel to a certain member, whose label you enter, or
parallel to a global axis.
l Member Properties – Specify a Section Set/Shape, Design List, Materials, Member Type,
Design Rule, Function, Seismic Design Rule, Tension/Compression-Only, or
Connection Rule to be applied when selecting members.
l Overwrite Lock – When checked, it applies the specified criteria to be selected or
unselected regardless of any part of the model being locked.
l Overwrite previous selection – When checked, it overwrites the previous selection
shown in the 3D View.

Note: If no criteria are specified, all the members will be selected/unselected.

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Plates

You can Select or Unselect plates based on the following criteria.

l Plate Label – Specify a range of plate labels. If only one label is entered, only that one
plate will be selected.
l Parallel – Select plates that are parallel to certain plate, whose label you enter, or parallel
to a global plane.
l Plate Properties – Specify a minimum and maximum Thickness and Material to be applied
when selecting plates. You may also select only the plane stress plates. You also may

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select plates that are currently inactive. Using this criterion will make these plates active. To
make them inactive once again you can then use ModifyPlates.
l Overwrite Lock – When checked, it applies the specified criteria to be selected or
unselected regardless of any part of the model being locked.
l Overwrite previous selection – When checked, it overwrites the previous selection
shown in the 3D View.

Note: If no criteria are specified, all the plates will be selected/unselected.

Wall Panels

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You can Select or Unselect panels based on the following criteria.

l Wall Panel Label – Specify a range of panel labels. If only one label is entered, only that
one panel will be selected.
l Parallel – Select panels that are parallel to certain panel, whose label you enter, or parallel
to a global plane.
l Wall Panel Properties – Specify a Material Type (Wood, Masonry, etc) and/or Material Set
(Larch, Clay, etc). You also may select panels that are currently inactive. Using this
criterion will make these panels active. To make them inactive once again you can then use
ModifyPanels.
l Overwrite Lock – When checked, it applies the specified criteria to be selected or
unselected regardless of any part of the model being locked.
l Overwrite previous selection – When checked, it overwrites the previous selection
shown in the 3D View.

Note: If no criteria are specified, all the panels will be selected/unselected.

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Solids

You can Select or Unselect solids based on the following criteria.

Solid Label – You may specify a range of Solid labels. If only one label is entered, only that one
Solid will be selected.
Material Properties – Select or unselect solid elements base on their material. You also may select
solids that are currently inactive. Using this criterion will make these solids active. To make them
inactive once again you can then use ModifySolids.
Overwrite Lock – When checked, it applies the specified criteria to be selected or unselected
regardless of any part of the model being locked.

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Overwrite previous selection – When checked, it overwrites the previous selection shown in the
3D View.

Note:
l If no criteria are specified, all the solids will be selected/unselected.
l The ONLY way to make an inactive solid active again is to use this criteria select
dialog.

Loads

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You can Select or Unselect loads based on the following criteria.

l Basic Load Case – Specify a Basic Load Case for which to select or unselect loads.
l Load Type – Select or unselect loads based on the load type. You also may select a
direction or min/max magnitude.
l Select Elements used to define load – Choose to select elements which are used to
define a load. These can be nodes, members, wall panels, etc.
l Overwrite Lock – When checked, it applies the specified criteria to be selected or
unselected regardless of any part of the model being locked.
l Overwrite previous selection – When checked, it overwrites the previous selection
shown in the 3D View.

Note: If no criteria are specified, all the loads will be selected/unselected.

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Coordinates

You can select or unselect elements based on coordinate criteria and combine this with the criteria on
the other tabs.
l Coordinate Range– Specify minimum and maximum bounds in the global directions. Items
within these bounds AND meeting the criteria in the other groups will be
selected/unselected.
l Nodes – Specify that nodes in the coordinate range be selected or not.

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l Members – Specify that one or both member end nodes be within the bounds. You may
also specify that no members be selected within the range.
l Plates – Specify that one or all plate corner nodes be within the bounds. You may also
specify that no plates be selected within the range.
l Wall Panels – Specify that one or all panel corner nodes be within the bounds. You may
also specify that no panel be selected within the range.
l Solids – Specify that one or all solid corner nodes be within the bounds. You may also
specify that no solid be selected within the range.
l Also Consider Members/Plates/Walls/Solids Tab – Lets you include selection criteria
from the other pages Members, Plates, Wall Panels, Solids and combine it with the
coordinate range specified on this page.

Note: If the Also Consider ... Tab checkbox is checked, all criteria will be applied together
so that the affected items will meet all of the criteria. For example if you specify a range of
node labels and coordinates, only the nodes within the coordinate bounds and within the
label range will be selected/unselected.

Lock & Dim Lock

Click the Lock Unselected button to cause all currently unselected items to stay unselected and
be visually removed from the current model view. This is useful when you are editing or printing a
portion of a model and need to clear the model view of all items not involved. For example in a
multistory building when working on one floor you can lock the other floors. Just unselect the entire
model, then use box select to select the floor you would like to work on, then press the Lock
Unselected button and the rest of the model will stay unselected until you press the button again to
turn it off. This tool is also helpful when trying to select an item that is behind other items.
To Unlock the unselected members in the model view, click the Unlock Unselected button and
the unselected items that were previously "removed" from the model view will be returned to the view
in the unselected state.
Clicking the Dim Lock button causes all currently unselected elements to become visually dim
or greyed out. While in the dim lock state, you will not be able to click on these dimmed elements nor
will they graphically show any labels or results. This is useful for when you want to keep a portion of
your structure for visual reference only but also have it stay out of your way when modeling or
reporting graphical results.

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Note: When you are in the dim lock state, you see a blue border around the 3D view panel.

To unlock the Dim Lock state, simply click the button and the dimmed elements will return back
to their original state

Viewer Mode
Similar to the ‘Dim Lock’ feature, the Viewer Mode icon causes all currently unselected
elements to become greyed out. However, in viewer mode, you can select or unselect elements with
a single click.

While in viewer mode, labels, results and other element specific information is only be displayed for
elements that are selected. You can quickly click on different elements to make them visible or
grayed out.

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In addition to the graphic display, both the input and result spreadsheets automatically filter its
information based on the elements that are selected in the viewer mode. This automatic filtering can
be turned off within your Application settings > General tab.

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Note that while in viewer mode, a green border appears around the 3D view.
It is also important to note that while in viewer mode, it is not possible to model or make edits to your
model. The intention behind this is that viewer mode is primarily focused on ‘viewing’ your elements
and associated element information.

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Input Filter
To filter the input spreadsheets based on your selection, click the Input Filter option in the
Selection Toolbar. You have the option to filter out the UnSelected items or the Selected items from
the input spreadsheets.

When you open any input spreadsheet, you can tell if it has been filtered by the filter icon in the
spreadsheet header.

Graphic Selection from Spreadsheets

In many spreadsheets, both Data Entry and Results, you can select rows on the spreadsheet and use
the right-click menu to select the Select Marked Lines in Current View or Unselect Marked Lines
in the Current View options. This graphically selects or unselects the items corresponding to the
selected rows in the top most model view window. This is very useful for highlighting failing members

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in a spreadsheet and then having them graphically selected in a model view to see where the
problems are.

Save Selections
You can save and recall various selection states for a model. If the model is altered after a selection
state has been saved, the saved selection state will also be altered. Any new items (joints,
members…) will be set to "selected" in any selection states saved prior to the creation of the new
item.

Save a Selection
You can have up to 16 different saved selections in a model.
To save a selection state:
1. Click the Saved Selections button on the Selection Toolbar.

The Selection States window opens.

2. Click Save Current.

The Saved Selection State Description window opens.

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3. Type a Description for the selection.

4. Click Save.

Retrieve a Saved Selection

To retrieve a saved selection:
1. Click the Saved Selections button on the Selection Toolbar.

The Selection States window opens.

2. Choose the selection state from the list on the left.

3. Click the Retrieve button.

Rename a Saved Selection

To rename a saved selection:

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1. Click the Saved Selections button on the Selection Toolbar.

The Selection States window opens.

2. Choose the selection state from the list on the left.

3. Click the Rename button.
The Saved Selection State Description window opens.

4. In the Description box, type a new name for the selection.

5. Click Save.

Delete a Saved Selection

To delete a saved selection:
1. Click the Saved Selections button on the Selection Toolbar.

The Selection States window opens.

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2. Choose the selection state from the list on the left.

3. Click the Delete button.

Quick Find
You can quickly find elements in a model using the Quick Find tool located on the Home ribbon
toolbar.

Clicking the Quick Find icon opens the Quick Find window.

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In this window, you can type in the labels of the elements you wish to find, using commas to specify
multiple elements. You can also use the drop down to choose between Select only these elements
or Add these elements to the existing selection. The Quick Find window also includes an Auto
zoom the Current Model View (to these elements) checkbox that when checked, automatically
zooms the current model view.

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Graphic View Settings

The graphical view settings for both models and results can be found on the View ribbon. These
settings offers the ability to define graphical plotting choices in both model and results views.

Graphics - Model View Settings

While the ‘Quick View’ icons on the ‘Home’ ribbon (see Graphic Display for more information) offers
some common graphical plotting choices, many more options are located in the Model View
Settings window.

The Model View Settings window can be accessed by clicking the Model icon in the View Settings
section of the View ribbon.

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The options in this window are organized into groups of items. Each group can be accessed by
clicking on the tabs along the top of the window. Some options are mutually exclusive, while others
are conditional. Indented sub-options are not available unless you choose to turn on the parent group
option (click on its slider).
Each of the groups presents the option to turn off (or on) its particular items in the view. This is not the
same as deselecting the items. Turning items on and off is independent from selecting and

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deselecting. For example if you make a selection of members and then turn off members all together,
the selection still stands for any modification applied to members.
The tabs in the Model View Settings window are described in the following sections:
l General
l Members
l Plates
l Wall Panels
l Solids
l Loads
l Diaphragms

Set as Default - checkbox

You can make any settings in the Model View Settings window the default start-up settings. To do
this, go through all the Model View Settings tabs and set all the options to what you want as the start-
up defaults. Once that is done, select the General tab and check the option at the bottom of the
window Set as Default.

Note: Remember, the Set as Default checkbox applies to ALL tabs in the Model View
Settings window.

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General
Access the graphical options for nodes by clicking the Model icon in the View Settings section of the
View ribbon and selecting the General tab shown below.

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You can specify that Nodes are/ are not displayed, and you can include the joint label.
You can display Boundary Conditions and as part of this option you can display any
spring stiffnesses that you have specified. The “ALL” boundary condition is not shown unless it is also
specified.
Rigid Diaphragms are plotted if its box is checked.
You can indicate whether the global axes icon is to be displayed in the upper left corner of the model
view by checking the Global Axes box.
Checking the Project Grid Lines box turns on the display of the project grid in the current model
view. The color and line type for the grid can also be customized. Click the colored rectangle to
choose a custom color. Choose from the Line Type drop down to display the project grid with dashed
or solid lines. The Bubble Size drop down list allows you to choose a font size for the grid labels and
the bubbles that encompass them.

Note: You can make any model view settings the default start-up settings. See Set as
Default - checkbox for more information on this feature.

Members
Access the graphical Model View Settings for members by clicking the Model icon in the View
Settings section of the View ribbon and selecting the Members tab shown below.

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You can specify that no members are drawn, or you can draw them as Wireframe (with a Label or
Color Code) or Rendered.
Click on the Members slider to not display the members in the model at all.
With the Wireframe options you can include textual member information alongside each member.
The Labeling drop down list provides the choices you have as to what information to be displayed
alongside each member. The Wireframe option also lets you display member Pinned End conditions
and/or either Rigid End Offsets.

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Wireframe options also include color coding members which plot the members using various colors to
represent particular information such as, the section set assigned to each member, member type,
etc. Use the Color Coding drop down list that provides the choices you have as to how the colors are
to be assigned to each member. The key that defines these colors is shown in the upper right corner
of the model view.
The Rendering option produces true-to-scale renderings of the members. These can be rendered
full length or pulled back by a specified distance or a percentage of the member length for a better
understanding of complicated intersection areas and a better view of the member cross-section. This
option is also very useful for verifying member orientations and adjusting the the transparency of the
rendering.
The Detailing Info check box pertains to information that is for export through the CIS\2 Translator.
See the Cardinal Points topic for more information.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Graphics
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks website:
www.risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keyword: Graphics.

Note: You can make any model view settings the default start-up settings. See Set as
Default - checkbox for more information on this feature.

Plates
Access the graphical Model View Settings for plates by clicking the Model icon in the View Settings
section of the View ribbon and selecting the Plates tab shown below.

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This tab lets you specify that plates are to be drawn as wireframe, color coded, or rendered elements,
or that they are not to be shown at all.
Click the Plates slider to not display the plates in the model at all.
When the Wireframe option is selected, you can include information on the plates when plotted. The
Labeling drop down list provides the choices you have as to what information will be displayed on
each plate, such as the plate label, material, thickness, or the plate local axes. The wireframe option
also allows you to display plate Pinned Corner conditions.

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When the Color Coded option is selected, plates are plotted with different colors that are mapped in
a key shown in the upper right corner of the model view. You can color the plates by material set or
specify a uniform color for all plates. You can toggle the Outline of the plates on and off. The color
coded plates themselves may be presented with varying Transparency with 100%
transparency meaning completely see through and 0% indicating completely solid.
When the Rendered option is selected, true to scale representations of the plates are drawn with
thickness. You can also display the rendered plates at a percentage of their Size. This is useful in
understanding orientation and connectivity in complex views as shown below.
The Transparency setting described above for Color Coded plates also applies to Rendered plates.

Note: You can make any model view settings the default start-up settings. See Set as
Default - checkbox for more information on this feature.

Wall Panels
Access the graphical Model View Settings for wall panels by clicking the Model icon in the View
Settings section of the View ribbon and selecting the Wall Panels tab shown below.

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The Wall Panels tab lets you specify that panels are to be drawn as wireframe, color coded, or
rendered elements, or that they are not to be shown at all.
Click the Wall Panels slider to not display the wall panels in the model at all.
When the Wireframe option is selected, you can include information on the panels when plotted. The
Labeling drop down list provides the choices you have as to what information will be displayed on
each wall panel, such as the wall panel label, material, or the wall panel number. You also have the
option to see the mesh that the program automatically creates internally for all Wall Panels.

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When the Analysis Mesh option is checked on, wall panels are plotted showing the internal plate
mesh automatically generated during a solution. This is useful for verifying and understanding how
the forces/stresses are distributed within a panel.
When the Color Coded option is selected, wall panels are plotted with different colors that are
mapped in a key shown in the upper right corner of the model view. You can color the panels by
material set or specify a uniform color for all panels. The color coded panels themselves may be
presented with varying Transparency with 100% transparency meaning completely see-through and
0% indicating completely solid.
When the Rendered option is selected, true to scale representations of the panels are drawn with
thickness. The Texture checkbox shows the wall panels with different texture depending on the wall
panel material. You can also display the rendered panels at a percentage of their size. This is useful
in understanding orientation and connectivity.

Note: You can make any model view settings the default start-up settings. See Set as
Default - checkbox for more information on this feature.

Solids
Access the graphical Model View Settings for solids by clicking the Model icon in the View Settings
section of the View ribbon and selecting the Solids tab shown below.

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The Solids tab lets you specify that solids are to be drawn as wireframe, color coded, or rendered
elements, or that they are not to be shown at all.
Click the Solids slider to not display the solids in the model at all.
When the Wireframe option is selected, you can include information on the solid elements when
plotted. The Labeling drop down list provides the choices you have as to what information will be
displayed on each solid, such as the label, material, or number.

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When the Color Coded option is selected, solids are plotted with different colors that are mapped in
a key shown in the upper right hand corner of the model view. You can color the solids by material set
or specify a uniform color for all solids. The color coded solids themselves may be presented with
varying Transparency with 100% transparency meaning completely see-through and 0% indicating
completely solid.
When the Rendered option is selected, true to scale representations of the solids are drawn. You can
also display the rendered panels at a percentage of their size.

Note: You can make any model view settings the default start-up settings. See Set as
Default - checkbox for more information on this feature.

Loads
Access the graphical Model View Settings for loads by clicking the Model icon in the View Settings
section of the View ribbon and selecting the Loads tab shown below.

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The Loads tab lets you specify that loads are to be displayed graphically, or that they are not to be
shown at all.
Click the Loads slider to not display the loads in the model at all.
Check Magnitudesto display the numerical magnitude of the loads. You can specify that the loads be
drawn as Basic Load Cases, Load Categories or Load Combinations by selecting the
corresponding radio button. The load types to be displayed can be selected by checking the
corresponding boxes.

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Note: The Transient (Wall) check box will show how loading is attributed to wall panel
nodes. For a distributed load applied to the top of the wall this check box will show you how
the line load is attributed as point loads to each plate corner at the top of the wall. For out of
plane loading on walls with openings, this check box will show how the load in the area of the
opening is attributed as point loads to the edges of the opening in a two-way distribution.

Once you set the Model View Settings for loads, you can then run through all of the load cases, load
categories or load combinations by choosing them from the drop down list at the top of the 3D View.

Note: You can make any model view settings the default start-up settings. See Set as
Default - checkbox for more information on this feature.

Results View Settings

The Quick View buttons on the Home tab (see Graphic Display for more information) offers some
common graphical plotting choices, but these are just a few of the options available. Many more
options related to results are located in the Results View Settings window which can be accessed
by clicking the Results icon in the ‘View Settings’ section of the ‘View’ ribbon.

The options are organized into groups of items. Access each group by clicking on the tabs along the
top of the window (as shown in the following image). Some of the options are mutually exclusive and
others are conditional. Typically, only one radio button option may be chosen at a time, while you may
be allowed to select multiple check boxes.

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Each of the groups presents the option to turn off the results for those particular items in the view by
unchecking the Display Results option located at the top of each tab.
The displayed results are based on the specified Load Combination from the top of the Results View
Settings window.
Please see the following sections for more information about the setting options in the Results View
Settings window:
l Reactions
l Members
l Plates
l Wall Panels
l Solids

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l Diaphragms
l Deflection

Reactions
To access the graphical options for displaying reactions:
1. Go to the View ribbon.

2. Click the Results icon in the View Settings section.

The Results View Settings window opens.

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3. Click on the Reactions tab if not already open.

4. Modify the settings are needed.
l Click on the Display Reaction Results slider to make it turn gray, if you don’t want to
display any reaction results.
l You can show the Reactions in any of the six degrees of freedom, if a single or a
batch solution has been performed. You can also include the magnitude values and
specify the number of decimal places and display arrow size.
For Batch solutions you must choose which combination you want to view at the top
of the Results View Settings window.
l If running Overstrength load combinations, you can then show the Overstrength
level or Strength level envelope reactions.
5. (Optional) Click Preview to see the results displayed in the model.
6. Click Apply to apply the setting changes to the model.

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Members
Access the graphical Results View Settings for members by clicking the Results icon in the View
Settings section of the on the View ribbon and then clicking the Members tab (as shown in the
following image).

Click on the Display Member Results slider to make it turn gray, if you don’t want to display any
member results.
You can specify that member results are to be shown with labeling or using a color basis.
The Labeling drop down list provides the choices you have as to what information will be displayed
alongside each member.
Choosing a Color Basis for member results uses various colors to represent particular results such
as the unity check, stress levels, etc. The drop down list provides the choices you have as to how the
colors are to be assigned to each member. If a single or batch solution has been performed you may
color the members by the code check or the stress magnitudes. For batch solutions you must choose

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which combination you want to view at the top of the Results View Settings dialog. The key that
defines these colors is shown in the upper right corner of the model view.

Note: The Tension and Compression color coding options depend on the total axial tension
or compression in the member. This includes the axial (tension or compression) stress plus
the axial stress due to bending.

If the model has been solved you can also plot the member force Diagrams along each member and
include the Magnitudes. You can set the number of Decimal Places for the magnitudes as well as
control the graphic scaling of these force diagrams using the Size slider. The diagrams themselves
can be presented with varying degrees of Transparency with 100% transparency meaning an
outline of the force diagram and 0% indicating a solid fill. If a batch solution has been performed you
can also choose which combination you want to view at the top of the Results View Settings dialog.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Graphics.

Plates
Access the graphical Results View Settings for plates by clicking the Results icon in the View
Settings section of the View ribbon and then clicking the Plates tab (as shown in the following image).

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You can specify that plate results are to be shown as contour lines, color gradient, or that they are not
to be shown at all. Click on the Display Plates Results slider to make it turn gray, if you don’t want to
display any plate results.
If a single or batch solution has been performed, the contour lines represent the force or stress
results for the plates. Each color line represents a specific value. You also have the option to plot the
stress and force results using filled color contours where each fill color represents a range of values.
For batch solutions, you must choose which load combination you want to view at the top of the
Results View Settings window.
The Contour Basis drop down list is where you select the specific result to be contoured (Qx, Fx, Mx,
Von Mises, etc.). The Range controls determine how the contour colors are assigned. You can either
contour the full range of the results by choosing Automatic, or, if you are only interested in a specific
range of values, you can choose Custom and enter your own max and min values.
The Color Contours are plotted with a global smoothing algorithm that allows the contour to vary
across the plates. Because of this, the plotted contour results differ slightly from the tabulated results

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in the spreadsheets. This effect is heightened in regions of a high rate of change such as loads or
boundaries. The contours can be drawn as either lines or as color filled areas.
Along with any of the above options you may also plot the plate Corner Forces. These are the global
direction forces applied to the corners of the plates that hold them in equilibrium. The Direction
options specify which corner force (or moment) is to be displayed. For batch solutions you must
choose which combination you want to view at the top of the Results View Settings dialog.

Wall Panels
Access the graphical Results View Settings for panels by clicking the Results icon in the View
Settings section of the View ribbon and then clicking the Wall Panels tab (as shown in the following
image).

Click on the Analysis Mesh slider to turn this option on, if you want to view the internal mesh the
program creates of the wall panel in order to perform the analysis. The following images show the
analysis mesh turned off and on, respectively.

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Analysis Mesh turned OFF Analysis Mesh turned ON

C

l
ick on the Display Wall Panel Results slider to turn this option on, if you want display any wall panel
results.
If a single or batch solution has been performed, you can display contour lines representing the force
or stress results for the panels. Each color line represents a specific value. You also have the option
to plot the stress and force results using filled color contours where each fill color represents a range
of values. The wall panels are plotted with different colors that are mapped in a key shown in the
upper right corner of the model view. For batch solutions you must choose which load combination
you want to view at the top of the Results View Settings dialog.
l The Contour Basis drop down list is where you select the specific result to be contoured
(Qx, Fx, Mx, Von Mises, etc.). The Range controls determine how the contour colors are
assigned. You can either contour the full range of the results by choosing Automatic, or, if
you are only interested in a specific range of values, you can choose Custom and enter
your own max and min values.
l The Color Contours are plotted with a global smoothing algorithm that allows the contour
to vary across the panels. Because of this, the plotted contour results differ slightly from the
tabulated results in the spreadsheets. This effect is heightened in regions of a high rate of
change such as loads or boundaries. The contours can be drawn as either lines or as color
filled areas.
The following examples show the Display Wall Panel Results option turned off and on respectively,
for the QX Contour Basis with the Color Gradient option also chosen.

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Display Wall Panel Results turned OFF Display Wall Panel Results turned ON
S

o
lids
Access the graphical Results View Settings for solids by clicking the Results icon in the View
Settings section of the View ribbon and selecting the Solids tab (as shown in the following image).

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Click on the Display Solid Element Results slider to make it turn gray, if you don’t want to display
any solid element results.
The Contour Basis drop down list is where you select the specific result to be contoured (SigmaX, Y
or Z, Sigma1, 2 or 3, Von Mises, etc.). The Range controls determine how the contour colors are
assigned. You can either contour the full range of the results by choosing Automatic, or, if you are
only interested in a specific range of values, you can choose Custom and enter your own max and
min values.
If a single or batch solution has been performed, you can display contour lines representing the force
or stress results for the solids. Each color line represents a specific value. For batch solutions, you
must choose which load combination you want to view at the top of the Results View Settings dialog.
The Color Contours are plotted with a global smoothing algorithm that allows the contour to vary
across the solid elements. Because of this, the plotted contour results will differ slightly from the
tabulated results in the spreadsheets. This effect will be heightened in regions of a high rate of
change such as applied loads or boundary conditions. The contours may be drawn as either lines or
as color filled areas.

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Diaphragms
Access the graphical Results View Settings for Semi-Rigid Diaphragms for models integrating from
RISAFloor by clicking the Results icon in the View Settings section of the View ribbon and selecting
the Diaphragms tab shown below.

The Draw Diaphragms As...section of this tab lets you specify that solids are to be drawn as
wireframe, contour, or that they are not to be shown at all.
When the Wireframe option is selected, you can include the contours or the FEA plate submesh after
a single or batch solution has been performed. The display of line contours represents the force or
stress results for the internal plates. Each color line represents a specific value. For batch solutions,
you must choose which load combination you want to view in the Combination To Use For Results
Display drop down list.
The Contours are plotted with a global smoothing algorithm that allows the contour to vary across
the internal plate elements. The contours are drawn as color filled areas.

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The Contouring Control section determines what force or stress result is to be contoured and how
the contour colors are to be assigned. The Value drop down list is where you select the specific result
to be contoured (QX, QY, MX, MY, etc.). Note that the forces are based on the global axis as
indicated with a capital axis letter (MX vs Mx). The Range controls determine how the contour colors
are assigned. You can either contour the full range of the results by choosing Calculated Maximum
to Minimum, or, if you are only interested in a specific range of values, you can choose User
Defined and enter your own max and min values.

Note: You can make any model view settings the default start-up settings. See Set as
Default - checkbox for more information on this feature.

Deflection
Access the Results View Settings for deflections by clicking the Results icon in the View Settings
section of the View ribbon and selecting the Deflection tab (as shown in the following image).

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Click on the Display Deflected Model (using Model View Settings) slider to make it turn gray, if
you don’t want to display any deflected shape results.
In this tab you can specify that a deflected shape be drawn in the current model view based on either
a static load combination (if a single or batch static solution has been done) or a mode shape (if a
dynamic solution has been done). You can also display loads for the load combination at the same
time as displaying the deflected shape. You can control the magnification of the deflections with the
Scale text box and specify whether an undeflected shadow is to be shown by checking the Display
shadow of undeflected model box. For batch solutions you must choose which combination you
want to view at the top of the Results View Settings dialog.

Note: Time History Deflection diagrams only display joint translation. Joint rotation is not
displayed.

When displaying the deflection diagram for a Time History load combination, you can select the Time
Step for which to display the deflected shape. This section is grayed out if no time history load
combination has been solved. Additional controls are available for the animation of Time History
motion. Please refer to the Dynamics - Time History topic for more information.
To animate a particular deflected shape, first select the deflected shape (as described above) and
then click the Animate Results icon on the View ribbon. See Animate Results.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Deflected.

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Help Options
RISA Tech, Inc. has, and will, put a great deal of effort into assisting you in getting your work done as
quickly as possible. This includes providing several ways in which you can get help to understand the
software.

Electronic Help File

The Help File is designed to help you get your work done as quickly as possible and is intended to
provide:
l Procedures that lead users through the steps of completing tasks
l Context-sensitive Help topics that provide users with quick descriptions of items on their
screens
l Troubleshooting topics that guide users through solutions to common problems
l Extensive discussions for a thorough understanding of engineering and modeling topics
l Easy access to related topics

The electronic help file can be accessed by clicking the Help File button in the top right hand
corner of the Quick Access Toolbar. A new window containing a Table of Contents is opened. Click
on any item in the Table of Contents for extensive information on the topic.

Context Sensitive Help

Context Sensitive Help is help that you can access in context while working in a program. It
provides you with the information you need where and when you want it.
You can get detailed help when working in a dialog, spreadsheet or graphic view by pressing F1. This
launches a Help File window displaying the topic that is related to the window in which you are
working. The topic is explained and links to related topics may also be provided.

RISA Technology Online

Our website, www.risa.com, provides various support information and documents.

Visit RISA Tech, Inc. on the web for:

l Download program Manuals (General Reference or Tutorial)
l Check our website for the latest updates - When a bug is discovered it is posted on the web
site along with possible work-around procedures and/or service releases to update your
software.
l Software Verification Problems

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Tool-tips
Are you uncertain what a toolbar icon or button is for? Simply hold your mouse pointer over itn without
clicking. A Tool-tip is displayed that explains what the button does, should you decide to press it.

Tutorials
The comprehensive Tutorials guide you through using most features. They are real-world examples
of building and solving models, making changes, and optimizing. This is the best way to quickly get
up and running. The Tutorials are designed to be read in two ways. If you are already familiar with
structural modeling in general you can skip the supporting text and read only the underlined action
items to quickly move through the tutorial. If you want more thorough explanations of the modeling
process you can read all or some of the supporting text as you see fit.

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Hot Rolled Steel - Databases

Shapes are organized by Shape Type and Database / Manufacturer. Common shapes are
supported such as; wide flanges, tubes, pipes, channels, etc. You can type in the names directly,
select shapes from these databases or add your own shapes.

RISA currently supports the following common Hot Rolled steel databases: AISC (United States),
Australian, British, Canadian, Chilean, Chinese, European, Indian and Mexican.

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Note: Older AISC shapes, which are no longer part of the AISC database, are automatically
moved / exported to a new AISC_backup database during installation or update.

Select a Database Shape

To select a Hot Rolled Steel database shape:
1. From the Hot Rolled tab on the Section Sets spreadsheet, or the Primary tab of the
Members spreadsheet, click on the Shape column and then click the ellipsis button.
l If opened from the Section Sets spreadsheet:
A ‘Shape Selection: Hot Rolled’ window opens.

a. Choose the Database to select from.

b. Choose the Shape Type you want to select.
See Available Database Shapes for more information on shape types.

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c. In the Shape Name list, find and select the shape you want.
d. Click OK in the ‘Shape Selection: Hot Rolled’ window to save your selection,
close the window and return to the spreadsheet.
The shape you’ve chosen is displayed in the Shape or Section/Shape cell you
l If opened from the Members spreadsheet:
A ‘Set Member Section Set or Shape’ window opens.

a. Click on the Hot Rolled option, if not already selected.

b. Click on the Assign Shape Directly option.

c. Click the Start Shape (ellipsis) button.

A Shape Selection window opens to the Hot Rolled tab. The window has the
same options as the ‘Shape Selection: Hot Rolled’ window.
d. Choose the Database to select from.
e. Choose the Shape Type you want to select.
See Available Database Shapes for more information on shape types.
f. In the Shape Name list, find and select the shape you want.
g. Click OK.

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You are returned to the ‘Set Member Section Set or Shape’ window in which the
Start Shape now displays the shape you chose from the list in the ‘Shape
Selection’ window.
Click OK in the Set Member Section Set or Shape window to select the shape
you chose, close the window and return to the database spreadsheet.
The shape you’ve chosen is displayed in the Shape or Section/Shape cell you

Add a Database Shape

To add a Hot Rolled Steel database shape:
1. On the Advanced ribbon, click the Shape Database icon.

The Shape Selection window opens.

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2. Click on the Hot Rolled tab as shown in the previous image.

3. Choose the Database and Shape Type you wish to add.
See Available Database Shapes for more information on shape types.
4. Click the Add button.
The Add Shape window opens.

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5. Under ‘Basic Properties’, specify a Shape Name for the shape and fill in the basic
properties for it.
6. Click the Calculate button to determine the shape properties.
7. Click OK to accept the new shape and close the Add Shape window.
The new shape is added to the bottom of the Shape Name list in the Shape Selection
window.

Edit a Database Shape

To edit a Hot Rolled Steel database shape:

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1. Go to the Advanced ribbon.

2. Click on the Shape Database icon in the Libraries section.

The Shape Selection window opens.

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3. Click on the Hot Rolled tab.

4. From the Shape Name list, choose the shape you wish to edit.
5. Click on Copy, if the ‘Edit Shape’ window opens stating that you cannot edit the default
database shape.
You will be able to edit the copy, once you provide a new name for the copy and click the
Copy Shape button and answer the question as to whether or not to allow the shape to be
made available for all models.
6. Click the Edit button.
The shape copy opens in the Edit Shape window, as shown in the following example.

7. Make whatever changes you need, based on what you want to do. You have the option to
either:
l Manually input the Geometric Properties and Section Properties.
l Have the program calculate the Section Properties based on values you input for
the Geometric Properties.
Once an edit is made to the ‘Geometric Properties’ or to both the properties, you’ll need to
run a recalculation.
8. Click the Re-Calc button to have the program calculate the new Section Properties
automatically.
9. Click OK to save the newly calculated, edited shape.

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10. Do one of the following in the Changes to Shape Database window that appears:
l Click Yes, if you want the changes to apply to all new models created on your
computer.
l Click No, if you want the changes to apply to ONLY the current model.
The newly calculated shape copy is saved to the Shape Name list in the Shape Selection
window.

Note:
l New shapes are added to the bottom of the database list in a blue font, to show they
were not originally from the default database.
l To delete a shape, specify the database and shape type you wish to delete and
then click the Delete button.
l Only shapes added to the default database (shown in blue) are able to be edited or
deleted.

Available Database Shapes

Wide Flange Database Shapes
For the AISC database, wide flange shapes are called out by the designation given them in the steel
manuals. For example, if you wanted to use a W10x33 you would enter W10X33 as the shape name
in the database shape field. M, S and HP shapes are also available. Trade Arbed shapes are called
out similar to AISC shapes but with a “_ARB” suffix. I.e. to call a Trade Arbed W12X96 would enter
W12X96_ARB as the shape name in the database shape field. Canadian and British shapes use the
same format as the AISC shapes, but their values are metric. The depth is called out in millimeters
and the mass per length is kg/meter.

Tube Database Shapes(Hollow Rectangular shapes)

The HSS tube properties are also available in the AISC database. The prefix for these tube shapes is
"HSS". The syntax is "HSSdepthXwidthXthick", where "depth" is the tube depth, "width" is the tube
width and "thick" is the tube thickness in number of 1/16ths. The nominal wall thickness is always
used to call out a HSS tube, even though the design wall thickness will vary based on the
manufacturing process for the tube. Tubes manufactured using the ERW process will use .93 times
the nominal wall thickness as their design thickness. Tubes manufactured using the SAW process
will use the full nominal thickness as their design thickness. For example, an HSS12X10X8 would be
a 12" deep, 10" wide tube, and a have a design wall thickness of .465” = .93*1/2" (8/16ths) . A
HSS32X24X10 would be 32” deep by 24” wide, and have a design wall thickness of 5/8”(10/16ths)
For the Canadian database, tubes also have a “HSS” prefix and the dimensions are all called out in
millimeters. British shapes use the prefix “SHS” for square tubes and “RHS” for rectangular tubes.

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Note:
l The prefix for older AISC tube shapes is "TU". These shapes reflect the properties
that were published with the older AISC 9th edition. As such, these shapes may
only exist in the AISC_backup database.
l Tubes using the TU prefix will have a design wall thickness of the nominal wall
thickness. The syntax is "TUdepthXwidthXthick", where "depth" is the tube depth,
"width" is the tube width and "thick" is the tube thickness in number of 1/16ths. For
example, TU16X12X8 would be a 16" deep, 12" wide tube with a thickness of 1/2"
(8/16ths).

Pipe Database Shapes

Pipe shapes, which are hollow circular shapes, are entered as on-line shapes. The syntax for these
shapes is "PIdiaXthick", where "dia" is the pipe outside diameter and "thick" is the pipe thickness (in
inches or centimeters). For example (assuming US Standard units), PI10X.5 would be a 10" diameter
pipe with a wall thickness of 1/2".

Channel and Double Channel Database Shapes

Channel shapes are entered with the "C" or “MC” prefix. For example C15X50 would be a valid entry.
For Canadian and British shapes, the depth is called out in millimeters and the mass per length is in
kg/meter. Double channels are entered with the “2C” or “2MC” prefix.

Tee Database Shapes

The Tee shapes are entered with the "WT", “MT” or “ST” prefix. For example WT15X74 would be a
valid entry. For Canadian and British shapes, the depth is called out in millimeters and the mass per
length is in kg/meters.

Tapered Wide Flange Shapes

Tapered Wide Flange shapes are called out by referring to the shape name that was given when it
was defined in the database shape editor. Tapered WF shapes can only be defined as database
shapes using the “ADD” shape function in the database editor.
Tapered WF shapes are special in that the cross sectional properties change along the length of the
member. This is as opposed to prismatic members, which have the same cross sectional properties
along their length. (All other shapes are prismatic members). Keep this in mind when defining the I
and J joints for tapered shapes. To obtain alternate tapered shape suggestions it is best to define all
Tapered WF members consistently in the shape database and handle orientation with the I and J
joints.
The Tapered WF shape can also be used to define a prismatic WF with unequal flanges. Tapered
wide flange shapes can taper all cross section properties independently and can also have unequal
top and bottom flanges. Each basic property is assumed to taper linearly from the Start value to the
End value. Shape properties like the area and the moments of inertia will be computed at any
required intermediate point from the linearly interpolated basic properties. (This means that the area
and moments of inertia will probably NOT vary linearly along the member length). Intermediate shape

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properties are used to calculate the member stiffness and stresses. The member stiffness is
computed internally from a series of piecewise prismatic sections. The error in the member stiffness
computed in this manner, as opposed to the theoretically “correct” stiffness, is always less than 10%.
Note that tapered members are always treated as physical members – not finite members. All the
rules and behaviors described for physical members always apply to tapered members even if the
physical member flag is not set for those members. See Physical Members to learn more about this
feature.
Add a Tapered Wide Flange
To add a Tapered Wide Flange to the database:
l Click the Tapered WFshape type, then click Add. Enter the basic shape properties at the
Start and End locations and all the necessary parameters calculated for analysis and
design at the member end points and at all the required intermediate locations.

Note: To enter a prismatic WF member with unequal top and bottom flanges, just make sure
that the shape properties are the same at the Start and End points. The top and bottom
flange information is entered independently.

Double Angle Database Shapes

These shapes are entered with the prefix "LL". The syntax is "LLbackXflangeXthickXspace" where
"back" is the back to back leg length, "flange" is the single angle flange leg length, "thick" is the angle
thickness in number of 1/16ths and "space" is the space between the angles in 1/8ths. For example,
LL6X3.5X5X3 would be L6X3.5 angles 5/16" thick, long legs back to back with a spacing of 3/8". For
the Canadian and British shapes, all the dimensions are called out in millimeters.

Single Angle Database Shapes

Angles are entered with an "L" prefix. The syntax is "LlongXshortXthick", where "long" is the long leg
length, "short" is the short leg length, and "thick" is the thickness, in number of 1/16ths. For example,
L9X4X8 is a 9" by 4" angle 1/2" (8/16ths) thick. The thickness is entered as 8, because the number of
1/16ths in 1/2 is 8. For the Canadian and British shapes, all the dimensions are called out in
millimeters.

Note: rZ is the Radius of Gyration along the rotated (Principal) vertical axis (local y). The
Canadian CSA code calls this variable ry' but RISA calls it rZ based on the naming
convention of the AISC 360.

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Solid Rectangle Shapes

These shapes can be defined as on-line shapes. The syntax is "REhtXbase", where "ht" is the
rectangle height and "base" is the rectangle base (in inches or cm). For example, RE10X4 would be a
10" deep, 4" width rectangular shape (assuming US Standard units). These shapes can also be
defined in the Shape Editor. When defined in the Shape Editor the depth of the solid rectangular
section must always be greater than or equal to the width.

Solid Round Bar Shapes

These shapes are defined as on-line shapes. The syntax is "BARdia", where "dia" is the circle
diameter. For example (assuming metric units), BAR2 would be a circular bar with a diameter of 2 cm.

Buckling-Restrained Brace Database Shapes

Note: The Buckling-restrained brace (BRB) shape database is only available for
RISAFloor/RISA-3D integration models.

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BRB shapes can be selected by choosing the BRB shape type and one of the BRB-related
databases. Currently, only CoreBrace database is supported.
When CoreBrace database is chosen, the syntax for CoreBrace BRB shapes is “CoreBRB_area”,
where “CoreBRB” is the prefix for the manufacturer and shape, and “area” is the steel core area. For
example, CoreBRB_0.50 refers to a BRB shape manufactured by CoreBrace with a 0.50 in2 steel
core area. Other properties such as the casing size of the brace are based on the data provided by
the manufacturers.
BRBs are not prefabricated with specific core sizes, casing sizes, or brace lengths. Instead, they are
custom-fabricated for each project. Therefore, the BRB properties in RISA-3D may not be the final
and shall be carefully reviewed by BRB manufacturers.

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Hot Rolled Steel - Databases

Shapes are organized by Shape Type and Database / Manufacturer. Common shapes are
supported such as; wide flanges, tubes, pipes, channels, etc. You can type in the names directly,
select shapes from these databases or add your own shapes.

RISA currently supports the following common Hot Rolled steel databases: AISC (United States),
Australian, British, Canadian, Chilean, Chinese, European, Indian and Mexican.

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Note: Older AISC shapes, which are no longer part of the AISC database, are automatically
moved / exported to a new AISC_backup database during installation or update.

Select a Database Shape

To select a Hot Rolled Steel database shape:
1. From the Hot Rolled tab on the Section Sets spreadsheet, or the Primary tab of the
Members spreadsheet, click on the Shape column and then click the ellipsis button.
l If opened from the Section Sets spreadsheet:
A ‘Shape Selection: Hot Rolled’ window opens.

a. Choose the Database to select from.

b. Choose the Shape Type you want to select.
See Available Database Shapes for more information on shape types.

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c. In the Shape Name list, find and select the shape you want.
d. Click OK in the ‘Shape Selection: Hot Rolled’ window to save your selection,
close the window and return to the spreadsheet.
The shape you’ve chosen is displayed in the Shape or Section/Shape cell you
l If opened from the Members spreadsheet:
A ‘Set Member Section Set or Shape’ window opens.

a. Click on the Hot Rolled option, if not already selected.

b. Click on the Assign Shape Directly option.

c. Click the Start Shape (ellipsis) button.

A Shape Selection window opens to the Hot Rolled tab. The window has the
same options as the ‘Shape Selection: Hot Rolled’ window.
d. Choose the Database to select from.
e. Choose the Shape Type you want to select.
See Available Database Shapes for more information on shape types.
f. In the Shape Name list, find and select the shape you want.
g. Click OK.

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You are returned to the ‘Set Member Section Set or Shape’ window in which the
Start Shape now displays the shape you chose from the list in the ‘Shape
Selection’ window.
Click OK in the Set Member Section Set or Shape window to select the shape
you chose, close the window and return to the database spreadsheet.
The shape you’ve chosen is displayed in the Shape or Section/Shape cell you

Add a Database Shape

To add a Hot Rolled Steel database shape:
1. On the Advanced ribbon, click the Shape Database icon.

The Shape Selection window opens.

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2. Click on the Hot Rolled tab as shown in the previous image.

3. Choose the Database and Shape Type you wish to add.
See Available Database Shapes for more information on shape types.
4. Click the Add button.
The Add Shape window opens.

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5. Under ‘Basic Properties’, specify a Shape Name for the shape and fill in the basic
properties for it.
6. Click the Calculate button to determine the shape properties.
7. Click OK to accept the new shape and close the Add Shape window.
The new shape is added to the bottom of the Shape Name list in the Shape Selection
window.

Edit a Database Shape

To edit a Hot Rolled Steel database shape:

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1. Go to the Advanced ribbon.

2. Click on the Shape Database icon in the Libraries section.

The Shape Selection window opens.

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3. Click on the Hot Rolled tab.

4. From the Shape Name list, choose the shape you wish to edit.
5. Click on Copy, if the ‘Edit Shape’ window opens stating that you cannot edit the default
database shape.
You will be able to edit the copy, once you provide a new name for the copy and click the
Copy Shape button and answer the question as to whether or not to allow the shape to be
made available for all models.
6. Click the Edit button.
The shape copy opens in the Edit Shape window, as shown in the following example.

7. Make whatever changes you need, based on what you want to do. You have the option to
either:
l Manually input the Geometric Properties and Section Properties.
l Have the program calculate the Section Properties based on values you input for
the Geometric Properties.
Once an edit is made to the ‘Geometric Properties’ or to both the properties, you’ll need to
run a recalculation.
8. Click the Re-Calc button to have the program calculate the new Section Properties
automatically.
9. Click OK to save the newly calculated, edited shape.

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10. Do one of the following in the Changes to Shape Database window that appears:
l Click Yes, if you want the changes to apply to all new models created on your
computer.
l Click No, if you want the changes to apply to ONLY the current model.
The newly calculated shape copy is saved to the Shape Name list in the Shape Selection
window.

Note:
l New shapes are added to the bottom of the database list in a blue font, to show they
were not originally from the default database.
l To delete a shape, specify the database and shape type you wish to delete and
then click the Delete button.
l Only shapes added to the default database (shown in blue) are able to be edited or
deleted.

Available Database Shapes

Wide Flange Database Shapes

For the AISC database, wide flange shapes are called out by the designation given them in the steel
manuals. For example, if you wanted to use a W10x33 you would enter W10X33 as the shape name
in the database shape field. M, S and HP shapes are also available. Trade Arbed shapes are called
out similar to AISC shapes but with a “_ARB” suffix. I.e. to call a Trade Arbed W12X96 would enter
W12X96_ARB as the shape name in the database shape field. Canadian and British shapes use the
same format as the AISC shapes, but their values are metric. The depth is called out in millimeters
and the mass per length is kg/meter.

Tube Database Shapes(Hollow Rectangular shapes)

The HSS tube properties are also available in the AISC database. The prefix for these tube shapes is
"HSS". The syntax is "HSSdepthXwidthXthick", where "depth" is the tube depth, "width" is the tube
width and "thick" is the tube thickness in number of 1/16ths. The nominal wall thickness is always
used to call out a HSS tube, even though the design wall thickness will vary based on the
manufacturing process for the tube. Tubes manufactured using the ERW process will use .93 times
the nominal wall thickness as their design thickness. Tubes manufactured using the SAW process
will use the full nominal thickness as their design thickness. For example, an HSS12X10X8 would be
a 12" deep, 10" wide tube, and a have a design wall thickness of .465” = .93*1/2" (8/16ths) . A
HSS32X24X10 would be 32” deep by 24” wide, and have a design wall thickness of 5/8”(10/16ths)
For the Canadian database, tubes also have a “HSS” prefix and the dimensions are all called out in
millimeters. British shapes use the prefix “SHS” for square tubes and “RHS” for rectangular tubes.

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Note:
l The prefix for older AISC tube shapes is "TU". These shapes reflect the properties
that were published with the older AISC 9th edition. As such, these shapes may
only exist in the AISC_backup database.
l Tubes using the TU prefix will have a design wall thickness of the nominal wall
thickness. The syntax is "TUdepthXwidthXthick", where "depth" is the tube depth,
"width" is the tube width and "thick" is the tube thickness in number of 1/16ths. For
example, TU16X12X8 would be a 16" deep, 12" wide tube with a thickness of 1/2"
(8/16ths).

Pipe Database Shapes

Pipe shapes, which are hollow circular shapes, are entered as on-line shapes. The syntax for these
shapes is "PIdiaXthick", where "dia" is the pipe outside diameter and "thick" is the pipe thickness (in
inches or centimeters). For example (assuming US Standard units), PI10X.5 would be a 10" diameter
pipe with a wall thickness of 1/2".

Channel and Double Channel Database Shapes

Channel shapes are entered with the "C" or “MC” prefix. For example C15X50 would be a valid entry.
For Canadian and British shapes, the depth is called out in millimeters and the mass per length is in
kg/meter. Double channels are entered with the “2C” or “2MC” prefix.

Tee Database Shapes

The Tee shapes are entered with the "WT", “MT” or “ST” prefix. For example WT15X74 would be a
valid entry. For Canadian and British shapes, the depth is called out in millimeters and the mass per
length is in kg/meters.

Tapered Wide Flange Shapes

Tapered Wide Flange shapes are called out by referring to the shape name that was given when it
was defined in the database shape editor. Tapered WF shapes can only be defined as database
shapes using the “ADD” shape function in the database editor.
Tapered WF shapes are special in that the cross sectional properties change along the length of the
member. This is as opposed to prismatic members, which have the same cross sectional properties
along their length. (All other shapes are prismatic members). Keep this in mind when defining the I
and J joints for tapered shapes. To obtain alternate tapered shape suggestions it is best to define all
Tapered WF members consistently in the shape database and handle orientation with the I and J
joints.
The Tapered WF shape can also be used to define a prismatic WF with unequal flanges. Tapered
wide flange shapes can taper all cross section properties independently and can also have unequal
top and bottom flanges. Each basic property is assumed to taper linearly from the Start value to the
End value. Shape properties like the area and the moments of inertia will be computed at any

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required intermediate point from the linearly interpolated basic properties. (This means that the area
and moments of inertia will probably NOT vary linearly along the member length). Intermediate shape
properties are used to calculate the member stiffness and stresses. The member stiffness is
computed internally from a series of piecewise prismatic sections. The error in the member stiffness
computed in this manner, as opposed to the theoretically “correct” stiffness, is always less than 10%.
Note that tapered members are always treated as physical members – not finite members. All the
rules and behaviors described for physical members always apply to tapered members even if the
physical member flag is not set for those members. See Physical Members to learn more about this
feature.
Add a Tapered Wide Flange
To add a Tapered Wide Flange to the database:
l Click the Tapered WFshape type, then click Add. Enter the basic shape properties at the
Start and End locations and all the necessary parameters calculated for analysis and
design at the member end points and at all the required intermediate locations.

Note: To enter a prismatic WF member with unequal top and bottom flanges, just make sure
that the shape properties are the same at the Start and End points. The top and bottom
flange information is entered independently.

Double Angle Database Shapes

These shapes are entered with the prefix "LL". The syntax is "LLbackXflangeXthickXspace" where
"back" is the back to back leg length, "flange" is the single angle flange leg length, "thick" is the angle
thickness in number of 1/16ths and "space" is the space between the angles in 1/8ths. For example,
LL6X3.5X5X3 would be L6X3.5 angles 5/16" thick, long legs back to back with a spacing of 3/8". For
the Canadian and British shapes, all the dimensions are called out in millimeters.

Single Angle Database Shapes

Angles are entered with an "L" prefix. The syntax is "LlongXshortXthick", where "long" is the long leg
length, "short" is the short leg length, and "thick" is the thickness, in number of 1/16ths. For example,
L9X4X8 is a 9" by 4" angle 1/2" (8/16ths) thick. The thickness is entered as 8, because the number of
1/16ths in 1/2 is 8. For the Canadian and British shapes, all the dimensions are called out in
millimeters.

Note: rZ is the Radius of Gyration along the rotated (Principal) vertical axis (local y). The
Canadian CSA code calls this variable ry' but RISA calls it rZ based on the naming
convention of the AISC 360.

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Solid Rectangle Shapes

These shapes can be defined as on-line shapes. The syntax is "REhtXbase", where "ht" is the
rectangle height and "base" is the rectangle base (in inches or cm). For example, RE10X4 would be a
10" deep, 4" width rectangular shape (assuming US Standard units). These shapes can also be
defined in the Shape Editor. When defined in the Shape Editor the depth of the solid rectangular
section must always be greater than or equal to the width.

Solid Round Bar Shapes

These shapes are defined as on-line shapes. The syntax is "BARdia", where "dia" is the circle
diameter. For example (assuming metric units), BAR2 would be a circular bar with a diameter of 2 cm.

Buckling-Restrained Brace Database Shapes

Note: The Buckling-restrained brace (BRB) shape database is only available for
RISAFloor/RISA-3D integration models.

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BRB shapes can be selected by choosing the BRB shape type and one of the BRB-related
databases. Currently, only CoreBrace database is supported.
When CoreBrace database is chosen, the syntax for CoreBrace BRB shapes is “CoreBRB_area”,
where “CoreBRB” is the prefix for the manufacturer and shape, and “area” is the steel core area. For
example, CoreBRB_0.50 refers to a BRB shape manufactured by CoreBrace with a 0.50 in2 steel
core area. Other properties such as the casing size of the brace are based on the data provided by
the manufacturers.
BRBs are not prefabricated with specific core sizes, casing sizes, or brace lengths. Instead, they are
custom-fabricated for each project. Therefore, the BRB properties in RISA-3D may not be the final
and shall be carefully reviewed by BRB manufacturers.

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Hot Rolled Steel - Design

Design Codes
Full code checking member optimization can be applied to standard steel shapes based on the
following codes:
l United States:
l AISC 360-16 (15th Edition) ASD & LRFD
l AISC 360-10 (14th Edition) ASD & LRFD
l AISC 360-05 (13th Edition) ASD & LRFD
l AISC LRFD (2nd and 3rd Editions)
l AISC ASD (9th Edition)
l Canada:
l CSA S16-14
l CSA S16-09
l CSA S16-05
l CSA S16-01
l CSA S16.1-94
l Europe/Great Britain:
l EN 1993-1-1: 2014 (including the U.K. National Annex provisions)
l EN 1993-1-1: 2005 (including the U.K. National Annex provisions)
l ENV 1993-1-1: 1992
l BS 5950-1: 2000
l India:
l IS 800: 2007
l IS 800: 1998
l Australia:
l AS 4100-1998
l New Zealand:
l NZS 3404: 1997
The calculations performed encompass all the code requirements (including the local buckling criteria
for slender compression elements in Appendix B of the 2nd, 3rd, and 9th Edition AISC codes) except
those noted in the Limitations section of this document

Apply a Steel Design Code

To apply a Hot Rolled Steel design code:

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1. Open the Model Settings window.

(Home ribbon > Model section > Settings link.)

2. Click on the Codes tab.

3. Choose the steel code from the Hot Rolled Steel, Codes drop down list.
4. Click Apply to save your choice and close the window.
5. Open the Members spreadsheet.
6. Click on the Hot Rolled tab.

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7. Enter the appropriate bracing information and factors.

Note: For code checking to be performed on a member, the member must be defined with a
database shape on the Section Sets or Members spreadsheet.

Design Parameters Spreadsheet

The Hot Rolled Steel Design Parameters spreadsheet records the design parameters for the steel
code checks and may be accessed by selecting Members on the Spreadsheets menu and then
selecting the Hot Rolled tab. These parameters are defined for each individual member and may
also be assigned graphically. See Modifying Member Design to learn how to do this.

The following topics will discuss the steel design parameters by first discussing how it applies to
regular prismatic steel sections. If the parameter is treated differently for Tapered WF shapes, that
will be discussed separately in the Tapered Members section.
The following table provides descriptions for some of the columns in the spreadsheet.
Design Parameters Spreadsheet - Columns

Label You can assign a unique Label to all of the members. Each label must
be unique, so if you try to enter the same label more than once you will
get an error message. You can relabel at any time with the Relabel
options on the Tools menu.
Shape The member Shape or Section Set is reported in the second column.
This value is listed for reference only and may not be edited as it is
dictated by the entry in the Section/Shape column on the Primary tab.
Length The memberLength is reported in the third column. This value may not
be edited as it is dependent on the member end coordinates listed on
the Primary Data tab. It is listed here as a reference for unbraced
lengths which are discussed in the next section.

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General Design Parameters

Unbraced Lengths
See the Unbraced Lengths topic.
K Factors (Effective Length Factors)
See the Unbraced Lengths topic.
Sway Flags
See the Unbraced Lengths topic.

AISC Design Parameters

Cm - Interactive Bending Coefficient

Cm Coefficients are described in Chapter H of the 9th Edition AISC (ASD) code. If these entries are
left blank, they will be automatically calculated.
The Cm value is influenced by the sway condition of the member and is dependent on the member's
end moments, which will change from one load combination to the next, so it may be a good idea to
leave these entries blank.

Note: The Cm factor is not used for LRFD code checking because the Chapter C
requirement that P-Delta effects be considered is met with a direct P-Delta analysis. LRFD
code checks will not be performed without P-Delta analysis.

Cb - Bending Coefficients
Cb Factors are described in Chapter F of the AISC code and are used in the calculation of the
nominal flexural strength, Mn. If this entry is left blank, it will be calculated automatically for AISC
code checks.
The calculation of Cb is based on the unbraced length of the compression flange and the moment
diagram for the unbraced segment in question. If a specific unbraced length is entered by the user,
the program cannot interpret the location of brace points and the Cb value will default to '1.0'. In some
cases, it may be better to enter 'segment' as the unbraced length for a physical member. When
'segment' is entered, the Cb value will be calculated individually for each segment of the beam based
on that segment's moment diagram.

Note:
l For members designated as "Tapered WF" shapes, Cb is always calculated per the
AISC 360 section F1 equation.
l AISC 9th Ed always assumes Cb = 1.0.

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Function for Stiffness Reduction

The Function entry may be set to either 'Lateral' or 'Gravity' using the drop down list in the
spreadsheet. If the Adjust Stiffness option is set to Yes on the Codes tab of the Model Settings
Dialog, then all members with a 'Lateral' Function will be considered for the stiffness reduction
required per the AISC Direct Analysis Method.
The Flexural Stiffness Reduction of the Direct Analysis Method will be applied to all 'Lateral'
members. This process involves evaluating certain conditions:
l Primary Stiffness Adjustment Requirements
The program first checks whether a member satisfies the three primary stiffness adjustment
requirements:
l The member is defined as “Lateral”.
l The stiffness adjustment option is enabled for the specific material being used.
l The chosen material code permits stiffness adjustment for the selected material.
l Stiffness Adjustment Calculation
Once the above conditions are met, the software proceeds to calculate the stiffness
adjustments for the member. This includes reducing the area and moment of inertia based
on predefined multiplication factors:
l Aluminum Material: Area and moment inertia are multiplied by 0.8.
l Exclusive Criteria
However, certain exclusion criteria are considered to determine whether to apply the
stiffness adjustments or not. The following conditions must be met simultaneously for
exclusion:
l The material is Hot Rolled
l The selected steel code is AISC 13th ed.
l The member type is not specified as:
l Column or v-brace for area reduction.
l Column or beam for moment of inertia reduction.
If all the exclusion criteria are met, the original area and moment of inertia values will be retained
without applying the stiffness adjustment multiplication factors. This ensures that certain types of
HR members, when using the AISC code, maintain their original stiffness characteristics.
The program can perform an iterative analysis during the solution depending on the value of τb. In
this case, the stiffness matrix is recomputed for each iteration until the value of τb converges within 1
percent for all 'Lateral' members in compression. In the unlikely event that τb is less than zero, the
value of τb is considered to be 1.e-5. When used in the analysis, the value for τbwill be listed in the
Detail Report for that member.
When the users sets the Adjust Stiffness flag on the Model Settings to Yes (Tau =1.0), then the
program will use a Tau of 1.0 in the stiffness analysis and no iteration of the stiffness matrix is

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necessary. This option is a good feature for models which take a long time to solve or which have not
yet been proportioned to control drift.
The Axial Stiffness Reduction of the Direct Analysis Method behaves differently. For the AISC 360-
05, 360-10, and 360-16, the reduction will be applied to all 'Lateral' members.

Note:
l The stiffness reduction required by the Direct Analysis Method will be ignored if the
Adjust Stiffness option is not selected on the Codes tab of the Model Settings, or if
the design code chosen does not have an option for stiffness reduction.
l The Direct Analysis Method requires the use of reduced flexural stiffness for all
members whose flexural stiffness is considered to contribute to the lateral stability
of the structure. This will only apply to members designated as type 'Column' or
'Beam.' If the user assigns type 'None' to the member, the Flexural Stiffness
Reduction will not be applied.
l When the Adjust Stiffness flag is set to Yes (Tau=1.0), then the code would
requires a higher value for the applied Notional Loads.

Channel Conn.
The type of connection for double channels is reported in the Channel Conn. column. This input is
only for back to back channels and is used in the calculation of KL/r.

a - Connector Spacing
For double channels, the connector spacing ‘a’ is used in the calculation of KL/r. This input is only
used for back to back channels.

Allowable Stress Increase Factor (ASIF)

AISC 9th Edition

Increasing of allowable stresses may be allowed when forces are transient. You can enter an ASIF
factor on the Load Combinations Spreadsheet to allow the increase for a specific load
combination. The ASIF factor is then applied to the allowable stresses in accordance with section A5.
The ASIF factor also is applied to the Euler values (F'e).

Note: If the allowable stress increase is being used, the final code check value should still be
compared to '1.0'.

All Other US Codes

Setting the ASIF factor to a value greater than '1.0' will not cause the capacities to be increased by
that factor. However, setting the ASIF factor to a value greater than '1.0' is used as a flag to use of the

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seismic compactness criteria of Table I-8-1 of AISC 341-05 Seismic Provisions of Steel Buildings.
Specifically we will use the limiting width-thickness ratios from this table for capacity calculations (for
compression flange local buckling for example). In these cases, we use Table I-8-1 of AISC 341-05
as opposed to Table B4.1 of AISC 360-05.

AISC Limitations

AISC 360-16 (15th Ed.)

Wide Flanges:
l Flexural torsional buckling per Chapter E is included when Ltorque is greater than either
Lbyy or Lbzz.
l Flange local buckling per Chapter F is only included when the web is compact and the
flange is either non-compact or slender.
Rectangular Tubes - Lateral torsional buckling is checked per section F7.4, however this section
only applies to strong axis bending.
Code Checks - For combined bending and tension (Section H1.2) the code-allowed modification of
Cb is not applied. For combined bending and compression, Section H1.3 is not considered, meaning
that the program can be over conservative in some situations.
Single Angles - Single angles in compression are not checked for Section E4 because no standard
single angle shapes have a slenderness (b/t) > 20. They are also not checked for Section E5 as there
is insufficient information regarding the connections and usage of the member.
WT and LL Shapes - This code does not address the rare case where Lateral Torsional (or Flexural
Torsional) Buckling occurs for WT's and double angles bent about their weak axis. Therefore, only
yielding is checked for weak axis bending.
Double Channels -Double channel connector spacing requirements are not checked. Additionally,
double channel design is only available in AISC 360-16 and AISC 360-10 codes.

AISC 360-05 (13th Ed.) and AISC 360-10 ( 14th Ed.)

Wide Flanges:
l For AISC 360-10, flexural torsional buckling per Chapter E is included when Ltorque is
greater than either Lbyy or Lbzz.
l For AISC 360-05, flexural torsional buckling per Chapter E is only included when Ltorque >
Lbyy and Ltorque > Lbzz.
l Flange local buckling per Chapter F is only included when the web is compact and the
flange is either non-compact or slender.
Code Checks - For combined bending and tension (Section H1.2) the code-allowed modification of
Cb is not applied. For combined bending and compression, Section H1.3 is not considered, meaning
that the program can be over conservative in some situations.

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Single Angles - Single angles in compression are not checked for Section E4 because no standard
single angle shapes have a slenderness (b/t) > 20. They are also not checked for Section E5 as there
is insufficient information regarding the connections and usage of the member.
WT and LL Shapes:
l This code does not address the rare case where Lateral Torsional (or Flexural Torsional)
Buckling occurs for WT's and double angles bent about their weak axis. Therefore, only
yielding is checked for weak axis bending.
l For slender WT sections, the compressive capacity is calculated with Qa always assumed
equal to 1.0.

ASD 9th Edition Limitations

Wide Flange Shapes - Code checks for shapes that qualify as plate girders, as defined by Chapter
G, are not performed. Plate girders that can be checked by the provisions of Chapter F will have code
checks calculated.
Channels - The AISC 9th Edition (ASD) specification does not specifically address the allowable
stress for weak axis bending of channels. Therefore, the program uses the most similar formula for
the weak axis bending of wide flanges (0.75*Fy). For a complete and thorough treatment of channel
code checks, refer to the LRFD specification.
WT and LL Shapes - ASD allowable bending stresses calculated for WT and LL shapes use Chapter
F for cases when the stem is in compression. This is not technically correct, but the ASD code does
not provide direction regarding other means of calculating the allowable bending stress in this
situation. In the interim, the LRFD code directly addresses this situation, so it is recommended that
you use the LRFD code to check WT and LL shapes that have their stems in compression.
Neither the ASD or LRFD codes address the rare case where Lateral Torsional (or Flexural
Torsional) Buckling occurs for WT's and double angles bent about their weak axis.
RE Shapes - Rectangular bar members (on-line shapes) are assigned allowable bending stresses
for the yielding limit state only. Lateral torsional buckling is not considered because the ASD code
doesn't directly address this for rectangular shapes. The strong axis bending stress is assigned as
0.66*Fy and the weak axis bending stress is assigned as 0.75*Fy. If you have a case where lateral
torsional buckling may govern, you should use the LRFD code, since the LRFD code does address
this limit state.

LRFD 2nd and 3rd Edition Limitations

Wide Flange Shapes - LRFD code checks for shapes that qualify as plate girders as defined by
Chapter G are not performed.
Single Angles - Single angles are only checked for Euler buckling. They are not checked for
Flexural-Torsional buckling.
WT and LL Shapes - Neither the ASD or LRFD codes address the rare case where Lateral Torsional
(or Flexural Torsional) Buckling occurs for WT's and double angles bent about their weak axis.
Tapered Wide Flanges - ASD 9th edition code checks can be performed on tapered members with
equal or unequal top/bottom flanges, with the restriction that the compression flange area must be

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equal to or larger than the tension flange area. LRFD 2nd edition code checks are limited to tapered
members with equal area flanges. Code checks are performed using Appendix F, Chapter F, and
Chapter D as applicable. Note that the rate of taper is limited by Appendix F, and the program
enforces this. The interaction equations in Appendix F are used to compute the final code check
value. These equations also include the effects of weak axis bending, if present. Torsional warping
effects on Tapered WF members are NOT considered.
Prismatic Wide Flanges with Unequal Flanges - ASD code checks for prismatic WF members
with unequal flanges are also limited to shapes that have the compression flange area equal to or
larger than the tension flange area. LRFD code checks currently cannot be performed for prismatic
WF members with unequal flanges.
Pipes and Bars - For pipes and round bars, the code check is calculated based on an SRSS
summation of the y and z-axis stresses calculated for the pipe or bar. This is done because these
circular shapes bend in a strictly uniaxial fashion and calculating the code check based on a biaxial
procedure (as is done for all the other shapes) is overly conservative.
Single Angles - Code checking (LRFD or ASD) on single angle shapes is based on P/A (axial
load/axial strength or axial stress/allowable axial stress) only. This is because the load eccentricity
information needed for a meaningful bending calculation is not available. Only Euler buckling is
considered for single angles, flexural-torsional buckling is NOT considered. Single angles will have
the following message displayed on the Code Check Spreadsheet to remind the user of the axial only
code check: "Code check based on z-z Axial ONLY"
Please see Single Angle Stresses for more information on the calculation of single angle stresses.

AISC Special Messages

In some instances, code checks are not performed for a particular member. A message explaining
why a code check is not possible will be listed instead of the code check value. You can click the cell
that contains the message and look to the status bar to view the full message. The following are the
messages that may be listed:

"AISC Code Check Not Calculated"

This message is displayed when the member is not defined with a database shape, a steel
code is not specified on the Model Settings or no units were specified. For LRFD this
message is displayed if the steel yield stress is less than 10ksi.

"Web is slender per Table B5.1, handle as a plate girder"

The ratio h/tw exceeds the limiting criteria listed in Table B5.1. This means Chapter G (plate
girders) governs.

"Compressive stress fa exceeds F'e (Euler bucking limit)"

The axial compressive stress for the member is greater than the Euler buckling stress (per
ASD criteria), meaning the member is unstable. A code check can not be calculated.

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"Tube depth>6*width (Sec F3-1) where width=bf-3*tw, Sec B5-1"

A tube is failing to meet the depth/width requirements laid out in Section F3-1 of the ASD
code. The depth of the tube is the full nominal depth, which the width is taken as the full
width minus 3 times the thickness. Section B5-1 specifies this calculation for the width when
the fillet radius is not known.

"Tee or Channel fails on Table A-B5.1 (Appendix B)"

This message appears for ASD code checking when Appendix B calculations are being
done for a Tee or Channel shape and the shape fails to meet the requirements of Table A-
B5.1, Limiting Proportions for Channels and Tees.

"Pipe diameter/thickness ratio exceeds 13,000/Fy (App. B)"

This message appears when Appendix B calculations are being done for a pipe shape and
the diameter/thickness ratio exceeds the limit of 13000/Fy specified in Section B5-b for
ASD, Section B5-3b for LRFD.

"KL/r > 200 for compression member"

Section B7 recommends that KL/r for compression members not exceed 200. For the ASD
9th edition code, a procedure is presented to handle when KL/r exceeds 200. Thus, for ASD
9th edition, KL/r>200 is permitted. For all other AISC codes no guidance is provided as to
what to do if KL/r>200, so exceeding this limit is not permitted. You can override this in the
Application Settings which can be accessed by clicking on the File meu.

"Taper Flange area is not constant per App. A-F7-1 (b)"

The limitations of Appendix F for the design of web tapered members include the restriction
that the flange area shall be constant along the length of the member. This member's flange
area changes along its length. See Appendix Section F7.1 (b).

"Taper rate exceeds gamma limit per App. A-F7-1 (c)"

The limitations of Appendix F for the design of web tapered members include a limit on how
steep the rate of taper can be along the member length. This member's taper rate exceeds
the limit given by equation A-F7-1. See Appendix Section F7.1 (c).

"Flanges not equal, currently don't do LRFD App. F1 calcs"

The requirements for Wide Flange members with unequal flanges in the LRFD, Appendix
F1, are not addressed.

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"Taper Comp. flange < Tension flange, per App A-F7-1 (b)"

The limitations of Appendix F for the design of web-tapered members include the restriction
that the flange areas of the top and bottom flange must be equal. The compression flange
may be larger than the tension flange. However equation A-F7-4 is unconservative for
cases where the compression flange is smaller than the tension flange. See Appendix
Sections F7.1 (b) and F7.4.

Canadian Design Parameters

Parameters controlling the steel design are entered on the Member Design Parameters
spreadsheet. These parameters are entered on a per member basis, and control the code checking
on a per member basis.

w1 - Interactive Bending Coefficient

w1 is the coefficient to determine equivalent uniform bending effect in beam-column, as described in
Section 13.8.5 of CSA S16-09. If left blank, will calculate it. The w1 value is dependent on the
member's end moments, which may change from one Load Combination to the next. Therefore it is a
good idea to leave this entry blank and let calculate it.

w2 - Bending Coefficient
w2 is the coefficient to account for increased moment resistance of a laterally unsupported doubly
symmetric beam segment when subject to a moment gradient, as described in Section 13.6a of CSA
S16-09. If left blank, will calculate it. The w2 value is dependent on the moment in the member, which
may change from one Load Combination to the next. Therefore it is a good idea to leave this entry
blank and let calculate it.

Canadian Limitations
It is assumed the transverse load on the member is occurring through the member's shear
center. This means secondary torsional moments that may occur if the load is not applied through the
shear center are not considered.
Pipes and Bars - For pipes and round bars, the code check is calculated based on an SRSS
summation of the y and z-axis stresses calculated for the pipe or bar. This is done because these
circular shapes bend in a strictly uniaxial fashion and calculating the unity check based on a biaxial
procedure (as is done for all the other shapes) is overly conservative.

S16-14, S16-09
Tapered Wide Flanges - No code checking is done for "Tapered WF" members which have different
"Start" and "End" Depths, or which have top and bottom flanges of different widths. In other words,
the "Tapered WF" may only be used for prismatic, doubly symmetric sections.
Single Angles - Single angles in compression are not checked for Clause 13.3.3.2 or 13.3.3.3
because there is insufficient information regarding the connections and usage of the member. They
are not checked for Clause 13.3.2 (Flexural-Torsional Buckling) either. Instead they are checked for

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Euler Buckling about their geometric or principal axes per Clause 13.3.1. The slenderness
classification for single angles is based on the longer leg.
S16-09 recommends using a "rational analysis" to account for lateral-torsional buckling and shear
checks on single angles, so RISA uses the AISC 360-10 (14th Edition) provisions for these checks.
Class 4 Members - Members with both Class 4 (slender) webs and Class 4 (slender) flanges are not
designed. Per S16-09, Clause 13.5.c.i these members must be designed per S136-07. Where only
the web or the flange is Class 4 (slender) the capacity is determined per the provisions of S16-09,
Clause 13.5c.
The code is not clear on whether this applies to WT, Double Angle, and Single Angle members, since
they do not have a "web". Therefore, for these member types, the program calculates an effective
(reduced) yield stress for each leg/flange/stem and uses the smallest value for the entire section.
Pipes and Round HSS - The code does not address how to determine the shear capacity of Class 3
or Class 4 (Noncompact, Slender) pipes. Therefore no design is done for those members. Class 1
and 2 member capacities are determined per the provisions of S16-09.
Shear Capacity - The code does not address how to determine the shear capacity of WTs, Double
Angles, or Single Angles where shear buckling is a consideration (S16-09 Clause 13.4.3). Therefore
no design is done for members where d/w or bel/t exceeds 1014/(Fy)1/2.
WTs - The lateral-torsional buckling moment capacity calculation (Clause 13.6e.i) in the code does
not address how to calculate Lu when the stem of the WT is in compression. Therefore Lu is always
taken as zero, which is conservative. The code also does not address how to calculate βx when the
stem is in compression. Therefore, Iyc is taken as zero, which results in a negative value of βx, which
is conservative.
Double Angles - The code does not address how to calculate lateral-torsional buckling moment
capacity. RISA therefore uses the AISC 360-10 (14th Edition) provisions for these checks, as they
are a widely accepted rational method. When this method is used, it is assumed that Cb = ω2. The
slenderness classification for double angles is based on the longer leg.
Welded Reduced Flange (WRF) Members- Since these members are classified within RISA as
"Tapered", there is currently no design done for them. This limitation will be removed in a future
release.
Torsional Buckling and Flexural Torsional Buckling (S16-09 and earlier) - The limit states of
torsional buckling and flexural torsional buckling are not considered for wide flange and channel
members. This means that the value Fez is not calculated for these members per Clause 13.3.2. The
program takes the lesser of Fex and Fexy for axial buckling capacity for the S16-09 and earlier codes.
These limit states are fully considered for S16-14 because an Ltorque input was added for S16-14 that
was not present in earlier code implementations.
Compressive Strength (S16-09 and earlier) - For the equations in section 13.3.1, the parameter
"n” is assigned a value of 1.34 for all shapes for S16-09 and earlier codes. This is conservative for
WWF shapes and HSS shapes that are stress-relieved. For S16-14, members designated as type
"Tapered WF" use n = 2.24 while members designated as type "WF" use n = 1.34.
Double Channels - Double channel design for Canadian code is only available in S16-14. Connector
spacing requirements are not checked for double channels.

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S16.1-94, S16-01, S16-05

WT and LL Shapes - The criteria in the AISC LRFD 2nd Edition code is used to perform code checks
on WT and LL shapes since the Canadian code does not explicitly specify how to calculate the
flexural strength of WT and LL shapes.
The Canadian code does not address the rare case where Lateral Torsional (or Flexural Torsional)
Buckling occurs for WT's and double angles bent about their weak axis.
Tapered Wide Flanges - The AISC LRFD 2nd code is used to perform code checks on Tapered WF
shapes when the Canadian code is specified. The Canadian code CAN/CSA S16.1-94 does not
address web-tapered members.
Single Angles - Code checking on single angle shapes is performed for tension only. Single angles
will have the following message displayed on the Steel Code Check Spreadsheet to remind the user
of the tension only code check: "Single Angle code check based on Axial Tension ONLY"
Please see Single Angle Stresses for more information on the calculation of single angle stresses.
Slender Shapes - Shapes with any slender elements are not supported for axial compression.
Shapes with slender webs or flanges are not supported for flexure. These shapes use the criteria in
the CAN/CSA S136 code, which is not supported at this time.

Canadian Special Messages

When a code check is not performed for a particular member a message explaining why a code
check is not possible will be listed instead of the code check value. You can click the cell that contains
the message and look to the status bar to view the full message. Following are the messages that
may be listed specifically for the Canadian Code:

"Tension member with L/r ratio > 300 (CAN Sect. 10)"

The maximum L/r ratio for this tension member exceeds the limit shown in Section 10.2.2 of
the CAN/CSA S16.1-94 code.

"KL/r > 200 for compression member (CAN Sect. 10)"

The maximum L/r ratio for this compression member exceeds the limit shown in Section
10.2.1 of the CAN/CSA S16.1-94 code. You can override this check in the Application
Settings which can be accessed by clicking on the File button.

"Can't do unity check for slender compression member"

Compression strengths are not calculated for shapes that contain elements where the width
to thickness ratios are classified as “slender”.

"Can't do unity check for flexural member with slender web"

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Flexural strengths are not calculated for shapes which have a web depth to thickness ratio
classified as “slender”.

"Currently can't do unity check for member with slender flanges"

Flexural strengths are not calculated for shapes which have a flange width to thickness ratio
classified as “slender”.

"Can't do unity check for single angles in compression"

Compression strengths are not calculated for single angle members.

British Design Parameters

Parameters controlling the steel design are entered on the Member Design Parameters
spreadsheet. These parameters are entered on a per member basis, and control the code checking
on a per member basis.

m- Interactive Bending Coefficients

Section 4.8.3.3.4 of the British code describes the m coefficient. If these entries are left blank, RISA
will calculate them. The m value is influenced by the sway condition of the member and is dependent
on the member's end moments, which will change from one Load Comb to the next. It's a good idea to
leave these entries blank and let RISA calculate them.

m-LT - Bending Coefficients

This coefficient is discussed in Section 4.3.6.6 of the BS5950-1:2000 code and is used in the
calculation of the flexural strength. If this entry is left blank it will be calculated automatically. This
value also is impacted by the member's sway condition and is dependent on the member's end
moments so it may be a good idea to let it be calculated internally. An exception to this would be for
cantilever members in sway frames, this value should be 1.75, and it will be automatically calculated
as 1.0. This will be addressed in a future program version.

British Limitations
It is assumed the transverse load on the member is occurring through the member's shear
center. This means secondary torsional moments that may occur if the load is not applied through the
shear center are not considered.
Tapered Members - Tapered WF shapes are done per the AISC LRFD 2nd specification at this
time. The appropriate sections of the BS5950-1 specification will be used in a later release.
Torsional Warping Effects - Combined bending and warping torsional stresses in WF and Channel
shapes are handled per the AISC publication "Torsional Analysis of Steel Members". A later release

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will use the SCI publication "Design of Members Subject to Combined Bending and Torsion" for
combined bending and warping stresses when the British Hot Rolled Steel code is selected.
Single Angles - Single angles are checked for axial and shear forces only. No bending is considered
at this time. A later release will consider the requirements in Annex I4 for single angles.
Secondary Moments per Annex I - The program does not yet consider the internal secondary
moments described in Annex I.

EuroCode Design Parameters

Parameters controlling the steel design are entered on the Member Design Parameters
spreadsheet. These parameters are entered on a per member basis, and control the code checking
on a per member basis.

Cm Factors
(Equivalent Uniform Moment Factors per the 2005/14 EuroCode)
If these entries are left blank, RISA will calculate them per Annex B of the 2005/ 2014 EuroCode
otherwise the user can choose to override the calculation by manually entering a value. The Cm
value is influenced by the sway condition of the member and is dependent on the member's end
moments, which will change from one Load Combination to the next. It's a good idea to leave these
entries blank and let RISA calculate them.
For HSS Tubes, the program always uses Table B.1. For other members not subject to torsion
deformations (wide flange members with an unbraced length equal to zero) the program will use
Table B.1. for the 2014 code. All other members, the program will use table B.2.

Cm-LT Factor
(LTB Equivalent Uniform Moment Factors per the 2005 EuroCode)
If this entry is left blank, RISA will calculate it per Table B.3 in Annex B of the 2005 EuroCode,
otherwise the user can choose to override the calculation by manually entering a value. The CmLT
value is influenced by the sway condition of the member and is dependent on the member's end
moments, which will change from one Load Combination to the next. It's a good idea to leave these
entries blank and let RISA calculate them.

Bm - Interactive Bending Coefficients

(per the 1992 EuroCode)
Section 5.5.4 (7) of the EuroCode describes the Bm coefficients. If these entries are left blank, RISA
will calculate them. The Bm value is influenced by the sway condition of the member and is
dependent on the member's end moments, which will change from one Load Comb to the next. It's a
good idea to leave these entries blank and let RISA calculate them.

Bm-LT Bending Coefficient

(LTB Bending Coefficient per the 1992 EuroCode)

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This coefficient is discussed in Section 5.5.4 (7) of the 1992 EuroCode code and is used in the
calculation of the flexural strength. If this entry is left blank it will be calculated automatically. This
value also is impacted by the member's sway condition and is dependent on the member's end
moments so it may be a good idea to let it be calculated internally. An exception to this would be for
cantilever members in sway frames, this value should be 1.75, and it will be automatically calculated
as 1.0. This will be addressed in a future program version.

C1 Factor
(Moment Distribution Modification Factor)
If this entry is left blank, RISA will calculate it per the explicit equation presented in the widely
accepted article "Lateral-Torsional Buckling of Steel Beams: A General Expression for the Moment
Gradient Factor" by López, Yong, and Serna (2006), as there is no suitable generic formula
presented in the EuroCode.

Otherwise the user can override this calculation by manually entering a value.

Note: C2 and C3 are taken as zero because RISA relies on the "general case" lateral
torsional buckling equations (see section 6.3.2.2) rather that the more specialized section for
rolled and welded I shaped sections (6.3.2.3).

EuroCode Buckling Curve Factors

This factor is discussed in Section 6.3.1.2 of the 2014 EuroCode and is used in the calculation of the
axial compression. Table 6.1 is used except for when Lateral Torsional Buckling is considered then
Table 6.4 is used instead. The following illustrates what RISA uses for the buckling curve from Table
6.2:

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EuroCode Limitations
Tapered Members - Tapered member design per the Eurocode is not supported at this time.
Torsional Warping Effects - Combined bending and warping torsional stresses in WF and Channel
shapes are handled per the AISC publication "Design Guide #9- Torsional Analysis of Steel
Members".
WT and Double Angle Limitations - The EuroCode does not address the rare case where Lateral
Torsional (or Flexural Torsional) Buckling occurs for WT's and double angles bent about their weak

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axis. Therefore, the calculation of Mcr is based on AISC LRFD equation and used in the code checks
for Lateral Torsional (or Flexural Torsional) Buckling.
Lateral Torsional Buckling - The value Mcr used in the lateral-torsional buckling capacity of beams
relies on a factor C1. When the C1 field is left blank it is automatically calculated per the explicit
equation presented in the widely accepted article "Lateral-Torsional Buckling of Steel Beams: A
General Expression for the Moment Gradient Factor" by Lopéz, Yong, and Serna (2006),, as there is
no suitable generic formula presented in the EuroCode. C2 and C3 are taken as zero because RISA
relies on the "general case" lateral torsional buckling equations (see section 6.3.2.2) rather that the
more specialized section for rolled and welded I shaped sections (6.3.2.3).
Single Angles - Single angles are checked for axial and shear forces only for EuroCodes prior to
2014 Edition. No bending is considered for Eurocodes prior to 2014 Edition.

EuroCode Special Messages

"Rho >= 1.0, No code check calculated"

In beams with high shear the code implements a moment strength reduction factor (ρ), but
does not place an upper limit on it. If this value exceeds 1.0 the beam has a negative
moment capacity, which is irrational. The program therefore prevents a code check for
these circumstances.

Indian Design Parameters

Parameters controlling the steel design are entered on the Member Design Parameters
spreadsheet. These parameters are entered on a per member basis, and control the code checking
on a per member basis.

Cm Interactive Bending Coefficients

If these entries are left blank, RISA will calculate them. The m value is influenced by the sway
condition of the member and is dependent on the member's end moments, which will change from
one Load Comb to the next. It's a good idea to leave these entries blank and let RISA calculate them.

Indian Buckling Curve Factors

This factor is discussed in Section 7.1.2.2 of the 2007 Indian Design code and is used in the
calculation of the axial compression. The following illustrates what RISA uses for the buckling curve
from Table 7:

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Indian Limitations
Tapered Members - Tapered WF shapes are done per the AISC ASD 9th (for the 1998 code) and
LRFD 2nd (for the 2007 code) specifications at this time. The appropriate sections of the IS:800
specification will be used in a later release.
Torsional Warping Effects- Combined bending and warping torsional stresses in WF and Channel
shapes are handled per the AISC publication "Torsional Analysis of Steel Members".
WT and Double Angle Limitations - The Indian code does not address the case where Lateral
Torsional (or Flexural Torsional) Buckling occurs for WT's and double angles bent about their weak
axis. For the 2007 code, RISA will use the AISC 360-05 (aka AISC 13th edtion) formulas for
calculating member capacity for these failure states.
Shear Stress - For all shapes, the average shear stress is not checked per section 6.4.2 at this time.
Class 4 (Slender) Sections - No code checking is performed for class 4 sections for the IS 800:
2007 code.

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Single Angles - Single angles are checked for axial and shear forces only. No bending is considered
at this time.

Australian & New Zealand Design Parameters

Parameters controlling the steel design are entered on the Member Design Parameters
spreadsheet. These parameters are entered on a per member basis, and control the code checking
on a per member basis.

Alpha_m Factor
(Moment Modification Factor)
l If this entry is left blank, RISA calculates it based on the full length of the member.
l When unbraced lengths (Lb_comp_top and Lb_comp_bot) are explicitly defined (enter a
number), the program does not have the segmental information of the member for alpha_m
calculation.
It assumes the alpha_ m used for this particular member to be 1.0.
l When unbraced lengths (Lb_comp_top and Lb_comp_bot) are defined by physical nodes
along the member with the entry ‘Segment’ typed in, alpha_m is calculated automatically
using equation 5.6.1.1(2) based on segments defined by nodes along the member.
The alpha_m value is influenced by the sway condition of the member and is dependent on the
member's end moments, which changes from one Load Combination to the next.

Australian & New Zealand Limitations

Tapered Members - Tapered WF shapes are done per the AISC LRFD 3rd specification at this time.
The appropriate sections of the ENV 1993-1-1 specification are used in a later release.
Torsional Warping Effects- Combined bending and warping torsional stresses in WF and Channel
shapes are handled per the AISC publication "Torsional Analysis of Steel Members".
WT and Double Angle Limitations - The NZ / AS codes do not address the rare case where Lateral
Torsional (or Flexural Torsional) Buckling occurs for WT's and double angles bent about their weak
axis.
Torsional Unbraced Length - At present the program assumes 'Lcomp' as 'Le' in case of lateral
torsional buckling. Section 5.6.3 provides a procedure for calculating 'Le' which is not being
addressed at this time.
Special Provisions for Cantilevers - At present the program does not address section 5.6.2 for
cantilever elements.

General Member Design Limitations

Composite Steel Design - This is not done in RISA-3D. RISAFloor has this capability.
Welded Sections - There is a basic assumption in the program that the steel sections are hot rolled
not welded. Therefore, any code provisions that assume additional stresses due to welding a built-up
cross section are not specifically accounted for. For the AISC-LRFD codes this generally means that

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the flange residual stress (Fr) is always taken as 10ksi, as for a rolled shape. The only exception is for
Tapered WF shapes where it is always taken as 16.5 ksi, as for a welded shape.
Load Location - For all shape types, it is assumed that the transverse load on the member is
occurring through the member's shear center. This means secondary torsional moments that may
occur if the load is not applied through the shear center are not considered.
Single Angles - In all codes other than AISC 360-05 and 360-10, single angles are only checked for
axial loading. Flexural effects are not considered in the code check calculation. Under AISC 360-05
and 360-10 single angles are checked for combined bending and axial about either their principal or
geometric axes depending on how their unbraced length has been defined.
l Lateral-Torsional buckling does not apply to Geometric bending angles, and is therefore not
checked for them.
l Lateral-Torsional buckling does not apply to minor-axis bending on Principal bending
angles, and is therefore not checked for them.
l The provisions of Section E5 of the specification are not considered. The angle is
considered to be loaded concentrically, and on both legs.
l Interaction equation H2-1 is used for all the code check on all angles (equal and unequal
leg).
Double Angles - For y axis buckling (where stitch connections would be experiencing shear), the
program only considers KL/r of the overall built up shape and does NOT attempt to reduce the KL/r
value based on the spacing between connectors. Therefore the program assumes that there are pre-
tensioned bolts or welds spaced closely enough to allow the double-angles to act as one unit per
AISC 360-10 Eqn E6-2a.
Net Section for Tension Capacity - The tension capacity is calculated using the Gross area. A later
release will include a "net area factor" that the user can enter to indicate what the effective area
should be for the tension capacity calculation.
Solid Rectangles - Solid rectangular members will not be checked for lateral torsional buckling. This
limitation is only important for tall, slender shapes as LTB should not be a realistic limit state for short
and thick or square shapes.
Torsional and Flexural Torsional Buckling of Doubly Symmetric Shapes - Flexural Torsional
Buckling and Torsional Buckling are checked for the following shape types for AISC 360-10 (14th
Edition) and AISC 360-16 (15th Edition) steel codes:
l Non Slender WF
l Non Slender Channels
l Non Slender WTs
l Non Slender Double Angles
l Non Slender Single Angles
Flexural Torsional Buckling and Torsional Buckling are also checked for Non Slender WTs and
Double Angles for the AISC 360-05 (13th Edition Steel Code).

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For WTs (KL/r)m per section E4 (a) is calculated per equation E6-1 with 'a' always assumed to be 0.
This results in (KL/r)m = (KL/r)o.
P-Little Delta Analysis - An incremental P-Delta re-iterative approach is used in RISA 3D. This
method does NOT automatically account for P-Little Delta effects. If these effects are expected to be
significant please refer to the P-Little Delta section.
Notional Loads - Currently Notional Loads are not automatically included in the analysis and it is
expected that the user will create their own set of Notional Loads when required. Please see the Load
Generation - Notional Loads topic for more information on using the program to generate and apply
notional loads.

Tapered Members
The analysis for tapered wide flange members is handled internally by breaking the member into a
series of 14 piecewise prismatic members. Then the program will condense out the extra degrees of
freedom when assembling the stiffness matrix.
This does a very good job for member stiffness and basic analysis. However, because the extra
degrees of freedom are eliminated before the analysis, it does not currently account for the P-Little
Delta effect. If this effect is desired , please refer to the P-Little Delta topic for techniques to add this
effect into your frame analysis.

AISC 13th, 14th, & 15th Editions

(Design Guide 25)
These design specifications do not actually include any design provisions for tapered members.
However, the AISC and MBMA jointly released Design Guide 25 - Frame Design Using Web-Tapered
Members, which provides a design procedure consistent with the AISC design specifications.
RISA follows the recommendations of the Design Guide for tapered member codes checks whenever
the AISC 13th, 14th, or 15th edition steel codes are selected.

Design Checks
The member detail reports will display not only the governing capacity values, but also the governing
equations/limit state that provided the reported capacity. These limit states (and any design
assumptions) are listed below:
In-Plane Flexural Buckling (z-z): The RISA implementation uses the Equivalent Moment of Inertia
method described in Appendix A of Design Guide 25.
Out-of-Plane Flexural Buckling (y-y): This calculation uses the weak axis properties from the mid-
section of the unbraced length.
TB (Torsional Buckling): Columns with equal flanges will only be checked for Torsional Buckling
when the torsional unbraced length (K*L_torque) is greater than the weak axis buckling unbraced
length (K*Lyy).
FTB (Torsional Buckling): RISA currently only checks flexural torsional buckling when the tapered
member has unequal flange widths and (for cases when flange widths are equal) when the ratio of

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the flange thickness is greater than 1.5. This calculation uses the weak axis properties from the mid-
section of the unbraced length.
LTB (Lateral Torsional Buckling): The RISA implementation uses the procedure for Single Linear
Tapered Members for most members. In cases where both the thickness and depth of the way
change, however, the program will use the more generalized procedure.
CAT (Constrained Axis Torsional Buckling): This is only checked when Lcomp-bottom is greater
than Lcomp-top. The assumption is that the top flange is the outside flange and may be more
restrained due to the presence of purlins or girts. The calculation of as and ac assume a girt or purlin
depth of zero.
Combined Stress Equations: The RISA implementation uses the force based combined strength
equations from chapter H1 of the AISC specification. The program does not consider the alternate
stress based combined stress equations based on chapter H2 of the AISC specification.
Shear Strength: The shear check equations are based on section G2 of the AISC specification and
do not consider the effects of stiffeners or tension field action.
Please see the Tapered Member results topic for more information about the results reporting.
Unbraced Length and Section Properties: When the user manually enters an unbraced length the
program doesn't explicitly know where the brace points are and must make and assumption. This is
done in order to determine the section properties at the middle of the unbraced length which are used
in the calculation of member capacities. RISA assumes the brace points are equally spaced along the
length of the member at the distance given by the user.
For example if the user entered in an unbraced length of 4 ft for a tapered member that is 10 ft long,
the program will assume that there is bracing as 0ft, 4ft, 8ft and 10ft.

Limitations
In general, this Design Guide allows for design of a wider range of members than permitted over the
older AISC Appendix F provisions. However, there are still a number of limitations that will prevent
RISA from reporting a code check. These are listed below:
Cb Calculation: Currently, RISA does not calculate Cb per Design Guide 25. Instead it is always
calculated per the AISC 360 section F1 equation.
Tension Rupture: The tension rupture limit state is not considered.
Flange Qs Calculations: RISA will calculate a Qs value for both flanges and conservatively use the
lower value in design calculations.
Direct Analysis Method: Currently, the Tau_b stiffness adjustments for the Direct Analysis Method
is based on the worst case section in the tapered member. This worst case stiffness adjustment is
applied to the whole member.
55 ksi Limit: The Design Guide includes a 55 ksi limit on maximum yield strength. If this is violated a
code check will still be calculated, but a warning log message will be given.

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ASD 9th, LRFD 2nd, LRFD 3rd

For these design specifications, AISC included an Appendix F covering the design of tapered wide
flange members. When calculating code checks per these provisions, the design parameters used in
RISA are subject to the following additions / restrictions:
AutoCalc of K values:The Kyy factor for Tapered WF shapes can be approximated by RISA-3D,
and is the same as for a regular prismatic member. The Kzz value cannot be approximated by and
should be entered by the user. The default value for Kzz will be '1.0' if not entered by the user. See
the ASD or LRFD Commentary on Appendix F for an explanation of how to calculate the Kzz factor
for Tapered members.
Cb value:For Tapered WF members, the Cb field is actually used to enter the "B" value. B is
described in Appendix F7.4 of the ASD (9th Edition) and LRFD (2nd & 3rd Edition) codes. This value
is not calculated automatically and if it is left blank, a value of '1.0' will be used per the commentary for
Appendix F7. The Cb term used in the Chapter F equations is calculated internally for Tapered WF
members and will be shown on the Member Detail report and in the Code Check Spreadsheet.
Cm values: For Tapered WF members, the Cm values will be used for C'm. The C'm values are
described in Appendix F7.6 of the ASD and LRFD codes. These terms are used in the interaction
equations in Appendix F. If these entries are left blank they will be calculated automatically.

Foreign Codes
Canadian - w1: For Tapered WF members, the LRFD code will be used and the Cmyy(w1yy) value
will be used for C'myy, and the Cmzz(w1zz) value will be used for C'mzz. The C'm values are
described in Appendix F7.6 of the LRFD codes. These terms are used in the interaction equations in
Appendix F for the LRFD code. If these entries are left blank RISA will calculate them.
Canadian - w2: For Tapered WF members the LRFD code will be used and the w2 field is used for
the “B” value. B is described in Appendix F7.4 of the LRFD codes. The Cb term used in the Chapter F
equations in the LRFD code is always calculated internally for Tapered WF members and will be
shown on the Member Detail report and in the Unity check spreadsheet. If the w2 entry is left blank a
value of 1.0 will be used for B, per the commentary for Appendix F7. (The value of “B” is not
calculated at this time.)
British - m: For Tapered WF members, the LRFD code will be used and the Cmyy(m_yy) value will
be used for C'myy, and the Cmzz(m_zz) value will be used for C'mzz. The C'm values are described
in Appendix F7.6 of the LRFD codes. These terms are used in the interaction equations in Appendix F
for the LRFD code. If these entries are left blank RISA will calculate them.
British - m_LT - For Tapered WF members the LRFD code will be used and the m-LT field is used
for the “B” value. B is described in Appendix F7.4 of the LRFD codes. The Cb term used in the
Chapter F equations in the LRFD code is always calculated internally for Tapered WF members and
will be shown on the Member Detail report and in the Unity check spreadsheet. If the m-LT entry is left
blank a value of 1.0 will be used for B, per the commentary for Appendix F7. (The value of “B” is not
calculated at this time.)
Euro Code - Cm/Bm: For Tapered WF members, the AISC LRFD 2nd Edition code is used and the
Cmyy(m_yy) value will be used for C'myy, and the Cmzz(m_zz) value will be used for C'mzz. The C'm

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values are described in Appendix F7.6 of the LRFD codes. These terms are used in the interaction
equations in Appendix F for the LRFD code. If these entries are left blank RISA will calculate them.
Euro Codes - Cm_LT / Bm_LT: For Tapered WF members the AISC LRFD 2nd Edition code is
used and the m-LT field is used for the “B” value. B is described in Appendix F7.4 of the LRFD codes.
The Cb term used in the Chapter F equations in the LRFD code is always calculated internally for
Tapered WF members and will be shown on the Member Detail report and in the Unity check
spreadsheet. If the m-LT entry is left blank a value of 1.0 will be used for B, per the commentary for
Appendix F7. (The value of “B” is not calculated at this time.)
Indian Codes - Cm: For Tapered WF members, the LRFD code will be used and the Cmyy(m_yy)
value will be used for C'myy, and the Cmzz(m_zz) value will be used for C'mzz. The C'm values are
described in Appendix F7.6 of the LRFD codes. These terms are used in the interaction equations in
Appendix F for the LRFD code. If these entries are left blank RISA will calculate them.

Buckling-Restrained Brace (BRB) Members

RISA follows Section F4 of the AISC 341-16 code for the design of BRB braces when AISC 15th
edition steel code is selected.

BRB Design Parameters

The BRB Design Parameters Spreadsheet records the design parameters for the BRB code checks
and may be accessed by selecting Members on the Spreadsheets menu and then selecting the BRB
tab. These parameters are defined for each individual member and may also be assigned graphically
through the Properties panel.

FyMax, FyMin
These are the upper and lower bounds of the yield strength of the BRB steel core. These values are
based on BRB manufacturer's data on the products. FyMax and FyMin are used in different design
calculations, see Design Checks and BRB parameter Calculations below for more information.
Density
The density of BRB is reported in this column. If you choose the default "Auto-Calc", the weight
density (weight per linear length) is calculated automatically based on BRB manufacturer's data.
Note that this weight density is an approximate value and shall be carefully reviewed by BRB
manufacturer to ensure its accuracy. User can also input this value manually.

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Beta, Omega
The compression strength adjustment factor (β) and strain hardening adjustment factor (ω) can be
defined. These parameters are calculated automatically based on BRB manufacturer's data if Auto-
Calc is selected. User can also input this value manually.
Kf
The stiffness modification factor Kf can be defined in this column. The BRB member is more rigid at
the end zone (connection to beams/columns) comparing to the steel core at the middle portion.
Initially, the program calculates the BRB axial stiffness based on steel core only, therefore a stiffness
modification factor is needed to capture the actual stiffness of whole member. This parameter (Kf
≥1.0) is calculated automatically based on BRB manufacturer's data if Auto-Calc is selected. User
can also input this value manually.
Connection
The connection type is defined in this column. Different connection types yield different Kf values due
to the connection geometry. Currently Bolted, Welded, and Pinned connection types are supported.

BRB Analysis Consideration

RISA-3D calculates the BRB force demand neglecting the effect of gravity loads per AISC 341-16
Section F4.3. It only considers lateral load categories such as ELs, WLs, NLs, and RSA forces (e.g.
SX, SZ) in BRB design. For instance, DL will be neglected in a load combination 0.9DL+1.0EL to
obtain the BRB force demand. It is assumed that all gravity members have been designed in
RISAFloor for gravity loads when there is no braces yet.
Since the brace end zone (brace connections to beam/column) has a higher stiffness than the steel
core, a stiffness modification factor Kf is needed to accurately capture the BRB stiffness. The Kf can
be input manually by users or automatically calculated by the program. See BRB Parameter
Calculation section below for additional information for this factor. The BRB's stiffness used in
analysis will be obtained by multiplying the steel core stiffness by Kf factor.
BRBs shall be used to resist axial load only, so only axial load code check is performed for BRBs. Pin-
Pin end releases are set as default for BRB shapes. Currently the program does not support fixed end
release for BRBs.
Design Codes (AISC 15th) and Required Design Checks
RISA follows Equation (F4-1) in Section F4.5.2 of AISC 341-16 code to calculate the BRB design
axial strength in tension and compression. Specified minimum yield stress of the steel core (Fysc) is
taken as the FyMin in the BRB properties.

BRB Parameter Calculations

The compression strength adjustment factor (β) and strain hardening adjustment factor (ω) can be
user-input or automatically calculated by the program. If Auto-Calc was used, RISA follows the

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procedure in Section F4.2b to calculate these factors. The stress-strain curves for the steel core
material are provided by BRB manufacturers. The larger value of the expected deformation
corresponding to a) 2% of the story height, or b) two times the design story drift was used in the
calculation of these factors. The BRB strain at two times design story drift was estimated using
2*øBRB*Cd*(FyMin/E)/(ρ*Ie), this equation conservatively assumes the yield strength of steel core is
fully utilized and shall yield an upper bound of beta, omega factors. Kf was calculated based on the
geometries of BRB, connection, and beam/column etc.
β, ω will be used to determine the adjusted brace strength in compression (Pcmax) and in tension
(Ptmax) per Section F4.2:

Note: The calculation of the factors β, ω, and Kf follows the recommendations and database
provided by manufacturers, these factors shall be carefully reviewed by users as well as
manufacturers when finalizing the BRB design.

BRB Limitations
BRB Shapes: Currently, only CoreBrace products are available for BRB shapes.
Integration: Buckling-restrained brace design is available for models that are transferred from
RISAFloor.

Hot Rolled Steel - Code Check

AISC Code Check Results
Access the Steel Code Check spreadsheet by selecting the Results menu from the ‘Explorer’ panel,
then clicking on Code Checks.

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Note:
l The Member Detail Report gives more values used to perform the code check.
l See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how to use Find, Sort and other options.
l See Results View Settings - Members to learn how to plot member results.
l See the code specific topics on the Hot Rolled Steel - Design page for additional
restrictions / limitations.

Unity Check (UC) Results

The UC Max value represents the maximum Unity Check value produced by the interaction of the
axial and bending stresses. This would be a factored ratio of actual to allowable stress, or demand vs
capacity. The governing code equation that resulted in this value is displayed in the far right column
for reference as well.
The Shear UC represents a similar ratio based on the shear provisions of the design code. The
location for the shear check is followed by "y" or "z" to indicate the direction of the shear.
Generally, if UC Checks are less than 1.0, the member is considered passing. If either of them is
greater than 1.0, the member is considered failing. If the value is greater than 9.999 it will be listed as
"9.999".
The remaining columns, discussed below, provide some of the values used in the code check with
the equation number itself given in the last column. The Member Detail Report gives more values
used to perform the code check.

Location of the Governing Unity Check

The Loc field tells at what location the maximum code check occurs measured from the I-joint
location (starting end) of the member. See Model Display Options – Members to learn how to view the
code check results graphically.
The moving load results are enveloped and the governing load combination and step location is
shown for each result value under the "LC" column. The first number is the load combination, the
second is the step number: (load combination - step number). See Moving Loads to learn more.

Design Capacities
For ASD 13th, 14th, and 15th Edition code checking, Pnc/Om, Pnt/Om, Mnyy/Om and Mnzz/Om are
the design capacities divided by the Omega safety factors. Whereas the LRFD code checks will
display the capacities multiplied by the Phi factor: Phi*Pnc, Phi*Pnt, Phi*Mnyy, and Phi*Mnzz.
For Pnc is calculated according to the provisions of Chapter E in the AISC 13th, 14th, or 15th
Editions. Pnt is based on Chapter D. The Mn values are calculated based on Chapter F. Note that for
RISA-, "zz" corresponds to "xx" in the AISC code, i.e. RISA- substitutes Mnzz for Mnx, to maintain
consistency with the member local axis system.

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Note: AISC code checking requires a P-Delta analysis to satisfy the requirements of Chapter
C, so if P-Delta analysis is NOT turned on (via the P-Delta flag) code checks won't be
performed.

Cb Coefficient
The Cb coefficient is calculated based on the description presented in Chapter F, section F1. Refer to
the section on Cb input for more information about this calculation.
Tapered Wide Flanges (ASD) - For Tapered WF shapes, the Cb value shown will be the Cb value
that RISA- calculated internally, NOT the value that was entered and used for the “B” value. The
values shown in the Cm fields will be the C'm values that were used for the Appendix F calculations.
The controlling equation from Appendix F will be listed.
Tapered Wide Flanges (LRFD) - For Tapered WF shapes, the Cb value shown will be the Cb value
that RISA- calculated, NOT the Cb value that was entered and used for the “B” value. The controlling
equation from Chapter H will be listed.

Governing Equation
The final field lists the controlling equation for the code check. This will be one of the equations from
Chapter H (for ASD and LRFD) or section 7 for the HSS code. If there is no moment demand in the
member being checked, then the program will calculate the unity ratio using Chapter D where it
compares the axial demand to the axial capacity of the member using Pu/(Phi*Pc).

Note:
l The requirements of Section H3 of the LRFD code are satisfied since RISA-
calculates and includes torsional warping effects.
l When the governing equation is flagged with an asterisk (*) that means the
equation was modified slightly. Example AISC equation H1-1b was used, but the
code check was not allowed to be less than Pu/(Phi*Pc).

Load Combination
For enveloped results the combination that produced the listed code and shear checks is given in
the"LC" column. The other values are the corresponding values and are not necessarily the
maximums across all the combinations.

Canadian Code Check Results

Access the Steel Code Check spreadsheet by selecting the Results menu and then selecting
Members Steel Code Checks.

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Note:
l The Member Detail Report gives more values used to perform the code check.
l See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how to use Find, Sort and other options.
l See Results View Settings - Members to learn how to plot member results.
l See the code specific topics on the Hot Rolled Steel - Design page for additional
restrictions / limitations.

Unity Check (UC) Results

The UC Max value represents the maximum Unity Check value produced by the interaction of the
axial and bending stresses. This would be a factored ratio of actual to allowable stress, or demand vs
capacity. The governing code equation that resulted in this value is displayed in the far right column
for reference as well.
The Shear UC represents a similar ratio based on the shear provisions of the design code. The
location for the shear check is followed by "y" or "z" to indicate the direction of the shear.
Generally, if UC Checks are less than 1.0, the member is considered passing. If either of them is
greater than 1.0, the member is considered failing. If the value is greater than 9.999 it will be listed as
"9.999".
The remaining columns, discussed below, provide some of the values used in the code check with
the equation number itself given in the last column. The Member Detail Report gives more values
used to perform the code check.

Location of the Governing Unity Check

The Loc field tells at what location the maximum code check occurs measured from the I-joint
location (starting end) of the member. See Model Display Options – Members to learn how to view
the code check results graphically.

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Design Capacities
Cr, Mryy and Mrzz are the factored resistances calculated for the member. Cr is the compressive
resistance, calculated according to the provisions of the design code. The Mr values are the moment
resistances, calculated based on provisions of the design code. Note that for RISA-, "zz"
corresponds to "xx" in the Canadian code, i.e. RISA- substitutes Mrzz for Mrx, to maintain
consistency with the member local axis system.

Note: Canadian code checking requires a P-Delta analysis to satisfy the requirements of
Section 8.6, so if P-Delta analysis is NOT turned on (via the P-Delta flag) Canadian code
checks won't be done.

W2 Coefficient
The w2 coefficient is calculated based on the description presented in Section 13.6. Whether or not
the member is subject to sidesway is determined from the setting for the strong axis sway flag on the
Member Design spreadsheet. The w1 coefficients, described in Section 13.8.4 are also listed. These
are also influenced by the sway flag settings.
Tapered Wide Flanges - For Tapered WF shapes, the provisions of the AISC LRFD 2nd code are
used. The w2 value shown will be the w2\Cb value that RISA- calculated, NOT the w2 value that was
entered and used for the “B” value. The controlling equation from Appendix F in the LRFD code will
be listed. The values shown under the headers for Cr and Mr will instead be the Pn and Mn values
calculated for the LRFD code. These are the unfactored member strengths. (Similar to Cr and Mr, but
without the “phi” reduction factor.)

Governing Equation
The final field lists the controlling equation for the code check. This will be one of the equations from
Section 13.8.1, 13.8.2, or 13.9.

Note: The requirements of Section 15.11 are satisfied since RISA- calculates and includes
torsional warping effects.

Load Combination
For enveloped results the combination that produced the listed code and shear checks is given in
the"LC" column. The other values are the corresponding values and are not necessarily the
maximums across all the combinations.

British Code Check Results

Access the Steel Code Check spreadsheet by selecting the Results menu and then selecting
Members Steel Code Checks.

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Note:
l The Member Detail Report gives more values used to perform the code check.
l See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how to use Find, Sort and other options.
l See Results View Settings - Members to learn how to plot member results.
l See the code specific topics on the Hot Rolled Steel - Design page for additional
restrictions / limitations.

Unity Check (UC) Results

The UC Max value represents the maximum Unity Check value produced by the interaction of the
axial and bending stresses. This would be a factored ratio of actual to allowable stress, or demand vs
capacity. The governing code equation that resulted in this value is displayed in the far right column
for reference as well.
The Shear UC represents a similar ratio based on the shear provisions of the design code. The
location for the shear check is followed by "y" or "z" to indicate the direction of the shear.
Generally, if UC Checks are less than 1.0, the member is considered passing. If either of them is
greater than 1.0, the member is considered failing. If the value is greater than 9.999 it will be listed as
"9.999".
The remaining columns, discussed below, provide some of the values used in the code check with
the equation number itself given in the last column. The Member Detail Report gives more values
used to perform the code check.

Location of the Governing Unity Check

The Loc field tells at what location the maximum code check occurs measured from the I-joint
location (starting end) of the member. See Model Display Options – Members to learn how to view the
code check results graphically.

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Shear Capacity
The shear capacity, Pv, is calculated per section 4.2.3 using the listed equations for the shear area of
each section type. Shear buckling per section 4.4.5 is also considered.
The reduction in design strength, “py”, per table 9 in section 3.1.1 is automatically considered by the
program. The reduction is based on the yield stress of the steel material used for the member and the
maximum thickness of the cross section.

Compression Capacity
The compression capacity, Pc is calculated based on section 4.7. The effective lengths shown in
table 22 are shown as “K” factors in the program ( K*length is the effective length) and these can be
approximated by the program based on the sway flags and the end release conditions of the member
(the connection type is NOT considered.) The user can also specify the effective length by entering
the appropriate K factor.
For the case of a sway member having pinned ends, a value of 2.1 for K is used as table 22 does not
address this condition. The program considers all H sections as I sections for purposes of picking the
proper strut curve in table 23 in section 4.7.5. For the same table and section, the program does not
do interpolation for shapes that have maximum thicknesses between 40 and 50 mm, per footnote 1.

Tension Capacity
The tension capacity, Pt, is calculated based on section 4.6 and currently done using the gross
section.

Slenderness checks
Width to thickness checks are done for all shapes based on Tables 11 and 12 in section 3.5.
Complete Effective section properties for the Area, Plastic Modulus, and Section Modulus, are done
per section 3.5.6 and 3.6.

Moment Capacity
The moment capacity, Mc, is calculated per section 4.2.5, including consideration for the amount of
shear at the section. The limit states of lateral torsional buckling, per section 4.3.6 and web buckling
per section 4.4.4.2 are also considered.

Equivalent Uniform Moment Factors

The equivalent uniform moment factors (my, mz, mLT) used in section 4.8.3 and shown in table 26 of
section 4 are calculated automatically by the program based on the sway flag and member moment
diagram. The user can also enter their own values.

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Governing Equation
The final field lists the controlling equation for the code check. Combined axial and bending stresses
are computed based on the equation shown in section 4.8, with the governing equation
reported. Combined bending and warping is calculated per the AISC specification and design guide.
Biaxial bending and biaxial shears on Pipes and solid circular bars are done using the square root
sum of the squares of the forces applied in or about the local y and local z directions.

Load Combination
For enveloped results the combination that produced the listed code and shear checks is given in
the"LC" column. The other values are the corresponding values and are not necessarily the
maximums across all the combinations.

EuroCode Code Check Results

Access the Steel Code Check spreadsheet by selecting the Results menu and then selecting
Members Steel Code Checks.

Note:
l The Member Detail Report gives more values used to perform the code check.
l See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how to use Find, Sort and other options.
l See Results View Settings - Members to learn how to plot member results.
l See the code specific topics on the Hot Rolled Steel - Design page for additional
restrictions / limitations.

Unity Check (UC) Results

The UC Max value represents the maximum Unity Check value produced by the interaction of the
axial and bending stresses. This would be a factored ratio of actual to allowable stress, or demand vs
capacity. The governing code equation that resulted in this value is displayed in the far right column
for reference as well.

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The Shear UC represents a similar ratio based on the shear provisions of the design code. The
location for the shear check is followed by "y" or "z" to indicate the direction of the shear.
Generally, if UC Checks are less than 1.0, the member is considered passing. If either of them is
greater than 1.0, the member is considered failing. If the value is greater than 9.999 it will be listed as
"9.999".
The remaining columns, discussed below, provide some of the values used in the code check with
the equation number itself given in the last column. The Member Detail Report gives more values
used to perform the code check.

Note:
Important !
l The bending axes in the member local coordinate system are reversed between
RISA and the Eurocode. All input and results are shown in the member local
coordinate system used by RISA. For a wide flange shape, the “z-z” axis is parallel
to the flanges and the “y-y” axis is parallel to the web.
l The reduction in yield strength, “fy”, per table 3.1 in section 3.2.2.1 is automatically
considered by the program. The reduction is based only on the maximum thickness
of the cross section. Yield strengths for sections with a maximum thickness of
40mm or less are not reduced. Yield strengths for sections with a maximum
thickness greater than 40mm are reduced by 20 N/mm2.

Location of the Governing Unity Check

The Loc field tells at what location the maximum code check occurs measured from the I-joint
location (starting end) of the member. See Model Display Options – Members to learn how to view
the code check results graphically.

Compressive Capacity
The compression capacity, Nc.Rd is calculated based on section 62.4 and 6.3.1. The effective
lengths shown in tables E.2.1 and E.2.2 of the 1992 Eurocode are shown as “K” factors in the
program ( K*length is the effective length.) These can be approximated by the program based on the
sway flags and the end release conditions of the member (the connection type is NOT considered.)
The approximate K factor values for reasonable “pinned” and “fixed” conditions are taken from the
British BS 5950-1:2000 code. The user can also specify the effective length by entering the
appropriate K factor. For the case of a sway member having pinned ends, a value of 2.1 for K is used
as a reasonable limit.

Tension Capacity
The tension capacity, Nt.Rd, is calculated based on section 6.2.3 and currently done using the gross
section.

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Slenderness checks
Width to thickness checks are done for all shapes based on table 5.2 from the 2005 EuroCode.

Shear Capacity
The shear capacity, Vpl.Rd, is calculated per section 6.2.6 using the listed equations for the shear
area of each section type. Shear buckling per section 5.6.3 of the 1992 Eurocode is also considered.

Moment Capacities
The moment capacity, Mc.Rd, is calculated per section 6.2.5, including consideration for the lateral-
torsional buckling.

Equivalent Uniform Moment Factors

The equivalent uniform moment factors (Cm & CmLT per the 2005 code) are calculated per Table B.3
of Annex B unless they are manually input by the user in the Member Design Properties spreadsheet.
The equivalent uniform moment factors (βm & βmLT per the 1992 code) used in section 5.5.4 and
shown in figure 5.5.3 of section 5.5.4 are calculated automatically by the program based on the sway
flag and member moment diagram unless they are manually input by the user in the Member Design
Properties spreadsheet.

Governing Equation
The final field lists the controlling equation for the code check. Combined axial and moment is
checked for the limit state of stress and high shear. The limit states of flexural buckling and lateral
torsional buckling as well as web buckling are also considered. The governing section is also
reported. Combined bending and warping is calculated per the AISC specification and increases the
moment about the y-y axis.
Biaxial bending and biaxial shears on Pipes and solid circular bars are done using the square root
sum of the squares of the forces applied in or about the local axes.

Load Combination
For enveloped results the combination that produced the listed code and shear checks is given in
the"LC" column. The other values are the corresponding values and are not necessarily the
maximums across all the combinations.

Indian Code Check Results

Access the Steel Code Check spreadsheet by selecting the Results menu and then selecting
Members Steel Code Checks.

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Note:
l The Member Detail Report gives more values used to perform the code check.
l See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how to use Find, Sort and other options.
l See Results View Settings - Members to learn how to plot member results.
l See the code specific topics on the Hot Rolled Steel - Design page for additional
restrictions / limitations.

Unity Check (UC) Results

The UC Max value represents the maximum Unity Check value produced by the interaction of the
axial and bending stresses. This would be a factored ratio of actual to allowable stress, or demand vs
capacity. The governing code equation that resulted in this value is displayed in the far right column
for reference as well.
The Shear UC represents a similar ratio based on the shear provisions of the design code. The
location for the shear check is followed by "y" or "z" to indicate the direction of the shear.
Generally, if UC Checks are less than 1.0, the member is considered passing. If either of them is
greater than 1.0, the member is considered failing. If the value is greater than 9.999 it will be listed as
"9.999".
The remaining columns, discussed below, provide some of the values used in the code check with
the equation number itself given in the last column. The Member Detail Report gives more values
used to perform the code check.

Location of the Governing Unity Check

The Loc field tells at what location the maximum code check occurs measured from the I-joint
location (starting end) of the member. See Model Display Options – Members to learn how to view the
code check results graphically.

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Compressive Capacity
The allowable compressive stress, Fa, is calculated based on section 5.1. The effective lengths
shown in table 5.2 are shown as “K” factors in the program ( K*length is the effective length) and
these can be approximated by the program based on the sway flags and the end release conditions
of the member (the connection type is NOT considered.) The user can also specify the effective
length by entering the appropriate K factor. For the case of a sway member having pinned ends, a
value of 2.1 for K is used as table 5.2 does not address this condition.

Tension Capacity
The allowable tensile stress, Ft, is calculated based on section 4.1 and is currently done using the
gross section.

Slenderness Checks
The maximum slenderness ratios shown in table 3.1 are reported in the warning log when they are
exceeded. The program still calculates capacities for the members and reports a code check.
Width to thickness checks are done for all shapes based on section 3.5.2.1. Complete effective
section properties for the Area and Section Modulus are calculated.

Shear Capacity
The allowable shear stress, Fv, is used per section 6.4.1. This value is checked per the maximum
shear stress in the section based on elastic theory.

Moment Capacity
The strong axis allowable bending stress, Fb, is calculated per section 6.2. The limit state of lateral
torsional buckling, per sections 6.2.4 and 6.2.6, is considered. The allowable bending stress is
increased per section 6.2.4.1 as appropriate. The weak axis bending stress is assigned per section
6.2.5.

Equivalent Uniform Moment Factor, Cm

The equivalent uniform moment factor, Cm, used in section 7.1 are calculated automatically by the
program based on the sway flag per section 7.1.3. The user can also enter their own values in the
Member Design Parameters spreadsheet.

Governing Equation
The final field lists the controlling equation for the code check. Combined axial and bending stresses
are computed based on the equations shown in section 7.1,with the governing equation reported.
Combined bending and warping is calculated per the AISC ASD specification.
Biaxial bending and biaxial shears on Pipes and solid circular bars are done using the square root
sum of the squares of the forces applied in or about the local y and local z directions.

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Load Combination
For enveloped results the combination that produced the listed code and shear checks is given in
the"LC" column. The other values are the corresponding values and are not necessarily the
maximums across all the combinations.

Australian Code Check Results

Access the Steel Code Check spreadsheet by selecting the Results menu and then selecting
Members Steel Code Checks.

Note:
l The Member Detail Report gives more values used to perform the code check.
l See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how to use Find, Sort and other options.
l See Results View Settings - Members to learn how to plot member results.
l See the code specific topics on the Hot Rolled Steel - Design page for additional
restrictions / limitations.

Unity Check (UC) Results

The UC Max value represents the maximum Unity Check value produced by the interaction of the
axial and bending stresses. This would be a factored ratio of actual to allowable stress, or demand vs
capacity. The governing code equation that resulted in this value is displayed in the far right column
for reference as well.
The Shear UC represents a similar ratio based on the shear provisions of the design code. The
location for the shear check is followed by "y" or "z" to indicate the direction of the shear.
Generally, if UC Checks are less than 1.0, the member is considered passing. If either of them is
greater than 1.0, the member is considered failing. If the value is greater than 9.999 it will be listed as
"9.999".

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The remaining columns, discussed below, provide some of the values used in the code check with
the equation number itself given in the last column. The Member Detail Report gives more values
used to perform the code check.

Location of the Governing Unity Check

The Loc field tells at what location the maximum code check occurs measured from the I-joint
location (starting end) of the member. See Model Display Options – Members to learn how to view the
code check results graphically.

Compressive Capacity
The allowable compressive stress, Phi*N, is calculated based on clause 6.3. The effective lengths
shown in Figure 4.6.3.2 are shown as “K” factors in the program ( K*length is the effective length) and
these can be approximated by the program based on the sway flags and the end release conditions
of the member (the connection type is NOT considered.) The user can also specify the effective
length by entering the appropriate K factor.

Tension Capacity
The allowable tensile stress, Phi*Nt, is calculated based on clause 7.2 and is currently done using
the gross section.

Slenderness Checks
Width to thickness checks are done for all shapes based on Table 5.2. Complete effective section
properties for the Area and Section Modulus are calculated.

Shear Capacity
The allowable shear stress, Phi*Vv, is used per clause 5.11. This value is checked per the maximum
shear stress in the section based on elastic theory.

Moment Capacity
The strong axis allowable bending stress, Phi*Mn, is calculated per section 5. The limit state of lateral
torsional buckling, per clause 5.6 is considered.

Moment Modification Factor, αm

The moment modification factor, Alpha_m, is calculated automatically by the program based on
clause 5.6.1.1. When explicit unbraced lengths are used, the program does not have the member
segment information to calculate alpha_m. It will conservatively assume alpha_m to be 1.0. The user
can also enter their own values in the Member Design Parameters spreadsheet.

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Governing Equation
The final field lists the controlling equation for the code check. Combined axial and bending stresses
are computed based on the equations shown in clause 8.4, with the governing equation reported.
Combined bending and warping is calculated per the AISC ASD specification.
Biaxial bending and biaxial shears on Pipes and solid circular bars are done using the square root
sum of the squares of the forces applied in or about the local y and local z directions.

Load Combination
For enveloped results the combination that produced the listed code and shear checks is given in
the"LC" column. The other values are the corresponding values and are not necessarily the
maximums across all the combinations.

New Zealand Code Check Results

Access the Steel Code Check spreadsheet by selecting the Results menu and then selecting
Members Steel Code Checks.

Note:
l The Member Detail Report gives more values used to perform the code check.
l See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how to use Find, Sort and other options.
l See Results View Settings - Members to learn how to plot member results.
l See the code specific topics on the Hot Rolled Steel - Design page for additional
restrictions / limitations.

Unity Check (UC) Results

The UC Max value represents the maximum Unity Check value produced by the interaction of the
axial and bending stresses. This would be a factored ratio of actual to allowable stress, or demand vs

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capacity. The governing code equation that resulted in this value is displayed in the far right column
for reference as well.
The Shear UC represents a similar ratio based on the shear provisions of the design code. The
location for the shear check is followed by "y" or "z" to indicate the direction of the shear.
Generally, if UC Checks are less than 1.0, the member is considered passing. If either of them is
greater than 1.0, the member is considered failing. If the value is greater than 9.999 it will be listed as
"9.999".
The remaining columns, discussed below, provide some of the values used in the code check with
the equation number itself given in the last column. The Member Detail Report gives more values
used to perform the code check.

Location of the Governing Unity Check

The Loc field tells at what location the maximum code check occurs measured from the I-joint
location (starting end) of the member. See Model Display Options – Members to learn how to view the
code check results graphically.

Compressive Capacity
The allowable compressive stress, Phi*N, is calculated based on clause 6.3. The effective lengths
shown in Figure 4.6.3.2 are shown as “K” factors in the program ( K*length is the effective length) and
these can be approximated by the program based on the sway flags and the end release conditions
of the member (the connection type is NOT considered.) The user can also specify the effective
length by entering the appropriate K factor.

Tension Capacity
The allowable tensile stress, Phi*Nt, is calculated based on clause 7.2 and is currently done using
the gross section.

Slenderness Checks
Width to thickness checks are done for all shapes based on Table 5.2. Complete effective section
properties for the Area and Section Modulus are calculated.

Shear Capacity
The allowable shear stress, Phi*Vv, is used per clause 5.11. This value is checked per the maximum
shear stress in the section based on elastic theory.

Moment Capacity
The strong axis allowable bending stress, Phi*Mn, is calculated per section 5. The limit state of lateral
torsional buckling, per clause 5.6 is considered.

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Moment Modification Factor, αm

The moment modification factor, Alpha_m, is calculated automatically by the program based on
clause 5.6.1.1. The user can also enter their own values in the Member Design Parameters
spreadsheet.

Governing Equation
The final field lists the controlling equation for the code check. Combined axial and bending stresses
are computed based on the equations shown in clause 8.4, with the governing equation reported.
Combined bending and warping is calculated per the AISC ASD specification.
Biaxial bending and biaxial shears on Pipes and solid circular bars are done using the square root
sum of the squares of the forces applied in or about the local y and local z directions.

Load Combination
For enveloped results the combination that produced the listed code and shear checks is given in
the"LC" column. The other values are the corresponding values and are not necessarily the
maximums across all the combinations.

Tapered Member Results

The spreadsheet results for tapered members gives the same information as other AISC Code
Checks. However, the Detail Reports for tapered members designed to AISC Design Guide 25 give
some additional information.
As shown in the image below, the code checks list the member capacity calculated for axial, flexure,
and shear. In addition to the capacity values, the table reports the equation number used to arrive at
that capacity and the failure mode which caused it (please see the example below).The table also
gives the slenderness parameters that apply for that failure state.

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Note: We recommend clicking on each “Limit State” to access the expanded report for
detailed calculations.

The following failure modes are listed for axial and strong axis bending:
l (z-z) : In-Plane or Strong Axis flexural buckling of the member due to axial force.
l (z-z) : Out-of-Plane or Weak Axis flexural buckling of the member due to axial force.
l TB : Torsional buckling of the member due to axial force.
l FTB : Flexural Torsional Buckling of the member due to axial force.
l CAT : Constrained Axis Torsional Buckling of the member due to axial force.
l FLB : Flange Local Buckling due to flexure.
l WLB : Web Local Buckling.
l TFY : Tension Flange Yielding due to flexure.
l CFY : Compression Flange Yielding due to flexure.
l LTB : Lateral Torsional Buckling of the member due to flexure.
Please see the Tapered Member design topic for more information about these limit states.

BRB Member Results

The spreadsheet results for BRB members are summarized under the BRB tab in the Code Checks
spreadsheet. It covers the brace UC check values under axial load and the adjustment factors for
brace stiffness (Kf) and strength (omega, beta). It also includes the tension and compression
capacities of the braces. See Buckling-Restrained Brace (BRB) Members for additional information
on the parameters.

The detail report is also customized for BRB members. For force diagrams, only axial load related
diagrams are reported. No shear/bending/torsion diagrams are reported since BRBs are supposed to
resist axial load only. In the BRB Check tab, the Kf, omega, and beta values are reported and the
axial compression/tension code checks are also presented:

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Note: BRB axial load demand is obtained by analysis neglecting the gravity loads effects.
However, the axial load diagrams are displaying the analysis result based on the original load
combination including the gravity loads effects. So the reported axial load demand might be
different from the envelop results in the force diagrams.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Stainless Steel

Stainless Steel
Stainless steel shape properties and design are based on the recommendations in the AISC Design
Guide 27 Structural Stainless Steel. The procedure outlined in the design guide follows the 2010
AISC Specification and 14th Edition Steel Manual.

Database Shapes
Shapes are organized by Shape Type and Database / Manufacturer. Common shapes are
supported such as wide flanges, tubes, pipes, channels, etc. You can type in the names directly,
select shapes from these databases, or add your own shapes.
RISA currently supports only the AISC steel database.

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Select a Stainless Steel Database Shape

To select a Stainless Steel database shape:
1. From the Stainless tab on the Section Sets spreadsheet, or the Primary tab of the
Members spreadsheet, move the cursor to the Shape field and click .
2. Specify the database and shape type you wish to use and then select from the list of
available shapes.

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Shape Designations: Stainless steel shapes are similar to the AISC database for all
shapes. See Hot Rolled - Databases for information on the shape designations.

Shape Designations
Stainless steel shapes are similar to the AISC database for all shapes. See Hot Rolled - Databases
for information on the shape designations.

Design
Full code checking member optimization can be applied to standard stainless steel shapes based on
the AISC Design Guide 27 Structural Stainless Steel which refers to the 2010 AISC Specification and
14th Edition Steel Manual.

How To Apply a Steel Design Code

1. On the Model Settings - Codes tab, select the steel code from the drop down list.

2. On the Stainless tab of the Members spreadsheet, enter the appropriate bracing
information and factors.

Note: For code checking to be performed on a member, the member must be

defined with a database shape on the Section Sets or Members spreadsheet.

Design Parameters Spreadsheet

The Stainless Steel Design Parameters spreadsheet records the design parameters for the
stainless steel code checks. It can be accessed by selecting Members from the ‘Data Entry’ section
of the ‘Explorer’ panel and then selecting the Stainless tab. These parameters are defined for each

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individual member and can also be assigned graphically. See Modifying Member Design to learn how
to do this.

The design for stainless steel follows the design for Hot-Rolled Steel Design with a few exceptions
outlined below.

Implementation Notes

b/t ratio
The stainless steel b/t ratios differ from Tables B4.1a and B4.1b in Chapter B of the 14th Edition
AISC code. The b/t ratios used are listed in the AISC Design Guide 27 Stainless Structural Steel in
Tables 3-1 and 3-2.

Axial Compression
The guidelines given in AISC Specification Chapter E apply except with some modifications to the
equations and some additional limitations for slender members. See AISC Design Guide 27 for the
specific changes.

Bending Capacity
The guidelines given in AISC Specification Chapter F apply except with some modifications to the
equations and some additional limitations for slender members. See AISC Design Guide 27 for the
specific changes.

Flexure Code Checks

The analysis will be provided for flexure but there will not be any flexure code checks for single
angles, tees, sections with slender webs, unequal angles, equal legs angles with slender sections,
and round HSS.

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Round HSS Shear Buckling

The limit state of shear buckling for round HSS (AISC Specification Equations G6-2a and G6-2b) are
beyond the scope of the AISC Design Guide 27 and thus are not included in RISA. The analysis will
be provided but there will not be any shear code checks for round HSS.

Combined Torsion
The design of members subject to combined torsion, flexure, shear, and/or axial force is beyond the
scope of the AISC Design Guide 27.

Slender WT's and Angle Sections

The Design Guide does not directly address the case of WT's with slender webs or angles with
slender webs. Therefore, the program uses modified versions of the similar equations from the AISC
specification. This should be considered only an approximation of the capacity of these slender
members and should be reviewed and accepted (or rejected) based on the engineering judgment of
the user. The equations used are the following:
For slender single angles (or double angles when the legs spacing is nonzero), the equations used in
RISA are:

For Wt's with slender stems / webs the equations used in RISA are:

Limitations
l The code checks for Stainless in RISA are based on the AISC 360-10 Specification and
14th Ed Manual only.

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l Stainless code checks only apply to Hot-Rolled Stainless; ASCE 8 is for cold formed
stainless and is not considered in RISA.
l RISA does not consider the Precipitation Hardening Stainless Steel tension rods which
have different safety and resistance factors.
l Serviceability checks for deflection based on the secant modulus Es are not implemented
at this time. Deflections checks use the modulus of elasticity specified in the Materials
spreadsheet.

Stainless Code Check Results

Access the Stainless Steel Code Check spreadsheet by selecting the Results tab Envelope (or
LC) button Code Check. Alternatively, on the Results toolbar you can select Code Check.

Note:
l The Member Detail Report gives more values used to perform the code check.
l See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how to use Find, Sort and other options.
l See Results View Settings - Members to learn how to plot member results.

Unity Check (UC) Results

The results for stainless steel follows the same results reporting as that for Hot-Rolled Steel Results.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Loads

Loads
As you input loads they are grouped into separate sets of Basic Load Cases. These are the basic
building blocks of the loads applied to the structure, consisting of discrete loads and self-weight of the
structure. The basic load cases can also be grouped into load categories such as dead load and live
load. In the end, the model will be solved against load combinations that are built with the basic load
cases and categories.
You can view the loads on your model. This is an excellent way to verify the loads that are on the
model. You can plot them by load case, load category or load combination. See Model View Settings
- Loads to learn to do this.
Each of the discrete load types is described in it’s own section:
l Area Loads
l Distributed Loads
l Joint Loads/Forced Displacements
l Moving Loads
l Point Loads
l Surface Loads
l Thermal Loads

Self Weight (Gravity Load)

The structure's self-weight can be automatically calculated and included in a solution. The inclusion
of self-weight can be specified within a Basic Load Case or as part of a Load Combination.
The self-weight is calculated as a full-length uniform load across each member of the model and as a
surface load on the plates. The magnitude of the load is the area times the material weight density.

Note: If a member has offsets defined, the offset distances are not included in the self-weight
calculation.

Add Self Weight to a Basic Load Case

l Select the Basic Load Case spreadsheet by clicking the Basic Load Cases icon in the
Home ribbon. On the line of the load case you wish to contain self-weight, enter a load
factor in the appropriate direction column.

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For example, if you wish to apply 90% of the self-weight in the negative Y direction (down),
you would put -0.9 as the factor in the Y Gravity column.

Add Gravity Load to a Load Combination

l To include the self-weight in a Load Combination, put "X", "Y" or "Z" in the BLC field. The
letter used indicates which global direction the self-weight is applied in. Also put a factor in
the Factor field. For example, if you wish to apply 90% of the self-weight in the negative Y
direction (down), you would put "Y" as the BLC and "-0.9" as the BLC factor.

Note:
l You can have multiple self-weight definitions, i.e. you could have self-weight
applied in the "Y" and "X" directions in the same or different load cases if you
wished.
l Don't inadvertently include the self-weight of the structure twice by specifying it
within a combination that includes a Basic Load Case that also contains the self-
weight.

Draw Loads

You can graphically apply loads to the model. You can apply one load at a time by clicking the mouse,
or apply loads to entire selections at once. All of the graphical loading tools can be found in the Draw
Loads section of the Home ribbon.

Modify Loads
Modifying loads can be done in the spreadsheets. In the ‘Explorer’ panel, click on the spreadsheet
that you wish to modify. You can also go to the ‘Spreadsheets’ ribbon, click the Data Entry icon and
then choose the spreadsheet that you wish to modify. You can then move through different Basic
Load Cases by using the drop-down list on the Window Toolbar.
See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how you can modify the loads. You can also copy or delete
entire Basic Load Cases from the Basic Load Case spreadsheet. See Copying Basic Load Cases
and Deleting Basic Load Cases for more information.
Alternatively you can directly click on the loads in the 3D View and edit the selected load within the
Properties panel.
From the Properties panel, you can change the configuration of the load as well as edit or create a
basic load case by clicking the triple dot in the BLC parameter.

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Delete Loads
Deleting loads can be done in the spreadsheets. In the ‘Explorer’ panel, click on the spreadsheet that
you wish to modify. You can also go to the ‘Spreadsheets’ ribbon, click the Data Entry icon and then
choose the spreadsheet that you wish to modify. You can then move through different Basic Load
Cases by using the drop-down list on the Window Toolbar.
You can use spreadsheet operations such to help modify the loads. You can also delete entire Basic
Load Cases from the Basic Load Case spreadsheet. See Deleting Basic Load Cases.
Alternatively you can directly click on the loads in the 3D View and press the Delete key.

Basic Load Cases

When loads are defined they are grouped into basic load cases (BLC's). You are allowed up to 1000
separate Basic Load Cases. These are the basic building blocks of the final load combinations
applied to the structure. The basic load cases may be assigned to load categories such as dead load
and live load. These basic cases and categories are then combined to define load combinations used
in analysis. A BLC can be comprised of any type of load, such as joint loads, distributed loads,
member point loads, etc.
Any time you are applying or viewing loads, graphically or in the spreadsheets, they are assigned to
the current basic load case. The current basic load case is displayed in theModel View Toolbar in a
drop down list. To change to another BLC simply choose it from this list. If you wish to change the
name the BLC's You can do this in the Basic Load Case spreadsheet.
Access the Basic Load Cases spreadsheet from the ‘Home’ ribbon by clicking on the Basic Load
Cases icon, or from the ‘Explorer’ panel under the ‘Data Entry’ section.

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When Adding Loads to a Basic Load Case

l When adding loads graphically, click on the toolbar button for the type of load you wish to
add and specify the BLC along with the load definition.
l When adding loads with the spreadsheets, open the spreadsheet for the load type you want
to add and select the BLC from the list on the Window Toolbar.

Basic Load Case Spreadsheet

The Basic Load Cases spreadsheet groups and summarizes the loads applied to the model. Access
the Basic Load Cases spreadsheet from the ‘Home’ ribbon by clicking on the Basic Load Cases
icon. Note that you can also access it from the ‘Explorer’ panel under the ‘Data Entry’ section.

Information about Basic Load Cases (BLC’s) is recorded on the Basic Load CaseSpreadsheet and
the loads themselves are recorded in the load spreadsheets for each load type.
You can enter descriptions for each BLC in the first column.These descriptions are primarily for your
own use. The descriptions will print as part of the input printout and you can also display the
description when plotting the loads for the BLC or choosing them from the list.
The second column is used to assign the BLC to a load category such as Dead Load or Live Load.
Simply choose the category from the drop down list. You can then build load combinations for
analysis by referring to the categories rather than list each basic load case.
The next three columns may be used to specify that the self-weight of the structure be included in a
load case. Simply enter a factor in the column that represents the direction of the self-weight.
Typically you will enter a value of “-1” in the Y Gravity column assuming that Y is the vertical axis. If
you enter a positive value, you will see a warning message like below which is simply to alert you of a
positive gravity value.

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The remaining columns display the quantity of each type of load that is contained in the BLC. You can
not edit these values but You can click on the quantities to open the spreadsheet and view the
loads that it represents. For example, the previous figure has 15 distributed loads as part of BLC 2.
Clicking on the number 15 with the mouse will open the Distributed Loads spreadsheet and display
these loads.

Copy Basic Load Cases

You can copy the loads from one BLC into another BLC. This can be useful when one load case is
similar to another and can be entered quickly by copying a load case and then making changes to the
copy with features such as block math.
To do this, open the Basic Load Case spreadsheet and right click on the load case that you wish to
copy and select Copy Basic Load Case from the drop-down list. The Copy A Basic Load Case
dialogue will open and allows you to specify the load case that you want to copy the loads into, as well
as the types of loads that you want to copy. For example, if you check Nodal Loads and uncheck all
the other load types, only the nodal loads will be copied.

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Any loads copied into a BLC will be added to any loads that may already exist in that BLC.

Delete Basic Load Cases

You can automatically clear all the loads in a BLC. To do this, open the Basic Load Case
spreadsheet and then right click on the load case that you wish to delete and select Clear Basic
Load Case from the drop-down list.

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All of the loads in this BLC will be deleted including the description, category information and any self-
weight information.

Scale Basic Load Cases

You can apply a scaling factor to an entire Basic Load Case in the Basic Load Case spreadsheet.
These scaling factors give the user the flexibility and freedom to modify and manipulate the loading
conditions in the model.
To use this feature, you will need to enable it in the Application Settings. By default, the program
will have this feature inactivated.

Once enabled, a new column appears in the Basic Load Case spreadsheet. Basic Load Cases
may be scaled by both negative and positive values.

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Note: When this feature is disabled in the Application Settings, the column will be hidden
but the values in the column will still be applied to the Basic Load Cases. Therefore, it is
imperative that values in this column be cleared out before hiding the column if the intent is to
not include the factors in the design.

Load Categories
The basic load cases may be assigned to load categories, such as dead load and live load, which are
commonly used in building codes. You can do this on the Basic Load Cases spreadsheet. These
categories may then be combined to define load combinations used in analysis.
Categories are easy to use and are very helpful. They allow you to place your loads into groups that
are commonly used in load combinations, while keeping them in separate load cases. This is
especially helpful in large models where the loads might occupy many different load cases. They also
allow you to define load combinations that are easily understood because they resemble the
combinations as they appear in the building code.

Load
Description
Category

DL Dead Load

LL Live Load

EL Earthquake Load

WL Wind Load

SL Snow Load

RLL Roof Live Load

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Load
Description
Category

LLS Live Load Special (public assembly, garage,

storage, etc.)

TL Long Term Load (creep, shrinkage, settlement,

thermal, etc.)

SLN Snow Load Non-shedding

HL Hydrostatic Load

FL Fluid Pressure Load

RL Rain Load

PL Ponding Load

EPL Earth Pressure Load

IL Impact Load

OL1 - OL100 Other Load 1 - 100 (generic)

ELX, ELY, Earthquake Load along global X-axis, Y-axis, Z-

ELZ axis

WLX, WLY, Wind Load along global X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis

WLZ

WL+X, WL+Y, Wind Load along positive global X-axis, Y-axis, Z-

WL+Z axis

WL-X, WL-Y, Wind Load along negative global X-axis, Y-axis, Z-

WL-Z axis

WLXP1, Partial Wind Load 1 along global X-axis, Y-axis, Z-

WLYP1, axis
WLZP1

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Load
Description
Category

WLXP2, Partial Wind Load 2 along global X-axis, Y-axis, Z-

WLYP2, axis
WLZP2

ELX+Z, Eccentric Earthquake Load along global X-axis

ELX+Y shifted along positive global Z-axis, Y-axis

ELX-Z, ELX-Y Eccentric Earthquake Load along global X-axis

shifted along negative global Z-axis, Y-axis

ELZ+X, Eccentric Earthquake Load along global Z-axis

ELZ+Y shifted along positive global X-axis, Y-axis

ELZ-X, ELZ-Y Eccentric Earthquake Load along global Z-axis

shifted along negative global X-axis, Y-axis

ELY+X, Eccentric Earthquake Load along global Y-axis

ELY+Z shifted along positive global X-axis, Z-axis

ELY-X, ELY-Z Eccentric Earthquake Load along global Y-axis

shifted along negative global X-axis, Z-axis

NL, NLX, General notional load and along global X-axis, Y-

NLY, NLZ axis, Z-axis

WLX+R, Roof wind loads in the positive and negative X-

WLY+R, axis, Y-axis, Z-axis
WLZ+R, WLX-
R, WLY-R,
WLZ-R,

Using categories is optional. Remember though that if you define combinations of categories you
must define these categories in the Basic Load Case spreadsheet. If you don't, the combinations will
have no loads.

Load Combinations
During solution the model is loaded with a combination of factored Load Categories and/or Basic
Load Cases, both of which are defined on the Basic Load Cases Spreadsheet. These
combinations, load factors, and other parameters are defined on the Load Combinations

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Spreadsheet. Most standard load combinations are included in the program. See Solution to learn
how to solve load combinations.

Add Load Combinations Manually

To add Load Combinations manually:
1. From the ‘Home’ ribbon, click on the Load Combinations icon.
2. Enter load combinations by pairing loads in the BLC fields with factors in the Factor fields.

Add Auto-Generated Building Code Combinations

To add auto-generated building code combinations:
1. From the ‘Home’ ribbon click on the Load Combinations icon.

2. Click on the button at the top of the spreadsheet.

3. On the ‘Gravity’ tab, choose the Load Combination Region and Load Combination
Code from the drop down lists.
4. Choose the desired Notional Load options.
5. Choose the desired Roof Live Load options.
6. Click the Generate button.
7. Click on the Wind tab and choose the desired Wind Load options.
8. Click the Generate button.
9. Click on the Seismic tab and choose the desired Seismic Load options.
10. Click the Generate button.
11. Modify the generated combinations and options in the spreadsheet as necessary.

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Note:
l The generated building code combinations are made up of Load Categories and
Factors. Loads that are not assigned to these categories will not be included in the
combinations upon solution.
l All generated combinations are added and marked for the envelope solution. You
can remove combinations from the envelope after adding them.
l You can specify P-Delta options and SRSS combinations for each combination
after you have added them.
l Verify the Wind/Seismic ASIF (allowable stress increase factor), and the Timber CD
settings on the Design tab for combinations after you add them.
l You can save any preferred load combinations as the default by clicking the Save
As Defaults button on the Window Toolbar.

Solve Load Combinations

Solve Single Load Combinations

To solve a single load combination:
1. On the ‘Home’ ribbon, click the Solve icon.
2. Choose the Single Load Combination from the drop down list.
3. Click the Solve button.

Solve Multiple Load Combinations

To solve multiple load combinations:
1. On the ‘Load Combinations’ spreadsheet, check the Solve checkbox for each combination
to be solved.
2. On the ‘Home’ ribbon, click the Solve icon.
3. Choose the Envelope or Batch option.
4. Click the Solve button.

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Note:
l The Envelope solution is where all combinations with a checkmark in the Solve
field are solved simultaneously. The Maximum and Minimum results of these
solutions are listed, along with the number of the controlling load combination for
each solution result.
l The Batch solution is where all combinations with a checkmark in the Solve field
are solved simultaneously. All results of these solutions are listed.

Load Combinations Spreadsheet

The Load Combinations Spreadsheet records the combinations of loads for solution. It can be
accessed by choosing Load Combination on the from the ‘Explorer’ panel under ‘Data Entry’.

Combinations Tab
The first column, Description, is strictly for your reference. Enter any descriptive label you wish and it
will be displayed with the results when the combination is solved.
The next three columns are for options that apply to each load combination.
The P-Delta entry is used to enable an analysis of member secondary effects. See P-Delta Analysis
for more information.
The Solve checkbox is used to indicate which combinations should be included in batch or envelope
solutions. See Solution for more information.

Note: Per Section C1 of Chapter C (Design for Stability) of the AISC 15th Edition steel code,
a factor of 1.6 will be applied to all load combinations for which a P-Delta analysis is to be
performed (and for which the Hot Rolled box is checked on the Design tab) whenever 'AISC
15th: ASD' is selected on the Codes tab of the Model Settings Dialog. This factor is applied
prior to conducting the P-Delta analysis and the results are subsequently divided by a factor
of 1.6.

The SRSS entry is used to combine response spectra results by the Square Root of Sum of Squares.
See SRSS Combination of RSA Results for more information.

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The next eight pairs of columns (BLC, Factor) are for defining what loads are to be part of the
combination, along with factors for each. Select load categories from the drop down lists in the
Category columns of the spreadsheet. The following are the entries you can use in the BLC field:

Entry Description
Number Entering a number includes that particular Basic Load Case,
I.e. enter “3" for BLC 3
Category Enter a category code such as DL, LL, etc to include all loads
in that category
Lnn Enter “Lnn” to nest the loads from another combination, where
“nn” is the number of the other combination, i.e. “L3" means
include all loads from load combination 3.
Mnn Use this entry to include a moving load where “Mnn” is the
moving load tag from the moving load spreadsheet
Sn Includes response spectra results for the global direction “n”,
I.e. enter “SX” to include response spectra results calculated
in the global X direction, “SY” for global Y , etc.
Tn Use this entry to include a time history load where “Tn” is the
time history load tag from the Time History Loads spreadsheet

There are also a number of BLC Prefixes that can be included in your load combinations. You can
have these generated by the LC Generator or you can click on the triple dot button in the BLC cell to
select them manually. Rho, SDS, and Omega (Ω) are defined in the Seismic tab of the Model
Settings, and SF is accessed from the RSA Scaling Factor button within the Load Combination
spreadsheet. They are explained below:

Prefix Description
SF Scaling Factor - applied to RSA results
ρ (Rho) Redundancy factor - applied to EL loads for seismic load
combinations (or RSA results)
Note: If ELX and ELZ used, the ρ from the X and Z direction
will be used directionally. If EL is used, the ρ from the X
direction will be used and the Z direction will be disregarded.
If ELY is used, the ρ from the Z direction will be used and the
X direction will be disregarded.
SDS Spectral Response Acceleration Parameter for Short Periods
- applied to DL for seismic load combinations
Ω (Om) Overstrength Factor - applied to EL loads for seismic load
combinations (or RSA results)
Note: If ELX and ELZ are used, the Ω from the X and Z
direction will be used directionally. If EL is used, the Ω from
the X direction will be used and the Z direction will be
disregarded. If ELY is used, the Ω from the Z direction will be

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Prefix Description
used and the X direction will be disregarded.
CL Capacity-Limited Forces - applied to EL loads for seismic
load combinations for vertical braced frame seismic design
(e.g. SCBF, BRBF as VBrace). The program will conduct
capacity-limited design for beams and columns using braces'
capacity-limited forces in lieu of the applied seismic loads.
In the Factor column, enter a multiplier to be applied to the loads being included.

You can also use the button in the BLC cell to help you specify the loads. Choose from load
categories, basic load cases,or spectral results or moving loads from the drop-down lists.

Notice the Seismic Options and RSA Options that are described in the Prefix table above. For
additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks website:
www.risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Seismic Factors.

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Design Tab

The first field, the Description, is strictly for the user's reference. Enter any descriptive label you wish
and it will be displayed with the results when the combination is solved.
The ASIF column is used to set the allowable stress increase factor used for both the AISC: ASD
code checking and ACI 530 ASD (masonry allowable stress design). See Allowable Stress Increase
regarding its usage for Hot Rolled Steel.
The CD factor is the load duration factor and is only necessary for NDS timber design using ASD (see
Load Duration Factor). Note: this is KD for Canadian (CSA O86) wood design.
The lambda factor is the time effect factor and is only necessary for NDS timber design using LRFD
(see Time Effect Factor).
The Service check box is used in the following applications:
l Cracked Concrete Section Properties: Per the provisions of ACI 318-14 Section
6.6.3.2.2 (ACI 318-11 Section R10.10.4.1) the cracked section properties of beams,
columns and walls can be multiplied by a factor of 1.43 for service level loads (<= 1.0*Ig).
All concrete members and walls apply this factor when the Service box is checked. Note
that this 1.43 factor does not apply to masonry walls. Masonry wall stiffness is
NOT dependent on this check box.
l Story Drift: The story drift results are broken up by each lateral direction into Service and
Strength load combinations. These tabs can be seen in the Story Drift results spreadsheet.
l Member Deflections: The first two tabs of the Member Deflections spreadsheet provide
deflection and deflection ratio results for Service and Strength load combinations.
The next seven check boxes designate which load combinations should be used for the code
checking of each material type. The example shown uses one set of Load Combinations for the NDS
wood design, and another for the ACI concrete design. Member results (Forces, Stresses, Torsion)
will only be reported for a members if it’s material type has been checked for that load combination.
Member results for general material will be shown for all load combinations. For example when using
steel and wood in your model, you can design your steel for one set of load combinations and your
wood for another.

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The last check box for Connection defines:

l If this LC should be used in designing hot-rolled steel connections with RISAConnection.

Load Combinations with RSA Results

The results from response spectra analyses in the X, Y, and Z direction can also be included in the
load combinations. Remember, when you perform a response spectra analysis (RSA), you specify in
which global direction the spectrum is applied. RISA-3D will retain the three RSA solutions (one for
each direction) simultaneously.

To include the RSA results for a particular direction in a load combination, enter "Sn" in the BLC field,
where n is the global direction. Suppose you wanted to include X direction RSA results, you would
enter SX in the BLC field. You would enter SY for Y direction and SZ for Z direction RSA results. Also
be sure to put the RSA Scaling Factor for the RSA results in the Factor field. You can have more than
one RSA entry in a load combination.

Note:
l Remember that RSA results are typically unsigned (all positive) and you should
provide some means of accounting for this. The figure above uses two
combinations for each RSA result, one with a positive factor and the other with a
negative factor to capture the maximum deflections, stresses and forces. See
Unsigned (All Positive) Results for more information.
l If you have to combine 2 or 3 different spectra results with many static load
combinations, it is convenient to put all the spectra results (SX, SY, and SZ) and
factors in one load combination and nest that combination in other combinations.
You must set the RSA SRSS flag on each load combination for it to be performed.

SRSS Combination of RSA Results

This is used to cause orthogonal RSA results in the combination to be summed together using an
SRSS (Square Root of Sum of Squares) summation. This gives a good approximation of MAXIMUM
responses but it also causes all the RSA results to be positive.

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You can choose from the options by clicking on the button. The entry is “+” or “-” to indicate
whether the combined RSA results are to be added (+) or subtracted (-) from the other loads in the
combination.

Note:
l This flag is used to combine different spectra that are acting in different directions.
This is different than the modal combination method that combines results for one
direction and is specified in the Response Spectra settings.
l This method was only approved for use in the 1997 UBC and is no longer noted as
an appropriate method in the current codes.

Load Combinations with Capacity-Limited (CL) Design

The capacity-limited design forces for braced frames (e.g. SCBF, BRBF as VBrace) can also be
included in the load combinations. For capacity-limited design, the expected strengths of braces will
be used in lieu of the applied earthquake loads for columns and beams design in vertical braced
frames. The columns and beams will be designed to resist the expected strength of the braces to
ensure braces yield first to dissipate energy during an earthquake event (e.g. Tne + Pne for BRBF,
Tne + Pne or Tne + 0.3Pne for SCBF).

To include the capacity-limited (CL) design considerations for a particular direction in a load
combination, enter "ELn-CL" in the BLC field, where n is the global direction. Suppose you wanted to
consider brace capacity-limited forces for braced frames in the X direction, you would enter ELX-CL
in the BLC field.

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Note:
l Proper seismic design rules (e.g. SCBF, BRBF) are needed for frame members so
the program can include capacity-limited (CL) design considerations. No
CL considerations will be done for members with incorrect seismic design rules.
The SCBF or BRBF braces must be assigned as vertical brace (VBrace) in order to
run the CL Load Combinations.
l If both standard lateral loads and capacity-limited (CL) forces are specified in the
same load combination, the non-CL lateral loads will be ignored. This is based on
our understanding of the code requirement for CL design that the applied lateral
loads in CL design shall be replaced by the brace CL forces. The program will not
consider both standard lateral loads and CL forces during analysis for the same
load combination.
l The capacity-limited (CL) design procedure applies to only column and beam
design in braced frames. When an CL LC is solved, the program replaces braces
with brace capacity-limited forces in frames that are eligible for CL design (e.g.
frames specified with proper seismic design rules). Since the braces are removed
during the CL design process, hidden boundary conditions are added in the lateral
directions at beam ends in the braced frames to avoid frame instability. The lock of
beam ends in lateral directions will not be an issue for CL design because this
design process only applies to columns and beams. The brace CL forces will be
transferred to adjacent columns and beams properly for their CL design. However,
there are limitations due to the added hidden boundary conditions. Currently no
beam axial load redistribution is considered among braced beams in the same
frame line due to the added boundary conditions. Also no unbalanced beam axial
load is considered for frames with braces connected to beam ends directly (e.g.
diagonal braced frames). The unbalanced beam axial load is considered for V and
Inverted-V braces. The display of the hidden boundary conditions can be turned on
by going to the File -> Application Settings -> Output, and selecting the checkbox
"Display seismic capacity-limited boundary conditions".
l Users can display capacity-limited (CL) forces after solutions. The program
requires solutions to determine and display the CL forces of braces. If users display
the forces under CL load combinations before solutions, the CL forces will be
displayed as the associated standard seismic forces. For example, ELX-CL will be
displayed as ELX loads before solution. After solution it will be displayed as the
brace expected strength forces for braced frames in the X direction.

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Limitations
l The analysis consideration per AISC 341-2016 F2.3c of progressive yielding and buckling
of the braces for multi-tiered braced frames is not included in the current implementation of
capacity-limited (CL) design.
l The exceptions under AISC 341-2010 F2.3 are not fully considered in program. This is due
to the program not having enough information to determine if these exceptions apply. Users
need to use their judgment to check if these exceptions apply to their structure. The only
exception the program partially considers is the AISC 341-2010 F2.3 Exception 2a. Per this
exception the program will perform SCBF column design using the lesser of the forces
determined from load combinations using the amplified seismic loads or the CL loads.
However, the program cannot automatically remove compression braces in the model. The
users need to modify the models accordingly if they need to consider this exception.
l Unbalanced forces for beams are only considered for V and Inverted-V braced frames. This
is due to the added hidden lateral boundary conditions for frame instability during capacity-
limited (CL)design. No unbalanced beam axial load can be considered for frames with
braces connected to beam ends directly (e.g. diagonal braced frames) because the
unbalanced axial loads will go into the boundary conditions directly. Also, for the same

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reason the program currently does not consider any redistribution of beam unbalanced
axial loads among beams in the same frame line.

Load Combinations with Moving Loads

Moving loads are included in your analysis by referencing them on the Load Combinations
spreadsheet. For example, to reference moving load number “n” you would enter “Mn” in one of the
BLC fields, and then also enter the corresponding BLC factor. The moving load numbers are shown
for each moving load on the Moving Loads spreadsheet.

Nesting Load Combinations

You are allowed only 10 BLC's per load combination, which may not be enough. For this reason you
can define "combinations of load combinations". This means if you need more than 8 BLC entries in a
single combination, you can define the needed BLC's and self-weights over several load
combinations and then pull these combinations together into another load combination.

Entering "Lnn" in the BLC field means include all the BLC entries (with their factors) from Load
Combination "nn". For example, say Load Combination 4 has "L1" entered for one of its BLC's. This
specifies to include all the BLC's (with their factors) entered in Load Combination 1 as part of Load
Combination 4 (this includes self-weight and RSA entries as well). The flags for Load Combination 1
(i.e. Solve, PDelta, and SRSS entries) apply only to Load Combination 1 and will not be used when
Load Combination 4 is solved.
Also, the factor we enter with the "Lnn" entry will be applied to the BLC factors entered for LC nn.
Thus, if we enter "L1" with a factor of "0.9", we're including 90% of the BLC entries of Load
Combination 1.

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Note: These “combinations of load combinations” can only be nested to one level; i.e. the
load combs referenced with the Lnn entries may not themselves have Lnn entries.

ASIF Factors for Wind / Seismic Load Combinations

Entering a value/factor in the field labeled ASIF (Allowable Stress Increase Factor) indicates that the
load combination should be treated as a wind/seismic load combination.

If AISC 9th Edition ASD code checking is selected, the allowable stress increase factor entered in this
field is applied to this load combination.
If LRFD code checking is selected, then any value of ASIF greater than 1.0 will indicate that the
seismic provisions for the WF compactness checks are to be used (Table 8-1, p. 6-317 of the 2nd ed.
LRFD).

P-Delta Load Combinations

The P Delta field is used to perform a P-Delta calculation for that load combination. You can choose
from the options by clicking on the button. A blank field indicates no P-Delta analysis, Y indicates
that a P-Delta analysis is to be performed for the combination.

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You can also perform a compression only P-Delta analysis. Invoke this option by putting a C in the P
Delta field. See P-Delta Analysis for more information.

Note:
l P-Delta analysis is normally required for LRFD based code checks. If this is not
desired, you can change the setting by selecting Application Settings on the Tools
menu and clicking the Solution and Results tab.
l P-Delta analysis is not performed on plates.

If P-Delta was not included in the load combination spreadsheet (PDelta column is blank) but is
required by code, the following message will display upon solution.

This warning means that the solution was run but the members requiring P-Delta will not provide any
design results. In order to bypass this warning to see results without P-Delta, you can turn off the
"Enforce code required P-Delta analysis" option in the Application Settings. An example of when this
would be a recommended work flow is when investigating model instabilities. Once you are ready to
view full design results for your model, it is recommended to turn this requirement back on.

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Timber Design Load Duration Factor

For Wood design, the load duration factor (CD) is entered in the CD field on the row that the particular
CD factor applies to. Different load combinations would have different CD factors. For example, per
the NDS code, a load combination that had only dead load, would have a CD factor of "0.9", while
another combination that was comprised of dead load plus wind load would have a CD factor of "1.6".
The CD factor will only be applied to wood code checks on wood members. "Wood" members are
those members whose material properties are defined on the Wood tab of the Material Properties
Spreadsheet.

Note:
l See Table 2.3.2 in the NDS 2018 code for the CD factors to be applied for typical
loads. Note that the CD factor used for a load combination should be for the load
with the shortest load duration in that load combination.
l When the Canadian CSA O86 Wood design code is selected, these entries will all
change to "KD". See Table 5.3.2.2 of the CSA O86-14 code for direction on what
factors to enter.

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Generate Building Code Combinations

Major portions of the load combinations that are specified by building codes are included and can be
applied to the model for solution. These combinations can be inserted by selecting the
button from thetop of the Load Combinations spreadsheet. This opens the ‘Load Combination
Generator’ window, shown in the following image.

Gravity Options
The first tab in the Load Combination Generator window is Gravity. This tab contains Roof Live
Load and Notional Load Options.
The LC Region refers to the various regions supported by the program (U.S., Canada, India, British,
et cetera).
The LC Code refers to the actual code used to build the load combinations. For the United States,
there are a number of different codes that could be used to build load combinations. If the only option
is Sample, that means that no load combinations have been input for that region. See Customizing
the Load Combination Generator for more information on how to add or edit combinations for that
region.
These settings, changed on any of the three tabs, automatically update on the remaining tabs.
Thereby making it easy to simply move through the tabs, selecting the options you require, without
having to re-select the region and code data on each.

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Beam Deflection Options

The Generate Deflection LCs will automatically place 3 load combinations first that match DL, LL and
DL + LL.

This will match the Typical design rule from the default Member Design Rules - Deflection tab inputs.

Notional Load Options

The Notional Load Options allow the user to specify how complex the load combinations including
notional loads should be.
When None is selected, the program will not generate any Load Combinations that include the NL
load category.
The 2D Only option is used to indicate that only the most basic notional load category (NL) will be
used.
The X and Z option is used to indicate that the program should generate separate notional load
combinations for each horizontal direction (NLX and NLZ).
When the Reversible box is checked, the program will generate every notional load combination
twice. Once with a positive load factor, once with a negative load factor.

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For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks website:
www.risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Notional Loads.

Roof Live Load Options

The Roof Live Load Options lets you specify how complex the load combinations including roof live
loads should be.
Check the checkbox next to RLL (Roof Live Load), SL (Snow Load), and/or RL (Rain Load) to
indicate that the selected load categories are to be included in the generated load combinations.

Wind Options
The second tab of the Load Combination Generator is the Wind tab. This tab contains Wind Load
Options.

Wind Load Options

The Wind Load Options specify how detailed the generated wind load combinations should be.

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When None is selected as the wind load option, the program will not generate any Load
Combinations that include wind load categories.
The 2D Only option generates only the most basic wind load category (WL).
The X and Z option generates separate wind load combinations for each horizontal direction (WLX
and WLZ when Y is set at the vertical axis).
The X and Z w/ Ecc option generates all possible wind load combinations that include partial /
eccentric wind loading (WLX, WLXP1, WLXP2, et cetera) per Case 2 from Figure 27.3-8 in the ASCE
7-16.
The X and Z w/ Ecc, Quart option generates all possible wind load combinations per Cases 2, 3 and
4 from Figure 27.3-8 in the ASCE 7-16. For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips
& Tricks website: www.risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keyword: Quartering.
The Reversible option generates two combinations for each wind load, one with positive load factors
and one with negative load factors.
The Generate Semi-Rigid Diaphragm Loads option generates wind loads for BLC's using
windward and leeward direction loads prescribed by the ASCE 7-16 (WLX+Z, WLX-Z, WLZ+X, WLZ-
X).

Seismic Options
The third tab of the Load Combination Generator is the Seismic tab. This tab contains Seismic Load
Options.

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Seismic Load Options

The SeismicLoad Options specify how complex the generated seismic load combinations should
be.
When None is selected as the seismic load option, the program will not generate any Load
Combinations that include the EL load category.
The 2D Only option is used to indicate that only the most basic seismic load category (EL) will be
used.
The X and Z option is used to indicate that the program should generate separate seismic load
combinations for each horizontal direction (ELX and ELZ).
The X and Z w/ Eccentric option is used to indicate that the program should generate all possible
seismic load combinations that include eccentricities (ELX, ELX+Z, ELX-Z, et cetera).
The X and Z RSA option will use the spectral seismic loads (SX, SY, SZ) instead of the regular
earthquake loading (ELX, ELY, ELZ).
If you have selected the X and Z, X and Z w/ Eccentric, or X and Z RSA option, you will also have the
ability to include non-orthogonal seismic loads. Simply check the Include Non Ortho (100% + 30%)
checkbox to include these loads per the Orthogonal Combination Procedure of section 12.5.3.1(a) of
the ASCE 7-16.
When the Reversible box is checked, the program will generate every seismic load combination
twice. Once with a positive load factor, once with a negative load factor.
Check the Include ρ checkbox if you want to include the redundancy factor in your seismic load
combinations. This factor is set in the Seismic tab of Model Settings.
Check the Include Ev (vertical) checkbox if you want to include the vertical seismic load effect in
your seismic load combinations. This value is calculated per equation 12.14-6 of the ASCE 7-16
using the SDS value set on the Seismic tab of Model Settings.
The Capacity-Limited (CL) LC Options for Braced Frames will generate capacity-limited design
forces based on brace expected strength. The generator will use the overstrength load combinations
per LC code selected, and replace the overstrength seismic forces with CL forces. The Include Non
Ortho (100%+100%) checkbox is provided as an additional option for Capacity-Limited Braced
Frames in order to meet the requirements for columns that are common to intersecting frames per
AISC 341-16 D1.4a.
Check the Add Notional Loads to Seismic Load Combinations checkbox if you want to include
notional loads applied as lateral seismic loads per the ASCE 7 and AISC codes.
The Save as Defaults button can be used to establish the current load combination generator
settings as the defaults for future use. Clicking the Generate button will generate load combinations
in the Load Combinations Spreadsheet based on the selected options.

Load Combination Generator - General Notes

The following loads are not generally included in the standard combinations but can be added by
editing the combinations in the spreadsheet or by modifying the source document itself. For more

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information, see Customizing the Load Combination Generator below:

Category Code Description

SX, SY, SZ Response Spectra Results
TL Long Term Load
HL Hydrostatic Load
FL Fluid Pressure Load
PL Ponding Load Category
EPL Earth Pressure Load
OL# Other Load Categories

Note:
l The standard combinations are made up of Load Categories and Factors. Loads
that are not assigned to these categories will not be included in the combinations
upon solution.
l Some load categories do not occur in all of the design codes. Loads placed in
categories that are not part of the standard combinations will not be included in the
solution of these combinations.
l All combinations added from the drop down list are added to the envelope solution.
You can remove combinations from the envelope after adding them.
l Verify the Wind/Seismic ASIF settings for combinations after you add them.
l After you add the combinations, verify the settings for the wood design Load
Duration factor, CD/KD.
l You can specify P-Delta options and SRSS combinations for each combination
after you have added them.
l See Editing Spreadsheets - Inserting, Deleting and Clearing Cells for quick ways to
edit or add combinations.
l When a new installation is performed the program will back-up any existing XML
files that contain load combination data rather than overwriting them. The back up
copies will be given the extension BAK.

Customize the Load Combination Generator

The Load Combinations for each region are contained in an XML file which can be opened and edited
using a standard spreadsheet program. An example of on of these XML files is shown below:

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The name of the file itself becomes the name of the Load Combination Region that appears in the
Load Combination Generator. Each XML file has a series of "worksheets" and the name of each
worksheet will be the name of the Load Combination Code that appears in the Load Combination
Generator. You can add, edit or modify these documents to completely customize the available load
combinations.

Note: When the program is updated for new versions, the existing XML files will be "backed
up" and saved with a '.bak' extension while the new XML files in the update will replace them.
If any customizations were made to the XML files, they can be retrieved from the back ups.

The first row of each sheet is reserved for the column headers. The recognized column headers are
as follows: Label, Solve, pDelta, SRSS, ASIF, CD, ABIF, Service, Hot Rolled, Cold Formed, Wood,
Concrete, Masonry, Footings, Aluminum, and Stainless,. In addition, there will be multiple pairs of
BLC & Factor headers.
Other than Label and the BLC / Factor pairs, you can omit columns. If a column is omitted, the default
values will be used for those entries. The order of the column labels is optional except for pairs of BLC
and Factor. For the program to correspond the Factor with correct BLC, the user should always
provide BLC label PRIOR to the corresponding Factor. You can insert blank columns or columns with
other labels than described above. In those cases, the program omits those undefined columns.

Note:
l As shown in the above example, the wind and seismic loads should be entered as
WL and EL in order for them to be "expanded" using the Wind Load Options and
Seismic Load Options.
l The program will read these files from the directory specified from clicking the
3D Button Application Settings File Locations.
l SX, SY, and SZ are not valid BLC that can be used within the Load Combination
Generator spreadsheet. A response spectra analysis must be done first within
RISA-3D.

Loads - Nodal Load / Displacement

You can specify nodal loads, and enforced nodal displacements and nodal mass in any of the global
degrees of freedom. Loads and displacements can be applied in any non-global direction by defining
components of the load in the global directions. This can be accomplished graphically or in the
spreadsheets. See Drawing Nodal Loads below to learn how to apply nodal
loads/displacements/masses graphically.

Draw Nodal Loads

You can apply nodal loads to nodes. You must enter the load direction, magnitude and type. Make
sure that you are careful to enter the correct BLC number that you want the loads assigned to. See
Nodal Load/Displacement above for more information on nodal loads.

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Apply Nodal Loads, Mass and Enforced Displacements

To apply nodal loads, mass and enforced displacements:
1. Go to the Home ribbon.

2. Click on the Nodal icon to display the nodal load information in the ‘Properties Panel’.

3. Define the Nodal Load information:

a. Click the L, D, M arrow and choose the load type from the menu.
b. Click the Direction arrow and choose the direction.
c. Click the BLC arrow and choose the Basic Load Case.
d. Type in a Magnitude, (k, k-ft), if applicable.
e. Click the Inactive arrow and choose whether the Nodal Load should be ‘Active’ or
‘Inactive’.
For help on an item, click the Help icon in the upper right corner of the program (as
shown in the following image).

4. You can apply the load by choosing nodes on the fly or apply it to a selection of nodes.

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l To choose nodes on the fly, click the Click to Apply button, and click on or box the
nodes with the left mouse button.
l To apply the load to a selection, click the Apply to Selected button.
l If no nodes are selected, Apply to Selected will assume the full model is selected
and apply changes to all nodes. If any node is selected, Apply to Selected will only
apply to the selected nodes.

Note:
l You can also specify or edit nodal loads/displacements in the Nodal Loads
Spreadsheet.
l You can undo any mistakes by clicking the Undoicon in the Quick Access toolbar.

Nodal Load Spreadsheet

The Nodal Load spreadsheet records the loads for the nodes, It can be accessed by choosing Nodal
Loads from the ‘Data Entry’ section of the ‘Explorer’ panel.

When you open this spreadsheet You can view only one basic load case at a time. Use the drop
down list on the toolbar to specify a different load case.
The Node Label specifies the node that receives the load or displacement. The same node can be
listed any number of times.
The next column indicates the value is a load or an enforced displacement. Enter "L" if it’s a load, "D"
if it's a displacement and “M” if it is a mass.
The direction code indicates in which of the global directions the value is applied. Valid entries are
X,Y or Z for the translational directions, or MX, MY orMZ for the rotational directions.

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The Magnitude column holds the value of the load, displacement or mass. The appropriate units for
the magnitudes are displayed at the top of the column. Which units apply depends upon whether the
value is a load, displacement or mass, and whether the direction is translational or rotational.
The last column allows you to set the specified load as an "Active" load that will be considered for the
analysis, or an "Inactive" load that will not be included in the analysis.

Note: If you have a “Reaction” or a “Spring” boundary condition for the same degree of
freedom that you have an enforced displacement assigned, NO reaction will be calculated.
See Reactions at Nodes with Enforced Displacements to learn how work around this
limitation.

Nodal Mass
For more sophisticated dynamics modeling, you can enter your mass directly as a mass rather than
have the program convert it from a load. Using nodal masses offers several advantages such as
being able to define directional mass and also the ability to specify mass moment of inertia’s to
account for rotational inertial effects.
The units used for Nodal Mass are derived from the current Force and Length units as specified on
the Units settings. For example, if the current force units are Kips and the current length units are
Feet, you will need to specify your mass as kips / g and mass moments of inertia as kip-ft2 / g where g
is the acceleration of gravity given in those units (feet per seconds squared).
When specifying a nodal mass on the Nodal Loads spreadsheet, enter an “M” for the load type. The
directions are defined relative to the global axes. Enter translational mass using the global X, Y, or Z
codes and mass moments of inertia by specifying the global MX, MY or MZ.
Nodal masses only allow dynamic response in the direction that they’ve been applied. This can be a
very effective way to prevent local modes. A good example is a floor diaphragm modeled with
plate/shell finite elements. If the mass is only specified for the two lateral directions, you will prevent
any unwanted vertical modes. Care must be taken in limiting dynamic response using directional
mass for complicated structures. A structure that has “coupled modes” will not give the “real” dynamic
response when mass is only specified in one or two directions. A coupled mode is a mode that has
mass participate in two or three directions at one time.
Nodal masses also allow you to account for rotational inertia effects by specifying a mass moment of
inertia. These are particularly important when you’re using a rigid diaphragm and you’ve also lumped
all your mass at one point (typically the center of mass). The rotational inertia effects contribute to the
torsion on the diaphragm and should not be neglected. The following table shows some typical
diaphragm shapes and the formulas to calculate their mass moment of inertias. Note that you can use
the axis transformation equation to calculate the mass moment of inertia for diaphragms that are
combinations of these basic shapes. For very irregular diaphragms, a more general equation is given
based on the in-plane moment of inertia and the area of the diaphragm.

Mass Moment of Inertia About an Axis Through the Center of Mass

In the table below C.M. is the center of mass point. M is the total Mass of the area (typically including
self weight, dead load, and a percentage of the live load) and is assumed to be uniformly distributed

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throughout. Ixx is the moment of inertia about the X-X axis. Izz is the moment of inertia about the Z-Z
axis. A is the area. MMIo is the mass moment of inertia about some other point.

Area Plan View Formula

M (b2 + d2) / 12

M d2 / 8

M (Ixx + Izz) / A

MMIo + M D2

Loads - Area Loads

Area loads are loads that are applied to a planar area and automatically attributed to the members in
that plane. This gives you the ability to model the loading effects on a membrane, such as live load on
a deck system or wind on a curtain wall, without adding unwanted stiffness to the model. (To model
load and stiffness You can use plate shell elements loaded with surface loads.)
The area loads are defined by polygons of three or four sides. The area loads can be uniform or
tapered. They may be assigned a direction for one-way span situations, considered as two-way
membranes that transfer load in all directions, or be assigned with an "Open Structure" load
distribution which will apply loads to members based solely on their projected surface area. The loads
from the area are assigned to the nearest members, not to plates.

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Note:
l By default, area loads are not assigned to Vbraces, Hbraces, Tension-only,
Compression-only, and Euler Buckling members. If you want to include them, you
can uncheck the "Exclude Braces" checkbox for that area load, which will be
discussed in the later sections.
l The nodes that define an area load must be coplanar.
l The magnitudes of the tapered area load must be coplanar. Program marks the
invalid magnitudes in red in Property Panel and Member Area Loads spreadsheet,
which will be discussed in later sections.

Draw Area Loads

To apply area loads to members enter the load direction and magnitude. Make sure that you are
careful to enter the correct BLC number that you want the loads assigned to.

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Apply Member Area Loads

To o apply member area loads:
1. If there is not a model view already open then go to the View tab and select the Open 3D
Views button to open a new view.
2. Go to the Home ribbon.
3. In the ‘Draw Loads’ section click the Area icon.
4. Click on four nodes to define the area. For three sided areas click on the last node twice.

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Note:
l You can also specify or edit area loads in the Member Area Loads Spreadsheet.
l
You can undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo button in the Quick
Access toolbar.

Member Area Loads Spreadsheet

The Member Area Load Spreadsheet records the area loads to be attributed to the members and
may be accessed by going to the Spreadsheets tab Data Entry button Member Area Loads or by
clicking the Member Area Loads button in the Data Entry Panel.

When you open this spreadsheet, you can view only one basic load case at a time. Use the drop
down list or the buttons to specify a different load case. The current load case is
also displayed in the title bar at the top of the spreadsheet.
The first four columns contain the nodes that define the area to be loaded. The fifth and sixth columns
indicate the direction and distribution of the load, both are discussed below.
The next four columns hold the load magnitude in four different nodes. Notice area load supports
both uniform and tapered loads.
The Exclude Braces column allows you to include or exclude certain members in the area load
attribution, including Vbraces, Hbraces, Tension-only, Compression-only, and Euler Buckling
members.
The last column allows you to set the specified load as an "Active" load that will be considered for the
analysis, or an "Inactive" load that will not be included in the analysis.

Member Area Load Direction

The direction code indicates the direction of application for the area load. The following directions are
available:

Global loads are applied without being modified for projection. For example, a global Y-direction load
of 1 ksf applied to an inclined plane with an area of 10 sq.ft. generates a total force of 10 kips, no
matter what the incline is.
Projected loads, on the other hand, are applied in the global directions, but their actual magnitude is
influenced by the planar orientation. The load is applied to the projected area of the element that is
perpendicular to the load.

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For example, a "PY" direction load is a projected load applied in the global Y direction. The actual
magnitude of the load is the entered magnitude reduced by the ratio A/Axz. "A" is the actual area of
the element and Axz is the element's projected area on the X-Z plane, which is always less than or
equal to the actual area. See the following figure:

If the "Axis of Projection" in the figure is the Y-axis, then the shaded area is the total element area
"projected" onto the plane perpendicular to the Y-axis (which happens to be the X-Z plane). The total
load generated is equal to the input magnitude applied to the projected area. The generated load is
then applied to the whole area, so the generated load magnitude is reduced accordingly.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks website:
www.risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Projected Loads.

Note: For the loading perpendicular to the plane of the area polygon, the order in which you
click on the joints will determine whether the load direction is into or away from the plane of
the area. Clicking on the ABCD joints in a clockwise order will create a loading heading down
towards the plane.

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Area Load Distribution

The Load Direction of the area load determines which members "support" the area load you define.
You may choose between three main load direction options: two-way, one-way, or open structure.
Below we will explain each of the main options. Next, you can choose to use uniform or tapered area
load for Load Distribution option. The general concept of calculating loads attributed to supporting
members is the same for uniform or tapered load. One thing to note is that if you use tapered load,
you need to make sure the load magnitudes at those four nodes will be coplanar. If your input
magnitudes failed in the coplanar check, program will use red font to remind users:

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Two Way
Two way area load distribution is analogous to how load travels through a two-way slab. Load will be
distributed to the nearest member, regardless of direction. When a two-way area load is drawn there
will be a star pattern shown to verify that load will go out in all directions. Here is an example model of
a two-way slab with an area load:

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At solution, we can view how this load was applied by viewing the appropriate transient Basic Load
Case:

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Here we can directly see how the load was applied. See the Area Load Attribution section for more
information.

One Way
For a one-way distribution, you are asking the program to distribute loads in a single direction. There
are multiple one-way options that all depend on the order that you click to create your area load. All
options from A-B to Perpendicular to B-D are one way options. The A-B option means that the load
will span one-way in a parallel direction to the first two corners of the area load (the A and B corners).
Below is an image of what a B-C one-way area load distribution would look like:

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For odd geometries the "Perpendicular..." options may be necessary to get the load distribution you
are looking for.

Open Structure
As a third option, You can elect for the load to be distributed as an "Open Structure." This option
applies the area load to each member based solely on the projected surface area (in the direction of
the loading) of that member. The "Open Structure" distribution option is generally intended for
open/lattice type structures for which a wind pressure is acting uniformly on all the exposed structural
surfaces of the structure. The program will distribute the area load to the members as member
distributed loads calculated as the area load magnitude multiplied by the face of the member
perpendicular to the direction of the "Open Structure" load. Below is an example of the calculation for
the "Open Structure" attribution:

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Note:
l The "Open Structure" load distribution option applies load to the members in the
plane of the applied load as well as the members in the structure in-front of or
behind that plane.
l Currently the "Open Structure" option does not take shielding into account for
members behind other members.
l The example above shows a uniform open structure area load example, if you use a
tapered load, the transient load on the member could be tapered line load.

For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Member Area Load.

Area Loads and Wall Panels

Wall panels can now accept area loads as well. This, however, will only occur at the tops of walls and
at diaphragm locations. If there is an area load applied at the top of a wall or where there is a
diaphragm applied, then the wall panel will receive area load in the same way as a member.

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This, however, will not work if the area load is not applied at the top of the wall, or there is no
diaphragm defined where the area load intersects the wall panel. In this case no load will be applied
to the wall. All of the load will go in the opposite direction.

You can force area loads to attribute to walls even if there is not a diaphragm at that elevation. This
can be done by drawing in a "dummy" member or ledger beam at the same location as the wall. This

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member will receive area load like any other member, but should then transfer its load directly into the
wall.

Area Load Attribution

Meshing
The program takes the area loads defined by you and breaks the loads down into finite "pieces".
These pieces are broken down until the side dimension of the "piece" is less than that defined
inMember Area Load Mesh Size in the Model Settings - Solution tab. These pieces of load are then
attributed to the members in the plane of the load according to the distribution defined.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Verify Area Loads.

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One way Attribution

One-way areas are attributed in the span direction based on the assumption of a simply supported
deck. Each point load "piece" is attributed to supporting members based on the ratio of the distance
of that member compared to the total deck span at that location. If there is no member in that direction
then the load is attributed as a two-way load.

Two Way Attribution

Two-way areas are attributed to the members in all 4 directions based on an extension of a simply
supported deck. Each point load "piece" is attributed to the members based on the ratio of the
distance of that member compared to the distance of that point from the other members as shown in
the image below:

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This results in a load distribution that agrees very closely with traditional hand calc methods.

Exclude Braces Option

By default, area load attribution does not include "brace-type" members, e.g., Vbraces, Hbraces,
Tension-only, Compression-only, and Euler Buckling members. However, if users want to include the
"brace-type" members in the load attribution, you can uncheck the "Exclude Braces" checkbox for
that area load:

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Transient Area Loads

After solution, the resulting distribution of the area load is stored in the first available basic load case
with “BLC # Transient Area Loads” as the description. They can be viewed graphically or in the
spreadsheets as a basic load case. These loads are transient which means they are only a result of
the area load and will be deleted when the results are cleared and re-determined each time you solve
the model. The only purpose of these transient BLC's is to let you view the exact load attribution
created by the program.

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Note:
l Members that are designated as Tension Only, Compression Only, or Euler
Buckling will not receive any load during the Area Load Attribution.
l Members that are designated with a member type of VBRACE or HBRACE will not
receive any load during the Area Load Attribution.

You can disconnect the attributed loads and take control of them by assigning a category to the
automatically created basic load case. The original area loads will be left as they were so a
subsequent solution will produce another distribution of loads that are a result of the defined area
loads.

Solution Speed
Note that the area load algorithm used by RISA-3D is very versatile in that it can work in any of the
global directions in a three dimensional model, so that it can be used for vertical dead or live load
modeling as well as wind loads. But it can add a fair amount to the analysis time when small mesh
sizes are used with large models. Sometimes a small mesh is necessary to get the desired accuracy
for the area load attribution.

Loads - Point Loads

Point loads are concentrated loads applied along the span of a member or the edge of a wall panel.
Defining point loads may be accomplished graphically or in the spreadsheets. See Drawing Point
Loads below to learn how to draw joint loads graphically.

Draw Point Loads

To apply point loads, enter the load direction, magnitude, and location. Make sure that you are careful
to enter the correct BLC number that you want the loads assigned to.

Note: In the event that a member end offset exists and the load lies on the offset the load will
be applied at the end of the offset.

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Apply Point Loads

To apply Point Loads:
1. Go to the Home ribbon.

2. In the ‘Draw Loads’ section, click the Point icon to apply a Point Load.
3. You can choose to apply the load to a single member/wall panel at a time or to an entire
selection of members/wall panels.the load.
l To apply the load to just a few elements: Click the Click to Apply button, then click
on the members or wall panels with the left mouse button.
l To apply the load to a selection, click the Apply to Selected button.

Note:
l To apply more loads with different parameters, change the parameters in the
Properties panel and choose Click to Apply or Apply to Selected to apply the
new loads.
l You can also specify or edit point loads in the Point Load Spreadsheet.
l
You can undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo button.

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Point Loads from a Moving Load

Please see the Moving Loads topic for more information on how to create static point loads from a
specific moving load step location.

Point Load Spreadsheet

You can access the Point Loads spreadsheet from the Basic Load Cases spreadsheet which is
located on both the Data Entry and the Home tab. In the Basic Load Cases spreadsheet, click on a
cell in the Point column.

The Point Load Spreadsheet records the point loads for the member elements and may be directly
accessed by selecting the Point Loads spreadsheet from the Data Entry menu.

The first column contains the label of the member or wall panel to receive the load.
The direction in the second column represents the direction of the load as one of the options
mentioned above.

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The load magnitude is recorded in the third column. The units for the magnitude are listed at the top
of the column, depending upon whether the load is a force or a moment.
The fourth column contains the location of the load. The location is the distance from the I-joint of the
member and is unaffected by any member offsets. The location of the load may be defined as a
percentage of member length. To define the distance from the I-joint as a percentage of member
length, enter the percentage value (0 to 100), preceded by the symbol "%". For example, a load in
the center of the member would be defined with a location of "%50". Using a percentage value is
handy if the member's length will be changing due to editing of the model coordinates and you wish to
have the load some proportional distance from the I end.
The last column allows you to set the specified load as an "Active" load that will be considered for the
analysis, or an "Inactive" load that will not be included in the analysis.
The Wall Panel Point Loads Spreadsheet records the point loads on your wall panels. Note that
the loads are specific to the BLC's and that you can use the drop-down list to scroll between your
various load cases. The columns in the spreadsheet are the same as the member point loads
spreadsheet.
For models integrated from RISAFloor with semi-rigid diaphragms, the Diaphragm Point Loads
Spreadsheet records the point loads on your semi-rigid diaphragm. These loads will be grayed out
since they cannot be edited.

Note:
l If you are using RISAFloor to bring your model into RISA-3D with a rigid or flexible
diaphragm, this spreadsheet will be automatically populated with the point loads
from RISAFloor.
l Loads from RISAFloor will be grayed out because they cannot be edited in RISA-3D
since they are tied to the RISAFloor analysis.

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Point Load Directions

x, y, z - Load applied in local x,y or z direction
X, Y, Z - Load applied in global X,Y or Z direction
My, Mz - Moment about memberlocal y or z axis
Mx - Torsional Moment about member local x-axis

Loads - Line Loads

Line loads are loads that are spread across all or part of a member or wall panel and can be of
uniform, stepped, or varying magnitude such as triangular or trapezoidal. You may define distributed
loads graphically or by using the spreadsheets. See Drawing Line Loads below to learn how to draw
line loads graphically.

Note: If a member has offsets defined, the offset distances will NOT be loaded. The locations
are still relative to the I Node, but if the start location is less than the I End Offset, the part of
the load applied along the offset distance will be ignored. The same is true for the end
location and the J End Offset. So a full-length load is actually applied to a length equal to the
full I to J Node distance minus the I-End and J-End offset distances.

Draw Line Loads

You can draw line loads to members or wall panels. The direction of the load may either be defined in
the global axes or the local axes of the member and may also be projected. For full length loads leave
the Start and End Locations as zero.
Make sure that you are careful to enter the correct Basic Load Case number that you want the loads
assigned to.

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Draw Line Loads

To draw Line Loads:
1. If there is not a model view already open, choose the Add 3D View option from the Open
3D Views drop-down on the Viewribbon

2. Click the Draw Line Load icon and define the load in the Property Panel.

3. You may choose to apply the load to a single element at a time or to an entire selection of
members and/or wall panels.
l To draw the load to only a few members/wall panels, choose Click to Apply Click on
the members/wall panels with the left mouse button to apply the load.
l To apply the load to a selection of members/wall panels, choose Apply to Selected.
The load will then be applied to all the selected elements in the model.

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Note:
l To apply more loads with different parameters, press CTRL + D to recall the Draw
Line Load tool.
l You may also specify or edit line loads in the Distributed Load Spreadsheet.

Distributed (Line) Loads Spreadsheet

The Member Distributed Load Spreadsheet records the distributed loads for the member elements
and may be accessed by selecting Distributed Loads from the Data Entry drop-down on the
Spreadsheets tab of the ribbon, or by clicking Distributed Loads on the Data Entry toolbar.

The first column contains the Label of the element being loaded.
The Direction specified in the second column indicates which axes are to be used to define the load
directions and whether or not the load is to be projected. Directions are discussed in the next section.
Start and End Magnitudes of the load must be specified. Start and End locations for the load need
only be specified if the load is not across the full member length. If both locations are left as zero then
the load will be applied across the full member length.
The Location columns contains the location of the load. The location is the distance from the I Node
of the member and is unaffected by any member offsets. The location of the load may be defined as a
percentage of member length. To define the distance from the I Node as a percentage of member
length, enter the percentage value (0 to 100), preceded by the symbol "%". For example, a load
starting or ending in the center of the member would be defined with a start or end location of "%50".
Using a percentage value is handy if the member's length will be changing due to editing of the model
coordinates and you wish to have the load some proportional distance from the I end.
The last column allows you to set the specified load as an "Active" load that will be considered for the
analysis, or an "Inactive" load that will not be included in the analysis.
The Wall Panel Distributed Loads Spreadsheet records the distributed loads on your wall panels.
Note that the loads are specific to the BLCs and that you can use the drop-down list to choose a
different one. The columns in the spreadsheet are the same as the member distributed load
spreadsheet.

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For models integrated from RISAFloor containing semi-rigid diaphragms, the Diaphragm
Distributed Loads Spreadsheet records the distributed loads generated from the wind and seismic
load generation. These lines will be grayed out because they cannot be edited from RISA-3D since
they are tied to the RISAFloor analysis.

Note:
l If you are using RISAFloor to bring your model into RISA-3D with a rigid or flexible
diaphragm, this spreadsheet will be automatically populated with the distributed
loads from RISAFloor applied to members and wall panels.
l Loads from RISAFloor will be grayed out because they cannot be edited in RISA-3D
since they are tied to the RISAFloor analysis.

Distributed Load Directions

The direction code indicates how the distributed load is to be applied. Following are the valid entries:

Entry Load Direction

Mx Torque applied about the member's local x-axis
T (or t) Thermal (temperature differential) load
PX Projected load in the global X-axis direction
PY Projected load in the global Y-axis direction

This diagram illustrates the difference between local (x, y, z) and global (X, Y, Z) direction loads:

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In this diagram, the local y and global Y loads shown are both negative, while the local x and global X
loads are positive. As can be seen, local direction loads line up with the element's local axis
directions, so their direction relative to the rest of the model changes if the member/wall panel
orientation changes. Global loads have the same direction regardless of the element's orientation.
A distributed load in the Mx direction will be applied to the member/wall panel according to the right
hand rule. Remember that the positive local x-axis extends from the I nodeof a member towards the
Jnode.

Projected Loads
Keep in mind that global loads are applied without being modified for projection. For example, a full
length Y direction load of 1 kip/foot applied to a 10 foot member inclined at 45 degrees generates a
total force of 10 kips. Projected loads, on the other hand, are applied in the global directions but their
actual magnitude is influenced by the member's orientation. The load is applied to the "projection" of
the member perpendicular to the direction of the load. For example, a "PY" direction load is a
projected load applied in the global Y direction. The actual magnitude of the load is the entered
magnitudes reduced by the ratio L/Lxz, where L is the member's full length and Lxz is the member's
projected length on the global X-Z plane. See the following figure:

So the total load generated is equal to the input magnitudes applied along the projected length. This
generated force is distributed along the full member length, so the applied magnitudes are reduced
accordingly.

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For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Projected Loads.

Surface Loads
This is a load type that applies a pressure load to the face of the member in the direction specified. If a
local axis direction is specified then the load will be applied to the strong/weak direction of the
member regardless of the member orientation. If using the global coordinates then the program will
take the projected face of the element in the direction in question and calculate the pressure area
accordingly.

The program then takes this pressure multiplied by the width of the pressure area and creates a line
load that is then applied to the member.

Note: Distributed pressure loads can not be applied to tapered members or wall panels.

Loads - Moving Loads

The standard AASHTO loads are built into the moving loads database, however you can add and
save custom moving loads as well. The moving loads can be applied in any direction, so they can be
used to model crane loadings (which are typically applied in 2 or 3 directions at the same location).
You can have up to 5,000 moving loads in each model.

Apply Moving Loads

To apply a Moving Load:

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1. Select the Moving Loads spreadsheet from the ‘Explorer’ panel ‘Data Entry’ section.
2. Specify a pattern in the Pattern column by selecting it from the drop down list.
3. In the Increment column specify the distance for the load pattern to be stepped through the
path.
4. Specify the path by defining the Nodes in the remaining columns and indicate if you wish
the pattern to be moved Both Ways through the path.

Note:
l You can skip nodes when specifying the path. The moving load feature is
“smart” in the sense that it will try to find a way to get from one node to the
next node in the load path sequence. The load path taken will usually be the
most direct route between the nodes and may be verified by animating the
moving load.
l For example, in the image below, if you want the moving load to move left to
right along the beam member (M4), there if no need to specify the
intermediate node (N4) in the moving load path.

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Animate Moving Loads

To animate a Moving Load:
1. If there is not a model view already open:
a. Go to the View ribbon.

b. In the Window section, click the Open 3D Views icon’s arrow.

c. Choose + Add New 3D View from the menu.

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This opens a new view in which you can make any adjustments you wish to appear in
the animation.
You can also make further view adjustments in the animation view.
2. Click the Moving Loads icon on the ‘View’ ribbon.

3. Select the moving load or load combination from the drop-down list at the bottom of the
options and then click on the Animate button.

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Include a Moving Load in a Load Combination

To include a Moving Load in a Load Combination analysis:
1. Specify the moving load in the Load Combinations spreadsheet in one of the BLC
columns, and enter a corresponding BLC Factor.
2. You can either type in the moving load tag (i.e. M1, M2, etc.) directly or you can select it by
clicking the ellipsis to open the Set BLC Entry window.

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3. Choose the appropriate moving load from the drop down list.

Moving Loads Spreadsheet

The Moving Loads Spreadsheet records the moving loads for the member elements and may be
accessed by choosing Moving Loads in the Data Entry ‘Explorer’ panel ‘Data Entry’ section..

Each moving load definition is automatically assigned a Tag on the left side of the spreadsheet.
These labels may not be edited. Moving loads are included in your analysis by referencing this label
on the Load Combinations spreadsheet.
The Pattern column is the name of the moving load pattern used for that particular moving load
definition. You can access the drop-down list of valid pattern names by clicking the down arrow in
this cell. You can access the Moving Load Patterns and add or edit your own patterns by clicking on
the ellipsis button.

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The Increment column is the distance that the moving load will be moved for each step in the moving
load analysis.
The Both Ways column is a check box that indicates whether the moving load pattern is to be applied
in both directions of the load path or just one way along the load path. If the box is checked the load is
first run from the start node all the way to the last node of the load path. The load is then turned
around and the last node is now treated as the first node in the load path. The load is then run back to
the first node in the load path.
The last 10 fields are the node numbers that are used to define the load path for the moving load. The
moving load feature is smart in the sense that it will try to always find a way to get from one node to
the next node in the load path sequence. The load path taken will usually be the most direct route
between the nodes. If you have a long series of co-linear members, or if there is only one valid path
between your start and end nodes, you usually will only need to specify the first node and the last
node in the series. If there are several members that branch from a node that are all part of valid
paths to the next node in the sequence, the member with the lowest member number will be the one
chosen. To control exactly which route is taken in this situation, use nodes at each intersection point.
See the figure below:

In the example moving load path shown, you would need to specify nodes A, B, C, and D as the load
path nodes. You would not have to specify the joints that were in between the points where the load
path changed direction; I.e., the moving load would automatically go in a straight line from node A to
B, etc.

Moving Load Patterns

You can access the Moving Load Patterns and add or edit your own patterns by clicking on the
Moving Loads icon on the ‘Advanced’ ribbon and then clicking on Add or Edit.

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The file that the moving load pattern database is stored in is ML_LIB32.FIL. The path to this file is
specified in the Application Settingsin the File Locations tab. You can add up to 500 different
moving load patterns in the pattern database.
When you add a new pattern, the new pattern must have a unique name and can consist of up to 50
different loads. The sign of the load Magnitude will control which way the load is pointing in the
direction specified in the Direction field. The direction can be any of the 3 global directions or the 3
local directions for the members that the load will travel over. Note that if your load travels over
multiple members, a local direction load will be applied based on the local axes of each member it
crosses over. There is also a special code, “V”, which causes the load to be applied in the direction of
the current vertical axis, whatever it is (X, Y, or Z). The Distance is the distance between the loads.

Note: If you have two loads at the same location but in different directions, you can input
them one after the other with a Distance between them of 0 ft/m, as shown in the image
below:

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Moving Loads Procedures

Moving loads are handled internally by applying the loads at discrete locations that are then moved
through the model. A static solution is performed for the model at each load location. Typically, once
the first solution is solved, the remaining loads are just solved against the existing stiffness matrix, so
the stiffness matrix would not be rebuilt for each load position.

Note:
l Models that contain tension/compression only items will have their stiffness matrix
rebuilt at least once at each load position. This can make the model solution take
much longer than usual.
l Multiple moving loads may be assigned to a single load combination. However, they
cannot be assigned different "start times". If a delay between moving loads is
required, it must be accomplished by adjusting the moving load pattern.
l The load increment may be adjusted to "slow down" a moving load when multiple
moving loads are applied.

Moving Loads Results

Load combinations that contain a moving load, will step the moving load through the load path and
perform a solution for each position. The results are enveloped, giving maximum and minimum

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results of these solutions.

For these result spreadsheets, the maximum and minimum values are shown for each section
location, for each active member. The governing load combination and step location is also shown for
each result value under the "LC" column. The first number is the load combination, the second is the
step number: (load combination - step number).

Step Location
The step location tells you where the moving load was located along the moving load path when the
maximum or minimum result value was obtained. This can help you recreate the static model to verify
results.
The total number of steps is calculated as follows:

Note: The results for every load position are not stored; just the maximums and minimums.
Therefore the program is unable at this time to give a detail report solution for the moving
load results. However this is an enhancement that we do plan on adding in the future.

Moving Load Step Point Load Generation

Because solving moving loads produces so much output (full model design at each moving load step
increment), the output is limited to Enveloped results. This means that the moving load results only
show the maximum and minimum values for each output result value.
However there are times when you can want to investigate the full model design (all member results,
detail reports, deflected shape, etc.) at a specific step. You can easily create a static load case of the
moving loads at a specific load step using the Point Loads from a Moving Load feature. You can
access this feature by clicking the Point Moving icon in the ‘Home’ ribbon.

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Instructions for Moving Load Step Point Load Generation

To move Load Step Point Load Generation:
1. Determine which moving load step you want to investigate.

2. Access this feature by clicking the Point Moving icon in the ‘Home’ ribbon.
The Point Load(s) From a Moving Load data appears in the Properties panel.

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a. Select which Basic Load Case you want the static point loads to be added to.
b. Select which Moving Load or Load Combination with a moving load you want the
point loads generated from.
c. Select the Moving Load Step you want the static point loads generated from.
3. Click the Click to Apply button.

4. Create a Load Combination that includes the Basic Load Case selected in step 2 a above
and solve to see the full results.

Loads - Thermal Loads

You can model the effects of temperature differentials in members and plates. For members, these
loads cause the axial expansion or contraction of the member along its length, i.e. axial stress only.

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The temperature is assumed constant across the member's depth. For plates, these loads cause an
in-plane expansion or contraction of the plate. The temperature is assumed constant through the
thickness of the plate.

Note: The internal axial deflections for beam members are the average of the end deflections
for thermal loads.

Apply a Thermal Load

To apply a Thermal Load:
1. Select the members you wish to assign a thermal load to.
2. Go to the Home ribbon.

3. Click the Line icon or the Plate Surface Load icon in the ‘Draw Loads’ section.
4. Define a distributed load with a direction of T and a magnitude, in temperature.

Note:
l You may also specify or edit thermal loads in the Distributed Loads Spreadsheet
or the Plate Surface Loads Spreadsheet.
l An easy way to do thermal loadings is to define the joint temperatures (on the Joint
Coordinates Spreadsheet) as all zero, so any defined thermal loads are the full
stress inducing temperatures.

Record Thermal Loads for Members

The Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (α) is entered on the Materials spreadsheet. Note that this
value is entered per 100,000 degrees (it is sometimes listed per 1,000 degrees).
The joint temperatures recorded on the Node Coordinates spreadsheet define the ambient thermal
state of the structure. Thermal loads, entered as distributed loads on the Distributed Loads
spreadsheet, induce axial stress in the member.

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The difference between the applied thermal load and the ambient temperature is the stress inducing
temperature.

Since you can define start and end locations for the thermal load, you can define up to three separate
thermal regions. Interpolating from the I-end temperature to the start thermal load for the first region,
from the start thermal load to the end thermal load for the second region and from the end thermal
load to the J end temperature for the third region.

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Thermal Force Calculation

The joint temperatures recorded on the Node Coordinates Spreadsheet define the ambient thermal
state of the structure. The joint temperature at the I-end of the member is interpolated across to the J
end temperature to define the ambient state of the member. Thermal loads, entered as distributed
loads on the Distributed Loads spreadsheet, induce axial stress in the member. The difference
between the applied thermal load and the ambient temperature is the stress inducing temperature.
Thermal forces are calculated as follows:
Ft = A*E*a*ΔT
Where,
Ft = Calculated Thermal Force
A = Member Cross Sectional Area
E = Elastic Modulus
a = Coefficient of Thermal Expansion
ΔT = Stress Inducing Temperature

Prestressing with Thermal Loads

Thermal loads provide a way to introduce pre-stressing in a model. Given a desired prestress force,
just back-solve the thermal force equation for the needed ∆T. Remember, as the model expands (or
contracts), the prestress force may be altered.

Loads - Surface Loads

Surface loads are loads that are spread out over the surface of a plate element or wall panel. RISA-
3D allows surface loads directed along the global axes, the local axes, or projected in the direction of
the global axes. Loads may be input manually or assigned graphically. See Drawing Surface Loads
below to learn how to draw surface loads graphically.

Draw Plate Surface Loads

To apply surface loads to plates enter the load direction and magnitude. Make sure that you are
careful to enter the correct BLC number that you want the loads assigned to. See Surface Loads
above for more information on surface loads.

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Apply Plate Surface Loads

To apply Plate Surface Loads:
1. Go to the Home ribbon.

2. Click on the Plate Surface icon to bring up the plate surface load information in the
‘Properties Panel’.
3. Define the load in the Plate Surface Properties Panel. Use the dropdown menu to select
load Direction, and BLC.
For help on an item, click the Help icon and then click the item.
4. You can apply the load by choosing plates on the fly or apply it to a selection of plates.
l To apply the load to a few plates choose Click to Apply and click on the plates with
the left mouse button.
l To apply the load to a selection, choose Apply to Selected.
If nothing is selected, Apply to Selected will assume the full model is selected and
apply changes to all plates.

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Note:
l You can also specify or edit surface loads in the Surface Loads Spreadsheet.
l Applied surface loads are converted to equivalent corner joint loads based on the
plate area tributary to each corner joint.
l
You can undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo button on the Quick
Access toolbar.

Draw Wall Panel Surface Loads

To apply surface loads to wall panels enter the load direction, start location (from bottom), height, and
magnitudes (top and bottom). Make sure that you are careful to enter the correct BLC number that
you want the loads assigned to. See Surface Loads above for more information on surface loads.

Apply Wall Panel Surface Loads

To apply Wall Panel Surface Loads:
1. Go to the Home ribbon.

2. Click on the Wall Surface icon to bring up the wall surface load information in the
‘Properties Panel’.

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3. Define the load in the Wall Surface Properties Panel. Use the dropdown menu to select
load Direction, BLC, load distribution (uniform or tapered), and load height (entire wall or
partial).
For help on an item, click the Help icon and then click the item.
4. You can apply the load by choosing wall panels on the fly or apply it to a selection of wall
panels.
l To apply the load to a few wall panels choose Click to Apply and click on the wall
panels with the left mouse button.
l To apply the load to a selection, choose Apply to Selected. If nothing is selected,
Apply to Selected will assume the full model is selected and apply changes to all
wall panels.
l To apply tapered wall load, choose Tapered from Load Distribution dropdown
menu, and specify Top Magnitude and Bottom Magnitude.
l To apply partial height wall load, choose Partial from Load Height dropdown menu,
and specify load Start Location and Height.

Note:
l You can also specify or edit surface loads in the Surface Loads Spreadsheet.
l
You can undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo button on the Quick
Access toolbar.

Surface Loads Spreadsheet

The Surface Loads Spreadsheet records the surface loads for the plate/shell elements and wall
panels, and may be accessed by selecting select Surface Loads from the Data Entry menu in the
Explorer panel. Alternatively, it can be accessed by going to the Spreadsheets Tab Data Entry
Surface Loads.

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When you open this spreadsheet you can view only one basic load case at a time. Use the drop down
list on the toolbar to specify a different load case. The current load case is also displayed in the title
bar at the top of the spreadsheet.
Under the Plate tab the first column contains the label of the plate to be loaded. The second column
defines the direction of the load. Direction options are discussed in the next section. The third column
holds the magnitude of the load.
Under the Wall Panel tab the first column contains the label of the wall panel to be loaded. The
second column defines the direction of the load. Direction options are discussed in the next section.
The third and fourth columns hold the magnitude of the load. The fifth and sixth columns define the
Start Location (bottom) and Height of the load.
For loads that apply to the full height of the wall, leave the start location and height as zero.
The last column allows you to set the specified load as an "Active" load that will be considered for the
analysis, or an "Inactive" load that will not be included in the analysis.
For models integrated from RISAFloor, the Diaphragm Tab records the surface loads applied on the
semi-rigid diaphragm. These loads are automatically generated during the integration from
RISAFloor to RISA-3D. These lines will be grayed out because they cannot be edited from RISA-3D
since they are tied to the RISAFloor analysis. If you detach the model from RISAFloor in RISA-3D,
these loads will not carry over since semi-rigid diaphragms are a feature only available for models
integrated with RISAFloor.

Surface Load Directions

The direction code indicates the direction of application for the surface load. The following directions
are available:

Direction Code Applied Direction

x, y, or z Element’s local x, y, or z direction.
X, Y, or Z Global X, Y, or Z direction
PY Projected in the direction of the global Y axis

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Direction Code Applied Direction

PX Projected in the direction of the global X axis
PZ Projected in the direction of the global Z axis
T Thermal (temperature differential) load
The following diagram illustrates the difference between local (x, y, z) and global (X, Y, Z) direction
loads. The local direction loads line up with the element’s local axis directions, so their direction
relative to the rest of the model changes if the element orientation changes. Global loads have the
same direction regardless of the member’s orientation. Keep in mind that global loads are applied
without being modified for projection. For example, a global Y direction load of 1 kip/sq.ft. applied to
an element with an area of 10 sq.ft., which is inclined at 45 degrees, generates a total force of 10 kips.

Projected loads, on the other hand, are applied in the global directions, but their actual magnitude is
influenced by the element orientation. The load is applied to the projected area of the element that is
perpendicular to the load.
For example, a "V" direction load is a projected load applied in the global Y direction. The actual
magnitude of the load is the entered magnitude reduced by the ratio A/Axz. "A" is the actual area of
the element and Axz is the element's projected area on the X-Z plane, which is always less than or
equal to the actual area. See the following figure:

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If the "Axis of Projection" in the figure is the Y-axis, then the shaded area is the total element area
"projected" onto the plane perpendicular to the Y-axis (which happens to be the X-Z plane). The total
load generated is equal to the input magnitude applied to the projected area. The generated load is
then applied to the whole area, so the generated load magnitude is reduced accordingly.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Area Surface Loads.

Surface Loads at Openings (Wall Panels)

When a surface load is applied to a wall panel with openings it is converted into equivalent nodal
loads around the openings. The example below is a wall panel with an opening, and a surface load
applied to the lower portion of the wall.

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The program calculates transient nodal loads according to the following approximation procedure:
1. The centroid of the union of the surface load and the opening is determined.

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2. Using the centroid location, the surface load within the opening region is split into two parts.

3. Each of the two parts the surface load are summed up and smeared as point loads along
the edge nodes of the opening. The forces and moments are conserved with this
approximation method. These generated nodal loads are transient, and will be deleted
when the solution result is deleted. These loads are not visible by default, however if you
would like to view them you can select Include Transient WP Loads under Model Display
Options. Below is an example:

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Load Generation - Notional Loads

Notional Loads are used by some building codes for the stability design of a structure. They serve as
a minimum lateral load, or as an alternative to modeling the actual out-of-plumbness or out-of-
straightness of the structure. Instead of changing the geometry of the structure, an equivalent de-
stabilizing load is added to the structure. There are numerical benefits to handling this out-of-
plumbness issue with loads rather than geometry. Essentially, it is quicker and easier to adjust the
loading on a structure than it is to modify the stiffness matrix of the structure.
The implementation of these notional loads is not based on a single code, but on the concept of using
lateral forces equal to a percentage of the applied vertical load at each floor level. Codes that may
require the use of notional loads include the following:
l ASCE 7: A minimum lateral load of 1% of the Dead Load of the structure should be applied
at each floor as a notional load.
l AISC 360: A notional load to account for out-of-plumbness of the structure of 0.2% to 0.3%
of the total gravity load (DL + LL) should be applied at each floor as a notional load.
l AS 4100: Has a default of notional load of 0.2%
l NZS 3404: Has a default notional load of 0.2%
l BS 5950: Has a default notional load equal to 0.5%
l EC 1993-1-1: Has a notional load that can vary, but which will not normally exceed 0.5% of
the applied vertical load
These notional loads are normally only assumed to act for load cases which do not include other
lateral forces. However, the specific requirements of the individual code may require the use of these
loads for other load cases depending on the sensitivity of the structure to stability effects.
Notional loads can only be automatically generated for diaphragm/floor levels. The program will
automatically calculate the center of mass and use that point as the location to apply the Notional
Loads.

Note:
l The Notional Loads generated by the program are calculated for Building
Structures ONLY and may not apply to non-building structures, horizontal trusses,
towers, or other specialty structures.
l Notional Loads are currently only supported for rigid or flexible diaphragms. Semi-
rigid diaphragms are not currently supported.

For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Notional Loads.

Vertical Load Used for Notional Force Calculations

The Weight of each diaphragm is the total tributary weight associated with it depending on the Load
Combination chosen for calculating these forces in the Notional Loads window.

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While computing the tributary weight at a particular diaphragm, the self weight of the
members/columns and plates between any two diaphragms is equally distributed amongst these
diaphragms. Any weight, or load included in the specified load combination, supported between
diaphragms is distributed to the diaphragm above and below in inverse proportion to its distance from
each diaphragm.

Notional Load Generation Window

The parameters used in the seismic calculations may be viewed or changed by selecting Notional
from the Load Generators section of the Advanced ribbon.

The notional load window only asks for a load combination and the % of gravity loads that should be
applied in the lateral direction. Notional loads are only generated for a single load combination.
Therefore, you are encouraged to choose a load combination which includes the most severe
loading.

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Notional Load Results

The program will only calculate the notional loads when you select Notional from the Advanced tab
and clicks Generate to create the X & Z Notional Basic Load Cases.

Notional Load Generation Input

This section displays all the relevant design data entered so that it can be included on a print out with
the Notional Load results.

Notional Generation Detail Results

This section displays all important calculated information such as the Weight associated for each
floor level, the Center of Gravity location for this weight and the notional load applied to each

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diaphragm or floor level. To add the detailed results to the final print out, click the check box for Add
to Full Report found in the Notional Load Generation Input.

Note: The Joints / Nodes used to apply seismic load may appear as a "floating joint" at that
diaphragm level. While these nodes may not be attached to any beams or framing, they are
attached to the diaphragm at that floor level.

Load Generation - Notional Loads

Notional Loads are used by some building codes for the stability design of a structure. They serve as
a minimum lateral load, or as an alternative to modeling the actual out-of-plumbness or out-of-
straightness of the structure. Instead of changing the geometry of the structure, an equivalent de-
stabilizing load is added to the structure. There are numerical benefits to handling this out-of-
plumbness issue with loads rather than geometry. Essentially, it is quicker and easier to adjust the
loading on a structure than it is to modify the stiffness matrix of the structure.
The implementation of these notional loads is not based on a single code, but on the concept of using
lateral forces equal to a percentage of the applied vertical load at each floor level. Codes that may
require the use of notional loads include the following:
l ASCE 7: A minimum lateral load of 1% of the Dead Load of the structure should be applied
at each floor as a notional load.
l AISC 360: A notional load to account for out-of-plumbness of the structure of 0.2% to 0.3%
of the total gravity load (DL + LL) should be applied at each floor as a notional load.
l AS 4100: Has a default of notional load of 0.2%
l NZS 3404: Has a default notional load of 0.2%
l BS 5950: Has a default notional load equal to 0.5%
l EC 1993-1-1: Has a notional load that can vary, but which will not normally exceed 0.5% of
the applied vertical load
These notional loads are normally only assumed to act for load cases which do not include other
lateral forces. However, the specific requirements of the individual code may require the use of these
loads for other load cases depending on the sensitivity of the structure to stability effects.
Notional loads can only be automatically generated for diaphragm/floor levels. The program will
automatically calculate the center of mass and use that point as the location to apply the Notional
Loads.

Note:
l The Notional Loads generated by the program are calculated for Building
Structures ONLY and may not apply to non-building structures, horizontal trusses,
towers, or other specialty structures.
l Notional Loads are currently only supported for rigid or flexible diaphragms. Semi-
rigid diaphragms are not currently supported.

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For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Notional Loads.

Vertical Load Used for Notional Force Calculations

The Weight of each diaphragm is the total tributary weight associated with it depending on the Load
Combination chosen for calculating these forces in the Notional Loads window.
While computing the tributary weight at a particular diaphragm, the self weight of the
members/columns and plates between any two diaphragms is equally distributed amongst these
diaphragms. Any weight, or load included in the specified load combination, supported between
diaphragms is distributed to the diaphragm above and below in inverse proportion to its distance from
each diaphragm.

Notional Load Generation Window

The parameters used in the seismic calculations may be viewed or changed by selecting Notional
from the Load Generators section of the Advanced ribbon.

The notional load window only asks for a load combination and the % of gravity loads that should be
applied in the lateral direction. Notional loads are only generated for a single load combination.
Therefore, you are encouraged to choose a load combination which includes the most severe
loading.

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Notional Load Results

The program will only calculate the notional loads when you select Notional from the Advanced tab
and clicks Generate to create the X & Z Notional Basic Load Cases.

Notional Load Generation Input

This section displays all the relevant design data entered so that it can be included on a print out with
the Notional Load results.

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Notional Generation Detail Results

This section displays all important calculated information such as the Weight associated for each
floor level, the Center of Gravity location for this weight and the notional load applied to each
diaphragm or floor level. To add the detailed results to the final print out, click the check box for Add
to Full Report found in the Notional Load Generation Input.

Note: The Joints / Nodes used to apply seismic load may appear as a "floating joint" at that
diaphragm level. While these nodes may not be attached to any beams or framing, they are
attached to the diaphragm at that floor level.

Load Generation - Seismic Loads

Building Seismic Loads can be automatically generated according to the equivalent static methods of
the following codes:
l ASCE 7-2016 / IBC 2015 / IBC 2018
l ASCE 7-2010 / IBC 2012
l ASCE 7-2005 / IBC 2006 / IBC 2009
l ASCE 7-2002 / IBC 2003
l IBC 2000
l 1997 UBC
l 2001 CBC (California Amended UBC)
l Mexican NTC-04
l Indian IS 1893:02
l Canadian NBC-2015
l Canadian NBC-2010
l Canadian NBC-2005
Seismic load can only be applied at diaphragm/floor levels. The program automatically calculates the
center of mass and the 5% accidental eccentricity for the various seismic load cases.

Note:
l The Seismic Loads generated by the program are calculated for Building Structures
ONLY and may not apply to non-building structures.
l The Seismic Loads generated by the program consider accidental eccentric loading
as well. If you plan on using the Load Combination Generator in the Load
Combinations spreadsheet, you must use the "X and Z w/Eccentric" Seismic Load
option. Otherwise the eccentric BLCs that have been generated will never actually
be applied.

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Seismic Weight
The Seismic Weight of each diaphragm is the total tributary weight associated with it depending on
the Load Combination chosen for calculating these forces on the Seismic Loads dialog box.
While computing the seismic weight at a particular diaphragm, the self weight of the
members/columns and plates between any two diaphragms is equally distributed amongst these
diaphragms. Any weight, or load included in the specified load combination, supported between
diaphragms is distributed to the diaphragm above and below in inverse proportion to its distance from
each diaphragm.
The total seismic weight of the whole structure is the sum of the seismic weights associated with all
diaphragms and the weight associated with the base level. The base shear is always computed using
the total seismic weight. The total seismic weight can be viewed using the Scaling Factor Dialog. To
get here click the button in the Load Combinations spreadsheet.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Diaphragms.

Seismic Design Parameters

The parameters used in the seismic calculations may be viewed or changed by selecting Seismic
from the Load Generators section of the Advanced ribbon.

In RISA-3D, the weight used for the calculation of seismic loads is based solely upon the Load
Combination specified as the Seismic Weight LC entered in the Seismic Loads Dialog shown below:

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For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Generate Seismic.

Seismic Load Parameters

Code currently allows you to choose the code to be used for seismic load generation. For reference,
sections of the 2016 edition of ASCE 7 are cited to explain the various entries.
T represents the input natural periods in each lateral direction. These would typically be determined
from an eigensolution analysis. If these values are not entered, then the program calculates this
using the Approximate Fundamental Period as defined in section 12.8.2.1 of ASCE 7-16. This value
is entered for each of the Global horizontal directions.
Ctis the building period coefficient as defined in 12.8.2.1 of ASCE 7-16. It is used in conjunction with
the Ct exponent "x" to determine the Approximate Fundamental Period. These are defined for each of
the Global horizontal directions.

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Note: You can either input the period manually in the Global horizontal directions, or you can
input Ct and the Ct exponent "x" and the program uses Eq. 12.8-7 of the ASCE 7-16 for
calculation of the period.

R is the Response Modification Factor as defined in table 12.14-1 of ASCE 7-16. It provides a
reduction for the design seismic force based on the ductility of the system. This is defined for each of
the Global horizontal directions.

Note: The program offers a single R value input in each direction. There are situations where
the lower portion of the structure may have a different R value than the upper portion. This
can be typical with a concrete pedestal supporting a wood structure. In this case, two sets of
load combinations would be created, one set in which only the Wood design check-box would
be checked in the Load Combinations spreadsheet and one set in which only the Concrete
design check-box is checked. In this case, the R value for the concrete pedestal would be
input in the Seismic Load generator. Then, in the Load Combinations spreadsheet, the wood
load combinations would have their seismic load factors factored by the ratio of the wood R
value over the concrete R value. In this way, the two R values can be taken into account in
the same direction.

Base Elevation determines the height at which the structure is assumed to be connected to the
ground. This is important for hillside structures or structures with sub-grade floor levels. A certain
amount of structure self weight may be associated with base level (or sub-grade levels) of the
structure. The Add Base Weight check-box determines if that self weight will be added into the base
shear to be distributed as lateral force through the height of the structure per section 12.8.3 of ASCE
7-16. If no elevation is chosen for base elevation, then the lowest joint in the structure is assumed to
be the base elevation.
Risk Categoryis used to determine the importance factor assigned to the structure per table 1.5-2 of
ASCE 7-16.
SD1 represents the 5% damped spectral response Design acceleration for a 1.0 second period.
SDS represents the 5% damped spectral response Design acceleration for short period response.
S1 represents the 5% damped spectral response Mapped acceleration for a 1.0 second period.
TL represents the point at which the structural response is assumed to transition from a velocity
controlled response to a displacement controlled response. These values are shown on Figures 22-
14 through 22-17 in the ASCE 7-16.
Seismic Weight LC is used to dictate which load combination should be used to define the weight of
the structure when the seismic event is assumed to occur. In ASCE 7-16 this would be based on the
criteria in section 12.7.2.

Seismic Load Results

When you activate RISA-3D via the Director menu, the program calculates the appropriate seismic
loads and present the calculations in a printable report. You can open the seismic load generator at

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any time to view, print, or recalculate the seismic loads.

Seismic Generation Input

This section displays all the relevant design data entered so that it can be included on print outs with
the Seismic Load results.

Seismic Generation Detail Results

This section reports the values used to obtain the Base Shear in each of the two global directions.
TXand TZ are the periods which was actually used to determine an upper limit for Cs in equations
12.8-3 and 12.8-4 of ASCE 7-16 (if applicable). A user defined period can exceed the upper limit
period.
Ta is the approximate period calculated per equation 12.8-7 of ASCE 7-16.
TLimit is the maximum allowable period to be used in equations 12.8-3 and 12.8-4, calculated per
Table 12.8-1 of ASCE 7-16.
Importance Factor is determined from Table 1.5-2 of ASCE 7-16, based on the specified Risk
Category.
Design Category is determined in Section 11.6 of the ASCE 7-16 and reported here.
V (Base Shear) is calculated using the Governing Equation listed next to it.
Governing Equation is the equation which was used to calculate the base shear. This is typically
from 12.8 of ASCE 7-16.
CS is the seismic response coefficient used to calculate the seismic base shear, V.

Seismic Generation Force Results

This section displays information used in distributing the seismic force to each diaphragm or story
level. This includes the calculated Height and Weight of each diaphragm, the calculated Force in
each horizontal direction and the calculated location of the Center of Gravity of the diaphragm (CG).

Note: In ASCE 7-16 there is no required seismic loading required for structures which fall
under Seismic Design Category A. Instead, notional loads should be applied.

Seismic Generation Diaphragm Results

This section displays information used in calculating the accidental torsion values. This includes the
Width and Length of each diaphragm and the distance used for the accidental eccentricity.

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Note:
l The magnitudes of the seismic loads are based on the settings under the Seismic
tab of the Model Settings dialog.
l The Joints / Nodes used to apply seismic load may appear as a "diamond" shape
pattern of unattached nodes at that diaphragm level. While these nodes may not be
attached to any beams or framing, they are attached to the diaphragm at that floor
level. To get rid of these nodes, it is necessary to re-run the Seismic force
generation with the design code set to NONE.
l Any equations based on NON-building structures are not currently taken into
account for the seismic load calculations.

Semi-Rigid Seismic Loads

When running a combined RISAFloor/RISA-3D model the program has the ability to create Semi-
Rigid Seismic loads and apply them to the diaphragm. The seismic load is calculated by taking the
Total Seismic Weight and converting it into a horizontal direction by multiplying by the seismic
response coefficient Cs.
The program applies a Diaphragm Surface load which represents the seismic contribution of the Slab
weight and any additional Dyn Load. There are horizontal point loads and line loads at the top of the
columns and walls which represent their respective contribution of the seismic weight. Any point, line
or area loads that are "Dyn Mass" is also converted as horizontal seismic load applied directly to the
diaphragm. Below shows an example of the Earthquake loads applied into a simple L-shaped
building.

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Note:
l For a RISA-3D only model you need to manually apply your loads and build your
diaphragm with plates. See the Semi-Rigid Diaphragms section for more
information on this.
l Any Openings in the slab (Concrete Floor Slabs) will have the self weight correctly
accounted for.

Load Generation - Wind Loads

"Building" Wind Loads can be automatically generated per the following codes:
l ASCE 7-16
l ASCE 7-10
l ASCE 7-05
l ASCE 7-02
l ASCE 7-98
l ASCE 7-95
l NBC 2015 (Canadian)
l NBC 2010 (Canadian)
l NBC 2005 (Canadian)
l NTC 2004 (Mexican)
l IS 875: 1987 (Indian)

Note: The wind load generator creates Basic Load Cases. You must generate wind load
combinations to have the wind loads actually applied to the structure.

Wind Design Parameters

The parameters used for automated wind load generation may be viewed or changed by clicking the
Wind icon in the Advanced ribbon. These settings may also be changed when the wind load window
pops up when transferring between RISAFloor and RISA-3D.

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The parameters and results shown below are specific to ASCE 7-16, however the concepts apply to
all wind codes. For questions specific to other wind codes contact RISA Technical Support.

RISA-3D Wind Load Options

Code specifies which codeis used to generate the loads.
Wind Speed (V) is used to calculate wind pressures. See ASCE 7-16, Section 26.5.1
Exposure Category is used for multiple wind load calculations, and is defined in ASCE 7-16, Section
26.7.3
Base Elevation defines the elevation that the program considers as the "ground elevation". This is
typically used for structures which have basements, or base coordinates other than 0.
Gust Stiffness is used in the calculation of the Gust Effect Factor. See ASCE 7-16, Section 26.11.
(NOTE: This is only available for ASCE 7-16 & ASCE 7-10).

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Fundamental Frequency is used in the calculation of the Gust Effect Factor and can be modified
when the Gust Stiffness is set to Flexible.
Damping Ratio is also used in the calculation of the Gust Effect Factor. This option only appears and
can only be modified when the Gust Stiffness is set to Flexible.
Gust Factor (G) is explained in ASCE 7-16, Section 26.11 and depends on the Gust Stiffness
setting. See Gust Effect Factor.

Site Parameters
Topographic Factors (K1, K2, K3) are used to calculate the Topographic Factor (Kzt) per ASCE 7-
16, Section 26.8.2.
Directionality Factor (Kd) is used to calculate wind pressures. See ASCE 7-16, Section 26.6.
Ground Elevation Factor (Ke) is calculated per ASCE 7-16, Section 26.9 using Table 26.9-1
(note: Per ASCE 7-16, Section 26.9, Ke is permitted to equal 1 for all elevations). This option only
appears and can only be modified when ASCE 7-16 is selected.
Generate Roof Wind Loads is only present in RISA-3D models which are integrated with
RISAFloor. This toggles the automatic generation of sloped roof wind loads.

Wind Load Results

The program calculates the appropriate wind loads and presents the calculations in a printable
report. You can open the wind load generator at any time to view, print or recalculate the wind loads.
Changes made to RISAFloor models which are integrated with RISA-3D models will be reflected in
automatically updated wind loads when transferring between the programs.

Wind Generation Input

This section reports values which were directly or indirectly input from the Wind Load Parameters.

Wind Generation Detail Results

This section reports important values that were calculated using the Wind Load Parameters, as well
as the height and base elevation of the structure.
Importance Factor is calculated using the input Occupancy Category.
Exposure Constant Alpha (α) is determined from ASCE 7-16, Table 26.11-1 based on the input
Exposure Category.
Exposure Constant zg is determined from ASCE 7-16, Table 26.11-1 based on the input Exposure
Category.
Topographic Factor (Kzt) is calculated per ASCE 7-16, Section 26.8.2 using the input Topographic
Factors (K1, K2, K3)
Ground Elevation Factor (Ke) is calculated per ASCE 7-16, Section 26.9 using Table 26.9-1 (note:
per ASCE 7-16, Section 26.9 Ke is permitted to equal 1 for all elevations)

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Mean Roof Height (h) is determined as illustrated below:

Exposure Coefficient (Kh) is calculated per ASCE 7-16, Table 26.10-1 at the mean roof height as
illustrated above. The Exposure Constants (zg, α) are used in conjunction with the formula in Table
26.11-1, Note 2 to calculate the Exposure Coefficient.
Windward Pressure Coefficient (Cp) is calculated per ASCE 7-16, Figure 27.3-1. The wind load
generator always sets this value at 0.8 per ASCE 7-16, Figure 27.3-1.
Mean Roof Velocity Pressure (qh) is calculated per ASCE 7-16, Section 26.10.2. The input
Directionality Factor and Wind Speeds are used.
Parapet Wind Pressure Coefficient (GCpn) is calculated per ASCE 7-16 Section. 27.3.4 for both
windward and leeward directions.

Gust Effect
When the Gust Stiffness is set to Flexible, this section reports the values used in the calculation of the
gust effect factor.
Gust Effect Factor(G) is explained in ASCE 7-16, Section 26.11. Gust Effect Factor depends on the
Gust Stiffness input setting (NOTE: This is only available for ASCE 7-16 & ASCE 7-10).

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l When Gust Stiffness is set to Rigid, the Gust Factor is automatically set to 0.85.
l When the Gust Stiffness is set to Flexible, the Gust Factor is calculated per ASCE 7-16
Eqn (26.11-10).
o You must input the damping ratio and fundamental frequency for the flexible
calculation.
o Your fundamental frequency must be less than 1 Hz per ASCE 7-16 section 26.2.
o Variables zbar, c, l, epsilonbar, bbar, alphabar are determined from ASCE 7-16
Table 26.11-1.
o Iz-bar is calculated per ASCE 7-16 Eqn (26.11-7).
o Lz-bar is calculated per ASCE 7-16 Eqn (26.11-9).
o Vz-bar is calculated per ASCE 7-16 Eqn (26.11-16).
o Variables gQ and gv are taken as 3.4 per ASCE 7-16 section 26.11.5.
o gR is calculated per ASCE 7-16 Eqn (26.11-11).

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o N1 is calculated per ASCE 7-16 Eqn (26.11-14).

o Rn is calculated per ASCE 7-16 Eqn (26.11-13).
o Rh is calculated per ASCE 7-16 Eqn (26.11-15).
o QX and QZ are calculated per ASCE 7-16 Eqn (26.11-8) for each horizontal direction.
o RBX and RBZ are calculated per ASCE 7-16 Eqn (26.11-15) for each horizontal
direction.
o RLX and RLZ are calculated per ASCE 7-16 Eqn (26.11-15) for each horizontal
direction.
o RX and RZ are calculated per ASCE 7-16 Eqn (26.11-12) for each horizontal
direction.
o BX and BZ, LX and LZ are the width and lengths of the floor diaphragms for each
direction. B is the dimension normal to the direction of the wind, L is the dimension
parallel with the direction of the wind.

Wind Generation Floor Geometry Results

The wall geometry used to calculate the wind loads is reported here.
Floor Level is the name of the Floor from RISAFloor. Multiple diaphragms on the same floor will each
be reported separately. For sloped wall calculations the level will always be reported as "Sloped
Roof".
Height is the height of each diaphragm above the input Base Elevation. For "Sloped Roof" floors from
RISAFloor the height reported is the height of the highest point in each diaphragm.
Exposure Coefficient (Kz) is the calculated exposure coefficient at the diaphragm elevation. For
"Sloped Roof" floors from RISAFloor the coefficient is calculated for the highest point in each
diaphragm.
Width is calculated as the difference between the highest and lowest magnitude X-Coordinates on
the diaphragm.

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Length is calculated as the difference between the highest and lowest magnitude Z-Coordinates on
the diaphragm.
Pressure Coefficient (Cp) is calculated per ASCE 7-16, Figure 27.3-1. The Height/Width and
Height/Length ratios (see above) are used to calculate leeward pressure coefficients.
If the level considered is not sloping and does not have a parapet then the results here will be a single
line.

If a parapet exists at this level, then information regarding the parapet will be given as well.

If this level is sloping then there may also be a section giving the wind face information due to this
sloping portion.

Sloped Roof Area is used to account for the wind load on walls which project above the base roof
elevation due to a sloping roof. This only occurs in models which are integrated with RISAFloor. The
program determines area by going from support-to-support finding vertical polygons along the slab
edge, and calculating their projected area in both the X and Z directions.
The area reported is the windward followed by leeward.

Wind Generation Floor Force Results

The wind forces applied to each diaphragm are reported in this section.

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Floor Level is the name of the Floor from RISAFloor. Multiple diaphragms on the same floor will each
be reported separately. For sloped wall calculations the level will always be reported as "Sloped
Roof".
Velocity Pressure (qz) is calculated per ASCE 7-16, Section 26.10.2. The input Directionality Factor
and Wind Speeds are used.
Windward Pressure is calculated per ASCE 7-16, Section 27.3.1. The calculated Velocity Pressure
and Pressure Coefficient are used, as well as the standard Gust Effect Factor (0.85).
Leeward Pressure is calculated per ASCE 7-16, Section 27.3.1. The calculated Velocity Pressure
and Pressure Coefficient are used, as well as the standard Gust Effect Factor (0.85).
Force is calculated as the Length/Width (see above) of the diaphragm, multiplied by the tributary
height of the diaphragm, multiplied by the sum of the windward and leeward pressures. The
additional "Sloped Roof" wall wind force in RISAFloor integrated models is also added to this value
for the Roof.
The tributary height of the diaphragm is defined as half the distance the diaphragm immediately
above, and half the distance to the diaphragm immediately below. At the roof the tributary height is
just half the distance to the diaphragm immediately below. At the lowest level of the structure the
tributary height is half the distance to the Base Elevation, as it is assumed that all wind load below
that is tributary to the ground.
The Forces calculated for each diaphragm are applied as horizontal joint loads at the center of
exposure, and four "eccentric" points (per ASCE 7-16, Section 27.3.5). These joints form a diamond
pattern, which can be viewed in the model.
If the level considered is not sloping and does not have a parapet then the results here will be a single
line.

If a parapet exists at this level, then information regarding the parapet (and possibly the additional
height of multiple height parapets) will be given as well and the total force due to both the main wind
force and the parapet wind force will be summed.

If this level is sloping then information regarding the sloping area will be given as well and the total
force due to both the wind force below the eave and the wind force above the eave will be summed.

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Note:
l The Total value will be the magnitude actually applied in RISA-3D to this level.
l For more information on parapets see the Parapet Wind Loading section.
l For more information on sloping roof wind loads see the Sloping Roof section.

Parapet Wind Loading

When RISA-3D is integrated with RISAFloor then it is possible to define parapets for both wall panels
and columns. After parapets are defined the wind load generator will use these parapet heights to
add additional wind loading to the roof levels of your structure to include this parapet wind with the
roof wind load. The total wind force, including all parapets and the non-parapet wind, will be applied
at the center of wind location in RISA-3D. Here we will give some details as to how this works.

Display
The reporting was outlined above. However, the program will also give a Parapet Summary as well.

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In this image you can see (to scale) where all the parapets in your structure are located. The base
parapet information has already been considered in the Base Parapet, so the only parapet
information listed below the image are for the parapets that extend above the Base Parapet. The
GCpn for this portion of the parapets will be assumed to always be windward. Each of these parapets
is shown with the extra force above and beyond the Base Parapet Height. The Force X & Z columns
are once again added to the Base Parapet and the regular building wind to give the total wind applied
at that floor level.
Note:
l Parapet widths do not include deck overhangs.
l A simplifying assumption is made for these extended parapets that is summarized in the
image below.

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Parapet Height Determination

Parapet height information is located in three places: the Floors, Columns, and Wall Panels
spreadsheets. If a floor has a Default Parapet Height set then all walls and columns at that level will
have their parapet values set to that value. This is considered the Base Parapet.

The walls and columns are physically extended. From here you can go to the Columns or Wall Panels
spreadsheets if you need to extend parapets above this base level. These values are the Top of
Parapet Height. If this value is higher than the Default Parapet Height then this component of win
loading will show up in the Add'l Parapet entry.

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Note:
Limitations for slab-supported floors
l Only the highest elevation floor in the structure can have a parapet.
l Parapets must be a uniform height around the entire slab edge and the height is
defined in the Floors spreadsheet in RISAFloor.

For walls a parapet is defined along a line that defines the top of the wall. Thus, the area of the
parapet is trivial. For parapets defined by columns, however, we now have parapet heights at finite
locations. In this case the program will go "column to column" around the structure to determine the
parapet height. The parapet height used between columns is the SMALLER of the two values at each
column. Below is an example of what this would look like.

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Note:
l A parapet can only be defined if it is along a deck edge. Any columns or walls that
are either not along the deck edge or are not the topmost element in the stack will
not be allowed to define a parapet and NA will be shown.
l If there are re-entrant corners there may be a case where there is not a column at a
corner location. In this case a parapet height equal to the adjacent column/wall will
be used in this area.

Code Criteria
Per the ASCE 7-16 Section 27.3.4, the velocity pressure at the top of the parapet shall be multiplied
by a GCpn of +1.5 for windward parapets and -1.0 for leeward parapets.

Note:
l Older versions of the ASCE 7 have identical parapet considerations.
l The Canadian codes (NBC 2015/10/05) do not have specific parapet treatment.
The wind load section is also very different from the ASCE 7 methodology. Thus,
we do not consider additional parapet height for Canadian codes.
l The Mexican code (NTC 2004) gives nothing specific to parapets. However, the
Mexican code lays out very similarly to the ASCE 7 code. Thus, we are using the
ASCE 7 methodology for this code, with a +1.5 GCpn factor for windward parapets
and -1.0 GCpn for leeward.
l The Indian code (IS 875: 1987) specifies a parapet load factor of 2.25 GCpn, but
they do not specify windward and leeward. We assume a +1.25 factor for windward
and a -1.0 factor for leeward.

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Windward/Leeward Pressure Considerations

Most codes prescribe a higher pressure on the windward parapet than the leeward parapet. Thus,
parapet wind loads may or may not be symmetric in each direction. The program will calculate the
wind loads in both the positive and negative directions and use the larger of the two. For rectangular
structures it is very simple to determine windward/leeward directions. However, a more complex
structure can be more difficult. The image below gives one example of how windward/leeward
parapets are considered.

Note: For parapets that are non-orthogonal to the global axes, the program properly takes
the projected area when calculating wind areas.

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Sloping Floors with Parapets

In RISAFloor it is possible to slope the highest level in a structure. This can create "wind faces" due to
these slopes. Think of a monosloped structure. Above the eave you have triangular areas that are
wind faces that the program already calculates appropriately. If there are additional parapets to
consider that occur as well the geometry can become challenging.
Note that the program will look at both the +/- X and +/- Z directions to determine which direction has
the higher force and that is the force that will be used in the program.

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Note: All cases above are handled properly, except Case D. Because this would be a very
odd scenario for a parapet on a sloped roof, the orange area above would not be included in
parapet wind load areas.

Here are some common conditions:

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Gabled Roof with No Vertical Wind Faces and Parapets

Here we have a sloping roof which will have perpendicular wind loads applied. This will occur. In
addition there will be additional horizontal loads due to the parapet.

Gabled Roof with End Vertical Faces and Parapets

In this case the triangular face is taken as a regular wind load and the additional triangular/polygon
loads that are due to the parapet (similar to Case A,B, or C) have their areas calculated and included
as parapet loads.

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Monoslope Roof With Parapet

In this case there are triangular parapet wind areas on two sides (similar to Case C above) , a full
parapet area on one side, and no parapet on the backside. In the triangular parapet direction the wind
areas are equal in each direction thus the same value will occur in both directions. In the
perpendicular direction the parapet is windward and the sloped area is leeward in the positive
direction, and vice-versa in the negative direction. In this case the program will take the largest
magnitude and apply it to your roof.

Gambrel Roof With Parapet

This is similar to the gabled with a slightly different geometry.

Partial Roof Levels

It is also possible to define partial roof parapets. The program will handle this scenario properly.
Below we can see that we have a lower level with parapets defined around the edges. Thus, for some
of the length of the parapet there is not a leeward parapet included.

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Mezzanine Levels (No Wind Loads)

You can designate any floor level as a mezzanine or "No Wind" level in the Diaphragms spreadsheet.

By checking this check box you are telling the program that the floor is to be ignored in the wind load
calculations.

Note: When integrating a RISAFloor model into RISA-3D, this designation may only be set in
the RISAFloor model. It will show up as greyed out/unavailable in RISA-3D for integrated
models, so you must go back to RISAFloor of you want to change the selection.

Sloped Roof Wind Loads

When RISA-3D is integrated with RISAFloor the program is capable of automatically calculating the
perpendicular roof wind loads per ASCE 7-16, Figure 27.3-1. These loads are calculated using the
mean roof height for each diaphragm, the standard Gust Effect Factor (0.85), and a Roof Pressure
Coefficient (Cp) for each roof plane.

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The angle (θ) for each roof plane is taken as the angle between the roof plane and the horizontal
plane, as projected along the Global X and Z axes. To determine a Roof Pressure Coefficient the
wind load is always assumed to act "Normal to Ridge" with θ not less than 10°. Roof planes that do
not meet these conditions will still be treated as though they do.
Only the most positive values of Cp are used from the table in ASCE 7-16, Figure 27.3-1. The more
negative values typically result in less base shear within the Main Wind Force Resisting System, so
they are ignored. Interpolation is used between values given in the table.
The sloped roof wind loads are applied as two-way Member Area Loads to each roof plane, and are
created within roof wind load Basic Load Cases.

Semi-Rigid Wind Loads

When RISA-3D is integrated with RISAFloor the program has the ability to create Semi-Rigid wind
loads and apply them to the diaphragm.. The wind load is calculated by taking the Windward and
Leeward forces and distributing it directly into the diaphragm as a linear load along the edge of the
diaphragm. The Semi-Rigid Wind loads are placed into the Basic Load Cases shown below with
distributed loads. The distributed loads are displayed per slab and the magnitude is shown but not
editable. An example of the load distribution is shown on this L-shaped building.

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Note:
l In order to use these loads you must create Load Combinations using these Semi-
Rigid categories. The Load Combination Generator will automatically create the
LC's if the "Generate Semi-RIgid Loads?" is checked. Check out Load Combination
Generator for more information.
l For a RISA-3D only model you will need to manually apply your loads and build your
diaphragm with plates. See the Semi-Rigid Diaphragms section for more
information on this..
l Parapet wind loads on semi-rigid diaphragms will also be added into these wind
loads. Different height parapets are possible in different locations, however, the
total magnitude of wind from the parapets is added uniformly to the non-parapet
wind.

Other Considerations and Limitations

General
l Each diaphragm receives a full wind load, with no shielding effects considered from other
diaphragms.
l The building is assumed to be fully enclosed with non-air-permeable cladding.

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l Internal wind pressure is ignored. Because it must apply outwardly or inwardly to every
surface simultaneously, it would cancel itself out for wall wind loading.
l Vertical uplift loads on flat roofs and flat portions of Mansard roofs are not included.
l Roof overhangs are not addressed.
l The same exposure is used for all wind directions.

ASCE 7-16
l The Directional MWFRS Procedure (Chapter 27) is used for all wind load calculations
l The "low rise" provisions of Part 2 of Chapter 27 are ignored
l Components and Cladding loads are not calculated or applied.
l The building is assumed to be "Regular Shaped" per the definition in Chapter 26
l The building is assumed to not have response characteristics making it subject to across
wind loading, vortex shedding, or instability due to galloping or flutter.
l The building is assumed to be located in a site for which channeling effects and buffeting in
the wake of upwind obstructions do not warrant special consideration.

ASCE 7-10
l The Directional MWFRS Procedure (Chapter 27) is used for all wind load calculations
l The "low rise" provisions of Part 2 of Chapter 27 are ignored
l Components and Cladding loads are not calculated or applied.
l The building is assumed to be "Regular Shaped" per the definition in Chapter 26
l The building is assumed to not have response characteristics making it subject to across
wind loading, vortex shedding, or instability due to galloping or flutter.
l The building is assumed to be located in a site for which channeling effects and buffeting in
the wake of upwind obstructions do not warrant special consideration.

ASCE 7-05
l Method 1 (Section 6.4) is not considered.
l Method 3 (Section 6.6) is not considered.
l The building is assumed to be "Regular Shaped" per the definition in Chapter 6
l The building is assumed to not have response characteristics making it subject to across
wind loading, vortex shedding, or instability due to galloping or flutter.
l The building is assumed to be located in a site for which channeling effects and buffeting in
the wake of upwind obstructions do not warrant special consideration.
l Special provisions for "Low-Rise Buildings" are not considered.
l Components and Cladding loads are not calculated or applied.

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NBC 2015
l Both the static and dynamic wind procedures are considered.
l Cp is calculated from Figure I-15 of the User's Guide - NBC 2015 Structural Commentary.
l Ce is calculated from section 4.1.7.3.5 of the 2015 Building Code. Interpolation between
low and rough terrain is not supported.
l Cg is calculated from section 4.1.7.3.8 of the 2015 Building Code. Note that for the static
procedure Cg = 2.0 always (for buildings as a whole and main structural members).
l In the 2015 specification there is an experimental procedure as well. If your wind input
criteria directs you to this procedure we will give a note letting you know this and then
continue with either the static or dynamic procedure.

NBC 2010/2005
l Both the static and dynamic wind procedures are considered.
l Cp is calculated from Figure I-15 of the User's Guide - NBC 2010/05 Structural
Commentaries.
l Ce is calculated from section 4.1.7.1.5 of the 2010 Building Code. Interpolation between
low and rough terrain is not supported.
l Cg is calculated from section 4.1.7.1.6 of the 2010 Building Code. Note that for the static
procedure Cg = 2.0 always.
l In the 2010 specification there is an experimental procedure as well. If your wind input
criteria directs you to this procedure we will give a note letting you know this and then
continue with either the static or dynamic procedure.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Material Properties

Material Properties
Material properties are defined on the Material Properties Spreadsheet and then are referred to as
you build section sets, members, and plates. You can perform analysis using any type of material;
simply define the properties for the material here. You can use up to 500 materials in a single model
although most models will only have one or two. For example, your model might be made up of
members of various grades of steel along with different concrete materials, timber or aluminum.

Material Properties Spreadsheet

The Material Properties spreadsheet records the material properties to be used in the model and
can be accessed by selecting Materials from the ‘Data Entry’ section of the ‘Explorer’ panel. The
entries are explained below.

The values for A36 steel are the default material set. You of course don't have to use the A36
properties; you can change these and also add as many other materials as you need. You can then
save your preferred materials as the default materials by clicking the Save as Defaults button on
the Spreadsheets tab.
Material Properties Spreadsheet - Columns

Column Description
Label The Label column displays the material label you wish to use to describe
the entered material properties. This label is how you will reference the
set of properties later when defining section sets, members, and plates.
E The ‘E’ column displays Young's modulus that describes the material
stiffness.
G The ‘G’ column displays the shear modulus and can be left blank if you
would like it calculated automatically. The equation for “G” is:

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Column Description

Note:
l If you enter a value for Shear Modulus that does not
match the value calculated using the above equation
you will be given a warning.
l The default Plywood material has a much lower G value
than the formula above would suggest. This is because
plywood is NOT an isotropic material. Also, the generic
value (from the NDS or APA's Plywood Design
Specification) has been reduced somewhat to account
for assumed nail slip.

Nu The ‘Nu’ column displays Poisson's ratio. Besides being used for the “G”
calculation, this value is also used for shear deformation calculations.
The value of Poisson's ratio may not exceed '0.5'.
Therm The Therm column displays the coefficient of thermal expansion and is
entered per 10^5 (100,000) degrees. This coefficient is used in the
calculation of thermal loads.
Density The Density column displays the material density and is used in the
calculation of the member and plate self weight. This density times the
area gives the self weight per unit length for the members; density times
plate volume gives the total weight of a given plate.
Yield The Yieldcolumn displays the yield stress and is used only for Hot Rolled
and Cold Formed steel design.

Hot Rolled Specific Material Data

The Hot Rolled tab records a number of hot rolled steel specific material properties that do not exist
for the other materials. These entries are described below:

Hot Rolled Specific Material Data

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Column Description
Ry The ‘Ry’ column displays the ratio of the expected yield stress to the
specified minimum yield stress. This value is used in determining the
required strength of an element for the seismic detailing checks.
Fu The ‘Fu’ column displays the specified minimum tensile strength. This
value is used per AISC 358 to calculate Cpr which is in turn used to
calculate the probable maximum moment at a plastic hinge in the
seismic detailing calculations.
Rt The ‘Rt’ column is currently not used by the program. In a future version
of the program this value will be used to calculate the expected tensile
strength for the seismic detailing checks.

Cold Formed Specific Material Data

The Cold Formed tab records a cold formed material property that may not exist for the other
materials. This entry is described below:

Cold Formed Specific Material Data

Column Description
Fu (Ultimate) The ‘Fu’ column displays the ultimate tensile stress.

Wood Specific Material Data

The Wood tab records a number of wood specific material properties that do not exist for the other
materials. These entries are described below:

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Wood Specific Material Data

Column Description
Type The Type column displays the available wood types; currently, there are
four: Solid Sawn, Glulam, SCL (this includes LVLs), and Custom.
Database The Database column displays the appropriate Database menu, filtered by
your Type choice.
Species The Species column displays the appropriate Species menu, based on your
Database selection. This is the wood species designation from your selected
design code.
Grade The Grade column displays the wood grade designation from your selected
design code. This has a drop down list where you can select the appropriate
grade.
Cm The ‘Cm’ check-box determines if the wet service / moisture content
factor should be applied. If you put a check in the Cm field, the
appropriate factors will be applied to the allowable stresses and Young’s
Modulus (E).
Ci The ‘Ci’ check-box determines if the incision factor should be applied. If
you put a check in the Ci field, the appropriate factors will be applied to
the allowable stresses and Young’s Modulus (E).
Emod The Emod column displays the factor that is applied to the Young’s
modulus modifier to reflect the NDS Appendix F criteria. This is not
applicable to the CSA O86 design code.

Note: Refer to Custom Wood to specify a custom wood material.

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Commercial Species Groups

When either the NDS 05/08, 12, 15, or 2018 wood design code is selected, the Solid Sawn Species
menu lists two new species listed that are not specifically shown in the NDS code. These are the
Commercial Species Group I - DF/SP and Commercial Species Group II - HF/SPFe Fir. These are
meant to be simplified groupings of the most commonly used wood species. It is meant to simplify the
selection procession for wood member design in the United States.
The design values for Group I take the NDS allowable stress values for two of the most widely used
species (Doug Fir-Larch and Southern Pine) and uses the lower bound allowable stress value for
each size and grade. To verify exactly what base allowable stress values were used, you can review
the properties in the Shape Selection window.
Similarly, the design values for Group II take the allowable stress values for Hem Fir and Spruce-
Pine-Fir and use the lower bound allowable stress values for each size and grade. To verify exactly
what base allowable stress values were used, you can review the properties in the Shape Selection
window.

Concrete Specific Material Data

The Concrete tab records a few concrete specific material properties that do not exist for the other
materials. These entries are described below:

Concrete Specific Material Material Data

Column Description
f'c The ‘f'c’ column displays the concrete compressive strength used for
concrete design.
Lambda The ‘Lambda column displays the lightweight concrete modification
factor. This factor only applies to the ACI 318-14, ACI 318-11, ACI 318-
08 and CSA A23.3-04 codes. For all other codes the Density value of the
material determines any strength reduction. The program automatically
calculates the correct value if it is left blank. Only values between 0.75
and 1.0 will be considered.
Flex Steel The Flex Steel column displays the reinforcement yield strength for
flexural bars in members and vertical bars in walls. Shear Steel is the
reinforcement yield strength for shear bars in members and horizontal

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Column Description
bars in walls.

Masonry Specific Material Data

The Masonry tab records masonry specific material properties. Here we describe items that do not
exist for other materials.

Masonry Self Weight can be accounted for by two different methods. Entering a number for the
density will result in masonry walls which have a self weight equal to that density multiplied by the wall
cross-sectional area. Otherwise, click within the cell to launch the masonry self weight dialog:

Set the Using Block and Grout Properties option to have the program automatically calculate the
self weight of the wall using the weights from tableB3 of the Reinforced Masonry Engineering
Handbook (RMEH). The self weight will be listed as Custom.
Masonry Specific Material Data

Column Description
f'm The ‘f'm’ column displays the masonry compressive strength used for
masonry design.

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Column Description
Flex The Flex displays the rebar yield strengths for flexural bars used to
reinforce the masonry.
Shear Steel The Shear Steel displays the rebar yield strengths for shear bars used to
reinforce the masonry.

Note:
l Masonry Shear Steel is automatically set to the Flex steel strength.
l Masonry materials are used only for walls in wall footings. See the Wall Footing
Definitions spreadsheet for more information.

Aluminum Specific Material Data

The Aluminum tab records a number of aluminum specific material properties that do not exist for
the other materials. These entries are described below:

Aluminum Specific Material Data

Column Description
Table B.4 The Table B.4 column displays the table that refers to the Buckling
Constants for a series of Temper designations. This column has a drop
down list where you can pick from Table B.4.1 equations or Table B.4.2
equations.

Note: This table is named Table 3.3 in ADM 05 and this column
has a drop down list where you can pick from Table 3.3-3
equations or Table 3.3-4 equations.

kt The ‘kt’ column refers to coefficient for tension members listed in the
ADM 10 Table A.3.3.
Ftu The ‘Ftu’ column displays the specified tensile ultimate strength.
Fty The ‘Fty’ column displays the specified tensile yield strength.
Fcy The ‘Fcy’ column displays the specified compressive yield strength.

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Column Description
Fsu The ‘Fsu’ column displays the specified shear ultimate strength.
Ct The ‘Ct’ column refers to Buckling Constant Intersection for Axial
Compression in Curved Elements per Table B.4.1 and Table B.4.2 ADM
10.

Stainless Steel Specific Material Data

The Stainless tab records stainless steel material properties. These entries are described below:

Stainless Steel Specific Material Data

Column Description
n The ‘n’ column displays the specified Ramberg Osgood parameter used
for determining secant modulus. See AISC DG27 Table 6-1.
Yield The Yield column displays the specified yield stress.
Fu The ‘Fu’ column displays the specified ultimate tensile stress.

General Material Data

The General tab records general material properties. These entries are described below:

Cold Formed Specific Material Data

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Column Description
Plate Methodology The Plate Methodology column displays the behavior to use for plate
analysis: isotropic or orthotropic. For more information, see Orthotropic
Behavior.

Material Take-Off
Access the Material Take-Off spreadsheet by selecting it from the Results menu.

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This spreadsheet shows material takeoff information for each material and shapein the model. For
each material the shapes are listed with the total length and weight. The total length and weight for
each material is summed beneath the listing of shapes.

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The length listed is the sum of the lengths of all the members assigned to this shape. Member end
offsets are deducted from the length. The weight is the sum of the self-weight for all elements
assigned to section set. This weight is calculated as Area * Density * Length for each member, again
with offset distances deducted from the length.
For Concrete members and plates, the volume is shown rather than the length of the members.

Note:
l This material takeoff report is independent of the loads applied to the model, i.e. the
applied loads do not influence this report.
l The number of pieces is reflective of the number of members of a particular
size. For example, one double angle will be counted as one piece, with the length
being the member length, and the weight being that of the double angle.
l Plates are also included in the Material Take-Off.

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Members
RISA-3D uses a Physical Member that is automatically sub-meshed into general-purpose beam
elements. With the use of the member End Releases you may define truss members or any other end
condition for that matter. Member data may be viewed and edited in three ways: graphically in a
model view, in the Member Properties Panel, or in the Members Spreadsheet. See Members
Spreadsheet for descriptions of the member data. Design parameters for steel, wood or concrete
design are recorded on the material tabs of the Members spreadsheet and are discussed in the Hot
Rolled Steel - Design, Cold Formed Steel - Design, Stainless Steel - Design, Aluminum - Design,
Concrete - Design, and Wood - Design sections.

Draw Members
To create new members you can draw them using a Drawing Grid, Project Grid, or drawing "dot to
dot" clicking existing joints. The member properties are specified in the Properties panel. You can set
all of the member properties up front or you can modify these properties after you draw the member.
Graphically modifying properties is discussed in the next section.

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The Member Drawing Options are as follows:

Member Drawing Options

Option Description
Draw Node to Node Use the first mouse click to select the start node of the new
member. Use the second mouse click to select the end node of the
new member. The tool will continue to draw node to node until you
right-click to disengage.
Draw Node to Use the first mouse click to select the start node of the new
Member/Wall member. Use the second mouse click to select an existing member
which would contain the end node of the new member. ‘Offset’ is
the offset of the end point of the new member from the start node of
the existing member.
Draw Member to Use the first mouse click to select an existing member which would
Member contain the start node of the new member. Use the second mouse
click to select an existing member which would contain the end
point of the new member. ‘1st Offset’ and ‘2nd Offset’ are the
location offsets of the start and end nodes of the new member from
the start nodes of the existing members.
Draw Wall to Wall Use the first mouse click to select an edge of an existing wall panel
which will contain the start node of the new member. Use the
second mouse click to select an edge of an existing wall panel
which will contain the end node of the new member. ‘1st Offset’ and

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Option Description
‘2nd Offset’ are the location offsets of the start and end nodes of the
new member from the corner of the selected wall panel edge.
Draw Member/Wall to Use the mouse click to select the existing member which would
Node contain the start node of the new member. The new member would
have a length equal to ‘Length’. The new member would be created
at an angle ‘Relative Angle’ to the projection of the existing member
on the horizontal plane (plane perpendicular to the vertical axis).

To Draw Members
To draw Members:
1. If there is not a model view already open then go to the View ribbon.
2. Click the Open 3D Viewsicon in the’ Window’ section to open a new view.
3. If you are not drawing between existing nodes, you need to create a drawing grid or define
nodes in the Node Coordinates spreadsheet.
4. Go to the Home ribbon.
5. Click the Members icon in the ‘Draw Elements’ section.
6. In the Properties panel, set the member properties .
You can specify the General Properties, Additional Properties, RISAConnection Properties,
and Design Properties.
7. To start drawing members, click on nodes or grid intersections with the left mouse button.
The coordinates of the closest node or grid intersection to your cursor are displayed on the
screen near your cursor.
The first click defines the I-end of the first member. The second click, and each click
thereafter, defines the J-end of the first member and also the I-end of the next member so
that you can continue to draw. To stop drawing, click the right mouse button. You can then
start drawing somewhere else with the left button.
The new members are shown on screen and recorded in the Members spreadsheet.
8. To stop drawing altogether click the right mouse button or press the Esc key.

Note:
l You may also specify or edit members in the Members spreadsheet.
l
You may undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo icon in the Quick Access
toolbar.

Modify Members
There are a number of ways to modify members.

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l You can view and edit the member data in the Members Spreadsheet.
l You can also click a single member or select multiple members to view and edit its
properties in the Member Properties Panel.
l You can use the tools in the Modify ribbon to graphically modify the members in the
3D View.
The Properties Panel for members is discussed here which lets you modify the properties of
members that already exist in your model. To use this, you will select the members that you want to
modify, select the member type from the Selection Properties dropdown, then specify in the
Properties panel the parameters you want changed. See the Graphic Selection topic for more on
selecting.

MemberProperties
The parameters in the MemberProperties section are the member label and length. The member
length is defined by the start and end node and cannot be edited from the Properties panel. You can
modify members graphically in the 3D View using tools on the Modify ribbon to modify the length.

Note: To relabel members first sort the Members spreadsheet into the desired order, then
select the Modify tab Relabel All (or Relabel Selected) button Members.

To Modify Member Properties

To modify Members properties from the Properties panel:
1. If there is not a model view already open then go to the View ribbon.
2. Click the Open 3D Views icon to open a new view.
3. Click a single member or select multiple members that you wish to modify.
4. If you have multiple elements selected, specify which material type to view properties for
using the Selection Properties dropdown in the Properties panel.

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5. Set the parameters for the members within the Properties panel.
If certain properties vary within your selection of members, the field will say Various.
6. You may choose to modify a single member at a time or an entire selection of members.
To modify a single member, click on the member in the 3D View to pull up the properties in
the Properties panel.
To modify a selection of members, select multiple elements in the 3D View and specify
which type to view properties for using the Selection Properties dropdown at the top of the
Properties panel.

Note: You may undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo button.

General Properties
In the General Properties section of the Properties panel, you can specify the member parameters
such as member end release, material, and shape size. The parameters shown can be found in the
Primary and Advanced tab of the Members spreadsheet.
You can assign a shape by either using a Section Set or choosing a specific shape from the Shape
Database.
If you assign a shape using a Section Set, several parameters like shape size and material will gray
out and the displayed values will be based on the Section Set. These parameters can be found in the
Section Sets spreadsheet.
You can modify the general properties based on material type for a single member by clicking on a
member or for multiple members by selecting multiple members and selecting a material type from
the Selection Properties dropdown in the Properties panel.

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Note:
l You may also modify members in the Members spreadsheet.
l You can add a new Section Set by setting the Assign Shape parameter to
Section Set and clicking the triple dot next to the Section Set dropdown.

Additional Properties
In the Additional Properties section of the Properties panel, you can specify the member
parameters such as member start and end nodes, physical or non physical member properties, and
analysis offset. The parameters shown can be found in the Primary and Advanced tab of the
Members spreadsheet.
You can modify the general properties based on material type for a single member by clicking on a
member or for multiple members by selecting multiple members and selecting a material type from
the Selection Properties dropdown in the Properties panel.

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Note: You may also specify or edit design parameters in the Advanced tab of the
Membersspreadsheet.

RISAConnection Properties
In the RISAConnection Properties section of the Properties panel, you can view and define the
connection rules for your hot-rolled steel connection design to be used in conjunction with
RISAConnection. The connection rule parameters can be found in the RISAConnection tab of the
Members spreadsheet. See the RISAConnection Integration topic for more information.

Design Properties
In the Design Properties section of the Properties panel, you can specify the Hot Rolled, Cold
Formed, Wood, Concrete, Aluminum, or Stainless design parameters such as unbraced lengths and
K factors. See Steel Design, Cold Formed Steel Design, Stainless Design, Concrete Design,
Aluminum Design, and Wood Design for information on the design parameters themselves. The
parameters shown are the same as those on the Hot Rolled, Cold Formed, Wood, Concrete,
Aluminum, or Stainless tab of the Members spreadsheet. The Seismic Design Rule can be found on
the Advanced tab of the Members spreadsheet and only pertains to hot rolled steel members.

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You can modify the design parameters based on material type for a single member by clicking on a
member or for multiple members by selecting multiple members and selecting a material type from
the Selection Properties dropdown in the Properties panel.

Note: You may also specify or edit design parameters in the Material Design Parameters
tab of the Members spreadsheet.

Material and Cross Section Properties

Member material and cross section properties may be assigned to a member in one of two ways –
either directly by specifying the shape and material explicitly, or by assigning a Section Set to the
member. Section Sets allow you to control properties for a group of members that share the same
properties. Combining section sets with the Member Redesign feature gives you great control over
how new member sizes are picked and what members get updated. Section sets must be used when
the desired shape is not in the database or when steel redesign (optimization) is desired. See Section
Sets for more information.
All member properties may be assigned in the Properties panel either as you draw or later as a
modification to the members.

Members Spreadsheet
Primary Data
The Members Spreadsheet records the properties for the member elements and may be accessed
by selecting Members on the Spreadsheets Menu.

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The following data columns hold thePrimary data for the members:
Members Spreadsheet - Primary Data

Column Description
Member Labels You can assign a unique Label to any or all of the members. You can
then refer to the member by its label. Each label has to be unique, so if
you try to enter the same label more than once, you get an error
message.
You can relabel members at any time with the Relabel Members option
on the Tools Menu.
Member End The I-Joint and J-Joint entries define the start (I-joint) and end (J-joint)
Jointsand locations of the member. The member local axes are defined based on
these joints. See Member Local Axes for more information.
K-Joint and X-axis These two parameters may be used separately or together to define the
rotation rotation of a member. See Member Local Axes and Defining Member
Orientation for more information.
Section / Shape If you are explicitly assigning shapes to each member, then enter the
database shape you wish to use for the member. You can select this by
clicking on the arrow in the cell. Alternatively, you may choose a section
set to represent the section properties, material properties, and re-
design parameters.
Member Type If you are explicitly assigning shapes to each member, then you may
enter the member type that you wish to use. The choices are Column,
Beam, Vertical Brace, and Horizontal Brace.
Here are the main effects that the member type will have on your
structure:
l If you are using concrete, this defines the rebar layout (column
vs beam) .
l If you are using design lists, they specifically reference the

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Column Description
member type.
l If you are using member area loads, loads will not be attributed
to members defined as Hbraces or Vbraces.
l If you are using flexible diaphragms, transient loads will not be
attributed to members defined as None, Columns or Vbraces.
l If you are using the RISA-Revit link the link will not work
properly, unless you use member types.
l If you are integrating with RISAConnection, the connection
validation requires proper use of member types.
l If you are using the seismic detailing provisions, you must use
proper member types.

Note: If you are using Section Sets to define your member, the
information in this field is generated automatically based on the
referenced section set.

Design List If you are explicitly assigning shapes to each member, then you may
enter the design list type that you wish to use. This entry will affect the
members that are available to program when it is suggesting alternate or
optimized shapes. Refer to Design Optimization for more information on
the member optimization procedure. Also refer to Appendix A –
Redesign Lists for information on creating or editing these lists.

Note: If you are using Section Sets to define your member, the
information in this field is generated automatically based on the
referenced section set.

Material If you are explicitly assigning shapes to each member, then you may
enter the material that you wish to use.
You can select this by clicking on the arrow in the cell.

Note: If you are using Section Sets to define your member, the
information in this field is generated automatically based on the
referenced section set.

Design Rules If you are explicitly assigning shapes to each member, you can enter the
design rules type that you wish to use. When the program is checking
alternate or optimized shapes, it will restrict its selections to members
that obey the chosen design rules.
Refer to Design Rules– Size / U.C. for more information.

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Column Description

Note: If you are using Section Sets to define your member,

then the information in this field will be generated automatically
based on the referenced section set.

Members Spreadsheet - Advanced Data

The Advanced tab records the properties for the member elements and may be accessed by
selecting Members on the Spreadsheets Menu.

The following data columns hold the Advanced data for the members:
Member Spreadsheet - Advanced Data

Column Description
I and J Releases The I and J Releases control the forces that may be resisted by a
member. You can use these to define pinned connections,
truss members, and any other end condition. See Member End
Releases for more information.
Col-Wall Vert Release This option is only visible and applicable for columns transferred
from RISAFloor. It defines the vertical connectivity between the
column and the connected wall panel. If checked, the column and
wall panel will be decoupled in the vertical direction during analysis.
See Col-Wall Vert Release for more information.
I and J Offsets The I and J End offsets may be used to model a rigid end zone for a
member. See Member End Offsets for more information.
T/C Only The T/C Only field is used to indicate that a member is to be
Tension or Compression only. When a member is flagged as C,
any members it will only be able to take compressive loads. The
member will have no stiffness to resist tensile loads. When a
member is flagged as T, the member will only be able to take
tension loads. When a section is flagged as E, the member will

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Column Description
primarily take only tension loads, however it will also take some
compression load, up to its Euler buckling load.
Physical The Physical box is checked if the member is a Physical
Member. See Physical Members for more information.
Deflection The Deflection Ratio Options are only applicable to members
Ratio Options designated as beams. This field is used to designate the member
end behavior either as supported or as a cantilever for the
deflection ratio. If this field is blank, deflection ratio will be based on
original member behavior. See Deflection Ratio Options to learn
more.
Analysis Offset Members may be offset from their centerline for analysis. This is
useful for members such as single angles bolted or welded on only
one leg, where axial compression also needs to induce bending.
See Analysis Offset to learn more.
Activation Members may be removed from the solution without deleting them
(Inactive Members) from your model by making them inactive. See Inactive and
Excluded Elements for more information.
Seismic DR (Design Seismic Design Rules can be used to assign a Seismic Design
Rules) Rule to each member individually. This can be left as None if you
are not including seismic detailing in your design. This entry will
only apply to Hot Rolled Steel members.

Members Spreadsheet - Detailing Data

The Detailing tab records the detailing data for the members that are necessary for full 2-way data
transfer between RISA and steel detailing packages. For more information on this subject refer to the
Help file for the RISA CIS/2 Translator which can be downloaded from our website.

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Tension/Compression-Only Members
Members in RISA by default are allowed to take both tension and compression. However, some
design or modeling practices may require you to define specific members as either Compression
Only or Tension Only. Here we will define what each of the T/C Only options means.
Both Ways
This is the default behavior. In this scenario a member will be allowed to take either compression or
tension and the program will base the combined bending and axial code checks on these forces.
Tension Only/Euler Buckling
Tension-only behavior is just as it sounds. When a member is defined as tension-only the program
will allow these members to only resist tension forces. If the load path introduces compression forces
into the member, then it will be removed from the stiffness matrix and another solution will be run.

Note:
l To avoid stability issues, the program will allow the Tension Only member to resist a
very small percentage of compression in the member. By allowing the member to
take 1e-8 of the member's stiffness in resistance to compression, the program can
avoid model instabilities which would be caused by removing the Tension Only
member all together.
l Tension-only member code checks will ONLY consider axial tension. Bending
forces will NOT be used when computing code checks.

Euler Buckling
An option similar to tension-only is the Euler buckling option. This option is used as a replacement to
tension-only and allows a member to take up to the Euler buckling capacity of the member in
compression before it is removed.
The reason for the Euler buckling option is that allowing tension-only members to take a little
compression helps model convergence greatly. Generally speaking, tension-only members are
generally very slender members that have a small Euler buckling capacity. The intent of this option is
to allow a very small amount of compression to get into your members so you don't get unstable
models.

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Note:
l Euler buckling member code checks will ONLY consider axial tension. Bending and
compression forces will NOT be used when computing code checks.
l You can control the amount of compression that an Euler buckling member takes by
artificially increasing or decreasing the Kl/r ratio that is used to calculate the Euler
buckling load. The best way to alter the Kl/r ratio is to modify the Lb parameters for
that member on the Hot Rolled, Cold Formed or Wood tabs of the Members
spreadsheet.
l Using this option for members with high Euler buckling capacities is generally not
appropriate and may lead to unconservative results.

Compression Only
Compression-only behavior is just as it sounds. When a member is defined as compression-only the
program will allow these members to only resist compression forces. If there are tension forces then
the member will be removed and another solution will be run.

Note:
l To avoid stability issues, the program will allow the Compression Only member to
resist a very small percentage of tension in the member. By allowing the member to
take 1e-6% of the member's stiffness in resistance to tension, the program can
avoid model instabilities which would be caused by ignoring the Compression only
member all together.
l Compression-only member code checks will ONLY consider axial compression.
Bending forces will NOT be used when computing code checks.

Iterative Solution Considerations

When a model contains T/C only members, the program must iterate the solution until it converges.
Each iteration is a solution of the model. After each solution the program checks T/C only member
forces. If a tension-only member has compression then this member has it's stiffness reduced down
to 1e-8% of it's original stiffness so it will take no forces. If an Euler buckling member has a
compression greater than its Euler buckling load this member has it's stiffness reduced down to 1e-
8% of it's original stiffness. If a compression-only member has tension then this member has it's
stiffness reduced in a similar fashion. After these member stiffnesses are reduced the stiffness matrix
is re-built and another solution is run.
In subsequent solutions members can have their stiffnesses both removed and added back in.
Reducing the stiffness of members is the identical process just explained. Adding member stiffness
back in can occur for members that have been previously reduced. The program will look at the
distance between the end nodes which define the previously reduced member. From this distance
the program can calculate whether that member would now be in compression or tension. Let's take a
tension-only member that had it's stiffness reduced due to the presence of compression in the first
iteration. In the 2nd iteration if the distance between the nodes defining the member got longer than it

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was in iteration one, this would signify that the member would now be in tension. Thus, for the next
iteration the program would place this member back in the stiffness matrix.
Because of this iterative solution, models with T/C only members can take a bit longer to solve than a
regular static solution.

Note:
l If a member has it's stiffness reduced, it will still show up in the results. However,
the forces and code checks for this member will all be zero.
l For X-bracing that is set to either tension-only or Euler buckling, do not place a
node at the intersection of these braces. You will likely have convergence problems
in this case and receive error code 1162.

Instability Considerations
For members defined as tension-only you can run into problems with instabilities for gravity-only
LC's. For example, let's take a look at an x-braced frame where the x-bracing is defined as tension-
only. For a lateral load combination, the tension-only feature works great.

In the image above we can see that the "compression" brace has no force in it because it has it's
stiffness reduced in the stiffness matrix and that all of the load is passing through the "tension" brace.
However, if we are looking at a gravity load combination, this results in an instability.

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In this scenario the columns in this model undergo a small amount of axial shortening. This induces a
small amount of compression and both of the tension-only braces have their stiffnesses reduced.
This results in a frame that is unstable and illustrates the problem. The solution here is to use Euler
buckling braces.

In this case these braces are taking about 500 lbs of compression, a relatively small amount. As long
as this value is small then we can still consider these as tension-only members.

Note: Shear effects are considered for all T/C Only member options in separate code checks
for shear.

Physical Members
Physical Members provide fixity to all joints that occur along the length of the member, without
breaking that member into multiple smaller members. You may use the physical member feature to

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avoid defining one 'field' member with multiple members in your model. This saves time in building
and editing your model and in understanding your results.
To define a Physical Member, check the Physical Member box in the Set Member Properties
settings or in the Modify Member Parameters settings. You may also specify Physical Members in
the Members Spreadsheet and in the Member Information settings.
To understand the benefits of Physical Members see the trusses in the following figure. The first truss
shows the chords modeled without physical members and thus with multiple members modeling
each chord. The second truss models each chord with one Physical Member. Both models will yield
the same results. However the Physical Member model is more intuitive and easier to work with
because you don’t have to work with multiple members when you create the chords, load them, edit
them or evaluate their results. Notice that the distributed load may be defined from start to end for the
Physical Member. In the other model the distributed load end magnitudes have to be specified for
each of five members in order for the entire load to be defined.

Continuous beams, multi-story columns and truss chords are examples of continuous 'field' members
that can be modeled with one Physical Member. You may define them from start to finish without
having to explicitly define their connection to other elements or boundaries through intermediate
joints. Subsequently, when it comes time to make changes to a member you can edit the properties of
one Physical Member rather than the multiple members that might otherwise represent it.
Physical Members are also effective in managing results because the results for one Physical
Member are reported together in the results spreadsheets and the member detail report. With the
truss example above the Physical Member model allows you to look at results for one member
making it easier to track maximum forces and other values.

Note:
l You may convert a Physical Member into multiple members by removing the
Physical Member property and then performing a Model Merge to split the member
for connectivity. See Model Merge for more information.
l You cannot convert multiple members into one Physical Member. To achieve this
you must delete the multiple members and define a new Physical Member.

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For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: What are Physical Members.

Local Axes
The following diagram illustrates the directions of the member's local axes that are used to define
member forces, stresses, and deflections as well as loads defined in local axes directions:

As can be seen from the diagram, the local x-axis corresponds to the member centerline. The
centerline designates the member cross section's centroid location. The positive direction of this local
x-axis is from the I-joint towards the J joint. The complicated part is defining the orientation for the
local y and z-axes. Of course, we only have to define the direction for one of these two (y and z) axes.
The third axis direction follows automatically based on the directions of the first two.
If you do not explicitly define the orientation for a member, the default is for the member's local z-axis
to lie in the global X-Z plane or as near as possible. If the member is defined in the global Y-direction,
the member's local y and z axes both lie in the global X-Z plane, so the local z-axis is made parallel to
the global Z-axis. This works well for models with the Y-axis as the vertical axis because any beam
members are typically oriented such that vertical loads are resisted by the strong axis bending of the
member. You can change the default orientation of the members with the Model Settings. For
example if your vertical axis is the Z-axis then you can specify the default so that vertical loads are
resisted by the strong axis bending of the member.

Member Orientation
RISA-3D provides two ways to explicitly set the orientation of the y-axis. The first is by rotating the
member about the local x-axis. This member rotation is entered in the x-Axis Rotate column on the
Member spreadsheet or may be specified in the graphic editing tools. For this rotation, positive is
counter-clockwise about the x-axis, with the x-axis pointing towards you.

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The second way to explicitly define the orientation is by specifying a K joint for the member. If a K
joint is defined the three joints (I,J,K) entered for the member are used to define a plane. This plane is
the plane of the member's x and y-axes. The z-axis is defined based on the right hand rule using the
x and y-axes. See below:

Note: To be sure of a member’s orientation you can always view the rendered shape of a
member by clicking the button on the Quick View toolbar on the Home tab.

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Member End Releases

The I Release and J Release fields are used to designate whether the forces and moments at the
ends of the member are considered fixed to or released from the member's points of attachment (the I
and J joints). Each member has 6 force components at each end (axial, y-y & z-z shear, torque, and
y-y & z-z bending). Any or all of these force components can be released from the member's point of
attachment. If a force component is released, that force is not transferred between the joint and the
member.
The partial fixity member end release option reduces the joint rotational stiffness about the member
local y and z axes. The linear stiffness of the connection is reduced by the rotational spring constant
to utilize a partially restrained connection, as opposed to a fully released or fixed connection.
To specify member releases go to the I Release or J Release field for the member in the Members
Spreadsheet on the Advanced Tab, click the button, and specify the condition.

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Alternatively, you may specify the end condition by directly typing in the field. To indicate that a force
component is released, put a X for that component in the release field. You can move within the
release field using the space bar which will result in a O for no release.
RISA-3D has two special "keyword" release configurations built-in. These are:
AllPIN => Mx, My, Mz (all moments) released (OOOXXX)
BenPIN => My, Mz (bending only) released (OOOOXX)
If a Partial Fixity Option is selected, the keyword will show a P for the rotational restraint
followed by the rotational stiffness input.
These keyword entries are included because 99% of the release configurations you'll ever want to
define will be one of these two (98% will be BenPIN). You can call out the keyword entry by just
entering the first letter of the keyword. So if you go to a release field and enter "bp", the keyword
"BenPIN" will be filled in automatically.

Note:
l RISA-3D will not allow you to release the member torsion at both ends. This is
because it will be unstable as it would be free to spin about its centerline. For this
reason, pinned end conditions should be modeled using the "BenPIN" entry instead
of "AllPIN".
l A partial fixity end release cannot be combined with a member end offset.
l Shear deformations are not considered for members with partial fixity end releases.
l Tapered WF members cannot be used in conjunction with partial fixity end
releases.

For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: End Release.

Simpson Yield-Link
The Yield-Link is a prequalified connection developed and manufactured by Simpson Strong-Tie for
steel special moment frames. For more information about the Yield-Link Connections, click the link to
visit the Simpson Strong-Tie’s website here.
Currently in the program Yield-Links can be added to steel beams as Member End Releases to
include their partial rotational stiffness in the analysis. The program calculates the rotational stiffness
automatically based on the sizes of the Yield-Link and the beam.
To add a Yield-Link to a beam, click on the ellipsis button next to the I Release or J Release field to
open the Set Member End Releases dialog. The Yield-Link size can be selected from the dropdown
box under Simpson Yield-Link.

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When choosing a specific Yield-Link to use, the nomenclature for the definition of the release is as
follows: YL4-2.25, where YL4 represents the Yield-Link stem thickness in eighths of an inch (ex. 0.5”
= 4 x ⅛”) and 2.25 is the width of the yield link (in inches). For new series of Yield-Link with longer
lengths, the nomenclature can be as follows: YL4-2.25-10, where the last number 10 is the longer
length than standard links (in inches)
Users can also type in the Yield-Link size in the I Release or J Release field from either the
Properties Panel or the Members -> Advanced Spreadsheet. The nomenclature of Yield-Link (e.g.
YL4-2.25) needs to be followed for the program to recognize the input.

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The selection of Yield-Link size needs to meet the following requirements:

l Yield-Link is only available for Hot-Rolled Wide Flange Beams.
l Currently the maximum beam depth allowed for Yield-Link is W36. The minimum beam
depth allowed for Yield-Link range from W12, W16, and W24 depending on which Yield-
Link series is used:
l YL4 series: Min. W12, Max. W18
l YL4 longer series: Min. W12, Max. W27
l YL6 series: Min. W16, Max. W27
l YL6 longer series: Min. W16, Max. W36
l YL8 series: Min. W24, Max. W36
l YL8 longer series: Min. W24, Max. W36
l The permitted beam flange thickness needs to be greater than 0.4 inch.
l The permitted beam flange width and column flange width for any specific Yield-Link size
can be found in Simpson's Yield-Link Design Guide.
l If Yield-Link is used on one end of a beam, the other end cannot have Fully Fixed or
Custom Releases.
l If Yield-Links are used on both ends of a beam, the link size must be the same at each end.

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Note:
If the input Yield-Link size and beam size do not meet the above requirements, the program
will ignore the Yield-Link rotational stiffness during solution. A warning message will be given
to indicate which requirement was not met.
Once users have input the Yield-Link size, together with the Beam Size, the program
calculates the rotational stiffness of the Yield-Link and displays it in the I and J Release Edit
dialog. This partial stiffness will be used in solution for the model. The rotational stiffness
calculation follows the following equations:

With the Yield-Link defined, the wireframe model shows the member end release condition applied.
The display looks the same as custom end releases in the Mz direction, which is the same direction
where the Yield-Link rotational stiffness is applied.

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After solution, the partial stiffness from Yield-Links can be viewed in the member Detailed Report
under the I/J releases.

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Deflection Ratio Options

The Beam Deflection Ratio can be used during member design to check the deflection criteria. By
default, the program determines whether a member is a cantilever or is supported on both ends. In
certain cases where the beam should be considered otherwise, more control over these support
types for a beam can be designated in the Deflection Ratio Options. This feature is only applicable

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to members designated as "beams" and only affects the beam deflection ratios located in the Beam
Deflection tab of the Member Deflections spreadsheet.
The option to set the support type for the beam deflection ratio can be applied from any of the
following locations:
l Additional Properties section of the Properties Panel
l Members spreadsheet \ Advanced Tab

Clicking the button in the spreadsheet brings up the following dialog box:

Single span beams can be designated as supported on both ends, or cantilever on either I- or J- end.
Multi-span beams have an additional option to be cantilever on both I- and J- end. A double cantilever
option is available for multi-span beams since internal supports will support the beam. Designating
member ends as either supported or cantilever will affect only the beam relative deflection and also
determine which equation is used when calculating beam deflection ratios. See Beam Deflections.
For a member supported on both ends, the maximum relative displacement used in the beam
deflection ratio will be the largest straight line distance (in the vertical y direction) between the
deflected shape and the original undeflected shape.

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For members with a cantilever end, the location of the maximum relative deflection will be at the free
end of the member. The displacement value is equal to the rotation at the supported end multiplied by
the length of the member.

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Note:
l Designating specific member end support types for the beam deflection ratio will
not affect global deflection or the member deflection ratios located in the Service
and Strength tabs of the Member Deflections spreadsheet.
l For additional information on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks web
page at risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Deflection Ratio

Analysis Offset
The Analysis Offset feature allows a member to be offset from its centerline for analysis. When it is
enabled the member is actually shifted to the offset location for analysis. In order to provide
connectivity the program places hidden rigid links to connect the member to the nodes that define the
member's I/J Joints. Joints which fall along a physical member are also automatically connected to
the member's actual analysis location via hidden rigid links.
An analysis offset can be applied from any of the following locations:

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l Additional Properties section of the Properties Panel

l Members Spreadsheet \ Advanced Tab

Clicking the button in the panel or spreadsheet to bring up the following dialog box:

The blue dot represents where the member is drawn in the model, the shape represents where the
shape will be offset relative to the centerline. Therefore in the above image the wide flange is offset in
a way to account for the connections on this member being on the "vertical" (local y-axis) leg. In the
below image the angle is offset in a way to account for the connections on this member being on the
"horizontal" (local z-axis) leg.

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In this case there would be no practical application for using a -z axis or -y axis setting since neither
leg would be near the line that the member was modeled on.
The most common application for this feature is modeling non-symmetric braces where the centroid
of the brace does not align in the same plane as the columns/beams that the brace connects to. See
the example below.
Example:

Consider a single angle brace that frames into a beam and column

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In RISA-3D this would be modeled so that both the brace and the beam end connect to the same
Joint, which the column also passes through

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When lateral load is applied to this frame with no analysis offset, the brace has a concentric axial
force since its centerline aligns with the centerline of the beam and column. This would be
accurate for a double-angle brace, but for a single angle brace the centroid of the brace is actually
offset from the plane of the frame by a small but significant distance. That offset eccentricity
should cause a bending in the brace which accompanies an axial compression force in the brace.
This can be accounted for by shifting the location of the brace to its true centroid location.

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In this case the brace should be shifted along its positive Local z-axis by a distance of z-bar
(distance from centroid to connected leg) plus half the gusset plate thickness. For a 3/4" gusset
plate the analysis offset should be set to the +z axis plus 3/8":

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For analysis the program will move the brace outward and put in a rigid link. This rigid link is not
visible in the wireframe view, although the rendered view and deflected shape will both illustrate
the offset location of the member. Below is a reconstructed view of what the program actually
uses for analysis in this example.

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The end result is that the brace bends in the out of plane direction when loaded with axial
compression, which matches what should occur for a single angle that is bolted on only one leg.

Unless both legs of the single angle are attached to the gusset in this example it is actually
unconservative to omit the analysis offset in the model, since bending will be ignored without it.

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Col-Wall Vert Release

This option is only visible for models transferred from RISAFloor and is applicable solely to columns
transferred from RISAFloor. It defines the vertical connectivity between the column and the
connected wall panel. If this option is selected, the column and wall panel will be decoupled in the
vertical direction during analysis. This implies that the axial load in the column will not be transferred
to the wall panel, and vice versa. However, it's important to note that connectivity for other degrees of
freedom, including in-plane and out-of-plane bending/shear, remains intact. As a result, forces
associated with these degrees of freedom will continue to be transferred between the column and the
wall panel.
The program implements this decoupling behavior by generating two sets of nodes along the column
axis: one set for the column and another for the wall panel. It then defines the connectivity between
these two sets of nodes. When users select the 'Col-Wall Vert Release' checkbox, the program
releases the connectivity between the two node sets in the vertical direction while maintaining
connectivity in other degrees of freedom.

Note:
l Since there are two sets of nodes along the column axis, the program must
determine whether any loads applied to these nodes should apply to the column
node set or the wall panel node set. A similar determination must be made for the
reactions from any elements connected to these nodes. Nodal loads applied
directly on a column, and members connected to a column, are resisted and
supported directly by the column member. All other load types (line loads, area
loads, etc.) and element types (plates, wall panels, diaphragms, etc.) are
considered to be connected to the wall panels.

Member End Offsets

Member offsets reflect the fact that the member ends may not be attached at the centerline of the
member being attached to. For example, a beam connected to the flange of a column is offset from
the centerline of the column. The distance of the offset would be ½ the depth of the column.
You may enter explicit offset distances or have them calculated automatically. To enter offsets
explicitly simply enter the value of the offset. To have the offset calculated, enter the non-numeric
label of the member whose depth defines the offset distance.
For example, say your member is framing into the flange of a 12" deep column. The offset distance
would be 6", so you would enter '6' for the offset. Now, if that column gets changed to a 14" shape,
you would have to go back and change the offset distance to 7". This can be time consuming if you
have many offsets.
If instead the column has a label of M100, specifying M100 as the member offset causes the offset to
be calculated as half of the depth of the member M100. For the W12 column the offset would be 6"
and when the column is changed to a W14 the offset becomes 7".

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Note:
l When you use a member label to define the end offset, this value is ALWAYS taken
as simply the depth of the member. Thus, if you are framing at an angle into a
member or into the weak axis of a member you should not use this feature.
l When the model is solved the member length is adjusted in the stiffness matrix by
the offset distance resulting in a shorter, stiffer member. Also the results listed for
members with offsets do take into account the offset distances. The I-end and J-
end results are the results at the offset locations, and the report locations are
determined by dividing the member length minus the offset distances by the
Number Of Sections on the Model Settings.

For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Offsets.

Inactive and Excluded Elements

Making an element, such as a member, plate or wall panel, inactive allows you to analyze the
structure without the item, without having to delete the information that defines it. This leaves data
intact so the item may be easily reactivated. This is handy if you want to try a frame with and then
without certain items, without having to actually delete the data.
Making an element Inactive means the item is not included when the model is solved or plotted.
Making an element Excluded means the item is in the solution, but excluded from the results list. An
excluded item will be treated like any other member in the solution and plotting of the model, but the
item will not be listed in the solution results (forces, stresses, deflections, etc.). This is useful if there
are certain items whose results you're not interested in. You don't have to clutter up the results with
these items and can concentrate on the items you're most interested in. See Printing for more limiting
printed results.

Note: When making elements inactive you may need to update the unbraced lengths of the
adjacent members.

Shear Deformations
Including shear deformation models the effects of shearing forces on the lateral displacements of the
members. Shear deformation is included in the analysis by checking the Consider Shear
Deformation box in the Solution tab of the Model Settings.
Shear deformation effects are based on the material shear modulus (G) and the shear area.
Including shear deformation causes the member stiffness matrix to be modified by the term M, where:

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Where As = Area * Shear Deformation Factor

These shear area coefficients will be automatically calculated for all standard members, but must be
entered for arbitrary sections. While these shear deformation factors are always less than 1.0, they
can vary from 0.85 for solid rectangular shapes, to 0.88 for solid circular shapes, to 0.53 for thin
pipes. These coefficients are used strictly for shear deformation effects and should not to be
confused with shear stress factors described in the next section. A good reference for the calculation
of both of these coefficients is Stress, Strain, and Structural Matrices by Walter D. Pilkey.
For members whose length is much greater than the depth, shear deformation has a relatively minor
impact. When the length of the member is less than 10 times its depth, shear deformation begins to
have a significant impact on the solution. Keep this in mind if you are creating models where
members are being broken up into several pieces because the length used to calculate the term M is
the joint-to-joint member length.

Note:
l Shear deformation effects are included for the joint deflections only and not for the
internal member deflections.
l Shear deformation effects are included for joint loads and not for member point
loads.
l Shear deformation can play a significant role in the stiffness of the member and
thus the results.

Shear Areas
The equation for calculating shear area varies for different shape types:
l For WT, LL, L, Av =(depth*thickness)/1.2
l For channel, Av =(depth*thickness)/1.0
l For rectangular tube, Av =(2*depth*thickness)/1.0 for AISC 360-05 (13th edition) and AISC
360-10 (14th edition), but (2*(depth-3*web thickness2))/1.0 for AISC 360-16 (15th edition).
l For round tube, Av =A/2

Member Shear Stresses

Since shear stress is not equally distributed over a cross section, it is unconservative to take the
maximum shear stress as simply the beam shear (V) divided by the beam’s cross sectional area. To
achieve more accurate results you must reduce the shear area by a shear stress factor,

where:

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and

These shear stress factors will be automatically calculated for all standard members, but must be
entered for arbitrary sections. While these shear area coefficients are always less than 1.0, they can
vary significantly. Common values include 0.67 for solid rectangular shapes, and 0.75 for solid
circular shapes.

Note: For wide flange and channel shapes, RISA will replace this calculation with the shear
stress calculations required by the Steel Code specifications.

Torsion
A twisting of the member induces torsional forces and stresses. The primary reference used in the
development of RISA-3D's torsional calculations was Design Guide #9, Torsional Analysis of
Steel Members, available from the AISC. The equations used for torsional stresses won't all be
repeated here, but they can be found in the reference. RISA-3D models warping members using
CASE 2 from the torsional reference.

Note: Torsion considerations for any other cases can be grossly over or underestimated.
RISA's calculation of torsion capacity is based on torsion due to racking of the structure, not
point or line torques on an individual member. That type of check is not supported.

It is more accurate to consider warping effects when calculating member stiffnesses and stresses,
but there is a way you can turn off these effects. In the Model Settings on the Solution tab, you'll see
the checkbox Consider Torsional Warping. If this box is not checked warping effects will not be
considered, i.e. stress and stiffness calculations for wide flanges and channels will be done just like
all the other shapes (k = GJ/L). You may wish to do this to compare the RISA-3D results with and then
without warping, or to compare RISA-3D results with a program that does not include warping.

Warping
A primary consideration in the calculation of torsional properties and stresses is whether the cross
section is subject to warping. Solid cross sections are NOT subject to warping. For RISA-3D, all
closed shapes such as pipes and tubes are considered to be NOT subject to warping. Cross sections
composed of rectangular elements whose centerlines all intersect at a common point are NOT
subject to warping. Examples are Tee shapes and angle shapes. For simplification, double angle
cross sections are also assumed to be not subject to warping. So, the only shapes RISA-3D
considers subject to warping effects are wide flanges and channels (I's and C's). The importance of
this extends beyond the stress calculations, however. Warping considerations also impact the
calculation of torsional stiffness for these shapes.

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For a nonwarping member or a warping member with warping unrestrained, the member's torsional
stiffness is given by:

G = Material Shear Modulus

J = Cross Section Torsional Stiffness
L = Member Length
For a member subject to warping, if the warping of the member is restrained its torsional stiffness is:

Cw = Cross Section Warping Constant

E = Material Modulus of Elasticity
L = Torque Length
Thus restraining the warping effects for a cross section subject to warping (I's or C's) makes the
shape much stiffer in torsion. Think of it this way; if you twist a wide flange, the flanges want to warp. If
you restrain the flanges from warping its much harder to twist the wide flange as it is stiffer in torsion.
Member Releases
If a member is released for any rotational degree of freedom at either end, warping is not considered
for that member. For example, if you model a wide flange member with a “BenPIN” release code (at
either or both ends), warping would not be considered for that member. This is because any

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connection that doesn't resist bending moments is certainly not going to restrain warping. RISA-3D
does not consider the effect of warping “pins” at this time.
Warp Length
The "warp length" is the length between points of torsional restraint (or release). This may be equal to
or greater than the member's actual joint to joint length. This warp length is calculated automatically
by RISA-3D and is used for the member's torsional stiffness and stress calculations. Each member’s
warp length is shown on the member detail report (see Member Detail Report).
Physical members that are subject to torsion will always have their warp length be at least the length
of the physical member. Members framing in along the length of the physical member are assumed
to not reduce the warp length.
Note that the calculation of the warp length by RISA-3D can be “fooled” by beams that are modeled
by several segments. The warp length used for each member will be the length of each straight-line
segment rather than the whole length. Using Physical Members rather than member segments will
avoid this. This is not possible however when modeling curved members with straight line segments.
Warping Pins
A member that is subject to warping effects, like a WF or channel shape, will still experience warping
stresses, even if warping restraint is not provided at the ends of the member. RISA-3D currently does
NOT consider any warping effects for members that have warping “pinned” end conditions. The
addition of warping effects for members with warping pins will be addressed in a future program
version.
Torsional Stresses
RISA-3D calculates and lists the torsional stresses for the members of the structure, including the
warping stresses.
Pure torsional shear is calculated for all non-warping “open section” shapes based on the equation:

Mx = Torsion Moment
t = Maximum Thickness of Any Part of the Cross Section
This is the only torsional stress calculated for non-warping shapes. Shape types that are not “open
cross sections” will have their shear stresses calculated with equations that are appropriate for each
type.
For warping shapes (I's and C's), three separate stresses are calculated: pure torsion shear, warping
shear and warping normal (bending) stresses. These results are all listed for review. The equations
used to calculate these values won't be listed here but they are contained in the reference.
Code Check
These torsional stresses are included when the AISC code check (ASD or LRFD) is calculated for the
member.

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The ‘shear stresses’ (pure torsion and warping) are included in the required shear force that is then
used in the Shear UC check:

The warping normal stresses are added to the ‘weak axis bending stresses’ for calculation of the
required weak axis bending moment that is then used in the Max UC check. By “weak axis bending
stresses”, we mean the bending stresses produced by moments about the local y-axis. When
including shear stresses from torsion in the shear code check, the program uses the worst case of the
torsional shear stresses (top and bottom flanges or web) and combines that with the actual shear
stresses due to pure flexure. This is intentionally conservative in cases where the worst case
torsional shear occurs in the flange, but the worst case flexural shear occurs in the web.

Applied Torsional Loads

You can apply member point torques along the length of the member. However, these loads are
intended to work only for non-warping members. The reason is that there are many derivatives
necessary to properly handle these member point torques when applied to warping members. The
calculations for non-warping members is quite simple, but for warping members they're complex.
This may be added in a future version.

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Cardinal Points
Overview
A detailing layer is available in RISA-3D that lets you set the "true" elevations and locations start/end,
top of steel, etc...) for all members. For each member you can describe the connection point at
member ends.
The areas where member detailing parameters can be added/viewed are:
l RISA-3D
l Drawing members Properties panel Detailing Properties
l Click member Properties panel Detailing Properties
l Data Entry toolbar Members spreadsheet Detailing tab
l View tab Model View Settings button Members tab Detailing Info

Note: The Member Detailing information listed above is only visible if the setting "Show
Detailing Info for members (CIS/2 Translator only)" is checked. It is accessible from the 3D
Button Application Settings button General tab.

For each end of the member, both cardinal point positions and decimal local offsets are used to
described the connection location. The location of the cardinal point is plotted as follows:
Cardinal point Location and Local Axis

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Cardinal point 1:lower left corner of the member section bounding box
Cardinal point 2:lower center point in the member section bounding box
Cardinal point 3:lower right corner of the member section bounding box
Cardinal point 4:mid-depth left point in the member section bounding box
Cardinal point 5:mid-depth center point in the member section bounding box
Cardinal point 6:mid-depth right point in the member section bounding box
Cardinal point 7:upper left corner of the member section bounding box
Cardinal point 8:upper center point in the member section bounding box
Cardinal point 9:upper right corner of the member section bounding box
Cardinal point 10:Geometric centroid of the member section

Note: Only cardinal point 1-10 are supported by RISA. You can instead use an offset.

The x, y, and z offsets are based on the local axis of the member. The x local axis is defined along the
member from I to J. It coincides with the geometric centroid of the member section. The standard
cardinal point positions (1-10), as well as the decimal local offsets are both supported in current
detailing definition. If the cardinal point is set, the y and z offset values are automatically calculated
and filled in the data structure. If there is a situation that doesn't match a cardinal point (angle brace
as an example) you can also set the y and z offsets directly.

Note: The Analysis Offset and Rigid End Offset are completely different concepts from the
detailing offset. The purpose of the detailing offsets is more realistic visualization and plotting
of the model. The detailing offsets are not considered during the analysis. In the analysis, all
members are still connected at their geometric centroid. Analysis Offset and Rigid End
Offsets, on the other hand, affect the load distribution and design of the member. They are
analysis parameters. In our program, the Analysis Offset / Rigid End Offset are completely
separate data structure from the detailing offsets. When Analysis Offset is set for a model, for
example, the detailing information is NOT automatically updated to cardinal point 8,
accordingly.

Detailing Input and Modification

There are two ways for setting and modifying the detailing layer information. You can use the
Properties panel or the Members spreadsheet to set the detailing information.

Default
When a member is drawn, by default, x offsets are set to be 0 on both ends. If the member type is
beam , by default the y and z detailing offsets are on cardinal point 8 ( top center) for both ends. If the
member type is column, by default the detailing offset are on cardinal point 10 for both ends.

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Properties panel
When drawing or modifying a member, the Detailing Properties section in the Properties panel
contain member detailing information. You can choose to “set y, z offset using cardinal point” or “set
y, z offsets directly”. When a cardinal point is picked, the value in the “y Offset” and “z Offset” text box
are automatically updated.

Spreadsheets
A detailing tab is available on the Members spreadsheet. The spreadsheet shows a label and 8
values for each member. The “I cardinal point” and “J Cardinal Point” are dropdown lists with
numbers and a description. When you pick a cardinal point, the y and z offset values update
automatically based on the current shape. When a new y and z offset are input by you and it doesn’t
fall on any cardinal point, the “Cardinal Point” automatically changes to “None”. In the Detailing tab of
the Members spreadsheet, the Recalculate button recalculates values based on new shapes.

Note: When the design shape of the member is changed, the detailing offsets of the member
is not automatically updated. The Recalculate button needs to be clicked to get new y, z
offset with respect to the cardinal point picked.

Visualization of the Detailing Layer

To visualize the model with the detailing layer, go to the View tab Model View Settings button
Members tab and check on Detailing Info.

Note: When the Detailing Info box is checked, the members are plotted solely using the x, y
and z offsets. The “Analysis Offset” and “Rigid End Offset” are not considered in the plot.

File I/O
[.MEMBERS_DETAILING_DATA] data section is added to the .R3D file to hold the member true
location data. [..RF_COLUMNS_DETAILING_DATA] and [..RF_BEAMS_DETAILING_DATA] data
sections are added to the .RFL file to hold member true location data. The CIS2 translator is updated
to read/write this new data section.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Members - Results

Members - Results
When the model is solved, the results are separated into material specific design results and generic
results. The generic member results are discussed in this section. The material specific design
results are discussed in the following sections of the manual: Hot Rolled Steel - Design, Concrete -
Design, Cold Formed Steel - Design, and Wood - Design. For information on Member Detail
Reports see the Results section.

Number of Reported Sections

Note that the member results (forces, stresses, code checks) are only reported at the section
locations. For example, if you set the Number Of Reported Sections in the Model Settings Dialog
to be '2', you will not get any results for the middle of your member, you will only get results for the end
points. If you have a point load applied to your member at a location that is not a section location, you
will probably not report the maximum moment in the section if it does not occur at an endpoint.

Adjust Number of Sections

To adjust the number of Sections:
1. Go to the Model Settings window.
2. Click on the Solution tab, if it’s not already open.
3. Adjust the No. of Reported Sections as needed.

Note: Adjusting the number of sections affects the amount of output.

Number of Internal Sections

Internally, the program subdivides the member into equally spaced sections to calculate forces,
stresses, code checks, etc. The Number of Internal Sections can be adjusted in the Model
Settings Dialog. If this value were set to 100, this would mean that for a member that is 100ft long,
RISA-3D will calculate these values at approximately every foot. These values are then used in the
member steel, wood, and concrete code checks, the diagrams in the model view, and in the detail
reports. The locations of the maximum code checks are reported at a distance from the I-joint.

Adjust Number of Internal Sections

To adjust the number of internal Sections:
1. Go to the Model Settings window.
2. Click on the Solution tab, if it’s not already open.
3. Adjust the No. of Internal Sections as needed.
All other results are reported at the Number of Reported Sections that you specify in the
Model Settings Dialog. This controls how many places you receive reported or printed
member force, stress, torsion, and deflection results. These locations are also equally

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spaced so setting the value to 5 will give you 5 equally spaced sections; at the ends, the
middle and the quarter points.

Note:
l Adjusting the Number of Internal Sections will not affect the amount of
output in the results spreadsheets.
l You may want to stick with odd numbers for the Number of Reported
Sections. Setting the Number of Reported Sections to an even number will
not report forces/stresses at the midpoint of the member, which is often the
location of maximum moment.
l Setting the Number of Reported Sections to '2' will only report end forces
which, might be desirable for connection calculation but not when looking for
maximum forces along a members length. There is a printing option for end
forces that is the equivalent to setting the Number of Reported Sections to
'2' but allows you to see more results on screen while printing only the end
forces.

Member Force Results

Access the Member Section Forces spreadsheet by going to the Results Menu and then selecting
Member Forces then clicking the Sections tab .

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These are the member forces calculated along each active member taking into account any member
offsets. The number of sections for which forces are reported is controlled by the Number Of
Reported Sections specified in the Model Settings Dialog.
The Maximums Tab shows the maximum force that occurred in the member based on the Number
of Internal Sections. Because the Number of Internal Sections is typically much larger than the
Number of Reported Sections, this means that the Maximums Tab will always display the
highest/lowest force in the member whereas the Sections Tab will miss the highest/lowest force
under all but the most simple load diagrams.
The End Reactions Tab shows the member forces at the ends of the member. This may not be
useful for continuous members or cantilever members where the i-end and j-end may not be at a
support.
The units for the forces are shown at the top of each column. As for the sign convention, the signs of
these results correspond to the member's local axes, using the right hand rule. The left side forces at
each section location are displayed. There are six force values for each section location.

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These are axial, shear parallel to the local y axis (Shear y-y), shear parallel to the local z axis (Shear
z-z), torque moment, moment about the member's local y axis (Moment y-y) and moment about the
member's local z axis (Moment z-z). Please see the diagram below:

This diagram shows a member section location with all positive section forces. As can be seen, the
section forces listed at any given section are the left side forces. For axial forces, compression is
positive. For moments, counter-clockwise around the member axis is positive.

The sign convention for shear is positive when the free body diagram causes the member to spin
clockwise (with I End on the left and J End on the right).
These section forces may also be displayed graphically. Remember that the section forces used for
the plot are the left side forces. For an example of what you would see for the graphic plot of the
moment diagram for a member, please see below:

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RISA-3D uses the right hand rule joint convention and is always consistent with this convention.
Since the left side moment is being used, a member under negative Mz moment would have the
"holds water" deflected shape, which is contrary to some beam conventions. The opposite is true for
My moments which will tend to "hold water" under a positive moment and "shed water" under a
negative moment.
The 2nd/1st Moment Ratios Tab shows the ratio of maximum moment with and without secondary
P-Delta effect. In general, the larger the ratio is, the more significant the secondary effect is. Notice
that some design codes may have a limit on this ratio (e.g., ACI has this limit as 1.4), but this limit is
not checked by the program.
For enveloped results, the maximum and minimum value at each location is listed. The load
combination producing the maximum or minimum is also listed, in the "LC" column.
The moving load results are enveloped and will display the Load Combinations with maximum and
minimum values shown for each section location, for each active member. The governing load
combination and step location is shown for each result value under the "LC" column. The first number
is the load combination, the second is the step number: (load combination - step number). See
Moving Loads to learn more.

Note:
l See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how to use Find, Sort, and other options.
l See Results View Settings - Members to learn how to plot member results.

Member Stress Results

Access the Member Stresses spreadsheet by going to the Results Menu and then selecting the
Member Stresses spreadsheet.

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These are the member stresses calculated along each active member. The number of sections for
which stresses are reported is controlled by the Number Of Reported Sections specified in the
Model Settings Dialog.
There will be seven stress values listed for each section location along the member taking into
account any member offsets. The units for the stresses are shown at the top of each column. As for
the sign convention, the signs of these results correspond to the signs of the forces. These line up as
positive or negative according to the member local axis directions. Compression is positive and
tension is negative.
The axial stress is the ratio P/A, where P is the section axial force. A positive stress is compressive,
since the sign of the stress follows the sign of the force.
The shear stresses are calculated as V/As, where As is the effective shear area. The program obtains
As by multiplying the total area by the shear stress factor. This factor is calculated automatically for
most cross sections, but must be entered for Arbitrary members. Refer to Member Shear Stresses.
The bending stresses are calculated using the familiar equation M * c / I, where "M" is the bending
moment, "c" is the distance from the neutral axis to the extreme fiber, and "I" is the moment of inertia.
RISA-3D calculates and lists the stress for the section's extreme edge with respect to the positive and
negative directions of the local y and/or z axis. A positive stress is compressive and a negative stress
is tensile.
Note that two stress values are listed for each bending axis. This is because the stress values for a
bending axis will not be the same if the shape isn't symmetric for bending about the axis, as with Tee
and Channel shapes. The y-top and y-bot values are the extreme fiber stress for the + or – y-axis
locations. The same is true for the z-top and z-bot stresses.
The locations for the calculated stresses are illustrated in this diagram:

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So, the y-top location is the extreme fiber of the shape in the positive local y direction, y-bot is the
extreme fiber in the negative local y direction, etc. The y-top,bot stresses are calculated using Mz and
the z-top,bot stresses are calculated using My.
For enveloped results, the maximum and minimum value at each location is listed. The load
combination producing the maximum or minimum is also listed, in the "LC" column.
The moving load results are enveloped and will display the Load Combinations with maximum and
minimum values shown for each section location, for each active member. The governing load
combination and step location is shown for each result value under the "LC" column. The first number
is the load combination, the second is the step number: (load combination - step number). See
Moving Loads to learn more.

Note:
l A special case is bending stress calculations for single angles. The bending
stresses for single angles are reported for bending about the principal axes.
l Torsional stress results are listed separately on the Torsion spreadsheet.
l See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how to use Find, Sort, and other options.
l See Results View Settings - Members to learn how to plot member results.

Single Angle Results

Depending on whether a single angle has been fully restrained against rotation or not, it will either
behave about its geometric axes or its principal axes. This behavior can be controlled by correctly
specifying the unbraced lengths for the angle. In the diagram below the z and y axes are the
geometric axes. The z' and y' are the principal axes. The y' axis is considered to be the weak axis for
principal behavior, and the z' is considered to be the strong axis.

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The orientation of the shape is defined using the local y and z axes shown in the above diagram, but
for principal axis behavior the bending calculations are done with respect to the y' and z' axes shown
(the principal axes). The y' axis is the axis of minimum 'I' and the z' axis is the axis of maximum 'I'.
RISA calculates the angle "α" and transposes the moments as shown below:
Mz' = Mz * cos(α) + My * sin(α)
My' = -Mz * sin(α) + My * cos(α)
The My' and Mz' moments are the moments shown as My and Mz respectively in the member forces
results. Likewise, the y-top and y-bot bending stresses are relative to the extreme fibers along the y'
axis (for the Mz' bending moment). The z-top, z-bot stresses are for My' bending at the extreme fiber
locations along the z' axis.

Note: If both LcompTop and LcompBot have been set to zero then the angle will behave
about its geometric axes and the member forces and stresses will be displayed relative to the
geometric axes. Alternatively, setting the L-torque value to zero will also constrain the single
angle to behave about its geometric axes.

Member Torsion Results

Access the Member Torsions spreadsheet by going to the Results Menu and then selecting
Member Torsions.

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These are the torsional stresses calculated along each member. The number of sections for which
torsional stresses are reported is controlled by the Number of Reported Sections option in the
Model Settings window.
The units for the torsion stresses are shown at the top of each column. RISA-3D calculates pure
torsion shear for any shape type; this value is based on the maximum thickness of any part of the
cross section. Closed shapes such as tubes and pipes do not warp, nor do solid rectangular or
circular shapes. For these shapes, there are no warping stresses to report. Warping only occurs in
open cross sections where the rectangular pieces that make up the cross section do not all intersect
at a single point. For example, a Tee shape could be thought of as two rectangular pieces, the flange
and the stem. These two pieces intersect at the midpoint of the flange, so there is no warping. A
channel, on the other hand, is comprised of three pieces, the two flanges and the web. These three
pieces do NOT share a common point, so a Channel will warp. The same is true for a Wide Flange, so
warping stresses are calculated only for I shapes (WF,S,H) and Channel shapes with warping
restrained.
The shear and bending stresses caused by torsion are integrated into the code check and shear
check calculations for the member, so your final code check (and final shear check) values DO
include torsional effects. Warping shear is a shear stress acting parallel to the member's local y-and
z-axis. Warping bending stress is a triangular stress normal to the cross section acting on the flanges,
with the maximum stress at the outer edges of the cross section, the z-top and z-bot locations. As for
the sign convention, the signs of these results correspond to the signs of the forces. These line up as
positive or negative according to the member local axis directions. Compression is positive and
tension is negative. See Torsion for more information on these calculations.
For enveloped results, the maximum and minimum value at each location is listed. The load
combination producing the maximum or minimum is also listed, in the "LC" column.
The moving load results are enveloped and will display the Load Combinations with maximum and
minimum values shown for each section location, for each active member. The governing load
combination and step location is shown for each result value under the "LC" column. The first number
is the load combination, the second is the step number: (load combination - step number). See
Moving Loads to learn more.

Note:
l See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how to use Find, Sort, and other options.
l See Results View Settings - Members to learn how to plot member results.

Member Deflection Results

Access the Member Section Deflections spreadsheet by going to the Results Menu and then
selecting Member Deflections

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Service

The Service tab will contain deflection results only for load combinations marked as Service in the
Load Combinations - Design tab.

Strength

The Strength tab will contain deflection results only for load combinations NOT marked as Service in
the Load Combinations - Design tab.
The Service and Strength tabs are the member deflections calculated along each active member.
The number of sections for which deflections are reported is controlled by the Number Of Reported
Sections specified on the Model Settings Dialog.
The member section deflections are comprised of 3 translations in the member local axis directions,
the rotation (x Rotate) about the local x-axis (the twist), and the relative deflection to length ratios for
the y and z deflections. The units for the deflections are shown at the top of each column. As for the
sign convention, the signs of these results correspond to the member's local axes, using the right
hand rule.

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The L/y' and L/z' ratios are the total member length (minus member offsets) divided by the relative
deflection. The deflection in this calculation is not the deflection shown in the columns to the left,
which are the absolute deflections. The deflection used is relative to the straight line between the
deflected positions of the end joints. For cantilevers, the deflection is relative to the original position of
the member.
Expressed as an equation, n = L/deflection, where n is what is tabulated in the spreadsheet. The
smaller the deflection, the larger the value. If 'NC' is listed, that means the 'n' value is greater than
10000 which is a very small deflection. The minimum value that will be shown is '1'. For example, if
the deflection criteria is L/360, check here to make sure no tabulated values are less than 360.
Greater than 360 is OK.
For enveloped results the maximum and minimum value at each location is listed. The load
combination producing the maximum or minimum is also listed, in the "LC" column.
The moving load results are enveloped and will display the Load Combinations with maximum and
minimum values shown for each section location, for each active member. The governing load
combination and step location is shown for each result value under the "LC" column. The first number
is the load combination, the second is the step number: (load combination - step number). See
Moving Loads to learn more.
Note
l For members that have not been designated as a beam, the maximum member deflection
ratio from the Service or Strength tab will be reported as the Max Defl Ratio at the end of
the member detail report.
l See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how to use Find, Sort, and other options.
l If you wish, you can go to the model view to plot and animate the deflected structure. The
amount of deflection shown on the plot is controlled by the magnification factor. The joints
are plotted based on the joint displacements, and these member deflections are used to
plot the member's curvature between the joints. See Results View Settings - Members to
learn how to plot member results.

Beam Deflections
Enveloped spreadsheet Batch spreadsheet

The Beam Defl spreadsheet shows the strong-axis (y) relative deflections, y', for Beam member
types. This spreadsheet will base the L'/y' Ratio on the actual span for multi-span beams. If there are

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multiple span beams, each span will have it's own entry. The L'/y' Ratio uses the span length of the
beam, denoted by L' (as opposed to the full member length, L) compared to the relative deflection, y'.
The program will detect the presence of cantilever spans. If an entire member or the end span(s) of a
member are unsupported at one end, the program will consider those spans a cantilever and use
2*Span Length for the L'/y' Ratio calculations.
The location and value for the relative deflection, y', is dependent on the beam being either supported
or cantilever. For a member supported on both ends, the maximum relative displacement used in the
beam deflection ratio will be the largest straight line distance (in the vertical y direction) between the
deflected shape and the original undeflected shape.

For members with a cantilever end, the location of the maximum relative deflection will be at the free
end of the member. The displacement value is equal to the rotation at the supported end multiplied by
the length of the member.

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For multi-span members, the program will give span information in the expanded interactive strong-
axis absolute deflection diagram. A vertical blue dashed line will be displayed at support locations
which will give the proper span information. Note that any vertical reaction boundary conditions along
the beam, and any columns (specifically members with their Member Type property set as Column)
framing into the beam will be treated as support locations for the sake of determining the deflection
ratio.

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The L'/y' Ratio is based on relative deflection and member span length. The relative deflection for
each span takes into account the span end deflections and is the maximum vertical deflection
component measured from the absolute displacement to a straight line drawn from one end of the
span to the other. In the image below, the relative deflection, y', per span is called out as D1, D2, and
D3.

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The green line is the actual deflected shape.

The black vertical line (not shown in image) is the cursor marker in the expanded interactive strong-
axis absolute deflection diagram.
The blue vertical dotted lines are the support locations.
The dark blue lines are straight line connectors between supports at the deflected location.
The dark red vertical lines are the relative strong-axis (y) deflection used in the L'/y' Ratio.
While the program determines if a member is a cantilever or supported based on member behavior
and modeling configuration, there may be cases where the beam is actually considered otherwise. In
this case, the Deflection Ratio Options can be used to designate a member end specifically as
supported or cantilever. Any members with designated support ends using the Deflection Ratio
Options will be denoted by a star suffix on the L'/y' Ratio listed in the Beam Defl spreadsheet.

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Note:
l For members that have been designated as a beam, the maximum beam deflection
ratio will be reported as the Max Defl Ratio at the bottom of the member detail
report.
l Overstrength load combinations will not be considered in this spreadsheet.
l There are no weak-axis (local z) deflections considered.

Beam Check

The Beam Check spreadsheet shows the local strong-axis (y) deflections for Beam member types
for load combinations defined in the Member Design Rules - Deflection tab. If a deflection value
exceeds the limit from the design rule then the value will show in RED. This spreadsheet will also
base the L/y ratios on the actual span for multi-span beams. If there are multiple span beams each
span will have it's own entry.

Note:
l If you're used the Suggested Design feature to optimize members in your model the
program will consider these deflections in this optimization.
l Overstrength load combinations will not be considered in this spreadsheet.
l There are no weak-axis (local z) deflections considered.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Model Merge

Model Merge
Model Merge is a feature located on the Modify ribbon that scans through your model and
automatically merges elements in the model. Model Merge detects unconnected nodes along
member spans, unconnected crossing members and duplicate nodes, members and plates. You can
use Model Merge to build models faster, as well as to detect and fix modeling errors.

Note: Model Merge will "connect" Physical Members by inserting a node at their intersection
but will not break them up into smaller members. Model Merge also eliminates duplicate
Physical Members so you should still use model merge to detect errors when working with
these types of members. See Physical Members to learn more.

Knowing what Model Merge does allows you to skip modeling steps as you build your model and let
the software perform these steps for you. You can take advantage of Model Merge in modeling your
structure in many ways, some of which are discussed in the following links.

Model Merge Options

There are four main options for the model merge.
l If the Merge Crossing Members box is checked then as part of the merge process, all
members will be scanned along their lengths for crossing members. Crossing members will
be merged together at their intersection points. If you have cross bracing you may or may
not want them to be merged. A finite element crossing a physical member will cause only
the finite element to be broken up at the point of intersection. If two physical members are
crossing, a node will be placed at the intersection point.
l Merge Inactive Members if left unchecked allows you to limit the merge process to the
parts of your model that are selected. This allows you to prevent the program from merging
portions of your model where you may have intentionally put nodes at the same location or
have two members next to each other.
l Trim/Extend Crossing Beams can help connect member ends that are within the merge
tolerance from an adjacent beam. Checking this box will move the end node of that member
so that it lies on the adjacent beam.
l Trim/Extend Crossing Wall Panels can help when you have two wall panels that are
overlapping or intersecting by a distance smaller than the merge tolerance. This allows you
to easily correct minor modeling flaws. This will also correct the condition where a defined
wall panel is non-coplanar.
A ‘Merge Tolerance’ feature that defines the maximum distance 2 nodes can be apart and still be
merged together, affects the overall Model Merge feature. It is also used when scanning for crossing

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members and for unattached nodes along the spans of members. See Merge Tolerance under
‘Model Settings’ for more information.

Model Merge Examples

Looking at this frame, consider the column line on the right side, members 1-7 and 7-13. If you did not
use Physical Members you would define this just that way, as two separate members. With the model
merge capability you could instead enter a single member definition, 1-13, and let the model merge
function break it up for you.
Other convenient uses of the model merge function are laying out floor plans and being able to draw
all the nodes right over the main girders or defining truss chords as full length rather than specifying
each panel point. The model merge will take care of breaking up the members at all the intersecting
points. Of course the Physical Member feature goes a step farther for these situations because these
members never need to be split to model a connection – allowing you to make edits and understand
results more readily. See Physical Members to learn more.

Model Merge Limitations

Certain types of shape types and certain load types can cause members to not get broken up by the
model merge function. In particular, members that are Tapered WF shapes will not get broken up by
the model merge. Even if such members have intermediate unattached nodes, or crossing members
within their spans, they will not be broken up.

Model Merge Process

1. Duplicate nodes are merged together.
2. All the members are scanned for other members crossing along their span. If a crossing
member is found, a nodes is created at the intersection point.

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3. All the members are scanned for nodes along their span. If found, the member is broken up
into pieces to incorporate the nodes.
4. Duplicate members are merged together. Physical members take precedence over finite
element members. Longer members take precedence over shorter members that are fully
coincident with the longer member. When duplicate members with different section sets are
merged, the set listed first in the Sections Sets spreadsheet are used.
5. Duplicate plates are merged together.
To better understand how the model merge function works, please refer to this figure:

Diagram A shows the model before a merge. The two column lines are separated in diagrams A and
B strictly for ease of viewing, they should be considered to be right on top of each other. Nodes 1 and
5 (in diagram A) have exactly the same coordinates, as do nodes 3 and 10. None of these members
are Physical Members.
Step 1 of the merge eliminates duplicate joints changing the model from diagram A to diagram B. On
diagram A, nodes 1 and 5 are duplicates (same coordinates), as are nodes 3 and 10. Nodes 5 and 10
are merged into nodes 1 and 3 respectively. This means any loads applied to nodes 5 and 10 are now
applied to nodes 1 and 3. Any members connected to 5 and 10 are now connected to nodes 1 and 3
(these members are shown with the inclined lines in diagram B).
Step 2 looks for crossing members, however, there aren't any for this particular example. Members
that are parallel to each other aren't treated as "crossing" since the end nodes of overlapping
members will be merged in Step 3.
Step 3 is where the members are scanned for intermediate span nodes. This takes us from diagram
B to diagram C. Referring to diagram B, member 1-2 has two intermediate nodes (5 and 6), member

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6-7 has one intermediate node (node 2), and so on. The members with intermediate joints are broken
up, shown in diagram C.
Step 4 eliminates duplicate members, in this case those that were created in step 2. This takes us
from diagram C to diagram D. Looking at diagram C, the duplicate members are shown as the double
lines. The first member listed on the Member spreadsheet is maintained and the other member is
deleted. Any loads applied to the deleted member are transferred to the remaining member.
The final merged model is shown in diagram D. The column line is now comprised of 8 members, 1-5,
5-6, 6-2, etc. up to member 9-4.

Note: The direction code of loads merged for duplicate members and plates is kept the
same. Elements with loads in local directions and different orientations may result in a load
direction that is not be the same as the original direction.

Perform a Model Merge

To perform a Model Merge:
1. In the current model view window, select the items you wish to merge.
Typically you will want everything to be selected.
2. Go to the Modify ribbon.
3. Click on the Model Merge icon to bring up the model merge parameter window.
4. Set the parameters for the new merge.
For help on an item, click the Help icon and then click the item.
5. Click Apply All or Apply Selected to apply the model merge to the entire model or items
you selected.

Note: You may undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo icon.

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Model Settings
The model settings may be accessed on the Home ribbon in the Model section. The settings consist
of three main options (Units, Info and Settings) that are highlighted in the following image.

l Units: The ‘Units’ option allows you to set the type of units (imperial, metric or both) you
want to use in your model. Refer to the Units topic for more details on the units settings.
l Info: The ‘Info’ option allows you to enter descriptive information such as a title for the
particular model being defined, the name of the designer and a job number. The title may
then be printed at the top of each sheet of the output, and on the graphic printouts of the
model.
l Settings: The ‘Settings’ option provides control for most of the model specific control
settings. These Model Settings are specific to the model which is currently open. The
information stored here is retained with the model, and will be retained even if the model is
opened on a different computer.
You can save any of the settings in the Model section as the default setting, such that
new models you create will begin with the settings you saved as Defaults. To do this, simply
enter the information that you want to save and check the Save as Defaults box (see the
image under Project Information for the location of this check box).

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Project Information

Project Notes is intended for information about the model that may be useful for the engineer or
reviewer to refer to. This box is limited to 4000 characters.
Checked By is intended for the model reviewer to initial upon completion of a model review. Their
initials are then printed on each sheet of the output.

Settings
The entries available from Settings provide most of the control for model specific settings. The
following sections provide more details about these settings.
To open the ‘Model Settings’ window, click the Settings option from the ‘Home’ ribbon, as shown in
the following image.

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Note: You can check the Save as Defaults check box, to have you settings saved for the
next time you open the program.

Solution
The Solution tab is the first tab in the Model Settings window. The entries on this tab are used to
control settings that affect the general solution of the model (Members, Wall Panels, Processor Core
utilization and Advanced).

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Members
Solution tab - Members section

Option Description
Number of Reported Number of Reported Sections controls how many places along
Sections each member you receive reportedmember force, stress, torsion,
and deflection results. This only affects the amount of data
displayed in the results spreadsheets, and has no effect on the
solution of the model or the code checks. See Printing and Member
Results for more information.
Number of Internal Number of Internal Sections controls how many places along
Sections each member the software calculates and stores results such as
deflections and code checks. The member force diagrams
displayed in the model view and the detail plot are also drawn from
these results. Increasing this value means that the program will
make more "cuts" along the beam's length, which means it is more
likely to hit the theoretical maximum and minimum values for code
checks.

Note:
l Number of Sections cannot exceed 20. Also,
Number of Internal Sections cannot be less than
twice the Number of Sections. If unacceptable
values are entered for either of these fields the
program will automatically reset them to
acceptable values.
l In the embedded version of RISAFoundation in
RISAFloor or RISA-3D, the Beam Section Options
will not appear. In these cases, the Model Settings
from RISA-3D will control here.
l The Number of Sections and INTERNAL sections
are remembered between RISAFloor and RISA-
3D. If either of these is changed in RISA-3D, the
RISAFloor results will be cleared as soon as
RISAFloor is entered again. This is to keep results
consistency between the programs.

Member Area Load The Member Area Load Mesh Size is used to determine the
Mesh Size maximum size when meshing an area load and attributing the load
to members. See Area Loads to learn more about this.
Consider Shear Check the Consider Shear Deformation check box if shear
Deformation deformation considerations are to be included in the model
solution. See Member Shear Deformations for more information.
Consider Torsional The Consider Torsional Warping option considers torsional
Warping warping effects when calculating stiffness and stress values for

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Option Description
shape types that warp. See Member Warping for more information.

Wall Panels
Solution tab - Wall Panels section

Option Description
Approximate Mesh Size Approximate Mesh Size is the base mesh size that is used when
wall panels solved. If there is a constraint smaller than this mesh
size, the mesh will be refined to accommodate this constraint.
You can see the mesh size graphically on the wall panels when you
solve your model.

Note: The mesh size is also used for plate sub-mesh for
RISAFloor Concrete floor Semi-Rigid diaphragms.

Transfer Forces Transfer Forces Between Intersecting Wood Walls lets you decide
Between Intersecting whether wall panels framing into each other will transfer loads. Wall
Wood Walls panels that are parallel to and touching each other will always
transfer loads.
This setting was added for times when intersecting perpendicular
walls are not actually attached to each other, thus they may
separate if loading conditions cause this.
Increase Wood Wall Increase Wood Wall Nailing Capacity for Wind Loads automatically
Nailing Capacity for increases the shear capacity of wood wall and diaphragm panels
Wind Loads by 1.4, for all load combinations that contain wind loads. Load
combinations that have both wind and seismic loads acting
simultaneously will not receive this increase.
Run a P-Delta Analysis Run a P-Delta Analysis for Wall Panels is used to enable P-Delta
for Wall Panels analysis for wall panels. Even if this box is checked, the P-Delta
analysis will only be performed on load combinations that have P-
Delta enabled.
Optimize Masonry and Optimize Masonry and Wood Walls defines whether you want to
Wood Walls automatically iterate the solution for masonry and wood walls.
Maximum Numbers of Maximum Numbers of Iterations defines how many automatic
Iteration iterations will occur.

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Option Description

Note:
l This automatic iteration procedure will only happen
for Batch or Envelope solutions. This is because
we do not want to update your wall panel
thicknesses if you are only solving a DL
combination. In that case the program would then
downsize your panel unnecessarily.
l For more information on masonry wall optimization
see the Masonry Wall - Design topic.
l For more information on wood wall optimization
see the Wood Wall - Design topic.
l Concrete wall design will be done automatically
and the selections here will not affect this design.
This is because concrete wall reinforcement
changes will have very little effect on the stiffness
of the walls.
l The program will stop the iteration procedure if the
results from the previous solution match the results
from the current solution.

Processor Core Utilization

Solution tab - Processor Core Utilization section

Option Description
Single Single lets you use a single core to run the model solution.
This option is useful when you have several other computer
programs that are CPU intensive running in conjunction with RISA-
3D.
Multiple (Optimum) Multiple (Optimum) lets you use half of the available cores on your
computer to run the solution.
This option provides a faster solution time compared to using a
single core but still allows half of your computer’s available cores to
be used for other programs and computer processes.
Maximum Maximum lets you use all of the available cores on your computer
minus one.
For instance, if you have 8 available cores and select the Maximum
option the program uses 7 cores in the processing of the solution.
This option provides the fastest solution time but still apportions a
single core to be used for other programs and computer processes.

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Advanced

Advanced Options

Option Description
P-Delta Convergence P-Delta Convergence Tolerance is used to adjust the tolerance
Tolerance used to determine convergence of the P-Delta analysis. Be sure to
enter this value as a percentage! The default for this is ½ of 1
percent (.5%). See P-Delta Analysis to learn more about this.
Eigensolution Eigensolution Convergence Tolerance is used to set how close a
Convergence Tolerance subsequent solution must be to the previous solution for a mode to
be considered converged. See Dynamic Analysis for more
information.
Gravity Acceleration Gravity Acceleration is used to convert loads into masses for the
purpose of a dynamic analysis.

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Option Description
In previous versions, the default Subgrade Modulus and
Allowable Bearing were entered in the Model Settings. In version
10.0 and higher, the default subgrade modulus and allowable
bearing pressure are entered in the Soil Definitions spreadsheet.
There is a check box in the Soil Definitions spreadsheet to
determine which soil definition will be used as the default. The
default soil definition properties will be applied to the entire model
except where another soil region is drawn in the model. It is not
necessary to draw a soil region for the default soil definition.
Merge Tolerance Merge Tolerance is used as the maximum distance 2 nodes can be
apart and still be merged together. It is also used when scanning for
crossing members and for unattached joints along the spans of
members.
Static Solver Static Solver lets you define the solver to be used during the
solution.
This setting can be selected by clicking on the Static option and
then choosing Standard Skyline or Sparse Accelerated from the
drop down arrow.
See Solution for more information on these two options.
Dynamics Solver Dynamics Solver lets you to choose between the Standard Solver,
Accelerated Solver and Ritz Vector Solver solutions. Refer to the
Solution topic for a more details.
l Standard Solver uses a simple sub-space iteration to
solve for the natural frequencies. This solver has been
used for years and the accuracy of the results is very well
established. It has been included only for comparative /
verification purposes.
l Accelerated Solver uses an accelerated sub-space
iteration with a Lanzcos starting vector. The accelerated
solver is the default and should produce solution in a
fraction of the time that the standard solver would take to
produce them.
l Ritz Vector Solver does not solve for true mode shapes
and natural frequencies. However, it is generally the best
choice when running a response spectra analysis. The use
of Load Dependent Ritz vectors provides a more accurate
response spectra analysis for the same number of modes.
Time History Time-History lets you choose between the Modal Superposition
and Direct Integration solution methods. It also allows the user to
set the damping preferences for each of these solution methods.
Refer to the Solution and the Dynamic Analysis - Time History
topics for more details on these settings.
P-Delta Analysis The P-Delta Analysis options allow the user to choose between the

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Option Description
Standard Nodal Shear method and Geometric Nonlinear
Stiffness method. Refer to P-Delta Analysis for more details on
these two methods.
Diaphragm Stiffness Diaphragm Stiffness controls the stiffness of the rigid diaphragm.
This is set to a unitless value of 1 x 107 by default. This value has
been calibrated as providing the best behavior for most models. For
more information refer to the Diaphragm topic.

Axis

Axis tab

Option Description
Vertical Axis Vertical Axis can be set here as well. Setting the vertical axis may

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Option Description
require you to set the Default Member Orientation also shown. As
you specify new members RISA-3D will try to orient them correctly.
The member local z-axis is typically the strong axis for a member
and RISA-3D will orient members such that when you draw non-
vertical members (beams) they will automatically be oriented such
that loads in the vertical direction are resisted by the strong axis
bending of the member. See Member Local Axes and Defining
Member Orientation for more information.
Convert Existing Data Check the Convert Existing Data check box to convert the existing
orientation data to the newly selected vertical global axis.
Plate Local Axis Plate Local Axis Orientation can be designated here as ‘Global’ or
Orientation ‘Nodal’. This can be changed at any time, and modifies the axes of
all plates. If set to ‘Global’, the local axes of all plates will be
oriented in the same orthogonal direction, regardless of plate
geometry. However, the positive out-of-plane axis is dependent on
the configuration in which the plate or mesh was drawn. If set to
Nodal, the positive orientation of the plate axes depend on the
manner in which the plate was created. See Drawing Plates and
Submeshing Plates for more information.

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Codes

The settings under the Codes tab control which design code is used for code checks for each
material type.
Codes tab

Option Description
HR Steel HR Steel indicates which code is to be used for the design of hot
rolled steel. For more information see Hot Rolled Steel Design.

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Option Description

Note:
l If the AISC 360 code is selected (either ASD or
LRFD), the Adjust Stiffness menu will appear.
The options in this menu control the stiffness
reduction provisions listed in the code. See Hot
Rolled Steel - Design for more information on how
the reduction is calculated and applied.
l If the EN 1993-1-1:2005 (Eurocode) is selected,
the National Annex menu will appear. If you
select "None" the design will be performed per the
generic Eurocode specifications. If you select a
National Annex from the list then the provisions
relating to that specific National Annex will also be
considered in the design. Where the National
Annex and the generic Eurocode differ, the
National Annex provisions are used. See the Hot
Rolled Steel - Design topic for more information on
the differences in design.

Connection Connection indicates which code is to be used for connection

design. This entry is only considered if you are also using
RISAConnection. See the RISAConnection Integration topic for
more information.
CF Steel CF Steel indicates which steel code is to be used for the design of
cold formed steel. For more information see Cold Formed Steel
Design.
Wood Wood indicates which wood code is to be used for the design of
wood, including wood walls and structural composite lumber. For
more information see Wood Design.

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Option Description

Note:
l The temperature menu is used to calculate the
temperature factor (Ct) for the NDS code design.
This factor is used in the design of wood members
for all editions of the AF&PA code. See NDS-
2012, Section 2.3.3 for more information.
l This selection is ignored for the CSA O86 code
design. Rather than applying a separate
temperature factor, the CSA O86 code suggests
that the designer apply the wet properties
reduction factor when the member is subject to
prolonged exposure to temperatures higher than
50°C (122°F). See Chapter 11 (Reference
Information) of the Wood Design Manual (2010) for
more information.

Concrete Concrete indicates which concrete code is to be used in the design

of concrete members and walls. For more information see
Concrete Design.

Note: ACI 318-08 and ACI 318-11 behave identically in the

program, as there were no relevant changes between
these two editions of the code.

Masonry Masonry indicates which masonry code is to be used for the design
of masonry walls. For more information see Masonry Design.

Note: If the UBC 1997 ASD code is chosen, there is an

option for whether the construction of the wall is subject to
special inspection. This affects some values in design
under that code.

Aluminum The Aluminumentry indicates which aluminum code is to be used in

the design of aluminum. For more information see Aluminum
Design.

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Option Description

Note:
l The Building and Bridge options refer to the Safety
Factors the code requires to be used for Building
or Bridge type structures.
l If the 2010 code is selected (either ASD or LRFD),
the Adjust Stiffness menu will appear. The
options in this menu control the stiffness reduction
provisions listed in Chapter C (Design for Stability)
of the code. See Aluminum- Design for more
information on how the reduction is calculated and
applied.

LL Reduction LL Reduction check boxees for columns and beams indicate

whether LL Reduction will be considered. These check boxes are
only available for models that are integrated with RISAFloor. And,
they only affect elements that originated in the RISAFloor model.

Note: Wall results are not currently affected by

LL Reduction.

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Concrete

The entries under the Concrete tab contain options related to the analysis and design of concrete
members.
Concrete tab

Option Description
Analysis Methodology Analysis Methodology controls which method is used to
determine the biaxial column capacity. The options are
the PCA Load Contour Method and the Exact
Integration Method.
Parme Beta Factor Parme Beta Factor is used to approximate the column’s
3D interaction surface when using the PCA Load Contour
Method. See Biaxial Bending of Columns for more
information.

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Option Description
Compressions Stress Block Compression Stress Block lets you choose what type of
stress block to consider in your analysis. The options are
the constant Rectangular Stress Block and the
Parabolic Stress Block. See Parabolic vs. Rectangular
Stress Blocks for more information.
Analyze using Cracked Sections Check the ‘Analyze using Cracked Sections’ box if you
want to modify the member and wall stiffnesses by the Icr
Factor as described in both the Concrete - Design and
Wall Panels topics.
Leave room for horizontal rebar Check the ‘Leave room for horizontal rebar splices (2*d
splices (2*d bar spacing) bar spacing)’ box, if you want to default to a two bar
diameter or one inch clear spacing, whichever is greater,
to allow for lap splices and continue to maintain adequate
spacing between parallel bars. Otherwise a minimum
spacing of one bar diameter between parallel bars will be
allowed.
List forces which were ignored Check the ‘List forces which were ignored for design the
for design in the Detail Report Detail Report’ box to see force warnings in the detail
report.

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Rebar

Rebar tab

Option Description
Minimum % Steel for Columns Minimum % Steel for Columns lets you choose the
minimum percentage of reinforcement steel to be used in
a concrete column section. The percentage entered is
multiplied times the gross area of the column section to
determine the minimum amount of reinforcement
required in each column.
It should be noted that the minimum percentage allowed
by ACI 318-14 Section 10.6.1.1 (ACI 318-11 Section
10.9.1) is 1%.
Maximum % Steel for Columns Maximum % Steel for Columns lets you choose the

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Option Description
maximum percentage of reinforcement steel to be used
in a concrete column section. The percentage entered is
multiplied times the gross area of the column section to
determine the maximum amount of reinforcement
allowed in each column. It should be noted that the
maximum percentage allowed by ACI 318-14 Section
10.6.1.1 (ACI 318-11 Section 10.9.1)1 is 8%.

Note: Concrete cover for beams and columns is

specified under Design Rules under the
Concrete Rebar tab. Concrete cover for beams
and columns is specified under Design Rules
under the Concrete Rebar tab.

Rebar Material Spec Rebar Material Spec lets you choose from the standard
ASTM A615 (imperial), ASTM A615M ("hard" metric, i.e.
#8M is an 8mm bar), BS 4449 (British), prENV 10080
(Euro), CSA G30.18 (Canadian), IS 1786 (Indian), and
AS/NZS 4671:2001 (Australian/New Zealand)
reinforcement standards.
Warn if beam-column framing Check the ‘Warn if beam-column framing arrangement is
arrangement is not understood not understood’ box to see bad framing warnings in the
Warning Log.
Shear Reinforcement Options Shear Reinforcement Options lets you control the
Number of Shear Regions that is used when detailing a
beam or column span. You can also specify a Region 2
& 3 Spacing Increase Increment that you'd like the
program to use when increasing or reducing the spacing
of the shear ties.

Seismic
The options on the Seismic tab list settings that are specifically related to calculation of code
prescribed Seismic Loads. This information can be used by RISA-3D to automatically generate the
Lateral Loading on your structure. Depending on which Seismic Code you select will depend on the
input options that you have.

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Most of the input fields on this tab are discussed in the Seismic Load topic. Below are a few inputs
which are specific to this tab. See the section Drift Calculations to see how Rho, Cd, Drift Category
and Risk Category affect the calculation of story drift results.
Seismic tab

Option Description
Story No. Above Critical Story No. Above Critical Section establishes the critical section
Section location for shear force amplification consideration in special
concrete walls as per ACI 318-19. More information regarding
shear force amplification can be found in the Concrete Wall -
Seismic Design.
Ω (Ω) is the “Overstrength Factor”. This can be included in the
(Overstrength Factor) seismic load combinations generated by the LC Generator.
ρ “Redundancy Factor” (ρ) is based on the extent of redundancy in
(Redundancy Factor) your structure. This can be included in the seismic load
combinations generated by the LC Generator.

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Modeling Tips
Applying In-Plane Moment to Plates
Occasionally you may need to model an applied in-plane moment at a node connected to plate
elements. The plate/shell element cannot directly model in-plane rotations. One way around this is to
model the in-plane moment as a force couple of in-plane forces. You would replace the applied in-
plane node moment at 1 node with 2 or 4 in-plane forces at 2 or 4 nodes , which would produce the
same magnitude in-plane moment. See below:

This might require re-meshing the area receiving the moment into smaller plates so that the load area
can be more accurately modeled. If a beam member is attached to the node and will be used to
transfer the moment, than you will want to look at the topic Modeling a Beam Fixed to a Shear Wall
below.

Modeling a Beam Fixed to a Shear Wall

Occasionally you may need to model the situation where you have a beam element that is fixed into a
shear wall. A situation where this may occur would be a concrete beam that was cast integrally with
the shear wall or a steel beam that was cast into the shear wall. The beam cannot just be attached to
the node at the wall because the plate/shell element does not model in-plane rotational stiffness. A
fairly simple work around is to use rigid links to transfer the bending moment from the node at the wall
as shear force to the surrounding nodes in the wall. See Rigid Links in the Modeling Tips section to
learn how to create rigid links. This modeling method provides a more accurate analysis than trying to
use a plate/shell element with a “drilling degree of freedom” which attempts to directly model the in-
plane rotation. See the figure below:

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The only trick to this method is getting the proper member end releases for the rigid links. We want to
transfer shear forces from the wall node to the interior wall nodes without having the rigid links affect
the stiffness of the shear wall. Notice from the figure that the I-node for all the links is the node
connected to the beam element, while the J-nodes are the ends that extend into the shear wall. The
J-ends of all the rigid links should have their x, Mx, My, and Mz degrees of freedom released. Only
the y and z degrees of freedom (local axes shears) should be connected from the J-ends to the
interior wall nodes . This release configuration will allow the shears to be transferred into the wall, but
the wall stiffness will not be adversely affected by the presence of the rigid links.

Modeling a Cable
While there is not a true “cable element”, there is a tension only element. A true cable element will
include the effects of axial pre-stress as well as large deflection theory, such that the flexural stiffness
of the cable will be a function of the axial force in the cable. In other words, for a true cable element
the axial force will be applied to the deflected shape of the cable instead of being applied to the initial
(undeflected) shape. If you try to model a cable element by just using members with very weak Iyy
and Izz properties and then applying a transverse load, you will not get cable action. What will
happen is that the beam elements will deflect enormously with NO increase in axial force. This is
because the change in geometry due to the transverse loading will occur after all the loads are
applied, so none of the load will be converted into an axial force.

Guyed Structure (“Straight” Cables)

You can easily model cables that are straight and effectively experience only axial loading. If the
cable is not straight or experiences force other than axial force then see the next section.
When modeling guyed structures you can model the cables with a weightless material so that the
transverse cable member deflections are not reported. If you do this you should place all of the cable
self-weight elsewhere on the structure as a point load. If you do not do this then the cable deflections
(other than the axial deflection) will be reported as very large since it is cable action that keeps a
guyed cable straight. If you are interested in the deflection of the cable the calculation is a function of
the length and the force and you would have to calculate this by hand.

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The section set for the cable; should be modeled as a tension only member so that the cable is not
allowed to take compression. See T/C Members for more on this.
To prestress the cable you can apply a thermal load to create the pre-tension of the cable. See
Prestressing with Thermal Loads to learn how to do this.

Modeling Composite Behavior

Occasionally you may want to model a structure with composite behavior. A practical situation where
this arises is with composite concrete floor slabs, which have concrete slabs over steel or concrete
beams. Another common case where composite behavior may be considered is where you have a
steel tank with stiffeners. The stiffeners might be single angles or WT shapes.
The most accurate way to model this behavior for composite floor systems is to use a program (such
a RISAFloor) that was created explicitly for this purpose. If that is not an option you may want to use
an arbitrary member with an effective moment of inertia, Ieff, calculated according to the AISC or
Canadian code provisions. This method has the advantage of being able to account for the effects of
partial composite behavior, while the methods described below assume perfect connectivity between
the steel beam and the concrete slab.
If you have already modeled the concrete deck with plate elements, then the situation can be quickly
modeled for horizontal beams by using one beam modeled as a physical member and also using
Analysis Offsets. The beam would simply be drawn along the plates/nodes for the composite
section. This method has the advantage of being very fast to model but it also neglects the depth of
the concrete in computing the total vertical offset between the centerline of the beam and the
centerline of the slab. Note that you have to have an appropriate number of nodes along the span of
the beam to model the shear transfer between the slab and the beam. A more refined (and
complicated) method using rigid links is described next.
An example of a plate/beam model with composite action included using rigid links is shown here:

Note that beams and plates are each modeled at their respective centerlines. It is this offset of the
beam and plate centerlines that causes the composite behavior. The distance between the
centerlines is typically half the depth of the beam plus half the thickness of the plate elements. If the
beam is an unsymmetrical shape, like a WT about the z-z axis or a single angle, then you would use
the distance from the flange face to the neutral axis.
As shown above, a rigid link is used to connect each set of nodes between the beam and the
plates. This rigid link is fixed to each node and therefore has no member end releases. See Rigid
Links in the Modeling Tips section to learn how to create rigid links.

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Graphical editing offers the fastest way to model composite action. It is usually best to model the
plates with an appropriately fine mesh first. Then you would copy the plate nodes that are directly
over the beam down to the centerline elevation of the beams. Next you would draw your beam to the
two outer nodes at the beam centerline elevation.
There are a number of ways to build your rigid link member between all the corresponding plate and
beam nodes . A good way to connect all the links is to generate grid members (Grid Member
Generation). You can also draw the first one and then copy it along the length of the member.
Now perform a model merge. If you have used finite members rather than Physical Members the
merge Model Merge will break up finite element beams at all the intermediate locations. See Model
Merge for more information. If you’re using physical members, performing the model merge will clean
up duplicate nodes and members but not break up the beam member since the links are
automatically attached to Physical Members as long as their node lie on the member.

Modeling Inclined Supports

You can model inclined supports by using a short rigid link to span between a node which is
restrained in the global directions and the item to receive the inclined support. See the figure below:

The rigid link should be “short”, say no more than 0.1 ft. The member end releases for the rigid link at
node “B” are used to control which degrees of freedom are pinned or fixed in the inclined
directions. This works because the member end releases are in the local member axes. See Rigid
Links in the Modeling Tips section to learn how to create rigid links.
The section forces in the rigid link are the inclined reactions. Note that you need to make sure the
rigid link is connected to the members/plates at the correct inclined angle. You can control the incline
of the angle using the coordinates of nodes “A” and “B”. You can also rotate the rigid link to the
proper angle.

Modeling One Member Over Another

Occasionally you may need to model the situation where one member crosses over another
member. A common situation where this occurs is in the design of framing for crane rails, where the
crane rail sits on top of, or is hanging beneath, the supporting beam. See the figure below:

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The two beams are each modeled at their correct centerline elevations. Both the top and bottom
members need to have a node at the point of intersection. The distance between the nodes would be
half the depth of the top beam plus half the depth of the bottom beam. The method to model this is to
connect node A to node B is with a rigid link. The member end releases at the A or B end can be used
to control which degrees of freedom get transferred between the beams. For example, if Beam A is
free to pivot over Beam B then you would apply a Pin end release to the top of the rigid link, and a
Fixed end release to the bottom of the rigid link. Don't pin both ends of the rigid link though, because
then there can be no shear transfer between the beams. See Rigid Links in the Modeling Tips
section to learn how to create rigid links.

Reactions at Nodes with Enforced Displacements

The reaction at an enforced displacement can be obtained by inserting a very short (.02' or so) rigid
link between the node with the enforced displacement and any attached members. The member
forces in this rigid link will be the reactions at the node with the enforced displacement. It is helpful to
align the link to be parallel with one of the global axes, that way the local member forces will be
parallel to the global directions unless of course you are modeling inclined supports. See Rigid Links
below to learn how to create rigid links.

Rigid Links
Rigid links are used to rigidly transfer the forces from one point to another and to also account for any
secondary moments that may occur due to moving the force. This is in contrast to using the tether
feature for nodes where the forces are shared by 2 or more node degrees of freedom (DOF), but any
secondary moments are lost when tethering the nodes . Tethered nodes actually share common
DOF and so do not account for the distances between them. Rigid links do not have any practical
internal deformation, I.e. there is no differential movement between the I-node and the J-node . Rigid
links may be used to model situations such as composite behavior or beams fixed to walls modeled
with plate elements. They are also useful for getting information such as reactions at inclined
supports or reactions at nodes with enforced displacements.

Make a Rigid Link

To make a Rigid Link:

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1. On the General tab of the Materials spreadsheet:

a. Create a material Label called “LINK”.
b. Enter “1e6 (ksi)” for the value of E.
c. Blank out the value for G by going to that column and pressing the space bar.
d. Double check that the Density is set to zero.
e. Leave all the other values as their defaults.
2. On the General tab of the Section Sets spreadsheet, create a section set Label called
“RIGID” with the “LINK”Material.
3. Move the cursor to the Shape column and hit your space bar to erase the information in this
field.
4. Set the A,and Iy, Izand Jvalues to “1e6 (based on units of inches)”.
5. To make a rigid link, on the Members spreadsheet create a member that references the
RIGID section set created above.
You can control which DOF are transferred through the link by using the member end
releases.

Note:
l The density is set to zero in case the self-weight is used in a loading
condition. If the density is left as the default then any gravity loading would
cause the rigid link to add a very large load into your model due to it’s large
area.
l To keep the model merge from deleting your rigid links, be careful not to
create links whose lengths are less than your merge tolerance.

The weight density should be set to zero in case self-weight is used as a loading condition.
If the material used is not weightless, then any gravity loading would cause the rigid link to
add a very large load into your model. (Gravity load is applied as a distributed load with a
magnitude equal to the member area times the weight density).
For models with very stiff elements, like concrete shear walls, the rigid link may not be rigid
in comparison. If you see that the rigid link is deforming, then you may have to increase the
stiffness of the link. The easiest way to do this is to increase the A, Iy, Iz, and J values for
the RIGID section set. Make sure that the combination of E*I or E*A does not exceed 1e17
because 1e20 and 8.33e18 are the internal stiffnesses of the translational and rotational
Reaction boundary conditions. If you make a member too stiff, you may get ghost
reactions, which tend to pull load out of the model. (The total reactions will no longer add
up to the applied loads.)

Solving Large Models

Large models are those where the stiffness matrix size greatly exceeds the amount of available free
RAM on your computer. Solving large models can take a long time, so it is useful to have an
understanding of what steps can help speed up the solution. The time it takes to solve a model is

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dependent on several things; these include the bandwidth of the stiffness matrix, the number of terms
that need to be stored for the stiffness matrix, and the amount of RAM in your computer.
A bandwidth minimizer is used at the beginning of the solution to try to reorder your degrees of
freedom to get a reduced bandwidth stiffness matrix size. Sometimes, however, the bandwidth
minimizer can be fooled and will give a poor matrix column height and a huge number of matrix terms.
If you are getting a stiffness matrix that is larger than you would expect and you don't think that you
have any modeling errors, you can try a few things to reduce the bandwidth. The first thing you can try
is to sort your nodes . Typically you will want to sort your nodes on the Coordinates spreadsheet from
“Low to High” in the 2 lateral directions and then lastly in the vertical direction. After you sort your
nodes , try to solve again and check the matrix size. The order of sorting depends on the model, so
you might want to try a couple of different combinations and check the model each time. Sometimes,
sorting the nodes will result in cutting the height and number of terms by a factor of 2.
You will also want to make sure you don't have separate structures in the same model where one is
big and the other small. You will get a very large matrix height if the bandwidth minimization starts on
the small model and then jumps to the big model. Instead, you will probably want to split these into 2
separate files.
The amount of “address space” available to solve your model is based on several things: the amount
of RAM in your computer, the amount of free hard disk space, the operating system, the Virtual
memory settings in the Windows Control Panel, and the internal limitations of your operating system.
If you get an error that states “You have run out of memory, try increasing your virtual memory…” you
will want to note the amount of memory that was requested at the time versus the amount that was
available. This amount should displayed along with the error message. This amount will give a
starting point from which you can increase the available address space. You may need to increase
the amount of Virtual Memory so that you have enough address space to run the model and your
other applications. (You typically do this by double clicking on “My Computer”, then “Control Panel”,
then “System”. Within the System options, you would click on the “Performance” tab and then you
click on the “Virtual Memory” button.) Make sure that you are specifying more Virtual Memory than is
needed to solve your model.
There is an internal limitation to the amount memory that Windows will allocate to the RISAProgram.
Within a 32 bit addressing space, Windows has a basic limit of 4 Gigabytes. Of that, they reserve 2
Gigs for the operating system. Therefore, RISA can only use a maximum of 2 Gigabytes with large
models (where the stiffness matrix alone is well in excess of 1.0 Gigs), your only option may be to re-
model your structure using fewer degrees of freedom.

Ways to Minimize the Memory Use

Keep in mind that many of these solutions may result in a decreased accuracy of your solution
l Set the Number of Sections and INTERNAL Sections to a minimal amount. This can be
done via the Model Settings - Solution tab.
l Set the Mesh Size for wall panels (if they exist in your model) to a larger value. This can be
done via the Model Settings - Solution tab.
l Solve fewer load combinations. It is almost always possible to reduce the total number of
combinations by inspection. Engineering judgment can help determine which load
combinations will not control for your structure.

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l Check to see that you are not causing an overly tight mesh for wall panels (if they exist in
your model) by your modeling practices. This can cause a large amount of internal plates to
be created and tax the solution. See the Wall Panels - Tips For Ensuring a Healthy Mesh
section for more information.

Modeling a "Gap" (Expansion Joint) Between Structures

A gap element is a member that mimics the behavior of a gap or expansion joint between adjacent
structures.

While RISA does not offer the capability to directly create a gap element, one may be indirectly
created using the properties of the member and an applied thermal load. The concept is to place a
‘shrunk’ member between adjacent structures. The shrinkage of the member is achieved with a
negative thermal load, in the form of a member distributed load.
The amount of shrinkage should be equal to the width of the gap, such that the structures act
independently until they move close enough to each other to ‘touch’ and thereby transmit loads to
each other. To calculate the thermal load required for a gap use the following formula:

Where:
ΔT = Applied thermal load
Gap = Distance between two structures
L = Length of gap element
α = Coefficient of thermal expansion
In order to prevent the gap element from ‘pulling’ its connected structures towards it due to shrinkage
it must be defined as a ‘compression only’ member under the advanced options tab. It is also
advisable to define the gap element as a rigid material such that the amount of load it transfers once
the gap is closed is not affected by elastic shortening.
Lastly, in cases where the applied temperature would need to be of an extraordinary magnitude, it
might be useful to increase the coefficient of thermal expansion of the material such that a smaller
temperature load would achieve the same shrinkage.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Nodes

Nodes
Nodes are used to define the ends of members and plate corners. Nodes are also used to specify
boundary conditions, diaphragms, story drift locations, and nodal loads. Each node is a point in space
defined by coordinates in the global X, Y, and Z directions and temperature that may be used in
conjunction with thermal loads.

Note: The terms "node" and "joint" are interchangeable and are both used in this manual and
in the program.

Nodes can be input manually, or they can be created automatically as you draw new members and
plates on the drawing grid. Once defined, the nodes can be edited in three ways: graphically, in the
Node Properties Panel, or in the Node Coordinates spreadsheet.

Define Nodes
To define Nodes:
1. Select the Node Coordinates spreadsheet from the Spreadsheets tab Data Entry
button or from the Data Entry portion of the Explorer panel.
2. Define the node coordinates and temperature.

Note:
l You may use cut and paste, block fill, and block math to enter and edit nodes.
l You may choose the prefix that is used to label the nodes.
l To modify one node you may click that node in the 3D View to view and edit its
properties in the Properties panel.

Relabel Nodes
To relabel Nodes:

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1. After sorting the Node Coordinates spreadsheet into the desired order, go to the Modify
ribbon.
2. Click the Relabel All or Relabel Selected icon.
3. Choose Nodes.
4. Alternatively, you can right-click in the Node Coordinates spreadsheet and select either
Relabel All Nodes or Relabel Selected Nodes.
Alternatively, you can right-click in the Node Coordinates spreadsheet and select either Relabel
All Nodes or Relabel Selected Nodes.

Round-Off Node Coordinates

To round-off Node Coordinates
1. go to the Modify ribbon.
2. Click the Round Off Coordinates icon.
Alternatively, you can right-click in the Node Coordinates spreadsheet and select Round Off Node
Coordinates.

Note: This utility rounds off all the node coordinates to 1, 2, or 3 decimal places (user
selected). It’s sometimes useful for models that have been generated or created via DXF
import and have node coordinates with a large number of decimal places that aren't
significant. Rounding off those coordinates makes the data more consistent and can help
avoid problems such as non-coplanar plate/wall nodes. Also, the default member
orientations can change based on whether the member is exactly parallel to a global axis and
slight unintended coordinate differences can have an impact here as well.

Node Coordinates Spreadsheet

The Node Coordinates spreadsheet records the node coordinates and ambient temperatures for the
nodes and may be accessed from the Spreadsheets tab Data Entry icon Node Coordinates.

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Node Coordinates - columns

Column Description
Label Label is used to assign a unique name (label) to every node. You can
then refer to the node by its label. Each label has to be unique, so if you
try to enter the same label more than once you receive an error
message. As you create new lines, the program automatically creates a
new, unique label for each node.
X, Y and Z These three columns contain the coordinates of the node in each of the
columns global directions. These represent the relative offsets of the nodes from
the origin of the coordinate system (0, 0, 0). The appropriate units are
listed at the top of each column.
Temp Temp (Temperature) is used to define the ambient, no-stress,
temperature at the node. Temperature loads are then calculated based
on the differential between the ambient temperature interpolated across
the member, and the applied thermal load. See Loads - Thermal Loads
for more information.
Detach From Detach From Diaphragm is used to detach nodes from a diaphragm.
Diaphragm
See Diaphragms - Modeling Tips to learn more about this.
Round Off Another option is ‘Round Off Coordinates’, which when selected, rounds
Coordinates off all the node coordinates to 1, 2, or 3 decimal places. It’s useful for
models that have been created using generation functions or DXF files
where a high number of decimal places is present for some of the
coordinates.

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Several options on the Modify ribbon help you work with nodes. Selecting Relabel All or Relabel
Selected lets you define a prefix to be used for the node labels before creating a new label for each
node by using this prefix with a sequential number. For example, if you were to enter a prefix of “FLR”,
the first node would get label FLR1, the second one would get FLR2, etc.

Node Information
Just as with the members and plates you can click any node to view it’s properties. All of the same
information that is stored in the Nodes spreadsheet is displayed for the node you choose, and can be
edited. This is a quick way to view and change node properties.

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Properties Options

Option Description
Label Label lets you view and edit the joint’s label.
Coordinates Coordinates lets you view and edit the node coordinates.
Temperature Temperature lets you set the ambient temperature at that node for
Thermal Loading.
Boundary Boundary Conditions lets you view and edit the node boundary

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Option Description
Conditions conditions. The edit boxes to the right of the boundary condition list
boxes are where you would enter additional data for a boundary
condition such as a spring stiffness, a Story number, or a primary node
label for a Tethered node.

Note: It’s more efficient to use the Properties panel to change the properties for many nodes
at once. Simply select multiple nodes in the 3D View and choose Nodes from the dropdown
list in the Properties panel.

Nodes - Results
When the model is solved, there are several groups of results specifically for the nodes. Story Drift
calculation results are discussed in Drift Results, the others are discussed here.

Node Deflections Results

Access the Node Deflections Spreadsheet by selecting it from the Results Menu.

These are the deflections, or displacements, for every node in the structure. Each node has 6 values
calculated, 1 for each of the 6 global degrees of freedom. Those being 3 translations and 3 rotations.
The units for the displacements are shown at the top of each column. The rotations are shown in units
of radians (1 radian = 57.3 degrees, approximately).
For enveloped results the maximum and minimum value for each displacement is listed. The load
combination producing the maximum or minimum is also listed, in the "lc" column. To include a
particular Load Combination in the envelope analysis, open the Load Combinations Spreadsheet
and check the box in the Solve column.
The moving load results are enveloped and will display the Load Combinations with maximum and
minimum values shown for each section location, for each active member. The governing load
combination and step location is shown for each result value under the "LC" column. The first number

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is the load combination, the second is the step number: (load combination - step number). See
Moving Loads to learn more.

Note:
l See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how to use Find, Sort, and other options.
l See Results View Settings - Reactions to learn how to plot node results. You will
NOT be able to plot the deflected shape for an envelope analysis. This is because
the various maximum and minimum displacements probably correspond to different
load combinations, so a deflected shape based on these values would be
meaningless.

Node Reaction Results

Access the Node Reactions spreadsheet by selecting it from the Results Menu.

These are the reactive forces applied to the structure at its points of support. A positive reaction is
applied in the direction of the global axis and a negative reaction is applied in the direction opposite
the global axis. A positive moment is given according to the right hand rule assuming the thumb is
pointing in the positive global axis direction. Assuming a reaction has been calculated at all points of
support, the total of the reactive forces in each direction should equal the total applied force in each
direction. The units for the reactions are listed at the top of each column, and a total reaction for each
direction is summed at the bottom of each translation column.
Wall Panel Reactions represent the total reactions for the wall about the bottom center of the wall.
This location does not change even if the center of the wall is within an opening, or if the edge of the
wall is restrained as well as the base.
The last line provides the center of gravity (COG) for the applied loads. This "COG" is based on the
load components acting in the VERTICAL direction. If there are no vertical loads in the combination a
"COG" will not be calculated.
For enveloped results the maximum and minimum reaction value is listed. The load combination
producing the maximum or minimum is also listed, in the "LC" column.

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The moving results loads are enveloped and will display the Load Combinations with maximum and
minimum values shown for each section location, for each active member. The governing load
combination and step location is shown for each result value under the "LC" column. The first number
is the load combination, the second is the step number: (load combination - step number). See
Moving Loads to learn more.

Overstrength Tab
If your solution included a load combination that included overstrength load factors, a second tab will
be included in the Node Reactions spreadsheet. This tab contains all the reactive forces per the
overstrength load combinations.

Note:
l See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how to use Find, Sort, and other options.
l See Results View Settings – Reactions to learn how to plot node results.
l An 'NC' listing means "No Calculation". This occurs for boundary conditions defined
with the 'Fixed' option and joints with an enforced displacement in that degree of
freedom.

Nodes - Tethering Nodes

When a node is "tethered", it is linked in one or more directions to other nodes (the "Primary" node).
Both nodes (Tethered and Primary) actually share the same degree of freedom for the direction of
tethering. The tethering can be for any or all of the six global degrees of freedom. A node can be
tethered to more than one node (in different directions). Any number of nodes may be tethered to the
same primary node, but the primary node itself may not be tethered to another node.

Note: Since the advent of rigid links there are not many circumstances where nodal tethering
is the best solution for modeling.

An example of the use of nodal tethering is in X bracing, where the bracing members overlay and are
pinned to each other. Modeling this connection makes the analysis far more complex than simply
modeling the braces as separate pieces, and is generally not recommended. However, if it is
desired to specifically account for interaction between the braces then this pinning will force the brace
midpoints to deflect together for translations, but still leave them free to rotate independently.

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In this diagram the braces are NOT modeled as physical members. Brace 1 to 3 is modeled with non
physical members from nodes 1 to 5 and 5 to 3. Brace 2 to 4 is modeled with non physical members
from nodes 2 to 6 and 6 to 4. Nodes 5 and 6 are at the same location where the braces overlap and
are pinned together.
We would tether node 6 to node 5 for the translation directions. To define a tethered node, use the
Boundary Conditions spreadsheet. Enter the label of the node to be tethered as the "Node No.",
and for the directions in which it is tethered, enter TETHER nnn, where nnn is the label of the primary
node.
For this X brace example, we would enter the following on the Boundary Conditions spreadsheet:

Here we have "TETHER 5" entered for the X, Y and Z translations. The rotation fields areleft blank
because node 6 is free to rotate independently. We don't have to enter anything for node 5.

Note: Tethered nodes should NOT be used to build rigid diaphragms. Tethering the
translations will not give correct diaphragm behavior. If you need a rigid diaphragm, you
should use the Rigid Diaphragm feature.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual P-Delta - Analysis

P-Delta - Analysis
When a model is loaded, it deflects. The deflections in the members of the model may induce
secondary moments due to the fact that the ends of the member may no longer be co-linear in the
deflected position. These secondary effects, for members (not plates), can be accurately
approximated through the use of P-Delta analysis. This type of analysis is called "P-Delta" because
the magnitude of the secondary moment is equal to "P", the axial force in the member, times "Delta",
the distance one end of the member is offset from the other end.
Since RISAFloor is designing entirely for gravity loads it does not need to account for the P-Delta
effect. However, elements of the lateral force resisting system do need to consider this effect when
being designed for lateral forces.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: P-Delta.

P-Delta Procedure
Standard Nodal Shear Method
The actual modeling of these secondary moments is done through the calculation of secondary
shears (shown as V in the diagram):

P*Δ=V*L
so, V = P * Δ / L
These shear forces are applied at the member ends. For a 3D model, this P-Delta calculation is done
for the member's local y and local z directions.
The solution sequence is as follows:
1. Solve the model with original applied loads
2. Calculate the shears (V's) for every member in the model
3. Add these the shears (V's) to the original loads and re-solve

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4. Compare the displacements for this new solution to those obtained from the previous
solution. If they fall within the convergence tolerance the solution has converged. If not,
return to step 2 and repeat.
Geometric Nonlinear Stiffness Method
Unlike the Standard Nodal Shear method, the Geometric Nonlinear Stiffness Method does not apply
any nodal shear load to the member, instead, the stiffness matrix of the structure is directly modified
to consider reduction of stiffness due to axial loads. This method is based on approach by Chen, W.
F. and Lui, E. M., Structural Stability: Theory and Implementation (1987).
Similar as the Standard Nodal Shear Method, this method also requires an iterative procedure. In
Step one, the linear static equilibrium equations are solved for the original model. In step two, the
internal axial loads obtained from step one are used to form the geometric stiffness matrices as
shown below, where P is axial load and L is the member length. The geometric stiffness matrix
includes both the P-Delta and P-Small Delta effects. The geometric stiffness matrix is then
assembled with the original stiffness matrix to obtain an updated stiffness matrix which considers P-
Delta effect. The equilibrium equations are re-solved to obtain the new internal forces/new geometric
stiffness matrices, and this procedure is repeated until it converges.

P-Delta Divergence
For both methods, if the P-Delta process is diverging dramatically, it will be stopped before numerical
problems develop and an error will be displayed. If this error is displayed, the P-Delta displacements
have reached a level where they are more than 1000 times greater than the maximum original
displacements. If this happens with your model, the model may be unstable under the given loads, or
there may be local instabilities present. See P-Delta Troubleshooting and Testing Instabilities to learn
how to solve these problems.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: P-Delta.

Perform a P-Delta Analysis

To Perform a P-Delta Analysis
1. Go to the Home ribbon.
2. Click on Settings to open the Model Settings window.
3. Select the Solution tab if not already selected.
4. Click the Advanced button to open the Set Advanced Options window.
5. Click on the P-Delta Analysis arrow.
6. Choose one of the two P-Delta Analysis methods (Standard Nodal Shear Method or
Geometric Nonlinear Stiffness Method).

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7. Click OK.
8. Open the Load Combination spreadsheet from the Explorer panel.
9. In the P-Delta column, place a "Y" to indicate the P-Delta combinations.

Note: You may indicate a compression only P-Delta analysis by placing a "C" in the
P-Delta column.

P-Delta Limitations on Standard Nodal Shear Method

The P-Delta algorithm in the Standard Nodal Shear Method is based on end-joint displacements and
will not automatically account for the effect of interior span forces on members, or member end
rotations. As such the RISA implementation of P-Delta can be referred to as a P-Big Delta analysis.
In addition to the P-Big Delta effect, there can also be a P-Little Delta effect caused by end node
rotation or transverse loading between node points. Please refer to the P-Little Delta topic for more
information.

Note:
l P-Small Delta effect is considered in Geometric Nonlinear Stiffness Method.
l P-Delta effects are not calculated for plates.
l P-Delta effects are not currently include in Dynamic / Modal Analysis.

Compression Only P-Delta

The P-Delta effect can be thought of as decreasing the flexural stiffness of members in compression
and increasing the flexural stiffness of members in tension. It is possible that if you have members
with extremely large tensile forces, and intermediate nodes that are not connected to supports or
other "stiff" members, the P-Delta algorithm could cause a node displacement to reverse direction,
instead of converging to zero. This is an incorrect result. (A practical example where this could
happen would be a truss chord with a large amount of tension that also has extra nodes in-between
the panel points.) If you have members with very large tensile forces, and intermediate nodes, you
may want to do a "compression only" P-Delta analysis. You invoke this by putting a "C" in the P-Delta
field, instead of a "Y". A "compression only" P-Delta analysis will only affect members that are in axial
compression. The P-Delta analysis will not modify members that are in tension.

P-Delta Convergence
The default convergence tolerance is 0.5%. This means that the displacements from one solution to
the next must vary by no more than ½ of 1 percent for the solution to be considered converged. You
may adjust this tolerance on the Model Settings. If you have a model that does converge but takes a
lot of iterations, you may want to increase this tolerance so convergence is faster. Be careful! If you
set this value too high, unstable models may falsely converge. It is not advisable to set this value
above 2 or 3 percent.

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P-Delta Troubleshooting
The first step in troubleshooting a P-Delta model that won't converge is to run the load combination
without P-Delta analysis and make sure there are no instabilities. If it turns out that degrees of
freedom are being locked, this indicates instabilities that you will want to fix.
In some ways, a P-Delta divergence may indicate an elastic buckling failure. Therefore, any P-Delta
instabilities should be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly.

Local Instabilities
By far, the most common cause of P-Delta convergence problems is local instabilities. A local
instability is when one part of the model is unstable causing the P-Delta analysis to diverge. To locate
local instabilities, run the solution with P-Delta analysis turned OFF. Now plot the exaggerated
deflected shape and animate it. Any local instabilities should be apparent. See Testing Instabilities for
more information.
If you are trying to model P-Delta effects on a 2D frame, you will want to make sure that you restrain
the out-of-plane degrees of freedom. See to learn how to do this.

Flexible Structures
In some cases, a model may be so flexible that it is not possible to run a P-Delta analysis. A situation
where this might occur would be a wood frame where all the connections were modeled as pins, but
the boundary conditions did not provide positive lateral support. In the real world, the connections will
take some moment and the structure would be fine, but in the idealized model, there is zero moment
resistance at each connection. The total lateral stiffness would be very small and this would make
convergence of a P-Delta analysis unlikely.

Stiffness Reduction for the Direct Analysis Method

The Direct Analysis method requires a reduction in the axial and flexural stiffness of some members.
This is done to account for the non-linear material effects caused by residual stresses. This stiffness
reduction can be problematic during the early stages of design when your members may be smaller
than they will be after basic drift and stress criteria are met. Therefore, RISA gives you the option (on
the Codes tab of the Model Settings window) to turn off this stiffness reduction or set it to a constant
value (tau = 1.0).

P-Delta Amplification for AISC ASD

In order to ensure that using LRFD load factors does not result in a penalizing effect for P-Delta
analysis, the AISC specification requires that the forces be multiplied by 1.6 during ASD analysis.
Therefore, if AISC (360-05, 360-10, or 360-16) ASD is specified as the hot rolled code,
RISA automatically multiplies all load combinations by 1.6 during solution, then divides the force
results by 1.6 prior to displaying the results.

P-Delta for ACI Concrete

See the P-Little-Delta Topic.

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Wall Panels
The P-Delta effect is handled the same way for Wall Panels. The main difference is that the shears for
a wall panel are only generated at the top, story, or the diaphragm locations. The average deflection
at the story height (or diaphragm location) is used to calculate the P-Delta shears for the top and
bottom of the story. These shears are then distributed over the width of the wall at those locations.

Note: P-Delta effect is NOT considered for wall panels if Geometric Nonlinear Stiffness
Method is selected.

Leaning Column Effect

Gravity columns and walls that are modeled in RISAFloor, but which are NOT included in the Lateral
analysis will still have an effect on the P-Delta analysis in RISA-3D. This is because RISA-3D
automatically includes this leaning column / leaning wall effect. This is done only for columns or walls
that are contained within the a rigid diaphragm slab edge at that floor level. The program then uses
the RISAFloor column / wall axial loads (without considering LL Reduction) along with the rigid
diaphragm displacements (projected to each column / wall) to come up with equivalent leaning
column shears for the diaphragm.

Note:
l The leaning column effect does not get accounted for columns or walls which do not
connect to a diaphragm.
l The leaning column effect does not get accounted for columns or walls that connect
to flexible or semi-rigid diaphragms.

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P-Little Delta Analysis

The P-Little Delta effect is essentially the destabilizing effect of individual member curvature on the
axially loaded members. In practical applications, the effect of P-Little Delta will normally be
significantly smaller than the P-Big Delta effect. The following figure demonstrates the displacements
that cause the P-Delta and P-Little Delta effect in a typical moment frame.

P-Little Delta Procedure

The current implementation of P-Delta analysis does not directly account for the Little Delta effect.
While this is true, the model can be easily adjusted to account for the effect as shown in the figure
below.

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Because RISA's P-Delta method is based entirely on nodal deflections, the introduction of nodes at
the locations along the column where member displacement effects are at their maximum will
adequately account for this effect.
There are a number of "benchmark" tests given in various publications to determine if a program is
capable of properly considering this effect. Some of these benchmark problems (from the AISC
Commentary) have been posted to our website with comparisons to theoretically correct solutions.
These comparisons can be used as a basis for when the P-Little Delta effect is significant enough to
consider in the analysis. They can also be used to determine how many intermediate nodes are
required to adequately account for the effect at a given load level.

Note: P-Little Delta effects will have more of an impact as a member approaches its elastic
euler buckling load. Special attention should be paid to cantilevered compression members,
or members with significant weak axis bending moments.

AISC Direct Analysis Method

The AISC manual specifically requires the consideration of the P-Little Delta effect. However, the
Direct Analysis Method (AISC 360-16, Chapter C) inherently acknowledges that P-Little Delta may
not be important by stating that it may be neglected when, “the axial loads in all members whose
flexural stiffnesses are considered to contribute to the lateral stability of the structure” are less than
15% of the Elastic / Euler buckling load of the member.
This may seem like it would be a low axial force, but it can actually be a very large force greater than
the total axial capacity of the column. Situations where this code provision may justify ignoring the P-
Little Delta effect would include strong axis bending of a wide flange column with equal unbraced
lengths in the strong and weak axes.

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ACI Concrete Design

As of the 2014 edition, ACI 318 offers three options to account for slenderness and curvature in
columns and walls (Section 6.2.6):
l Moment Magnification (6.6.4.5)
l Elastic Second Order Analysis (6.7)
l Nonlinear Second Order Analysis (6.8)
Both forms of second order analysis are more accurate than the moment magnification procedure,
which is a hand calculation method intended to be used when computer analysis is not available.
RISA does not have a true nonlinear solver though, so the program performs an Elastic Second
Order Analysis using cracked section properties.

Columns in RISA-3D
In order to meet the requirements of Section 6.7 (thereby meeting the requirements of Section 6.2.6)
you must turn on P-Delta in the Load Combinations spreadsheet, and possibly add intermediate
joints along the length of the columns. The Split Member tool can be used to add joints along the
physical columns.
When ACI 318-08 and newer is used the slenderness effects are not neglected per the provisions of
Section 10.10.1 (ACI 318-14 Section 6.2.5)

Walls in RISA-3D
In order to meet the requirements of Section 6.7 (thereby meeting the requirements of Section 6.2.6)
you must turn on P-Delta in the Load Combinations spreadsheet and include P-Delta for walls in the
Model Settings. The effects of P-Little-Delta are accounted for in walls using the Non-Sway Moment
Magnification Procedure of ACI 318-11 Section 10.10.6 or ACI 318-14 Section 6.6.4.5.

Limitations
The provisions of ACI 318-11 Section 10.10.2.1 (ACI 318-14 Section 6.2.6) which state that P-Delta
moments should not exceed 1.4 times non-P-Delta moments are not considered.

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Plates/Shells
The plate/shell finite element allows you to easily model shear walls, diaphragms, shells, tanks and
many other surface structures. We refer to the elements as plate elements, but they are actually
plate/shell elements. Plate data may be viewed and edited in three ways: graphically, in the
Information dialog or in the Plates spreadsheet.

Draw Plates
There are several graphic-editing features that make the creation and modification of models quite
easy. Use the Plates button in the Home tab and Modify menu to use these features in the model
view. To create new members or plates, you can draw them using a drawing grid or draw "dot to dot"
from existing nodes. Once you have created these items, you can use other graphic features to load
the model and set boundary conditions.
Creating plate models requires more forethought than beam models. See Plate Modeling Tips and
Plate Modeling Examples for tips on building plate models. To create new plates you can draw them
using a drawing grid, a project grid, or draw "dot to dot" from existing nodes. You can set all of the
plate properties up front or you can modify these properties after you draw them. Modifying properties
is discussed in the next sections. See Plate Spreadsheet for information on plates and their
properties.
The Plates tool lets you graphically draw plates in your model. Enter the appropriate plate
parameters, and draw plates between existing nodes or on the drawing grid. You will also notice that
the coordinates of the node or grid point that is closest to your cursor are displayed next to your
cursor. The new plates will be shown on screen and will be recorded in the Plates Spreadsheet.
To actually draw a plate, you have two options. The fastest way is to use the Create Plates by
Clicking on Grid Areas option, and then create plates by clicking on the grid areas formed by the
intersecting grid lines. As you click on an area, a plate will automatically be created in that area. The
second option is to create plates by drawing them one node at a time. You click on the grid point or
node that you want to be the "A" node for the plate, then you click on the "B" node, "C" node, and then
the "D" node in either clockwise or counter clockwise order. The plate will "stretch" like a rubber band
as you draw from node to node.

The parameters shown are the same parameters that you would enter on the Plates spreadsheet.

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To Draw Plates
To draw Plates:
1. If there is not a model view already open:
a. Go to the View ribbon.
b. Click on the Open 3D Views icon to open a new view.
2. If you are not drawing between existing nodes, you need to create a drawing grid or define
nodes on the Node Coordinates spreadsheet.
3. Click the Plates icon.
4. Set the plate properties:
a. You must click four points in a clockwise or counter-clockwise order.
To create a triangular plate click on the third joint twice.
b. If you chose to click in grid areas, create plates by clicking between the drawing grids.
5. To stop drawing altogether right click or press the Esc key.
6. To exit Plates mode:
a. Go to the Home ribbon.
b. Click on the Plates icon.

Note:
l The default plate local axis is Global. To set this to Nodal, see Axis settings in
the Model Settings. For more information on plate local axes, see Plate Local
Axes.
l To draw more plates with different properties, press CTRL-D to recall the Plate
Properties settings.
l You can also specify or edit plates in the Plates spreadsheet.
l You can also view and edit plate properties by clicking on a plate.
l
You can undo any mistakes by clicking Undo on the Quick Access toolbar.
If you want to undo a previous modification, click the ‘Undo’ icon’s arrow and
choose the modification you want to undo. Keep in mind that all modifications made
after the one you’ve chosen to undo, will also be undone.

Modify Plates
There are a number of ways to modify plates. You can view and edit the member data in the Plates
spreadsheet. You can click a plate to view and edit its properties. You can select multiple plates to
graphically modify a possibly large selection of members.
The Platessection in the Properties panel lets you modify the properties of plates that already exist in
your model. To do so, you select the plates you want to modify, specify the properties you want to

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change, and the program automatically updates the properties. You can modify plates one at a time
by clicking them individually and then changing the properties in the Properties panel. See the
Graphic Selection topic for more on selecting.
The parameters shown are the same as those used to define new plates.

To Modify Plates
Plates can be modified by changing their properties. You can change properties for one or more
plates at a time.
To modify Plates:

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1. If there is not a model view already open:

a. Go to the View ribbon.
b. Click on the Open 3D Views icon to open a new view.
2. Click an individual plate or select multiple, then change the values in the Properties panel
as desired.
For more details, refer to Plate Information, Corner_Releases and Inactive_Excluded.
As you make changes, the program automatically updates the plates.

Note:
l You can also modify plates in the Plates spreadsheet.
l
You can undo any mistakes by clicking Undo on the Quick Access toolbar.
If you want to undo a previous modification, click the ‘Undo’ icon’s arrow and
choose the modification you want to undo. Keep in mind that all modifications made
after the one you’ve chosen to undo, will also be undone.
l It may not be possible to perfectly align the plate local axes.

Plate Information
Just as with the node and members, you can click any plate to view it’s properties in the ‘Properties’
panel. All of the same information that is stored in the Plates spreadsheet is displayed for the plate
you choose, and can be edited. This is a quick way to view and change plate properties.

Note: For modifying a large selections of plates, using the spreadsheet and graphic editing
tools may be a faster method.

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The following table includes descriptions of the options available for modification.
Properties Panel - Plate Options

Section Description
Material Display the material used for the plate, and lets you edit it.
Thickness Displays the plate thickness (in the current dimension units), and lets
you edit them.
Label Display the current label of the selected plate, and lets you edit that
label.
Corner Nodes Displays the corner node labels, and lets you edit them.
(A, B, C and D)
Local Axis Angle Displays the angle that determines the orientation of the local coordinate
system of a plate element in relation to the global coordinate system.
Plane Stress This box should be checked when you want to change the plate
formulation to indicate that the plate is a Plane Stress plate. This option
is useful for creating diaphragms that have only in-plane stiffness and

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Section Description
will not attract out of plane moments. The default is unchecked which
allows for both in-plane and out of plane behavior.
Plate Corner Displays the corner release for the selected plate, and lets you edit
Releases them. See Plate Corner Releases for more details.
(A, B, C and D)
Activation Display the current activation state of the plate, and lets you change it.
If the plate is made inactive, you will need to activate the plate from the
Plates spreadsheet, or by using the Criteria Select feature to find and
select inactive plates.
See Inactive and Excluded Plates for more details.

Plate Corner Releases

The A, B, C, & D Release fields are used to designate whether the forces and moments at the
corners of the plate are considered fixed to or released from the plates's points of attachment (the A,
B, C, and D nodes). Each plate has 5 force components at each corner (Fx, Fy, Fz, Mx, and My). Any
or all of these force components can be released from the plate's point of attachment. If a force
component is released, that force is not transferred between the node and the plate.

To Specify Plate Corner Releases

To specify plate corner releases:
1. Expand the Advanced Properties section of the Properties panel, if not already expanded.

2. Click on the A, B, C, or D Release (ellipsis) button for the plate.

3. Specify the condition.

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RISA-3D has a special "keyword" release configuration built-in. That is:

PIN => Mx and My (all moments) released (OOOXX)
This keyword entry is included because 99% of the release configurations you'll ever want
to define will be "PIN". You can call out the keyword entry by just entering the first letter of
the keyword, "p". So if you go to a release field and enter "p", the keyword "PIN" will be filled
in automatically.

Note:
Alternatively, you can specify the corner condition by directly typing in the A, B, C or D
Release box.

l To indicate that a force component is released, type an 'X' for that component in the
release box.
l To indicate that a force component is not released, type an 'O' for that component
in the release box.

Note: It’s generally more efficient to use the Graphic Editing features if you want to change
the properties for many plates at once.

Inactive and Excluded Plates

Making an item such as a member or plate inactive allows you to analyze the structure without the
item, without having to delete the information that defines it. This leaves data intact so the item may
be easily reactivated. This is handy if you want to try a model with and then without certain items,
without having to actually delete the data.
l Choosing Inactive means the item is not included when the model is solved or plotted.
l Choosing Excluded means include the item in the solution, but exclude it from the results
list.
So, an item set to Excluded is treated like any other plate in the solution and plotting of the
model, but the plate will not be listed in the solution results (forces, stresses etc.). This is

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useful if there are certain items whose results you're not interested in. You don't have to
clutter up the results with these items and can concentrate on the items you're most
interested in. See Printing for more limiting printed results.

Rotate Plates
The Rotate Axis options let you perform a clockwise, or counter clockwise rotation of plate local axes
so that they can better align with the surrounding plate local axes. It also lets you flip the local z-axis
so that it is headed in the other direction. The degree increment of the clockwise or counter clockwise
rotation depends on whether the Local Axis setting in Model Settings is ‘Global’ or ‘Nodal’. When set
to Global, rotation is based on whatever degree you set, and the plate’s local axes are rotated by that
degree. When ‘Nodal’ is set however, rotation is automatically set at 90°, where each click rotates the
plate(s) local axes 90° at a time. Global is the Local Axis default, though you can change it to Nodal in
the Axis tab of the ‘Model Settings‘ window. If you would like to view the rotation of the plate(s) in the
3D View panel, turn on the display of Local Axis Labels.

Note: While you can use the Rotate Axis feature to flip the local z-axis so that it is headed in
the other direction, you may find the Flip Axis feature more convenient to use.

Turn on Display of Local Axis Labels

To turn on the display of local axis labels on the plates:
1. Open to the Home ribbon, if not already open.
2. Click the Plate Labels down arrow in the Quick View section.

A list of labels opens.

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3. Choose Local Axes from the list.

The plates display the Local Axes labels. The following images depict the local axes labels
turned off and on.
Local Axes labels
Local Axes labels turned OFF
turned ON

Rotate a Single Plate

To rotate a single Plate:
1. Go to the Modify ribbon, if it isn’t already open.
2. Click the Rotate Axis icon in the Plates section.
3. Choose the Single option.
The Plate Local Axis Angle window opens, if ‘Global’ is set as the ‘Plate Local Axis
Orientation’ in Model Settings. If set to ‘Nodal’ you can ignore the remaining steps, as the
plates are automatically rotated at 90° increments.

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4. Enter the degrees you want to move the plate from its default position.
5. Click OK to close the window.
6. Click on the plate you want to rotate, for the action to take place.

Note: You can hold down the Ctrl key while clicking on more plates, to apply the
same degree of rotation to each plate. Release the Shift key after all plates you
want have been selected and rotated.

Rotate Multiple Plates At Once

To rotate multiple plates the same degree, all at the once:
1. Hold the Ctrl key while clicking on each plate you want to rotate.
2. Go to the Modify ribbon, if it isn’t already open.
3. Click the Rotate Axis icon in the Plates section.
4. Choose the Selected option.
The Plate Local Axis Angle window opens, if ‘Global’ is set as the ‘Plate Local Axis
Orientation’ in Model Settings. If set to ‘Nodal’ you can ignore the remaining steps, as the
plates are automatically rotated at a 90° increment.

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5. Enter the degrees you want to move the plate from its default position.
6. Click OK to close the window.

Submesh Plates
You can choose to submesh a plate during the drawing process or submesh one or more existing
plates after they have been drawn. The second method is useful when you have several plates that
you want to submesh with the same properties. When working with submeshing, you can choose
from three different submeshing options, further explained in the following sections:
l Auto Submesh Plates
l Quadrilateral Plates
l Triangular Plates
There is a “Submeshing Options” window that provides a visual of each of the submesh options.

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This window can be accessed by either clicking the Meshing (ellipsis) button when the ‘Plates’
mode has been activated (from the ‘Home’ ribbon), or by clicking the (ellipsis) button next to any
one of the properties in the ‘Properties’ panel when Submesh Plates mode has been activated (from
the ‘Modify’ ribbon). Note that you can also choose a submesh option and set the same properties in
this window as from you can in the Properties panel.

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To Submesh a Plate When Drawing It

With this submeshing method, you can both create a plate and submesh it at the same time. When
you finish clicking on the last node of the plate, the submeshing option and properties you’ve chosen,
are automatically applied to the plate. Note that this method can be used only when drawing a new
plate.
To submesh a plate when you first draw it:
1. Go to the Home ribbon.
2. Click the Plates icon in the Draw Elements section, to turn on the Plates mode.
The Properties panel displays the properties for Plates, as shown in the following image.

3. Enter the plate information (Material, Thickness and Label).

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4. Click the Meshing arrow and choose the submesh option you want used for the plate.

There are three options for submeshing plates: Auto Submesh, Quad Submesh, and Tri
Submesh, as indicated by the three options available from the drop down list in the image
above.
Regardless of which option you chose, the Properties panel refreshes and displays the
related submeshing properties for that option, directly below Meshing.

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Note: Click on the Meshing (ellipsis) button (in the Properties panel) to open
the Submeshing Options window, which provides a visual of each available
submesh option. You can also choose the option and its properties from the
window, and then save your choices by clicking the OK button. Click here to view
an image and short description of the Submeshing Options window.

5. Enter the meshing properties you want used.

6. Enter an Additional Properties (if available) you want used.
7. Enter any Advanced Properties you want used.
8. Draw the plate in the model editing panel.
Immediately after click on the last connecting node, the plate is automatically updated with
the submeshing option and settings you’ve chosen.

To Submesh Existing Plates

With this submeshing method, you can submesh any plates that already exist in the model and also
modify existing submesh into more, thereby creating new submeshing.
1. Select the plate(s) you want to submesh.
To select multiple plates, hold down the Cntrl key while clicking on each plate.
2. Go to the Modify ribbon.

3. Click the Submesh Plates icon.

The Properties panel displays ‘Meshing’ under the Plate section.

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There are three options for submeshing plates: Auto (automatic submesh), Quad
( submesh quadrilateral plates) and Tri (submesh triangular plates).
The following sections provide more detail on each of the submesh options.
l Auto Submesh Plates
l Quadrilateral Plates
l Triangular Plates
4. Click on the tab that coincides with the submesh option you want to choose.

Note: Alternatively, you can click the ellipsis button next to any setting found under
any of the tabs, to open the “Submeshing Options” window. The Submeshing
Options window let you choose the meshing option and set its related properties as
well. Clicking the OK button saves your choices. Click here to see an image and
short description of the Submeshing Options window.

5. Set the submesh properties for your selected option.

You can submesh the plates one at a time by selecting the Click to Apply option and then
clicking on the plates you wish to submesh.
6. Do one of the following:
l Click Click to Apply button to submesh the plates one at a time by selecting the
Click to Apply option and then clicking on the plates you wish to submesh.
l Click Apply to Selected button to modify entire selections of plates by selecting the
plates and then using the Apply to Selected option.

Auto Submesh Plates

The Auto Submesh option in the Meshing drop down menu in the Plates section of the Properties
panel lets you draw a polygon that RISA-3D will automatically submesh into smaller quadrilateral
plate elements. Just as with Drawing Plates, the material set and plate thickness of the plates within
the mesh may be indicated prior to drawing the polygon. In addition to these parameters, a plate edge
maximum can also be provided. Polygons of virtually any size and shape may be drawn provided the
drawing lines do not cross. The polygon points must be on the same plane, either one of the three
global planes (XY, XZ, or YZ) or co-planar. Polygons may be drawn in either a clockwise or counter-
clockwise direction. To complete a polygon, simply double click on the last node/grid intersection, or
click on the starting node/grid intersection. Once a polygon is drawn, RISA-3D will create a submesh
of quadrilateral plate elements, limited by the edges of the polygon, and of a size corresponding to
the plate edge maximum indicated by the user.
The following is an example of a quadrilateral plate without and with Auto submeshing.

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Without With
Auto Submeshing Auto Submeshing

Note: Only quadrilateral plate elements are created with the Auto Submesh tool.

When drawing a polygon with the Auto Submesh tool, any existing nodes within the boundary and in
the plane of the polygon will be considered control points. These Control Points will be considered
"fixed" points within the mesh and will dictate the layout of individual plates surrounding them. It is
important to note that only currently selected nodes at the time the polygon is drawn will be used as
control points.

To AutoMesh a Polygon
To automatically submesh a Polygon when you draw it:
1. If there is not a model view already open:
a. Go to the View ribbon.
b. Click on the Open 3D Views icon to open a new view.
2. If you are not drawing between existing nodes, you need to create a drawing grid or define
nodes on the Node Coordinates spreadsheet.
3. Make sure that all nodes that are to be considered Control Points are selected.
4. Click the Automesh of Plates icon on the ‘Home’ ribbon.
5. Set the Plate Edge Maximum setting in the Properties panel.
6. Start drawing a polygon by clicking on the nodes or grid points with the left mouse button.
7. To complete the drawing of the polygon, double click the last point or click on the original
starting point.
It is at this point that the plate is automatically submeshed.
8. Right click or press the Esc key to stop drawing altogether.

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Note:
l You can also specify or edit plates in the Plates spreadsheet.
l You can also view and edit plate properties by clicking on a plate.
l
You can undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo button in the Quick
Access toolbar. If you want to undo a previous modification, click the ‘Undo’ icon’s
arrow and choose the modification you want to undo. Keep in mind that all
modifications made after the one you’ve chosen to undo, will also be undone.

For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Plate Mesh.

Quadrilateral Plates
You can submesh quadrilateral (4 sided) plate elements into a mesh of smaller elements by using the
Quad submesh option from the ‘Meshing’ drop down menu prior to drawing a plate or after the fact,
by clicking the Submesh Plates icon in the Modify ribbon (see To Submesh Existing Plates for
complete steps.) The new mesh can be any size up to the program limits for nodes and/or plates. The
Quad option is very useful for refining a coarse mesh of elements; just make sure that all adjacent
plate elements (elements sharing an edge) maintain connectivity.
The following is an example of a plate before and after applying Quad submeshing to it.

Before After

You can define different submesh increments in each direction. The A,B,C and D nodes for each
plate are displayed in the plates spreadsheet. The A node is the first node clicked on when you
created the plate. The B node is the second and so on. In addition, if the plate local axes is set to
Nodal, you can determine which side is which by displaying the plate local axes and realizing that the
local x-axis is parallel to the D-C edge of the plate.

To Submesh Quadrilateral Plates

To submesh Quadrilateral Plates:
1. If there is not a model view already open:
a. Go to the View ribbon.
b. Click on the Open 3D Views icon to open a new view.
2. Select the plates you want to sub mesh.

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3. Go to the Modify ribbon, if it isn’t already open.

4. Click the Submesh Plates icon.

The Properties panel displays the Plate submeshing options.

5. Click the Quad tab to display its property settings.

6. In the A-B Segments and B-C Segments boxes, specify the number of plates.
7. (Optional) In the Label Prefix box, change the prefix if you don’t want to use the default
(default is “P”).
8. Click the Apply to Selected button.

Note:
l To submesh more plates with different parameters, press CTRL-D to recall the
Submesh Plates action.
l
You can undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo button in the Quick
Access toolbar. If you want to undo a previous modification, click the ‘Undo’ icon’s
arrow and choose the modification you want to undo. Keep in mind that all
modifications made after the one you’ve chosen to undo, will also be undone.

Triangular Plates
This is used to sub-mesh the selected triangular (3 sided) elements into a mesh of 3 quadrilaterals.
This is done by first creating a new node at the center of each selected triangular element and also at

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the center point along each edge of the triangular element. These new nodes are then used to create
three quadrilateral elements that replace the triangular element.

Before After

To Submesh Triangular Plates

To submesh Triangular Plates:
1. If there is not a model view already open:
a. Go to the View ribbon.
b. Click on the Open 3D Views icon to open a new view.
2. Select the plates you want to sub mesh.
3. Go to the Modify ribbon if it doesn’t automatically open.

4. Click the Submesh Plates icon.

The Properties panel displays the Plate submeshing options.

5. Click the Tri tab to display its property settings.

The only property you can change is the label, which is optional.

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6. (Optional) In the Label Prefix box, change the prefix if you don’t want to use the default
(default is “P”).

Note:
l To submesh more plates with different parameters, press CTRL-D to recall the
Submesh Plates action.
l
You can undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo button. If you want to
undo a previous modification, click the ‘Undo’ icon’s arrow and choose the
modification you want to undo. Keep in mind that all modifications made after the
one you’ve chosen to undo, will also be undone.

Plates Spreadsheet - Primary Data

The Plates spreadsheet records the properties for the plate/shell elements of the model. The
spreadsheet can be accessed by selecting Plates from the ‘Data Entry’ section of the ‘Explorer’
panel.

The following table provides descriptions for the columns in the Plate Primary Data spreadsheet.
Plates Spreadsheet - Primary Data

Column(s) Description
Plate Labels Displays the label currently assigned to each plate. These labels allow
you to refer to a plate by using its label. Note that each label must be
unique. If you try to enter the same label more than once, you get an
error message.
In this spreadsheet, you can assign a different unique label to any or all
of the plates using one of the following methods.
l Spreadsheet: Use this method to change one or more plate
labels while in the Plate spreadsheet. Simply double-click on
the plate’s current Label and type the new label.
l Relabel All: Use this method to change the Prefix of all plate

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Column(s) Description
labels at once. Go to the ‘Modify’ ribbon and click the Relabel
All icon.
l Relabel Selected: Use this method to relabel only specific
plates that you have selected in the 3D View panel. Go to the
‘Modify’ ribbon and click the Relabel Selected icon.

Note: Using the Relabel Allor Relabel Selected icons in the

‘Modify’ ribbon, you can relabel plates at any time.

Plate Nodes The A, B, C, and D node entries are used to define the 4 corner nodes of
(A, B, C and D) a quadrilateral element. (To define a 3-node triangle element, just leave
the D node entry blank, or make it the same as the C node.) The nodes
must all lie on the same plane and be entered in either a clockwise or
counter-clockwise sequence.
The direction and sequence in which you define the nodes determines
how the elements local coordinate system is set up. This is discussed in
the section on Plate Local Axes.
Plate Material The material set label links the plate with the desired material defined on
the Materials spreadsheet.

Note: Plates are always defined with general materials. This is

because the other material sets (Hot Rolled, Cold Formed,
Wood, and Concrete) are used to designate member code
checking specifications. Since plates are only used for analysis,
no code checking is provided and the material must be
designated as a general material.

Plate Thickness The thickness field on the Plates spreadsheet is the thickness of the
element. This thickness is constant over the entire element.

Plates Spreadsheet - Advanced Data

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The following table provides descriptions for the columns in the Plate Advanced Data spreadsheet.
Plate Spreadsheet - Advanced Data

Column(s) Description
Plate Labels Displays the label currently assigned to each plate. These labels allow
you to refer to a plate by using its label. Note that each label must be
unique. If you try to enter the same label more than once, you get an
error message.
In this spreadsheet, you can assign a different unique label to any or all
of the plates using one of the following methods.
l Spreadsheet: Use this method to change one or more plate
labels while in the Plate spreadsheet. Simply double-click on
the plate’s current Label and type the new label.
l Relabel All: Use this method to change the Prefix of all plate
labels at once. Go to the ‘Modify’ ribbon and click the Relabel
All icon.
l Relabel Selected: Use this method to relabel only specific
plates that you have selected in the 3D View panel. Go to the
‘Modify’ ribbon and click the Relabel Selected icon.

Note: Using the Relabel Allor Relabel Selected icons in the

‘Modify’ ribbon, you can relabel plates at any time.

Plate Nodes The Plate Corner Releases for nodes A, B, C, and D of each plate may
(A, B, C and D) be set in these four data columns. See Plate Corner Releases for more
information.
Activation Allows for plates to be set to 'Active', 'Inactive', or 'Excluded'. These
choices can be made by selecting them from the drop down list or by
entering an 'I' for 'Inactive' or an 'E' for 'Excluded'. If the cell is left blank
the plate will be 'Active' by default. See Inactive and Excluded Plates for
more information.
Plane Stress Allows you to change the plate formulation to a ‘Plane Stress’ plate, by
checking the box. When checked, only in-plane stiffness behavior is
allowed. The default is unchecked, which allows for both in-plane and
out of plane behavior.
This option is useful for creating diaphragms that have only in-plane
stiffness and will not attract out of plane shear or moment.
Rotate Displays the angle that determines the orientation of the local coordinate
system of a plate element in relation to the global coordinate system.
What appears in this column depends on the option selected as the
‘Plate Local Axis Orientation’ option in the Model Settings window.
l If the ‘Plate Local Axis Orientation’ option is set to “Global” (the
default for all new models), a numerical value indicating the

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Column(s) Description
angle appears in this column. The value will appear as “0” for
brand new models.
l If the ‘Plate Local Axis Orientation’ option is set to “Nodal”, “NA”
appears in this column, indicating that rotation is not applicable.

Plate Local Axes

The A, B, C, and D nodes are used to define the corners of a quadrilateral element. (To define a 3-
node element, just leave the D node blank, or make it the same as the C node.) The nodes must all
lie on the same plane and be entered in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.
The direction and sequence in which you define the joints determines how the elements local
coordinate system is set up. The plate local axes can be set to ‘Global’ or ‘Nodal’ in the Axis settings
of the ‘Model Settings’ window. The following images depict the difference between Global and Nodal
plate local axes, which are shown graphically in green.
To view Local Axis labels on plates, as shown in the following images, see Turn on Display of Local
Axis Labels in this chapter.

When the plate local axis is set to ‘Global’, the local axes of all plates are oriented in the same
orthogonal direction, regardless of plate geometry. However, the positive out-of-plane z-axis are
dependent on the configuration in which the plate or mesh was drawn. The plate local out-of-plane
axis is always the z-axis, but the positive direction of this axis is dependent on the direction in which
you define the nodes of the plate. Defining the nodes in a clockwise pattern results in the out-of-plane
z-axis pointing in the positive direction according to the global axes. For example, in the global XZ-
plane, a plate drawn in the positive clockwise direction results in the plate local out-of-plane z-axis
pointing along the global positive Y-axis. Similarly, a counter-clockwise pattern results in the out-of-
plane z-axis pointing in the negative global axes direction. Plates do not follow the right-hand rule that
is common in three-dimensional vector orientation. For more information on the interpretation of plate
results based on local axis orientation, see Plate Force Results.
When the plate local axis is set to Nodal, the local x-axis is defined as positive from the D node
towards the C joint for 4 node elements and from C towards B for 3 node elements. The local y-axis is
then placed as close to pointing towards the A-node as possible. Note that for triangular elements,
the y-axis will probably not pass through the A-node. For 3 node elements, the y-axis is “towards” the
A-joint and perpendicular to the x-axis. Once the x and y axes are defined, the positive local z-axis is
found using the right hand rule.
The following diagrams illustrate how the elements local coordinate system is related to the node
numbering sequence and direction:

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The default plate local axis is set to ‘Global’. To change this to ‘Nodal’, see Axis settings in the Model
Settings section.

Plate/Shell Element Formulation

The element used is a mixed interpolation 4 node quadrilateral element. By mixed interpolation, we
mean that the in-plane and transverse shear strain components are derived independently. This
allows the element to be easily simplified into a plane stress element in cases where transverse shear
and bending are not desired. A reference for this element is Finite Element Procedures, by K.J.
Bathe, Prentice-Hall, 1996. The book also provides many references for papers on the elements
convergence and other characteristics. In brief, the element can model isotropic behavior for plane
stress, plate bending and out-of-plane transverse shear.
This is accomplished by starting with the Mindlin-Reissner plate assumptions and adding
interpolating functions for the out- of-plane transverse shear. This approach is analogous to
incorporating shear deformation with flexural effects in beam theory. This results in an element that
can be used for thin and thick plate applications. Traditional plate elements do not model out-of-plane
transverse shear well (if at all) and cannot be used for thick plate applications. The element is also
very insensitive to distortion.

Note: The linear-elastic behavior of the program implicitly means that non-linear (2nd order)
behavior is not generally supported. Tension-structures such as fabric structures would fall
into this non-linear category. Please see the Modeling Tips - Modeling a Cable section for
some ways to approximate this behavior. This section is applicable to members but the
principles illustrated are also applicable to plate modeling as well.

RISA-3D also provides a 3-node triangle element that can be used to build transitional meshes. The
stress characteristics of the triangle are not as accurate as the 4-node quad and use of the triangle
should be limited. It is not recommended that the stresses from the 3-node triangle be used at all. In
fact, RISA-3D's Auto Submesh tool will only create quadrilateral plate elements for this very reason.
RISA-3D provides a way to convert your triangular plates to quadrilaterals, see Submeshing
Triangular Plates.

Orthotropic Behavior
The RISA plate element can use two types of plate methodologies for analysis: Isotropic and
Orthotropic. The plate material and methodology can be defined in the Materials spreadsheet under
the General tab.

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By default the material properties shown in the Materials/General spreadsheet are for Isotropic
material. Isotropic materials can be used by all element types in the program such as Members, Wall
Panels, Solids, and Plates. By using the Isotropic plate methodology, the plate element does allow a
limited degree of orthotropic material behavior. Specifically, the In-Plane shearing of the plate will be
almost entirely controlled by the G value for the material whereas the direct In-Plane compressive
stiffness will be controlled by the E value of the material.
If you toggle the Plate Methodology to Orthotropic, the detailed orthotropic material properties can be
defined in the Edit Orthotropic Material window after clicking the (ellipsis) button in the Plate
Methodology cell.

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The orthotropic material properties can be defined per plate local axes. E1 and E2 correspond to Ex
and Ey, which are Young’s modulus in plate's local x and y directions. Similarly, G12, G13, and G23
correspond to Gxy, Gxz, and Gyz, which are shear modulus per plate's local axes. Nu12 corresponds
to Nuxy, which is the Poisson’s ratio between plate's local x and y direction.
All plates need to have their local axes orientation set as "Global" instead of "Nodal" for the program
to analyze orthotropic behavior. This can be set in the Plate Local Axis Orientation setting under the
Global Model Setting.
The following stress-strain relationship is used in the program for orthotropic material:

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Note: Currently orthotropic plate methodology can only be applied to Plate elements in the
program. If an orthotropic material is applied to Members, Wall Panels, or Solids, it will be
treated as an isotropic material, with E, G, and Nu taken as E1, G12, and Nu12 from the
orthotropic material input. Warning messages will be given after solution to explain this
behavior.

Plate Modeling Tips

A word of caution is in order if you are new to plate modeling. Unlike modeling with beam elements,
plate elements require some understanding of finite element behavior to successfully obtain
meaningful results. It is easy to build a finite element model using the powerful generators and
graphic editing tools. However, without understanding the limitations of the analysis method used,
you can end up with an impressive looking but very inaccurate model. Even if you’ve been engaged
in structural engineering for years, modeling with plates is not something most engineers do
frequently. It is therefore not realistic to have the expectation that you should be able to perform
complicated analysis with plate elements in a short amount of time. Good plate modeling takes time,
knowledge of plate and finite element behavior, and experience.
The first tip is to read all the Plate documentation before embarking on an ambitious modeling
project. This will save you much aggravation down the road.

Plate Distortion
The finite elements in a model should be as undistorted as possible. See the following figure:

Non-Planar Plates
The plate element formulation used in RISA is not very sensitive to distortion within the plane of the
plate itself (see the plate Distortion topic above). However, the plate element formation is particularly

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sensitive to non-planar plates. This means that it is critical that all 4 nodes that define a quadrilateral
plate remain in the same plane. There is an internal tolerance of 0.01 inches built into the plate
element formulation for maximum allowable planar distortion. This is appropriate for concrete slabs
and shear walls and such. But, extra care should be given to avoiding out-of-plane plates for
extremely small and thin plates.

Plate Generation
A fast way to build a new mesh of finite elements is with the generation features. RISA-3D currently
provides several generation features to quickly build common structures providing an easy way to
create cylinders, cones, grids, radial grids and disks of plates. The best way to see what these
features do is to experiment with them. See Generation to learn more about generation.
Another time-saving method is to draw large elements to represent continuum such as slabs and
shear walls, and then use the submesh features mentioned below to refine the mesh.

Note: Before sub-meshing, make sure that any adjacent “large” elements connect at their
corner nodes. That way, any subsequent sub-mesh operations will produce element meshes
that automatically connect at the intermediate nodes.

Automatic Plate Sub-Meshing

What if you’ve already built a model and you now decide that your finite element mesh is too
coarse? To submesh elements see Submeshing Plates. Performing a Model Merge after will insure
that all the new elements get connected to existing beam elements and that duplicate nodes get
merged. See Model Merge for more information.

Plate Error Checking

The program cannot provide a solution for plates which are poorly shaped or not planar. If any such
"degenerate" plates exist, an error is produced during the solution. Click the Degenerate Plate
Check icon in the ‘Plates’ section of ‘Modify’ ribbon to open the Degenerate Plate Check window to
fix these issues.

The Degenerate Plate Check utility includes two options that are used to either show problematic
plates or split them.

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l The Show Problematic Plates option provides a model view showing all plates that were
non-planar or poorly shaped. A summary report lists the number of degenerate plates, and
the warning log is populated with an exact list.
l The Split Problematic Plates option splits each non-planar plate into four triangular
plates. By definition a triangular plate is always planar, so this will allow the model to solve.
The force and stress results for these triangular plates are not accurate, and should not be
used for design. However, the stiffness is adequate for force transfer, so this splitting tool
provides a convenient method to force a solution in a model where manually fixing the
plates to be planar would be too time consuming, and where the plate stresses are not a
concern.

Finite Element Basics

While this will not be a comprehensive treatment of plate and finite element fundamentals, a review of
certain key basic concepts and terminology will be valuable to the engineer who has not worked with
finite elements, or has not had the opportunity to use them recently.
A place to start is with the types of forces or stresses that can occur in a plate. One term that is
commonly used is “plane stress”. This term is used to describe a state of stress in a plate where all
the stresses occur in the plane of the plate. A real world example would be a shear wall with forces
applied only in the plane of the wall. The resulting plate forces would be just the normal stresses (Fx,
Fy) and the in-plane shear stresses (Fxy). There would be no plate moments or out-of-plane shears
generated.

Stress vs. Force

It should be pointed out that the results for a plate are always a stress. These stresses are multiplied
by the plate thickness and the width or length to obtain a force. Note that this force obtained is just an
average value for the plate, since the stress was for a point on the plate and it undoubtedly will vary
throughout the plate area. The fact that the stresses vary within a plate is why a good finite element
mesh is so critical to obtain accurate results. Stresses tend to vary more around point loads and
supports, and less in regions that are far from supports and have a uniform load.
A different example of plate forces would be a horizontal diaphragm that is loaded only in the out-of-
plane direction. The plate results would be plate moments, out-of-plane shears, but no membrane
(plane stress) stresses. The reason for no membrane stresses is that there was no in-plane loading.

Sign Convention
One other comment on plate results is to point out the convention used for moments in plates. With
beams, the My moment describes the moment about the local y-axis. However, with a plate element,
the My moment is the moment that produces stresses in the local y-direction. The My moment in a
plate is actually about the local x-axis. For more information, see Plate Force Results.

Why Meshing Is Required

In a nutshell, finite elements tend to work by trying to approximate the correct deflected shape of the
real world item being modeled. For example, if we are trying to model a horizontal diaphragm, simply
supported on all edges, and loaded out-of- plane, our finite element model must able to
approximately recreate the deflected shape of the diaphragm.

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In order to do this with some accuracy, we must use a mesh of elements to represent the physical
diaphragm. If we try to model the diaphragm with only one element (which is what everyone tries to
do at least once), we will get very inaccurate results because one finite element cannot accurately
model the deflected shape of the physical diaphragm. The multiple reasons for this are beyond the
scope of this file, and if you want to understand the “why” please study a reference on finite element
analysis such as Bathe’s book.
The most important concept to understand is that finite elements require a certain number of free or
unrestrained nodes in order to produce accurate results. Using enough elements in your mesh will
produce accurate results for the deflection and stresses in the structural item being modeled. The
gauge of “enough” for common structural elements is addressed in the Plate Model Examples section
of the Reference Manual.

Distortion
Finite elements are also affected by geometric distortion. The best shape for the 4-node quadrilateral
is a square. In practice, elements are frequently distorted, which is fine as long as they aren’t
squashed too far out of shape. The largest internal angle should never be equal to or greater than
180 degrees, and preferably shouldn’t even approach 180 degrees.

Drilling Degree of Freedom

One last item is that the element used by RISA-3D, like other plate/shell elements, cannot accurately
model in-plane rotations. I.e., a plate/shell element will not provide resistance to a moment applied
about the plate’s local z-axis. For example, let’s say you have a 4x4 grid of elements, simply
supported about the edges, and you apply a node moment to one of the internal nodes so that the
moment is about the local z-axis of the elements. RISA-3D will solve such a model, however you will
get all zeros for the node reactions and the element stresses. See Applying In-Plane Moments to
Plates to learn how to work around this limitation.

Plates/Shells
The plate/shell finite element allows you to easily model shear walls, diaphragms, shells, tanks and
many other surface structures. We refer to the elements as plate elements, but they are actually
plate/shell elements. Plate data may be viewed and edited in three ways: graphically, in the
Information dialog or in the Plates spreadsheet.

Draw Plates
There are several graphic-editing features that make the creation and modification of models quite
easy. Use the Plates button in the Home tab and Modify menu to use these features in the model
view. To create new members or plates, you can draw them using a drawing grid or draw "dot to dot"
from existing nodes. Once you have created these items, you can use other graphic features to load
the model and set boundary conditions.
Creating plate models requires more forethought than beam models. See Plate Modeling Tips and
Plate Modeling Examples for tips on building plate models. To create new plates you can draw them
using a drawing grid, a project grid, or draw "dot to dot" from existing nodes. You can set all of the
plate properties up front or you can modify these properties after you draw them. Modifying properties
is discussed in the next sections. See Plate Spreadsheet for information on plates and their
properties.

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The Plates tool lets you graphically draw plates in your model. Enter the appropriate plate
parameters, and draw plates between existing nodes or on the drawing grid. You will also notice that
the coordinates of the node or grid point that is closest to your cursor are displayed next to your
cursor. The new plates will be shown on screen and will be recorded in the Plates Spreadsheet.
To actually draw a plate, you have two options. The fastest way is to use the Create Plates by
Clicking on Grid Areas option, and then create plates by clicking on the grid areas formed by the
intersecting grid lines. As you click on an area, a plate will automatically be created in that area. The
second option is to create plates by drawing them one node at a time. You click on the grid point or
node that you want to be the "A" node for the plate, then you click on the "B" node, "C" node, and then
the "D" node in either clockwise or counter clockwise order. The plate will "stretch" like a rubber band
as you draw from node to node.

The parameters shown are the same parameters that you would enter on the Plates spreadsheet.

To Draw Plates
To draw Plates:
1. If there is not a model view already open:
a. Go to the View ribbon.
b. Click on the Open 3D Views icon to open a new view.
2. If you are not drawing between existing nodes, you need to create a drawing grid or define
nodes on the Node Coordinates spreadsheet.
3. Click the Plates icon.
4. Set the plate properties:
a. You must click four points in a clockwise or counter-clockwise order.
To create a triangular plate click on the third joint twice.
b. If you chose to click in grid areas, create plates by clicking between the drawing grids.
5. To stop drawing altogether right click or press the Esc key.
6. To exit Plates mode:
a. Go to the Home ribbon.
b. Click on the Plates icon.

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Note:
l The default plate local axis is Global. To set this to Nodal, see Axis settings in
the Model Settings. For more information on plate local axes, see Plate Local
Axes.
l To draw more plates with different properties, press CTRL-D to recall the Plate
Properties settings.
l You can also specify or edit plates in the Plates spreadsheet.
l You can also view and edit plate properties by clicking on a plate.
l
You can undo any mistakes by clicking Undo on the Quick Access toolbar.
If you want to undo a previous modification, click the ‘Undo’ icon’s arrow and
choose the modification you want to undo. Keep in mind that all modifications made
after the one you’ve chosen to undo, will also be undone.

Modify Plates
There are a number of ways to modify plates. You can view and edit the member data in the Plates
spreadsheet. You can click a plate to view and edit its properties. You can select multiple plates to
graphically modify a possibly large selection of members.
The Platessection in the Properties panel lets you modify the properties of plates that already exist in
your model. To do so, you select the plates you want to modify, specify the properties you want to
change, and the program automatically updates the properties. You can modify plates one at a time
by clicking them individually and then changing the properties in the Properties panel. See the
Graphic Selection topic for more on selecting.
The parameters shown are the same as those used to define new plates.

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To Modify Plates
Plates can be modified by changing their properties. You can change properties for one or more
plates at a time.
To modify Plates:
1. If there is not a model view already open:
a. Go to the View ribbon.
b. Click on the Open 3D Views icon to open a new view.

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2. Click an individual plate or select multiple, then change the values in the Properties panel
as desired.
For more details, refer to Plate Information, Corner_Releases and Inactive_Excluded.
As you make changes, the program automatically updates the plates.

Note:
l You can also modify plates in the Plates spreadsheet.
l
You can undo any mistakes by clicking Undo on the Quick Access toolbar.
If you want to undo a previous modification, click the ‘Undo’ icon’s arrow and
choose the modification you want to undo. Keep in mind that all modifications made
after the one you’ve chosen to undo, will also be undone.
l It may not be possible to perfectly align the plate local axes.

Plate Information
Just as with the node and members, you can click any plate to view it’s properties in the ‘Properties’
panel. All of the same information that is stored in the Plates spreadsheet is displayed for the plate
you choose, and can be edited. This is a quick way to view and change plate properties.

Note: For modifying a large selections of plates, using the spreadsheet and graphic editing
tools may be a faster method.

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The following table includes descriptions of the options available for modification.
Properties Panel - Plate Options

Section Description
Material Display the material used for the plate, and lets you edit it.
Thickness Displays the plate thickness (in the current dimension units), and lets
you edit them.
Label Display the current label of the selected plate, and lets you edit that
label.
Corner Nodes Displays the corner node labels, and lets you edit them.
(A, B, C and D)
Local Axis Angle Displays the angle that determines the orientation of the local coordinate
system of a plate element in relation to the global coordinate system.
Plane Stress This box should be checked when you want to change the plate
formulation to indicate that the plate is a Plane Stress plate. This option
is useful for creating diaphragms that have only in-plane stiffness and

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Section Description
will not attract out of plane moments. The default is unchecked which
allows for both in-plane and out of plane behavior.
Plate Corner Displays the corner release for the selected plate, and lets you edit
Releases them. See Plate Corner Releases for more details.
(A, B, C and D)
Activation Display the current activation state of the plate, and lets you change it.
If the plate is made inactive, you will need to activate the plate from the
Plates spreadsheet, or by using the Criteria Select feature to find and
select inactive plates.
See Inactive and Excluded Plates for more details.

Plate Corner Releases

The A, B, C, & D Release fields are used to designate whether the forces and moments at the
corners of the plate are considered fixed to or released from the plates's points of attachment (the A,
B, C, and D nodes). Each plate has 5 force components at each corner (Fx, Fy, Fz, Mx, and My). Any
or all of these force components can be released from the plate's point of attachment. If a force
component is released, that force is not transferred between the node and the plate.

To Specify Plate Corner Releases

To specify plate corner releases:
1. Expand the Advanced Properties section of the Properties panel, if not already expanded.

2. Click on the A, B, C, or D Release (ellipsis) button for the plate.

3. Specify the condition.

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RISA-3D has a special "keyword" release configuration built-in. That is:

PIN => Mx and My (all moments) released (OOOXX)
This keyword entry is included because 99% of the release configurations you'll ever want
to define will be "PIN". You can call out the keyword entry by just entering the first letter of
the keyword, "p". So if you go to a release field and enter "p", the keyword "PIN" will be filled
in automatically.

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Note:
Alternatively, you can specify the corner condition by directly typing in the A, B, C or D
Release box.

l To indicate that a force component is released, type an 'X' for that component in the
release box.
l To indicate that a force component is not released, type an 'O' for that component
in the release box.

Note: It’s generally more efficient to use the Graphic Editing features if you want to change
the properties for many plates at once.

Inactive and Excluded Plates

Making an item such as a member or plate inactive allows you to analyze the structure without the
item, without having to delete the information that defines it. This leaves data intact so the item may
be easily reactivated. This is handy if you want to try a model with and then without certain items,
without having to actually delete the data.
l Choosing Inactive means the item is not included when the model is solved or plotted.
l Choosing Excluded means include the item in the solution, but exclude it from the results
list.
So, an item set to Excluded is treated like any other plate in the solution and plotting of the
model, but the plate will not be listed in the solution results (forces, stresses etc.). This is
useful if there are certain items whose results you're not interested in. You don't have to
clutter up the results with these items and can concentrate on the items you're most
interested in. See Printing for more limiting printed results.

Rotate Plates
The Rotate Axis options let you perform a clockwise, or counter clockwise rotation of plate local axes
so that they can better align with the surrounding plate local axes. It also lets you flip the local z-axis

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so that it is headed in the other direction. The degree increment of the clockwise or counter clockwise
rotation depends on whether the Local Axis setting in Model Settings is ‘Global’ or ‘Nodal’. When set
to Global, rotation is based on whatever degree you set, and the plate’s local axes are rotated by that
degree. When ‘Nodal’ is set however, rotation is automatically set at 90°, where each click rotates the
plate(s) local axes 90° at a time. Global is the Local Axis default, though you can change it to Nodal in
the Axis tab of the ‘Model Settings‘ window. If you would like to view the rotation of the plate(s) in the
3D View panel, turn on the display of Local Axis Labels.

Note: While you can use the Rotate Axis feature to flip the local z-axis so that it is headed in
the other direction, you may find the Flip Axis feature more convenient to use.

Turn on Display of Local Axis Labels

To turn on the display of local axis labels on the plates:
1. Open to the Home ribbon, if not already open.
2. Click the Plate Labels down arrow in the Quick View section.

A list of labels opens.

3. Choose Local Axes from the list.

The plates display the Local Axes labels. The following images depict the local axes labels
turned off and on.

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Local Axes labels

Local Axes labels turned OFF
turned ON

Rotate a Single Plate

To rotate a single Plate:
1. Go to the Modify ribbon, if it isn’t already open.
2. Click the Rotate Axis icon in the Plates section.
3. Choose the Single option.
The Plate Local Axis Angle window opens, if ‘Global’ is set as the ‘Plate Local Axis
Orientation’ in Model Settings. If set to ‘Nodal’ you can ignore the remaining steps, as the
plates are automatically rotated at 90° increments.

4. Enter the degrees you want to move the plate from its default position.
5. Click OK to close the window.
6. Click on the plate you want to rotate, for the action to take place.

Note: You can hold down the Ctrl key while clicking on more plates, to apply the
same degree of rotation to each plate. Release the Shift key after all plates you
want have been selected and rotated.

Rotate Multiple Plates At Once

To rotate multiple plates the same degree, all at the once:

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1. Hold the Ctrl key while clicking on each plate you want to rotate.
2. Go to the Modify ribbon, if it isn’t already open.
3. Click the Rotate Axis icon in the Plates section.
4. Choose the Selected option.
The Plate Local Axis Angle window opens, if ‘Global’ is set as the ‘Plate Local Axis
Orientation’ in Model Settings. If set to ‘Nodal’ you can ignore the remaining steps, as the
plates are automatically rotated at a 90° increment.

5. Enter the degrees you want to move the plate from its default position.
6. Click OK to close the window.

Submesh Plates
You can choose to submesh a plate during the drawing process or submesh one or more existing
plates after they have been drawn. The second method is useful when you have several plates that
you want to submesh with the same properties. When working with submeshing, you can choose
from three different submeshing options, further explained in the following sections:
l Auto Submesh Plates
l Quadrilateral Plates
l Triangular Plates
There is a “Submeshing Options” window that provides a visual of each of the submesh options.

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This window can be accessed by either clicking the Meshing (ellipsis) button when the ‘Plates’
mode has been activated (from the ‘Home’ ribbon), or by clicking the (ellipsis) button next to any
one of the properties in the ‘Properties’ panel when Submesh Plates mode has been activated (from
the ‘Modify’ ribbon). Note that you can also choose a submesh option and set the same properties in
this window as from you can in the Properties panel.

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To Submesh a Plate When Drawing It

With this submeshing method, you can both create a plate and submesh it at the same time. When
you finish clicking on the last node of the plate, the submeshing option and properties you’ve chosen,
are automatically applied to the plate. Note that this method can be used only when drawing a new
plate.
To submesh a plate when you first draw it:
1. Go to the Home ribbon.
2. Click the Plates icon in the Draw Elements section, to turn on the Plates mode.
The Properties panel displays the properties for Plates, as shown in the following image.

3. Enter the plate information (Material, Thickness and Label).

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4. Click the Meshing arrow and choose the submesh option you want used for the plate.

There are three options for submeshing plates: Auto Submesh, Quad Submesh, and Tri
Submesh, as indicated by the three options available from the drop down list in the image
above.
Regardless of which option you chose, the Properties panel refreshes and displays the
related submeshing properties for that option, directly below Meshing.

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Note: Click on the Meshing (ellipsis) button (in the Properties panel) to open
the Submeshing Options window, which provides a visual of each available
submesh option. You can also choose the option and its properties from the
window, and then save your choices by clicking the OK button. Click here to view
an image and short description of the Submeshing Options window.

5. Enter the meshing properties you want used.

6. Enter an Additional Properties (if available) you want used.
7. Enter any Advanced Properties you want used.
8. Draw the plate in the model editing panel.
Immediately after click on the last connecting node, the plate is automatically updated with
the submeshing option and settings you’ve chosen.

To Submesh Existing Plates

With this submeshing method, you can submesh any plates that already exist in the model and also
modify existing submesh into more, thereby creating new submeshing.
1. Select the plate(s) you want to submesh.
To select multiple plates, hold down the Cntrl key while clicking on each plate.
2. Go to the Modify ribbon.

3. Click the Submesh Plates icon.

The Properties panel displays ‘Meshing’ under the Plate section.

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There are three options for submeshing plates: Auto (automatic submesh), Quad
( submesh quadrilateral plates) and Tri (submesh triangular plates).
The following sections provide more detail on each of the submesh options.
l Auto Submesh Plates
l Quadrilateral Plates
l Triangular Plates
4. Click on the tab that coincides with the submesh option you want to choose.

Note: Alternatively, you can click the ellipsis button next to any setting found under
any of the tabs, to open the “Submeshing Options” window. The Submeshing
Options window let you choose the meshing option and set its related properties as
well. Clicking the OK button saves your choices. Click here to see an image and
short description of the Submeshing Options window.

5. Set the submesh properties for your selected option.

You can submesh the plates one at a time by selecting the Click to Apply option and then
clicking on the plates you wish to submesh.
6. Do one of the following:
l Click Click to Apply button to submesh the plates one at a time by selecting the
Click to Apply option and then clicking on the plates you wish to submesh.
l Click Apply to Selected button to modify entire selections of plates by selecting the
plates and then using the Apply to Selected option.

Auto Submesh Plates

The Auto Submesh option in the Meshing drop down menu in the Plates section of the Properties
panel lets you draw a polygon that RISA-3D will automatically submesh into smaller quadrilateral
plate elements. Just as with Drawing Plates, the material set and plate thickness of the plates within
the mesh may be indicated prior to drawing the polygon. In addition to these parameters, a plate edge
maximum can also be provided. Polygons of virtually any size and shape may be drawn provided the
drawing lines do not cross. The polygon points must be on the same plane, either one of the three
global planes (XY, XZ, or YZ) or co-planar. Polygons may be drawn in either a clockwise or counter-
clockwise direction. To complete a polygon, simply double click on the last node/grid intersection, or
click on the starting node/grid intersection. Once a polygon is drawn, RISA-3D will create a submesh
of quadrilateral plate elements, limited by the edges of the polygon, and of a size corresponding to
the plate edge maximum indicated by the user.
The following is an example of a quadrilateral plate without and with Auto submeshing.

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Without With
Auto Submeshing Auto Submeshing

Note: Only quadrilateral plate elements are created with the Auto Submesh tool.

When drawing a polygon with the Auto Submesh tool, any existing nodes within the boundary and in
the plane of the polygon will be considered control points. These Control Points will be considered
"fixed" points within the mesh and will dictate the layout of individual plates surrounding them. It is
important to note that only currently selected nodes at the time the polygon is drawn will be used as
control points.

To AutoMesh a Polygon
To automatically submesh a Polygon when you draw it:
1. If there is not a model view already open:
a. Go to the View ribbon.
b. Click on the Open 3D Views icon to open a new view.
2. If you are not drawing between existing nodes, you need to create a drawing grid or define
nodes on the Node Coordinates spreadsheet.
3. Make sure that all nodes that are to be considered Control Points are selected.
4. Click the Automesh of Plates icon on the ‘Home’ ribbon.
5. Set the Plate Edge Maximum setting in the Properties panel.
6. Start drawing a polygon by clicking on the nodes or grid points with the left mouse button.
7. To complete the drawing of the polygon, double click the last point or click on the original
starting point.
It is at this point that the plate is automatically submeshed.
8. Right click or press the Esc key to stop drawing altogether.

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Note:
l You can also specify or edit plates in the Plates spreadsheet.
l You can also view and edit plate properties by clicking on a plate.
l
You can undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo button in the Quick
Access toolbar. If you want to undo a previous modification, click the ‘Undo’ icon’s
arrow and choose the modification you want to undo. Keep in mind that all
modifications made after the one you’ve chosen to undo, will also be undone.

For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Plate Mesh.

Quadrilateral Plates
You can submesh quadrilateral (4 sided) plate elements into a mesh of smaller elements by using the
Quad submesh option from the ‘Meshing’ drop down menu prior to drawing a plate or after the fact,
by clicking the Submesh Plates icon in the Modify ribbon (see To Submesh Existing Plates for
complete steps.) The new mesh can be any size up to the program limits for nodes and/or plates. The
Quad option is very useful for refining a coarse mesh of elements; just make sure that all adjacent
plate elements (elements sharing an edge) maintain connectivity.
The following is an example of a plate before and after applying Quad submeshing to it.

Before After

You can define different submesh increments in each direction. The A,B,C and D nodes for each
plate are displayed in the plates spreadsheet. The A node is the first node clicked on when you
created the plate. The B node is the second and so on. In addition, if the plate local axes is set to
Nodal, you can determine which side is which by displaying the plate local axes and realizing that the
local x-axis is parallel to the D-C edge of the plate.

To Submesh Quadrilateral Plates

To submesh Quadrilateral Plates:
1. If there is not a model view already open:
a. Go to the View ribbon.
b. Click on the Open 3D Views icon to open a new view.

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2. Select the plates you want to sub mesh.

3. Go to the Modify ribbon, if it isn’t already open.

4. Click the Submesh Plates icon.

The Properties panel displays the Plate submeshing options.

5. Click the Quad tab to display its property settings.

6. In the A-B Segments and B-C Segments boxes, specify the number of plates.
7. (Optional) In the Label Prefix box, change the prefix if you don’t want to use the default
(default is “P”).
8. Click the Apply to Selected button.

Note:
l To submesh more plates with different parameters, press CTRL-D to recall the
Submesh Plates action.
l
You can undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo button in the Quick
Access toolbar. If you want to undo a previous modification, click the ‘Undo’ icon’s
arrow and choose the modification you want to undo. Keep in mind that all
modifications made after the one you’ve chosen to undo, will also be undone.

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Triangular Plates
This is used to sub-mesh the selected triangular (3 sided) elements into a mesh of 3 quadrilaterals.
This is done by first creating a new node at the center of each selected triangular element and also at
the center point along each edge of the triangular element. These new nodes are then used to create
three quadrilateral elements that replace the triangular element.

Before After

To Submesh Triangular Plates

To submesh Triangular Plates:
1. If there is not a model view already open:
a. Go to the View ribbon.
b. Click on the Open 3D Views icon to open a new view.
2. Select the plates you want to sub mesh.
3. Go to the Modify ribbon if it doesn’t automatically open.

4. Click the Submesh Plates icon.

The Properties panel displays the Plate submeshing options.

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5. Click the Tri tab to display its property settings.

The only property you can change is the label, which is optional.
6. (Optional) In the Label Prefix box, change the prefix if you don’t want to use the default
(default is “P”).

Note:
l To submesh more plates with different parameters, press CTRL-D to recall the
Submesh Plates action.
l
You can undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo button. If you want to
undo a previous modification, click the ‘Undo’ icon’s arrow and choose the
modification you want to undo. Keep in mind that all modifications made after the
one you’ve chosen to undo, will also be undone.

Plates Spreadsheet - Primary Data

The Plates spreadsheet records the properties for the plate/shell elements of the model. The
spreadsheet can be accessed by selecting Plates from the ‘Data Entry’ section of the ‘Explorer’
panel.

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The following table provides descriptions for the columns in the Plate Primary Data spreadsheet.
Plates Spreadsheet - Primary Data

Column(s) Description
Plate Labels Displays the label currently assigned to each plate. These labels allow
you to refer to a plate by using its label. Note that each label must be
unique. If you try to enter the same label more than once, you get an
error message.
In this spreadsheet, you can assign a different unique label to any or all
of the plates using one of the following methods.
l Spreadsheet: Use this method to change one or more plate
labels while in the Plate spreadsheet. Simply double-click on
the plate’s current Label and type the new label.
l Relabel All: Use this method to change the Prefix of all plate
labels at once. Go to the ‘Modify’ ribbon and click the Relabel
All icon.
l Relabel Selected: Use this method to relabel only specific
plates that you have selected in the 3D View panel. Go to the
‘Modify’ ribbon and click the Relabel Selected icon.

Note: Using the Relabel Allor Relabel Selected icons in the

‘Modify’ ribbon, you can relabel plates at any time.

Plate Nodes The A, B, C, and D node entries are used to define the 4 corner nodes of
(A, B, C and D) a quadrilateral element. (To define a 3-node triangle element, just leave
the D node entry blank, or make it the same as the C node.) The nodes
must all lie on the same plane and be entered in either a clockwise or
counter-clockwise sequence.
The direction and sequence in which you define the nodes determines
how the elements local coordinate system is set up. This is discussed in
the section on Plate Local Axes.
Plate Material The material set label links the plate with the desired material defined on
the Materials spreadsheet.

Note: Plates are always defined with general materials. This is

because the other material sets (Hot Rolled, Cold Formed,
Wood, and Concrete) are used to designate member code
checking specifications. Since plates are only used for analysis,
no code checking is provided and the material must be
designated as a general material.

Plate Thickness The thickness field on the Plates spreadsheet is the thickness of the
element. This thickness is constant over the entire element.

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Plates Spreadsheet - Advanced Data

The following table provides descriptions for the columns in the Plate Advanced Data spreadsheet.
Plate Spreadsheet - Advanced Data

Column(s) Description
Plate Labels Displays the label currently assigned to each plate. These labels allow
you to refer to a plate by using its label. Note that each label must be
unique. If you try to enter the same label more than once, you get an
error message.
In this spreadsheet, you can assign a different unique label to any or all
of the plates using one of the following methods.
l Spreadsheet: Use this method to change one or more plate
labels while in the Plate spreadsheet. Simply double-click on
the plate’s current Label and type the new label.
l Relabel All: Use this method to change the Prefix of all plate
labels at once. Go to the ‘Modify’ ribbon and click the Relabel
All icon.
l Relabel Selected: Use this method to relabel only specific
plates that you have selected in the 3D View panel. Go to the
‘Modify’ ribbon and click the Relabel Selected icon.

Note: Using the Relabel Allor Relabel Selected icons in the

‘Modify’ ribbon, you can relabel plates at any time.

Plate Nodes The Plate Corner Releases for nodes A, B, C, and D of each plate may
(A, B, C and D) be set in these four data columns. See Plate Corner Releases for more
information.
Activation Allows for plates to be set to 'Active', 'Inactive', or 'Excluded'. These
choices can be made by selecting them from the drop down list or by
entering an 'I' for 'Inactive' or an 'E' for 'Excluded'. If the cell is left blank
the plate will be 'Active' by default. See Inactive and Excluded Plates for

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Column(s) Description
more information.
Plane Stress Allows you to change the plate formulation to a ‘Plane Stress’ plate, by
checking the box. When checked, only in-plane stiffness behavior is
allowed. The default is unchecked, which allows for both in-plane and
out of plane behavior.
This option is useful for creating diaphragms that have only in-plane
stiffness and will not attract out of plane shear or moment.
Rotate Displays the angle that determines the orientation of the local coordinate
system of a plate element in relation to the global coordinate system.
What appears in this column depends on the option selected as the
‘Plate Local Axis Orientation’ option in the Model Settings window.
l If the ‘Plate Local Axis Orientation’ option is set to “Global” (the
default for all new models), a numerical value indicating the
angle appears in this column. The value will appear as “0” for
brand new models.
l If the ‘Plate Local Axis Orientation’ option is set to “Nodal”, “NA”
appears in this column, indicating that rotation is not applicable.

Plate Local Axes

The A, B, C, and D nodes are used to define the corners of a quadrilateral element. (To define a 3-
node element, just leave the D node blank, or make it the same as the C node.) The nodes must all
lie on the same plane and be entered in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.
The direction and sequence in which you define the joints determines how the elements local
coordinate system is set up. The plate local axes can be set to ‘Global’ or ‘Nodal’ in the Axis settings
of the ‘Model Settings’ window. The following images depict the difference between Global and Nodal
plate local axes, which are shown graphically in green.
To view Local Axis labels on plates, as shown in the following images, see Turn on Display of Local
Axis Labels in this chapter.

When the plate local axis is set to ‘Global’, the local axes of all plates are oriented in the same
orthogonal direction, regardless of plate geometry. However, the positive out-of-plane z-axis are
dependent on the configuration in which the plate or mesh was drawn. The plate local out-of-plane
axis is always the z-axis, but the positive direction of this axis is dependent on the direction in which
you define the nodes of the plate. Defining the nodes in a clockwise pattern results in the out-of-plane
z-axis pointing in the positive direction according to the global axes. For example, in the global XZ-
plane, a plate drawn in the positive clockwise direction results in the plate local out-of-plane z-axis
pointing along the global positive Y-axis. Similarly, a counter-clockwise pattern results in the out-of-
plane z-axis pointing in the negative global axes direction. Plates do not follow the right-hand rule that
is common in three-dimensional vector orientation. For more information on the interpretation of plate
results based on local axis orientation, see Plate Force Results.

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When the plate local axis is set to Nodal, the local x-axis is defined as positive from the D node
towards the C joint for 4 node elements and from C towards B for 3 node elements. The local y-axis is
then placed as close to pointing towards the A-node as possible. Note that for triangular elements,
the y-axis will probably not pass through the A-node. For 3 node elements, the y-axis is “towards” the
A-joint and perpendicular to the x-axis. Once the x and y axes are defined, the positive local z-axis is
found using the right hand rule.
The following diagrams illustrate how the elements local coordinate system is related to the node
numbering sequence and direction:

The default plate local axis is set to ‘Global’. To change this to ‘Nodal’, see Axis settings in the Model
Settings section.

Plate/Shell Element Formulation

The element used is a mixed interpolation 4 node quadrilateral element. By mixed interpolation, we
mean that the in-plane and transverse shear strain components are derived independently. This
allows the element to be easily simplified into a plane stress element in cases where transverse shear
and bending are not desired. A reference for this element is Finite Element Procedures, by K.J.
Bathe, Prentice-Hall, 1996. The book also provides many references for papers on the elements
convergence and other characteristics. In brief, the element can model isotropic behavior for plane
stress, plate bending and out-of-plane transverse shear.
This is accomplished by starting with the Mindlin-Reissner plate assumptions and adding
interpolating functions for the out- of-plane transverse shear. This approach is analogous to
incorporating shear deformation with flexural effects in beam theory. This results in an element that
can be used for thin and thick plate applications. Traditional plate elements do not model out-of-plane
transverse shear well (if at all) and cannot be used for thick plate applications. The element is also
very insensitive to distortion.

Note: The linear-elastic behavior of the program implicitly means that non-linear (2nd order)
behavior is not generally supported. Tension-structures such as fabric structures would fall
into this non-linear category. Please see the Modeling Tips - Modeling a Cable section for
some ways to approximate this behavior. This section is applicable to members but the
principles illustrated are also applicable to plate modeling as well.

RISA-3D also provides a 3-node triangle element that can be used to build transitional meshes. The
stress characteristics of the triangle are not as accurate as the 4-node quad and use of the triangle
should be limited. It is not recommended that the stresses from the 3-node triangle be used at all. In

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fact, RISA-3D's Auto Submesh tool will only create quadrilateral plate elements for this very reason.
RISA-3D provides a way to convert your triangular plates to quadrilaterals, see Submeshing
Triangular Plates.

Orthotropic Behavior
The RISA plate element can use two types of plate methodologies for analysis: Isotropic and
Orthotropic. The plate material and methodology can be defined in the Materials spreadsheet under
the General tab.

By default the material properties shown in the Materials/General spreadsheet are for Isotropic
material. Isotropic materials can be used by all element types in the program such as Members, Wall
Panels, Solids, and Plates. By using the Isotropic plate methodology, the plate element does allow a
limited degree of orthotropic material behavior. Specifically, the In-Plane shearing of the plate will be
almost entirely controlled by the G value for the material whereas the direct In-Plane compressive
stiffness will be controlled by the E value of the material.
If you toggle the Plate Methodology to Orthotropic, the detailed orthotropic material properties can be
defined in the Edit Orthotropic Material window after clicking the (ellipsis) button in the Plate
Methodology cell.

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The orthotropic material properties can be defined per plate local axes. E1 and E2 correspond to Ex
and Ey, which are Young’s modulus in plate's local x and y directions. Similarly, G12, G13, and G23
correspond to Gxy, Gxz, and Gyz, which are shear modulus per plate's local axes. Nu12 corresponds
to Nuxy, which is the Poisson’s ratio between plate's local x and y direction.
All plates need to have their local axes orientation set as "Global" instead of "Nodal" for the program
to analyze orthotropic behavior. This can be set in the Plate Local Axis Orientation setting under the
Global Model Setting.
The following stress-strain relationship is used in the program for orthotropic material:

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Note: Currently orthotropic plate methodology can only be applied to Plate elements in the
program. If an orthotropic material is applied to Members, Wall Panels, or Solids, it will be
treated as an isotropic material, with E, G, and Nu taken as E1, G12, and Nu12 from the
orthotropic material input. Warning messages will be given after solution to explain this
behavior.

Plate Modeling Tips

A word of caution is in order if you are new to plate modeling. Unlike modeling with beam elements,
plate elements require some understanding of finite element behavior to successfully obtain
meaningful results. It is easy to build a finite element model using the powerful generators and
graphic editing tools. However, without understanding the limitations of the analysis method used,
you can end up with an impressive looking but very inaccurate model. Even if you’ve been engaged
in structural engineering for years, modeling with plates is not something most engineers do
frequently. It is therefore not realistic to have the expectation that you should be able to perform
complicated analysis with plate elements in a short amount of time. Good plate modeling takes time,
knowledge of plate and finite element behavior, and experience.
The first tip is to read all the Plate documentation before embarking on an ambitious modeling
project. This will save you much aggravation down the road.

Plate Distortion
The finite elements in a model should be as undistorted as possible. See the following figure:

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Non-Planar Plates
The plate element formulation used in RISA is not very sensitive to distortion within the plane of the
plate itself (see the plate Distortion topic above). However, the plate element formation is particularly
sensitive to non-planar plates. This means that it is critical that all 4 nodes that define a quadrilateral
plate remain in the same plane. There is an internal tolerance of 0.01 inches built into the plate
element formulation for maximum allowable planar distortion. This is appropriate for concrete slabs
and shear walls and such. But, extra care should be given to avoiding out-of-plane plates for
extremely small and thin plates.

Plate Generation
A fast way to build a new mesh of finite elements is with the generation features. RISA-3D currently
provides several generation features to quickly build common structures providing an easy way to
create cylinders, cones, grids, radial grids and disks of plates. The best way to see what these
features do is to experiment with them. See Generation to learn more about generation.
Another time-saving method is to draw large elements to represent continuum such as slabs and
shear walls, and then use the submesh features mentioned below to refine the mesh.

Note: Before sub-meshing, make sure that any adjacent “large” elements connect at their
corner nodes. That way, any subsequent sub-mesh operations will produce element meshes
that automatically connect at the intermediate nodes.

Automatic Plate Sub-Meshing

What if you’ve already built a model and you now decide that your finite element mesh is too
coarse? To submesh elements see Submeshing Plates. Performing a Model Merge after will insure
that all the new elements get connected to existing beam elements and that duplicate nodes get
merged. See Model Merge for more information.

Plate Error Checking

The program cannot provide a solution for plates which are poorly shaped or not planar. If any such
"degenerate" plates exist, an error is produced during the solution. Click the Degenerate Plate
Check icon in the ‘Plates’ section of ‘Modify’ ribbon to open the Degenerate Plate Check window to
fix these issues.

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The Degenerate Plate Check utility includes two options that are used to either show problematic
plates or split them.
l The Show Problematic Plates option provides a model view showing all plates that were
non-planar or poorly shaped. A summary report lists the number of degenerate plates, and
the warning log is populated with an exact list.
l The Split Problematic Plates option splits each non-planar plate into four triangular
plates. By definition a triangular plate is always planar, so this will allow the model to solve.
The force and stress results for these triangular plates are not accurate, and should not be
used for design. However, the stiffness is adequate for force transfer, so this splitting tool
provides a convenient method to force a solution in a model where manually fixing the
plates to be planar would be too time consuming, and where the plate stresses are not a
concern.

Finite Element Basics

While this will not be a comprehensive treatment of plate and finite element fundamentals, a review of
certain key basic concepts and terminology will be valuable to the engineer who has not worked with
finite elements, or has not had the opportunity to use them recently.
A place to start is with the types of forces or stresses that can occur in a plate. One term that is
commonly used is “plane stress”. This term is used to describe a state of stress in a plate where all
the stresses occur in the plane of the plate. A real world example would be a shear wall with forces
applied only in the plane of the wall. The resulting plate forces would be just the normal stresses (Fx,
Fy) and the in-plane shear stresses (Fxy). There would be no plate moments or out-of-plane shears
generated.

Stress vs. Force

It should be pointed out that the results for a plate are always a stress. These stresses are multiplied
by the plate thickness and the width or length to obtain a force. Note that this force obtained is just an
average value for the plate, since the stress was for a point on the plate and it undoubtedly will vary
throughout the plate area. The fact that the stresses vary within a plate is why a good finite element
mesh is so critical to obtain accurate results. Stresses tend to vary more around point loads and
supports, and less in regions that are far from supports and have a uniform load.

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A different example of plate forces would be a horizontal diaphragm that is loaded only in the out-of-
plane direction. The plate results would be plate moments, out-of-plane shears, but no membrane
(plane stress) stresses. The reason for no membrane stresses is that there was no in-plane loading.

Sign Convention
One other comment on plate results is to point out the convention used for moments in plates. With
beams, the My moment describes the moment about the local y-axis. However, with a plate element,
the My moment is the moment that produces stresses in the local y-direction. The My moment in a
plate is actually about the local x-axis. For more information, see Plate Force Results.

Why Meshing Is Required

In a nutshell, finite elements tend to work by trying to approximate the correct deflected shape of the
real world item being modeled. For example, if we are trying to model a horizontal diaphragm, simply
supported on all edges, and loaded out-of- plane, our finite element model must able to
approximately recreate the deflected shape of the diaphragm.
In order to do this with some accuracy, we must use a mesh of elements to represent the physical
diaphragm. If we try to model the diaphragm with only one element (which is what everyone tries to
do at least once), we will get very inaccurate results because one finite element cannot accurately
model the deflected shape of the physical diaphragm. The multiple reasons for this are beyond the
scope of this file, and if you want to understand the “why” please study a reference on finite element
analysis such as Bathe’s book.
The most important concept to understand is that finite elements require a certain number of free or
unrestrained nodes in order to produce accurate results. Using enough elements in your mesh will
produce accurate results for the deflection and stresses in the structural item being modeled. The
gauge of “enough” for common structural elements is addressed in the Plate Model Examples section
of the Reference Manual.

Distortion
Finite elements are also affected by geometric distortion. The best shape for the 4-node quadrilateral
is a square. In practice, elements are frequently distorted, which is fine as long as they aren’t
squashed too far out of shape. The largest internal angle should never be equal to or greater than
180 degrees, and preferably shouldn’t even approach 180 degrees.

Drilling Degree of Freedom

One last item is that the element used by RISA-3D, like other plate/shell elements, cannot accurately
model in-plane rotations. I.e., a plate/shell element will not provide resistance to a moment applied
about the plate’s local z-axis. For example, let’s say you have a 4x4 grid of elements, simply
supported about the edges, and you apply a node moment to one of the internal nodes so that the
moment is about the local z-axis of the elements. RISA-3D will solve such a model, however you will
get all zeros for the node reactions and the element stresses. See Applying In-Plane Moments to
Plates to learn how to work around this limitation.

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Plates/Shells - Results
When the model is solved, there are several groups of results spreadsheets specifically for the plates.

Plate Stress Results

To access the Plate Principal Stresses results spreadsheet:
1. Click on Results in the Explorer panel to expand Env (Envelope) results.
2. Click on Plate Stresses to open the Plate Stresses spreadsheet.

The plate stresses are listed for the top and bottom of each active plate. The principal
stresses sigma1 (σ1) and sigma2 (σ2) are the maximum and minimum normal stresses on the
element at the geometric center of the plate. The Tau Max (tmax) stress is the maximum shear
stress. The Angle entry is the angle between the element's local x-axis, and the direction of the σ1
stress (in radians). The Von Mises value is calculated using σ1 and σ2, but not σ3 which isn't available
for a surface (plate/shell) element, so this Von Mises stress does not include any transverse shear
forces.
The equations are:

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The angle, Φ, is the angle in radians between the maximum normal stress and the local x-axis. The
direction of the maximum shear stress, τmax, is ± π/4 radians from the principal stress directions.
The Von Mises stress is a combination of the principal stresses and represents the maximum energy
of distortion within the element. This stress can be compared to the tensile yield stress of ductile
materials for design purposes. For example, if a steel plate has a tensile yield stress of 36ksi, then a
Von Mises stress of 36ksi or higher would indicate yielding of the material at some point in the plate.
The σx , σy , and σxy values used to calculate the stresses are a combination of the plate bending and
membrane stresses, thus the results are listed for the top and bottom surfaces of the element. The
“Top” is the extreme fiber of the element in the positive local z direction, and the “Bottom” is the
extreme fiber of the element in the negative local z direction. The membrane stresses are constant
through the thickness of the element, while the bending stresses vary through the thickness of the
element, very similar to the bending stress distribution in a beam.
For enveloped results the maximum and minimum value at each location is listed. The load
combination producing the maximum or minimum is also listed, in the "LC" column.

Note:
l See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how to use Find, Sort and other options.
l See Results View Settings to learn how to plot Plate Stress results.

Plate Force Results

To access the Plate Forces spreadsheet:
1. Click on Results in the Explorer panel to expand Env (Envelope) results.
2. Click on Plate Stresses to open the Plate Stresses spreadsheet.

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The Plate Forces are listed for each active plate. Interpretation of output results is perhaps the most
challenging aspect in using the plate/shell element. The results for the plates are shown for the
geometric center of the plate.

The forces (Qx and Qy) are the out-of-plane (also called “transverse”) shears that occur through the
thickness of the element. The Qx shear occurs on the element faces that are perpendicular to the
local x-axis, and the Qy shear occurs on the element faces that are perpendicular to the local y-axis.
Qx is positive in the z-direction on the element face whose normal vector is in the positive x-direction.
This is also the σx face. Qy is positive in the z-direction on the element face whose normal vector is in
the positive y-direction. This is also the σy face. The total transverse shear on an element face is
found by multiplying the given force by the width of the element face.
The plate bending moments (Mx, My and Mxy) are the plate forces that induce linearly varying
bending stresses through the thickness of the element. Mx is the moment that causes stresses in the
positive x-direction on the top of the element. Likewise, My is the moment that causes stresses in the
positive y-direction on the top of the element. Mx can then be thought of as occurring on element
faces that are perpendicular to the local x-axis, and the My moment occurs on faces that are
perpendicular to the local y axis. To calculate the total Mx or My on the face of an element, multiply the
given value by the length of the element that is parallel to the axis of the moment. For example,
looking at the 'Plate Moments' figure above, the total Mx moment could be obtained by multiplying the
given Mx force by the length of side BC (the distance from joint B to joint C). The total My force can be
calculated in the same way by instead using the length of side DC.
The Mxy moment is the out-of-plane twist or warp in the element. This moment can be added to the
Mx or My moment to obtain the 'total' Mx or My moment in the element for design purposes. This direct
addition is valid since on either the top or bottom surface, the bending stresses from Mxy will be going
in the same direction as the Mx and My moments.

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Note:
l For the placement of concrete reinforcement, it is helpful to realize that laying
reinforcement parallel to the local x-axis will resist the Mx moment.
l A positive Mx or My moment will put the top fiber of the plate in tension.

The plane stress forces (Fx , Fy and Fxy) are those forces that occur in the plane of the plate. These
forces, which are also called “membrane” forces, are constant through the thickness of the element.
Fx and Fy are the normal forces that occur respectively in the direction of the local plate x and y-axes,
positive values indicating tension. These forces are reported as a force/unit length. To get the total
force on an element, you would need to multiply the given value by the length of the element that is
perpendicular to the normal force. For example, looking at the 'Plane Stress Forces' figure, the total
Fx force could be obtained by multiplying the given Fx force by the length of side BC (the distance
from joint B to joint C).
The Fxy force is the in-plane shear force that occurs along the side of the element. The subscript 'xy'
indicates that the shear occurs on the face of the element that is perpendicular to the x-axis and is
pointing in the y-direction. Fyx is the complementary shear force, where the subscript 'yx' indicates
that the shear occurs on the face of the element that is perpendicular to the y-axis and is pointing in
the x-direction. RISA-3D only gives values for Fxy because Fxy and Fyx are numerically equal. The
total in-plane shear can be obtained by multiplying the given force value by the length of the element
that is parallel to the shear force. For example, when looking at the 'Plane Stress Forces' figure, the
total Fxy force which is parallel to the local y-axis could be obtained by multiplying the given Fxy force
by the length of side BC.
Note that the plate bending (Qx, Qy, Mx, My, Mxy) and membrane (Fx, Fy, Fxy) results are forces per
unit length. For example, a rectangular element with a B to C length of 10 feet showing a Fx force of
20K would have a total normal force on the B-C face of the element of 20K (per foot) times 10 feet, or
200K.
For enveloped results the maximum and minimum value is listed. The load combination producing
the maximum or minimum is also listed, in the "LC" column.

Note:
l See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how to use Find, Sort and other options.
l See Results View Settings to learn how to plot Plate Force results.

Plate Corner Force Results

To access the Plate Corner Forces spreadsheet:
1. Click on Results in the Explorer panel to expand Env (Envelope) results.
2. Click on Plate Stresses to open the Plate Stresses spreadsheet.

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The plate corner forces are the global forces at the corner of each plate and are listed for each active
plate.
These are the forces and moments calculated at the corners of the plates, in the GLOBAL directions.
These values are obtained by multiplying the plate's corner displacements with the global stiffness
matrix. Unlike the local stresses and forces, which are very accurate approximations, these corner
forces represent EXACT results based on linear elastic theory. Also, the local forces are listed on a
'per unit length' basis, whereas these global direction corner forces represent the total force on the
plate at the corner in the given direction, in the same way that joint reactions are reported. At any
given joint, the corner forces for all plates connected to that joint should sum to zero (a requirement of
equilibrium), assuming no members or boundary conditions are also present at the joint.
As an example of how to use these corner forces, you can obtain the total shear at a given level in a
shear wall by adding the proper corner forces for the plates at that level. See Plate Modeling
Examples to learn how to use the plate corner forces to get shear wall story shears and moments, as
well as slab moments and shears.
For enveloped results the maximum and minimum value is listed. The load combination producing
the maximum or minimum is also listed, in the "lc" column.

Note:
l See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how to use Find, Sort, Label Marked Lines
in Current ViewShow Selected Lines in Current View and other options.
l See Results View Settings to learn how to plot Plate Corner Force results.

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Plates/Shells - Design Tools

Internal Force Summation Tool

This tool may be activated by clicking the Node icon in the ‘Force Summation’ section of the ‘Results’
ribbon. The tool is only available from within a model view that has active results for a single load
combination or a batch solution. This tool is not available for an envelope solution.
The Internal Force Summation Tool can be used to quickly come up with information on story shears
in a building, or internal moments in a elevated or on grade slab.
When initiated, the tool requires the user to select two points (A and B). These points will be used to
define the plane in which the internal force summation will be performed. That defines a "cutting
plane" perpendicular to the screen.
Clicking on a third point locks the cutting plane to that exact location and provides a detailed summary
of the internal forces at that location. These summary results are summarized below:

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The Internal Force Summation report is separated into three regions. The first region gives the
resultant forces and moments. The second region gives information needed to locate the reference
plane and origin of local axes. The third region gives a basic reference for the orientation of the local
axes and forces.
Since the Forces and Moments are summed only for the selected members, this tool can be easily
used to determine the overall story forces in a shear wall or moment frame (if the whole model is
selected), as well as the forces in an individual bent or pier (if only a portion of the model is selected).
The Geometric Center of the Selected Items defines the origin at which the forces (F1, F2, and F3)
are reported. This also corresponds to the point used to define the moments (M1, M2 and M3). These
forces and moment are all given with respect to the local 1, 2, 3 axes. The local 3 axis is always
perpendicular to the current model view. The local 1 axis is always defined parallel to the points A and
B which were are selected by the user. The 2 axis is then defined by the right hand rule.
The Vector Normal to the Cutting Plane is used to define the plane where the internal force
summation was performed. This was determined by the user selected points A and B.

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Note:
l For wall panel specific internal force summation, click the Wall icon in the ‘Force
Summation’ section of the ‘Results’ ribbon. This icon is intended to be used by
clicking two points in the same plane as a wall panel (or a group of co-planar wall
panels).

l Masonry wall panels with the "Transfer Load" option selected in the Wall Design
Rules may show different values between the IFST and the Region Detail Report if
you cut across a region next to an opening. This is because the "Transfer Load"
load option will transfer in plane loads from regions above and below openings into
the regions adjacent to the openings for wall panel design. This behavior is also
true for concrete walls which have the "Transfer In" and "Transfer Out" options
available in the Wall Design Rules. In order to see comparable results from the
plates using IFST Wall, increase the cut length to include the region width plus half
the distance across each opening.

l For semi-rigid slab specific internal force summation, press the Slab Force
Summation button on the Results tab. This button is intended to be used by

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clicking two points in the same plane as a slab (or a group of co-planar slabs).
Semi-rigid slabs are elements found in RISA-3D in a combined RISAFloor-RISA-3D
model with slab floors.

For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Story Shears or IFST.

Calculation and Theory

When cutting through a plate, the internal force summation tool uses the plate corner forces to derive
the force in the cutting plate. When cutting through the interior of a plate, any corner node that is
"above" the cutting plane is included in the summation. Moments are then interpreted based on the
location of the forces compared to the centroid of the cutting plane. See the figure below:

Consider the cutting plane A-B defined above. This was created by clicking from left to right on the
page (from A to B). Therefore, there are 8 nodes above cutting plane A-B. These are highlighted in a
gray color and are the nodes whose corner forces will be used to create the base value of the cutting
plane force. Because the cutting plane is below the row of nodes, and because there may be applied

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surface or self weight loading at the plates, some interpolation must used between the values above
the plane and the values below the plane. This consists of essentially a linear interpolation.
For cutting plan C-D there are 22 nodes above the cutting plane that will be used to determine the
base value of the cutting plane force.

Note:
l This tool only computes forces for elements that are selected in your model. In the
same sense, it will sum up forces for everything that is selected that is in the
cutting plane. You may use the selection tools to unselect portions of the model for
which you do not want force results for.
l Because these forces are reported with respect to the local 1,2,3 axes of the cutting
plane it is NOT recommended that this tool be used from an isometric view of the
structure. It will function best in a pure plan or a pure elevation view.
l The results for the internal force summation tool are always given for the currently
displayed results. The currently displayed results show up in the “Results View
Settings’ window accessible by clicking the Results icon in the ‘View Settings’
section of the ‘View’ ribbon. If the model has not been run and there are no results,
then the tool is not available. Similarly, the tool is not available with Envelope
Results.

Contour Display Details

This tool is activated by clicking the Contour Diagram icon on the ‘Results’ ribbon. The tool is only
available from within a model view that is currently plotting a plate contour.
This tool can also be used for curved plate models such as tanks and vessels. The integral of the
force diagram is displayed in the Status Bar at the bottom of the screen. This may be useful for
summing up shear forces in a wall or lintel.

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Click the Diagram Report icon on the ‘Results’ ribbon to turn a visual plate contour into a more
traditional shear or moment diagram. The tool merely transforms the visual contour display into actual
numerical that you can view. In the image below, the contour display shows the numerical values
associated with the contour at the cutting line.
When a Contour Display Detail is shown, the right click menu gives access to a Detailed Diagram of
the contour cut as shown below:

This detailed diagram shows you all the results for every section along the length of the diagram. this
information may even be copied to the clipboard for use in a spreadsheet program. This can be done
by selecting Copy Data from the right click menu.

Note: Because this display is just a currently displayed plate contours, the units for the
detailed diagrams are always the same as for the displayed contours.

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Plates/Shells - Modeling Examples

The finite element method is an approaching method. This means that the results will never be exact
and can be made better and better, within reason, by sub-dividing the element mesh. Accurate
results are dependent on the modeling of the problem.
The following pages are studies of finite element mesh fineness and its relationship to accurate stress
and deflection results. These studies are meant to be an aide to help you select appropriate mesh
fineness for a structure you are trying to model. These studies will also answer the "why" many
people ask when told they must use a "mesh" of elements to model a structural item (such as a shear
wall) instead of using one giant element. Obviously these studies only give an overview of some basic
elements and the engineer must be the final judge as to whether a specific finite element model is a
good reflection of the "real" structure.

Shear Wall Modeling

Theoretical Deflection of Shear Wall with Point Load

Shear Wall Properties I = BH3/12

L = 240 in = 12(120)3 / 12
Area = 1440 in2 = 1,728,000 in4
B = 12 in Δ = PL3/3EI +
H = 120 in. 1.2 PL / AG
E = 4000 ksi = 11.95 in
ν= 0.30 K=P/Δ
G = 1538.5 ksi = 15,000k /11.95in
= 1255 kips/in
P = 15,000 kip

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Stiffness as a Function of Mesh Fineness

Element 1x1 1x2 2x2 2x4 4x8

Mesh

Deflection 4.54 8.07 8.26 10.43 11.2

(in.)

Error 62% 33% 31% 13% 6%

Stiffness K 3304.0 1858.7 1816.0 1438.2 1328.6

(kip s/in)

Note: On Methodology - Since the theoretical solution is based on an assumption that plane
sections shall remain plane after deformation, the last model (4x8 mesh) had very stiff axial
members included at the 2nd, 4th, 6th and top level across the width of the wall. This
prevented horizontal differential joint movement and allows for a more meaningful
comparison with the theoretical solution.

Shear Wall Design Forces

Floor Shear Moment Elements

4 9.99k 100.05k-ft P49-P52
3 20k 300.08k-ft P33-P36

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Floor Shear Moment Elements

2 30k 600k-ft P17-P20
1 40k 999.98k-ft P1-P4
Shown above are the analysis results of a 4-story shear wall. This example is for a straight shear wall,
however the method and results are valid for box, channel, or any other shear wall shapes.
The RISA-3D files that were used to obtain these results are included as “4X1WALL.R3D” and
“4X4WALL.R3D”. The 10 kip story loads were applied uniformly across each story. This was done to
more accurately model loads being applied to the wall from a rigid or semi-rigid floor.
The story shears at each level were calculated as the sum of the FX corner forces. The story
moments at each level are calculated from the FY corner forces as shown below:
Mi = (Fyouter node* 15ft) + (Fyinner node * 7.5ft)

Story Shears - Hand Calculation

The story shears were calculated as shown below from the corner forces. See the screen shot close
up of the FX corner forces on the next page.

Sum FX Corner Forcers at

Story Shear Moment
Story Level (k)
4 [0.462 + 0.786 + 1.77 + 1.98] * 2 = 9.996 9.9k P49-P52
3 [1.2 + 1.65 + 3.45 + 3.7] * 2 = 20.000 20k P33-P36
2 [1.9 + 2.5 + 5.14 + 5.46] * 2 = 30.000 30k P17-P20
1 [11.76 – 0.32 + 6.09 + 2.47] * 2 = 40.000 40k P1-P4

Level 4 Global FX
Corner Forces
For the graphical display of the corner
forces, there are 4 corner forces
shown for each plate. This is similar
to a beam element which has 2
member end forces.
To get the story shear at any line, just
sum up all the FX corner forces along
the line.

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Level 4 Global FY
Corner Forces
To get the story moment at any line,
just sum the moments obtained by
multiplying the Fy corner forces along
a line, times the moment arm such as
the distance of each Fy force to the
center of the wall.

Story Shears - Summation Tool

A quicker way to calculate story forces is to use the Internal Force Summation tool to have the
program automatically calculate the global forces that pass through a given elevation of the shear
wall. To do this, just click on the Node Force Summation icon in the Results tab whenever you have
a set of valid, non-envelope solution results. This tool will sum the forces for the displayed items at the
desired elevation and will report them back to the user in terms of the Global X, Y and Z directions.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Story Shears.

Story Moments
The story moments are calculated as the FY Corner forces times their moment arms. The forces are
symmetrical so each force on one side is multiplied by twice the arm length.

Sum FY Corner Forces * Story

Story Elements
Moment Arm (k) Moment
4 [3.92 k * 15' + (2.48 k + 3.02 k) * 7.5'] = 100.1 kip-ft P49-P52
100.05 k'
3 [12.33 k * 15' + (7.9 k + 7.45 k) * 7.5'] = 300.1 kip-ft P33-P36
300.075 k'
2 [24.93 k * 15' + (16.5 k + 13.64 k) * 7.5'] 600 kip-ft P17-P20
= 600.00 k'

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Sum FY Corner Forces * Story

Story Elements
Moment Arm (k) Moment
1 [45.81 k * 15' + (25.16 k + 16.55 k) * 999.9 kip-ft P1-P4
7.5'] = 999.975 k'

Shear Wall Penetrations

Horizontal Deflection at Top 0.028 in. 0.033 in.

Shear @ A-A 10.82 kips 10.53 kips

Shear @ B_B 24.2 kips 23.08 kips

Shear @ C_C 33.74 kips 33.05 kips

Shear @ D-D 45.26 kips 47.35 kips

Reactions at E 10.8 kips 10.53 kips

Reactions at F 24.2 kips 23.06 kips

This is an example of a typical concrete shear wall with penetrations for windows and doors of various
sizes. The files for the models are WALLPEN1.R3D (coarse mesh) and WALLPEN2.R3D (fine
mesh). No theoretical solution results are given to compare with, however the two finite element
densities are compared to observe the rate of convergence to the “true” answer. The shears at the
various lines are computed by adding up the X corner forces for the element corners closest to the
lines. The horizontal deflection is for the top of the wall. A very rigid link is added to the top of the wall
to simulate the effect of a concrete horizontal diaphragm. This has the effect of stiffening the walls
and spreading the load uniformly across the top of the wall. The load is applied as a uniform load of
3.0 kips/ft. across the top of the wall. The total width of the wall is 38 ft, so the total applied load is 114
kips. The total height of the wall is 18 ft.
The “coarse” mesh on the left is an example of the minimum finite element mesh that should be used
to model this type of wall. Notice that the course mesh gives good results for the wall shears and
reactions. The overall deflection of the coarse mesh is off by about 15% from the “fine” mesh. The
coarse mesh tends to give too much stiffness to the slender walls around the loading door opening on
the left, this can be seen in the larger reactions at points E and F as well in the horizontal

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deflections. The fine mesh on the right shows that the slender wall sections are more flexible than
shown by the coarse mesh and thus the reactions and wall shears are reduced for the slender wall
sections.

Diaphragm Modeling

Theoretical Solution for Plate with Fixed Edges

(Results from Roark’s Formulas for Stress and Strain, 5th Ed., pg. 392)

Plate Properties Deflection at center

a = 21 ft. (y):
b = 15 ft. = αqb4 / Et3 = 0.891
thickness = 8 in. in.
E = 3122ksi σCenter = β2qb2 / t2 =
q = 60 psi 6361 psi
"α = 0.0226 MCenter = σCenter
β1= 0.4356 (t2/6)(1kip/1000#)
β2= 0.2094 = 67.8 k-ft/ft
σMax = β1qb2 / t2 =
13,231 psi
M Max = σMax (t2/6)
(1kip/1000#)
= 141.1 k-ft/ft

Stiffness and Stress as a Function of Mesh Fineness

Element Mesh 2x2 4x4 5x5 6x6

Deflection @ Center 0.032 0.895 0.774 0.911

Error (%) 96% 1% 13% 2.2%

My @ Center (K-ft / ft) 80.45 75.8 70.3 73.4

Error (%) 19% 12% 4% 8%

Global MX Reaction @ Center Joint 6 Joint 15 Joint 18 Joint 4

of Long Side to Obtain Max. Reaction Reaction Reaction Reaction
Local My 844.8 K-ft 717.2K-ft 545.3K-ft 489.4K-ft

Local My @ Center of Long 80.5 k-ft / ft 136.6 k-ft / ft 129.8 k-ft / ft 139.8 k-ft / ft
Side
(Mx Reaction divided by 43% 3% 8% 1%
tributary length)
Error (%)

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The condition being modeled is a flat plate with fixed edges and a uniform load over the entire
surface. The RISA-3D2DFloor files that were used to obtain these results are included as
“2X2FIXED.R3D”, “4X4FIXED.R3D”, “5X5FIXED.R3D”, and “6X6FIXED.R3D”.
The plate moments at the center of the long side were calculated by dividing the global Mx reaction at
the center of the long side by the tributary length. See the summary results below. (Note that the 5x5
mesh produces good results even though the Mx reaction is not at the exact center of the long side.)
Remember that plates with perfectly fixed end conditions have their maximum moments at the center
edge of their longest side.

Mx Global Tributary My Local

Mesh Equation
Reaction Length Moment
2x2 844.8 k-ft 21ft / 2 = 844.8 / 10.5 80.5 k-ft / ft
10.5ft
4x4 717.2 k-ft 21ft / 4 = 717.2 / 5.25 136.6 k-ft /
5.25ft ft
5x5 545.3 k-ft 21ft / 5 = 545.3 / 4.25 129.8 k-ft /
4.25ft ft
6x6 489.4 k-ft 21ft / 6 = 3.5 489.4 / 3.5 139.8 k-ft /
ft ft

The edge moments only need to be considered as the maximum moments when a plate is fixed at it’s
edges, since the maximum moments will often occur in the center of the plate for most other support
conditions. (The edge moments will still need to be considered for moment reversal if the plate is
continuous across the supports).
For the situation of continuous slabs supported by beams between columns, the maximum moment
will often occur at mid span and not at the edges. Thus a 3x3 or 5x5 mesh should be used to obtain
correct moments. Even numbered meshes (e.g. 6x6, 4x4, or 2x2) should be used to obtain the best
deflection information and odd numbered meshes ( e.g. 3x3 or 5x5) should be used to obtain the best
bending moment results. The 6x6 mesh could be used to obtain good moments and deflection
results.
The internal My bending moments are obtained using the Global Corner Forces and the Internal
Force Summation tool for the 2x2, 4x4, and 6x6 meshes. The total global MX moment on the side of
an element was computed and then divided by the length of the element. (Global MX moments are
parallel to local My moments in this model) The internal My @ Center are found using the Plate
Forces for the odd plate example (5x5) because there is no node at the center.
It should be noted that the deflection obtained from the 4x4 and 6x6 meshes is larger than that
predicted by the Roark equations because the RISA-3D2DFloor finite element accounts for
transverse shear deformation while the Roark equations ignore shear deformation.
These results are for a uniform load. If the loading is more localized, or approaches a point load, a
much finer mesh in the vicinity of the load will be needed to model the loading itself and to get
accurate results. Also note that RISA-3D2DFloor’s finite element (like most commercial finite
elements) is based on small strain theory. This means that the in-plane diaphragm stresses are not
affected when the transverse deflections become large. According to Roark, (pgs. 405-409), this
additional stress becomes significant when the transverse deflection is larger than half the plate
thickness.

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Spread Footing Modeling

Stress Accuracy as a Function of Distortion

Shown below are the analysis results for an axial wall load on a spread footing, which is then on
soil springs. The files used for this parametric study are FLXFTNG.R3D for the “flexible” footing
results and RGDFTNG.R3D for the rigid footing results. Note that the theoretical values shown are
based on the assumption of an infinitely rigid footing.

Footing Thickness 12 in. 24 in. 36 in.

Element Ratio 1:1 2:1 3:1

Thickness:Length

One way shear at “d” from the 109.2 kips 92.4 kips 70 kips
wall face, Flexible Footing

Elements Used for Shear 9-135 (by 14) 10-136 (by 14) 11-137 (by 14)
10-136 (by 14) 11-137 (by 14) 12-138 (by 14)

Moment at Wall Face, 368 k-ft 415.2 k-ft 421.2 k-ft

Flexible Footing

Elements Used for Moment 9-135 (by 14) 9-135 (by 14) 9-135 (by 14)

Theoretical 1-Way Shear at 117.9 kips 94.3 kips 70.7 kips

“d” from the Wall Face

Theoretical Moment at Wall 424.3 k-ft 424.3 k-ft 424.3 k-ft

Face

As can be seen in the table, the results are converging to the theoretical solution for a infinitely rigid
footing as the footing thickness increases and begins to become “very rigid” when compared to the
soil spring stiffness.
To obtain the One Way Shear values at a distance “d” from the wall face, simply sum the FY global
corner force values for the elements on both sides of the appropriate row, and then take the average
of these two values. You need to average the two values in this case, because the corner force
results are on either side of a soil spring. For example, to obtain the one way shear for the 24” thick
footing, sum all the FY corner forces for elements 9 to 135 by 14 (9, 23, 37, …) and then 10 to 136 by
14 (10, 24, 38, …). Then take the average of those two sums. If you don't have soil springs at the

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corner force locations, you don't have to average the two values. (The sums on each side in this case
will be equal). The easiest way to add up the corner forces is to simply sum them from the graphics
display. This way you don't have to track the element numbers.
To obtain the Moment values at the face of the wall, just add up the MZ global corner forces for the
elements along the wall face. For this example these would be elements 9 to 135 by 14. Again, the
easiest way to add up the corner forces is to sum them from the graphics display so you don't have to
worry about element numbers.
The finite element corner forces work best when the footing is aligned with the global axes. That way
the global corner forces line up with the desired footing shears and moments.
Since the theoretical values for the shear and moment are based on the assumption of an infinitely
rigid footing, it is instructive to look at a finite element model where we use an artificially high value of
“E” (Elastic Modulus) to approximate an infinitely rigid foundation.

Rigid Footing Results

Footing Thickness 12 in.

1-Way Shear at “d” from the Wall 117.9 kips

Face, Rigid Footing

Elements Used for Shear 9-135 (by 14)

10-136 (by 14)

Moment at Wall Face, Rigid 9-135 (by 14)

Footing 10-136 (by 14)

Elements Used for Moment 9-135 (by 14)

These results agree exactly with the theoretical values.

Computing Soil Spring Stiffness

Obtain the subgrade modulus for a 1’ by 1’ or .3m. x .3m sample plate. A typical value for medium
dense dry sand would be say, k1 = 500 kcf. This value must first be modified to account for our actual
footing size (10 ft by 14 ft). For this example we will use equations from Principles of Foundation
Engineering, 3rd edition, by Braja Das, pgs. 263 - 264. We will assume a 1ft x 1ft sample plate.

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We can now calculate the spring stiffnesses for all the joints in the model based on tributary area.The
program is capable of automatically generating these soil springs based on the tributary are of each
node in the plate element mesh. Refer to Generating Soil Springs of the Boundary Conditions s
section for more information.

Tributary K(10x14) K(spring) Example

Area k/in^3 k/in Joint
1 sq.ft = 144 0.07906 11.38 13
sq.in.
0.5 sq.ft = 72 0.07906 5.69 34
sq.in.
0.25 sq.ft = 36 0.07906 2.85 1
sq.in.
Although a little out of date, the ACI publication 336.2R-88, “Suggested Analysis and Design
Procedures for Combined Footing and Mats”, is another good reference for the modeling of mat
foundations.

Plate Connectivity Problems

Shown below is a common modeling problem with plate elements. Since plates only have
connectivity at their corner nodes, the applied load at middle joint connects to the plates below the
joint, but not to the one above it. Because of this lack of connectivity, you see the joint "pushing
through" the plate edge above in the plotted deflected shape.

The proper way to hand this type of mesh is with one of the mesh transitions described in the
following section.

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For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Plate Connectivity.

Mesh Transition Examples

Coarse Mesh to Fine Mesh

Shown below are two methods for transitioning from an area with a fine mesh to an area with a larger
/ coarser mesh.

Three to One Two to One

Rectangular Mesh to Radial Mesh

Shown below are two methods for transitioning from an area with a rectangular mesh into an area
with a radial mesh.

Square to Round Round to Square

For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Plate Mesh.

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Printing
You can print graphic or tabulated information from your current model by using the Quick Access
toolbar or the File menu.

The following links provide Print - Quick Access File menu

instructions on using the various Toolbar
print options.
l Print Graphics
l Print Reports
l Print Spreadsheet
l Print to a File

The following provide more details

on printing graphics and building
custom reports.
l Print Options
Print Graphics
l Build a Custom Report
l Save a Report as a Template

Print Options
The available print options vary slightly, depending on whether a spreadsheet or a graphic (model) is
active at the moment when you click the ‘Print’ icon on the Quick Access toolbar or the ‘Print’ option
on the File menu.
l When a graphic (model) is currently active, the available print options from both the ‘Quick
Access’ toolbar and ‘File’ menu are Print Graphics, Print Reports or Print Spreadsheet.
Once you’ve chosen to print a ‘graphic’, the ‘Print’ panel opens with print settings that apply
to printing graphics, along with a ‘Print Preview’ panel that displays the graphic on a page
(shown in the following image). See Graphics Printing for more information, and see Print
Graphics for instructions.

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l When a spreadsheet is currently active, the available print options in both the ‘Quick
Access’ toolbar and ‘File’ menu are Print Reports or Print Spreadsheet.
Once you’ve chosen your print option, the ‘Print’ panel opens with print settings that are
applicable to that option.
l If you choose “Print Reports”, a ‘Print’ panel opens on the left, and a ‘Report Printing’
tab opens in the 3D View panel, along with a ‘Preview’ that displays a graphical view
of the report’s pages as you choose the report sections and details to include in the
report (shown in the following image). See Print a Report for more information.

l If you choose “Print Spreadsheet”, a Print panel opens on the left. This panel
provides three additional print options in the ‘Document’ box (as shown in the
following image) that allow you to print the Current Spreadsheet, Selected Linesin

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the current spreadsheet, or switch to Report printing. Note that these print options
are only available when a ‘spreadsheet’ is active. See Print a Report for instruction.

Print Graphics
At any point, while in a 3D View or Wall Panel Editor, you can print a graphic by choosing Print
Graphics from any of the Print menus. The current window changes into a ‘Print Preview’ and allows
all the same view settings to be adjusted, even when in the preview. Rotating, zooming and rendering
are only a few of the settings that can be altered dynamically in the preview.

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Many of the same options that exist in Report Printing are present in Graphic Printing, but some
unique options available are Scale Factors and Title Block Info. The following table provides more
information on the options that are unique to printing graphics.
Unique Options for Printing Graphics

Option Description
Scale Factor Three different Scale Factors are defined. They make for a cleaner
looking graphic print. As far as what scale factors you should use, the
only way to be sure is to experiment a little.
Text: This option is used to increase/descrease the size of the text
items.
Symbols & Diagrams: This option is used to increase/descrease the
size of symbol and diagram items.
Navigation Panels: This option is used to increase/descrease the
size of navigational panel items.
Title Block Info This option lets you include the Title Block Info(Header) to display
(Header) the Model Title, Designer, Company Name, Date and Time (All of
which are defined in your Project Info). You can also enter a
comment that will be included in the Title Block.
Advanced Settings This option lets you to set the margins.
Sketch # This option lets you define the starting number for the first sketch. The
sketch number automatically increments with each sketch added.
Sketch Prefix This option lets you define a specific label to use in front of the sketch
number (e.g., SK-). This prefix will be used for each sketch added.

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Option Description
Font Size This option
Date and Time This options lets you choose to show/hide the date and time that the
print is created. Simply slide the dot to the left to hide the date and
time. By default, the date and time is shown.
Advanced This option lets you include a logo on the print and set the outside
margins (top, bottom left and right.)

To Print Graphics

Print Graphics from the Quick Access Toolbar

To print graphics from the Quick Access toolbar:
1. While in a graphic (model), click on the Print icon in the ‘Quick Access’ toolbar.
A menu displays the print options.

2. Click on Print Graphics.

A ‘Print’ panel appears on the left and a Print Preview panel opens to its right.

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3. Choose the print Settings you want to use for printing the graphic.
These settings include page orientation, whether or not you want to print a footer, the paper
size and the print resolution.
4. Choose the Scale Factor for text, symbols & diagrams and navigation panels within the
graphic.
5. Choose Title Block settings.
Title Block settings are those that appear at the bottom of the graphic page. They represent
what you want to use for a Sketch Prefix and the number to follow the prefix, the font size of
all text that appears in the Title Block area and whether to include the date and time that the
graphic is printed. See Print Graphics for additional information on these settings.
6. When finished with your choices, click the Print button at the top of the Print panel.

Print Graphics from the File menu

To print graphics from the File menu:

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1. While in a spreadsheet, go to File > Print > Print Graphics.

A ‘Print’ panel appears on the left and a Print Preview panel opens to its right.

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2. Choose the print Settings you want to use for printing the graphic.
These settings include page orientation, whether or not you want to print a footer, the paper
size and the print resolution.
3. Choose the Scale Factor for text, symbols & diagrams and navigation panels within the
graphic.
4. Choose Title Block settings.
Title Block settings are those that appear at the bottom of the graphic page. They represent
what you want to use for a Sketch Prefix and the number to follow the prefix, the font size of
all text that appears in the Title Block area and whether to include the date and time that the
graphic is printed. See Print Graphics for additional information on these settings.
5. When finished with your choices, click the Print button at the top of the Print panel.

Print Reports
Print a Report from the Quick Access Toolbar
To print a report from the Quick Access toolbar:
1. While in a spreadsheet, click on the Print icon in the ‘Quick Access’ toolbar.
A menu displays the print options.

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2. Click on the Print Reports option.

A ‘Print’ panel opens on the left, and a “Report Printing” tab opens in the 3D View panel,
along with a ‘Preview’ panel that displays a graphical view of the report’s pages, as you
choose your Report Printing options (as shown in the following image).

3. In the Print panel on the left, choose how you want to print your report.
4. Move to the Report Printing tab in the 3D View panel and choose what you want to print.
From the Report Printing tab you can choose from a set of “standard” reports or create
your own “custom” report, which can also be save as a template for reuse with other
models.
l A “standard” report includes predefined report sections, and is included in the RISA-
3D application. The report sections included in a standard report template are based
on the report template you choose. Though, you can still use the customizing
features to choose other report sections to print in the report.

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Note: While you cannot save changes to any of the report templates that
come with RISA-3D, you CAN save the customized report as a “new”
template, which will include your changes. Any new templates you save are
modifiable.

l A “custom” report is any report that you create using the customizing options found in
the ‘Available Sections for Reports’ and ‘Current Sections in Report’ panels.
5. Choose the report type you want to print.

To choose a standard report or a custom report you’ve already created

a. Click on the Report Templates arrow.

A list of all standard and saved custom reports appears.

b. Click on the report name to choose it.

To create a custom report

a. Click the ellipsis button to the right of Report Templates option

A Report Template window opens.

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b. Click on Create a New Template, if not already selected.

c. Click OK.
A Create New Report Template window opens.

d. In the Template Name box, type a name for your new, custom template.
e. Click OK.
Your custom report name is added to the Report Templates list and selected
in the Report Template box.
f. Choose the sections to include in your custom report using the ‘Available
Sections for Report’ ellipsis button and Spreadsheets,Detail Reports
and Advanced tabs. See Build a Custom Report for more information.
As you choose the options, the ‘Current Sections in Report’ panel displays
the report sections, and the ‘Preview’ panel displays the related pages.

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The ‘Current Sections in Report’ panel displays all the report sections currently selected for
the report. You can also filter report section’s elements by their properties for any report
section that displays an ellipsis button next to its name.
6. (Optional) In the Current Sections in Report panel, click the ellipsis button next to any
section that you would like to filter its elements by their properties.
As you choose your report options, the ‘Save’ button at the top of the Report Printing panel
becomes active, as shown in the following image.
7. Click the Save button if you want to save the report as a report template.

8. When finished with your choices, click the Print button at the top of the ‘Print’ panel.

Print a Report from the File Menu

To print a report from the File menu:

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1. While in a spreadsheet, go to File > Print > Print Reports.

A ‘Print’ panel opens on the left, and a “Report Printing” tab opens in the 3D View panel,
along with a ‘Preview’ panel that displays a graphical view of the report’s pages, as you
choose your Report Printing options (as shown in the following image).

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Printing

2. In the Print panel on the left, choose how you want to print your report.
3. Move to the Report Printing tab in the 3D View panel and choose what you want to print.
From the Report Printing tab you can choose from a set of “standard” reports or create
your own “custom” report, which can also be save as a template for reuse with other
models.
l A “standard” report includes predefined report sections, and is included in the RISA-
3D application. The report sections included in a standard report template are based
on the report template you choose. Though, you can still use the customizing
features to choose other report sections to print in the report.

Note: While you cannot save changes to any of the report templates that
come with RISA-3D, you CAN save the customized report as a “new”
template, which will include your changes. Any new templates you save are
modifiable.

l A “custom” report is any report that you create using the customizing options found in
the ‘Available Sections for Reports’ and ‘Current Sections in Report’ panels.
4. Choose the report type you want to print.

To choose a standard report or a custom report you’ve already created

a. Click on the Report Templates arrow.

A list of all standard and saved custom reports appears.

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b. Click on the report name to choose it.

To create a custom report

a. Click the ellipsis button to the right of Report Templates option

A Report Template window opens.

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b. Click on Create a New Template, if not already selected.

c. Click OK.
A Create New Report Template window opens.

d. In the Template Name box, type a name for your new, custom template.
e. Click OK.
Your custom report name is added to the Report Templates list and selected
in the Report Template box.
f. Choose the sections to include in your custom report using the ‘Available
Sections for Report’ ellipsis button and Spreadsheets,Detail Reports
and Advanced tabs. See Build a Custom Report for more information.
As you choose the options, the ‘Current Sections in Report’ panel displays
the report sections, and the ‘Preview’ panel displays the related pages.

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The ‘Current Sections in Report’ panel displays all the report sections currently selected for
the report. You can also filter report section’s elements by their properties for any report
section that displays an ellipsis button next to its name.
5. (Optional) In the Current Sections in Report panel, click the ellipsis button next to any
section that you would like to filter its elements by their properties.
As you choose your report options, the ‘Save’ button at the top of the Report Printing panel
becomes active, as shown in the following image.
6. Click the Save button if you want to save the report as a report template.

7. When finished with your choices, click the Print button at the top of the ‘Print’ panel.

Print a Spreadsheet
There are two main ways to print a spreadsheet; through the Quick Access toolbar or from the File
menu. Each method is described in the following sections.

Print a Spreadsheet from the Quick Access Toolbar

To print a spreadsheet from the Quick Access toolbar:
1. While in a spreadsheet, click on the Print icon in the ‘Quick Access’ toolbar.
A menu displays the print options.

2. Click on Print Spreadsheet to open the ‘Print’ panel.

If you weren’t in a spreadsheet when you clicked on Print Spreadsheet:

A “Print Spreadsheet” window opens, allowing you to choose the spreadsheet you
want to print (as shown in the following image).

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If you have not “Solved” the model yet, you can only choose a Data Entry
spreadsheets. If you have “solved” the model, you can choose from Data Entry, or
one of the Results spreadsheets (Load Combination, Envelope or Dynamic),
depending on what you chose to “solve”.
a. Choose the spreadsheet you want, from the available options.
b. Click Print.
The spreadsheet you chose is brought to focus in the 3D View panel, and
the ‘Print’ panel opens.

The Print panel opens on the left side of the 3D View panel.

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3. In the Print panel, choose your printing options.

4. Click the Document arrow and choose whether to print the Current Spreadsheet,
Selected Lines from the current spreadsheet, or switch to Report printing options.

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l If you choose Current Spreadsheet, the whole spreadsheet is selected for printing.
l If you choose Selected Lines, only the lines that you currently have highlighted in the
spreadsheet are selected for printing. If you have not selected any lines, all lines are
selected by default. If you don’t want all lines, you can simply click on only those lines
you want printed.
l If you choose Report, the Report Printing tab opens in the 3D View panel, allowing
you to choose from the various report printing options. See steps 4 - 6 under Print a
Report from the Quick Access Toolbar.
5. When finished with your print choices, click the Print button at the top of the Print panel.

Print a Spreadsheet from the File Menu

To print a spreadsheet from the File menu:

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1. While in a spreadsheet, go to File > Print > Print Spreadsheet.

If you weren’t in a spreadsheet when you clicked on Print Spreadsheet:

A “Print Spreadsheet” window opens, allowing you to choose the spreadsheet you
want to print (as shown in the following image).

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If you have not “Solved” the model yet, you can only choose a Data Entry
spreadsheets. If you have “solved” the model, you can choose from Data Entry, or
one of the Results spreadsheets (Load Combination, Envelope or Dynamic),
depending on what you chose to “solve”.
a. Choose the spreadsheet you want, from the available options.
b. Click Print.
The spreadsheet you chose is brought to focus in the 3D View panel, and
the ‘Print’ panel opens.

The Print panel opens on the left side of the 3D View panel.

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2. In the Print panel, choose your printing options.

3. Click the Document arrow and choose whether to print the Current Spreadsheet,
Selected Lines from the current spreadsheet, or switch to Report printing options.

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l If you choose Current Spreadsheet, the whole spreadsheet is selected for printing.
l If you choose Selected Lines, only the lines that you currently have highlighted in the
spreadsheet are selected for printing. If you have not selected any lines, all lines are
selected by default. If you don’t want all lines, you can simply click on only those lines
you want printed.
l If you choose Report, the Report Printing tab opens in the 3D View panel, allowing
you to choose from the various report printing options. See steps 4 - 6 under Print a
Report from the Quick Access Toolbar.
4. When finished with your print choices, click the Print button at the top of the Print panel.

Print to a File
A flat file is a file without column headings, print formatting, or graphical elements and is useful for
importing and parsing into spreadsheets, database tables, or as post processor input data.
There are several options available to make the flat file easier to parse. Note that printing and then
looking at a sample output file with all the options selected, makes it easier to understand what the
options do.
The current flat file options are saved each time the program is closed.

Print to a Flat File

The Print to a Flat File feature can be used only when printing a standard or customized report.
To print a report to a flat file:

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1. While in the report, move to the Print panel.

2. (Optional) To make the flat file easier to parse, click the ellipsis button to the right of the
‘Write Flat File’ option (as shown in the previous image).
A Flat File Printing Options window opens.

a. Choose the parsing options (described in the following table) you want.
Flat File Printing Options

Option Description
Report Section These options let you add section headers, record
Options counters and a UNITS section to the flat file.
Section Headers: This option adds a 'Section Header'
area that prints a text description of each block of data. For
example, the Node data would be preceded by a [NODE]
header on it’s own line before the data.

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Option Description
Record Counters: This option adds a 'Record Count' area
that is useful if you’re writing looping code to read in the
number of records within each data block. The number of
records prints on it’s own line.
UNITS Section: This option adds a special 'UNITS
Section' that shows the units used for all the values in the
program.
Field Delimiter This option lets you choose what character to use to
separate each field of data in a record. For example, each
coordinate value in the Node data would be separated by
the character selected. Programs that you might be
importing the file into, like MS Excel or MS Access, often
have options to select what the field delimiter will be for
records of data.
Text Delimiter This option works like the field delimiter, except that it’s
used to set apart text labels. All text in the flat file is
enclosed at the beginning and the end by the selected text
delimiter character. This is very useful when trying to read
in label strings that contain embedded spaces. As an
example, the Node labels in the Node data would each be
enclosed by a single or double quote.
b. Click OK to save your selections.
3. Click on Write Flat File.
A Write Flat File window opens in which you can select where to save the file and give it a
name.

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By default, the flat file is named the same as the model file but with a .txt extension, and it is
saved to the same folder in which the model resides.
4. Click Save to save the flat file and close the Write Flat File window.

Build a Custom Report

A “custom report” relates to any report that isn’t one of the standard reports included in the
application. You can customize any report, be it standard, an existing custom report that you’ve
saved as a template, or a new report that you are creating. For example, if you choose a standard
report, but then find that it includes more sections than you want in your report, you can customize the
standard report, view and print it, and also save it as a “new” template if you’d like to use the same
report for other models.

Note: While you cannot save changes to any of the report templates that come with RISA-
3D, you CAN save the customized report as a “new” template, which will include your
changes. Any new templates you save are modifiable.

To build your own custom report you can select any of the spreadsheets, detail reports, or
miscellaneous sections found in the Available Report Sections and they will be populated in the
Current Section in Report panel. You can add entire categories by selecting the heading of a
dropdown section in the Spreadsheets tab. You can re-order the report by dragging and dropping
the sections in your report you would like to move.You can also remove sections from your report by
deselecting them similar to how they were selected, or you can drag the item our of the Current
Sections in Report region.

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The ellipsis button found next to applicable report sections in the Current Sections Report panel
lets you filter the sections included in the report based on selected element properties. This applies to
both spreadsheets and detail reports. Only those report sections that include elements having
properties have the ellipsis button.
The Current Sections in Report portion of the panel shows which sections and the order the printed
report will be built. The Misc. tab of the Available Report Sections contains all images that were
added to the project as well as the other miscellaneous items not in the Spreadsheets for
DetailReports tab. Images can be added either using the "Snapshot" option or by adding external
images using the Add Misc Item button.

Note:
l Any saved reports from the Report Templates drop-down will currently only save
spreadsheet information. Any snapshots, Detail Reports or added items from the
Misc. tab will manually need to be added to any saved reports.
l The program will flag solution spreadsheets as to whether there is information
available in them. If that type of solution has not been run you will see a prefix of
**NA** ahead of that spreadsheet in the Available Report Sections.

Snapshot (Capture) Images

A snapshot image icon (shown in the following image) is on the Quick Access toolbar and the View
tab of the ribbon.

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When this icon is clicked on a folder is automatically created in the same location where the model file
is located. This icon then provides some options regarding the print location and file name. Once you
define this information, click Save and the program creates the image.

Note:
l If the model has yet to be solved the image will be created in the Model Data Files
location from File - Application Settings - File Locations.
l The relative path of these image files will be saved with the model. If the model file
is moved, move the associated Images folder as well and then all images will still
be available.

This snapshot is a great way to get images of model views and detail reports that you want to add to
your report. Once a snapshot is taken it will show up in the the Images section in the Advanced tab
of the Report Printing dialog and can then be added to the Current Sections in Report.

Adding Images
Any additional images that you wish to add to your report that are not from RISA, can be added using
the Add Item button. Press this button and navigate to any PNG, BMP, or JPEG file and you can
select it. Once that happens it will then show up in the Misc Items section in the Advanced tab and
can then be added to the Current Sections in Report.

Note: The complete path of these additional images are saved with the file. If the model file
is moved it will still find these additional images.

Report Print Settings

Formatting settings allow you to specify your print options. The following table provides settings
descriptions.
Report Print Settings

Setting Description
Shade Lines? This setting lets you shade every other line to enhance readability.
Start__at__Page# This setting lets you select the starting page number. The number shown is
the next page number in the current sequence, but you can override this for
occasions where you need to insert your calculation pages into an existing
report, and you need the page numbering to match.
Begin Numbering On This setting lets you start your numbering at some page other than page one.
This can be useful if you have a title page or table of contents that you don’t
want to number.
Print Header This setting lets you add a header that includes the Model Title specified
in the Model Settings, company, designer, job number, and a place to
initial any checking.
Note that all reports include a footer with version information, the file

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Setting Description
name and path, and the page number.
Date/Time? This setting lets you to turn off the Date/Time stamp so that this will not
appear on your printed reports.
Item Options This setting lets you to select member related options. You can specify
that you want the member results to be listed for each member section
(specified in the Model Settings) or just for the member ends, which
can be useful for connection design.

Note: See the Customizing RISA-3D topic for more information about printing, including the
ability to print out a RISA or custom company logo.

Save a Report as a Template

You can save any report you have created or modified so that it can be used again in the current
model or in other models. This includes any existing custom report template, and any standard
template you’ve modified and saved.

Save a “Customized” Standard Report

While you can customize and print a report based on a standard report template, you cannot save
your customizations to that existing template. Instead, you must save the report as a “new” template
with a name that differs from the original standard report’s name.
To save a customized standard report as a “new” template:
Ensure that the report includes all the pages and information you want, from the Spreadsheets, Detail
Reports and Advanced tabs (if applicable).

1. Click the ellipsis button next to the Save button.

The Report Template window opens.

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2. Choose Create a New Template from the Modify Report Template section.
3. Click OK.
A Create New Report Template window opens.

4. Click in the Template Name box and type a name for the customized report.
5. Click OK.
A warning appears.

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6. Click OK.
The customized report is saved to the Report Templates list so you can use it for future
versions of this model, or other models.

Save a New, Customized Report

A “new” customized report is a report that you have built yourself and want to save as a template for
future use on this model, or other models.
To save a new, customized report as a report template:

1. Click the ellipsis button next to the Save button.

The Report Template window opens.

2. Choose Create a New Template from the Modify Report Template section.

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3. Click OK.
A Create New Report Template window opens.

4. Click in the Template Name box and type a name for the customized report.
5. Click OK.
A warning appears.

6. Click OK.
A new, empty report is saved to the Report Templates list, and it’s name is automatically
selected in the ‘Report Templates’ box so you can begin to customize the report as you
wish.
7. Customize the report (see Build a Custom Report) to include those items you want saved to
this new report template.
8. Preview the pages of the report to ensure that all the information you want saved to the
template, is included.
9. Click Save.

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The new, empty customized report you created and is updated with your modifications and
re-saved to the Report Templates list.

Save an Existing, Customized Report Template

You can customize an existing “Customized” report and then re-save it by simply choose the
previously saved customized report template from the Report Templates list, modifying it and then re-
saving it.
To re-save an existing customized report template that you have modified:
1. Click the Report Templates arrow and choose the existing customized report template you
want to modify and re-save.
2. Modify the report (see Build a Custom Report) with the changes you want.
3. Preview the pages of the report to ensure you’ve made all the changes you want.
4. Click Save.

The customized report is updated with your modifications and re-saved to the Report
Templates list.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Results

Results
You can work with the results of a solution by viewing and sorting data in the spreadsheets,
graphically plotting them with the model or by viewing detailed member reports. You can also print the
results in any of these forms. To learn about printing results, see Printing.
Upon the completion of a static solution, RISA opens the Results menu in the Explorer panel and
the Reactions Spreadsheet. You can specify that other results be displayed automatically as well.
You can then proceed to view any results and make any changes for further analysis.
If you make any changes to the model that would void the results, such as moving joints or adding
members, the results will be purged and another solution will be required before the results can be
viewed again.
Each of the result types is described in it’s own section:
Results Spreadsheets
l Node Deflection Results
l Node Reaction Results
l Story Drift Results
l Member Force Results
l Member Stress Results
l Member Torsion Results
l Member Deflection Results
l Hot-Rolled Code Check
l Cold-Formed Code Check
l Wood Code Check
l Concrete Design Results
l Aluminum Code Check
l Concrete Wall Results
l Masonry Wall Results
l Wood Wall Results
l Plate Stress Results
l Plate Force Results
l Plate Corner Force Results
l Modal Frequency Results
l Mode Shape Results
Detail Reports

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l Member Detail Reports (Hot Rolled Steel, Cold Formed Steel, & Wood)
l Concrete Beam Detail Reports
l Concrete Column Detail Reports

Save Results
When you save a file that has been solved you can also save the results. The next time that the file is
opened the saved results will be opened as well. You can use the Application Settings on the Tools
Menu to change the way that you are prompted to save results.
If changes are made to the model, any saved results are deleted. Saved results for models that no
longer exist in the same directory are also deleted.

Results Spreadsheets
You can access the result spreadsheets by selecting them from the Results Menu in the Explorer
panel, or from the Results ribbon. You can use the Find, Sort, and Exclude features to find the
results you are interested in. For example you might sort the member stresses from high to low,
bringing all of the highly stressed members to the top. You might then exclude members that do not
have significant axial stresses so that they do not distract you or so that they are not printed.

Find Results
To go to a certain item while in a spreadsheet, click the Find icon on the Spreadsheets ribbon or
select Find from the Right-Click menu, and type in the desired member, plate or joint label.
Sort Results
To sort the results, click on the column of results you wish to sort and then click the Sort icon on the
Spreadsheets Tab or select Sort from the Right-Click menu to specify sorting settings. You can sort
based on maximum, minimum, absolute maximum or input order.

Exclude Results
There are three ways to exclude results so that you can work with the results that are important to
you.

Exclude Results Before the Solution

Excluding items before the solution, lets you remove the items from the results while leaving them as
part of the model. This exclusion is permanent for that solution and any exclusion changes then
require another solution. This exclusion can be applied graphically in the Properties Panel for

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selected members or within the spreadsheets, by recording an “E” in the Inactive field of the
Members, Wall Panels, and Plates spreadsheets.
A member with an “E” in the “Inactive?” field is treated like any other member in the solution and
plotting of the model, but the member is not listed in the solution results (forces, stresses, deflections,
etc.). This is useful if there are certain members whose results aren't of interest. You don't have to
clutter up the results with these members and can concentrate on the members you are most
interested in.

Exclude Results After the Solution

You can run the solution and then graphically select the joints, members, and plates that are of
interest. By clicking the Filter Results button and in the pop-up window, you can select Filter Out
UnSelected items from Results or Filter out Selected items from Results. You can then update
the spreadsheets and printed reports so that they will not have results for the selected or unselected
items. All of the spreadsheets and reports will be controlled by this selection and you can adjust this
selection at any time.

This option is also available by clicking the Filter Results button from the Results toolbar in the
3D View.

When you open any results spreadsheet, you can tell if it has been filtered by the filter icon in the
spreadsheet header.

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Exclude Results While in Spreadsheets

You can also select the results of interest on each spreadsheet. While viewing spreadsheet results
you can select the last line of interest and exclude the rest. Exclusions are applied independently for
each results spreadsheet. Any exclusion applied to the Member Forces spreadsheet will not affect
the Member Stresses spreadsheet, etc. Excluding items graphically will reset all of the spreadsheets
to match the graphic selection. If you wish to combine these two features to fine tune the results
perform the graphic selection first.
To exclude results click on the last line of results you wish to keep and then click the Ignore After
button under the Spreadsheets Tab. You can bring the results back by clicking on the Show All
button. Alternatively, you can select these features from the Right-Click menu in any result
spreadsheets.

Note: It might be best to first sort the results before excluding. As an example, let's say that
you only wanted to view members with Code checks greater than or equal to 0.7. To do this
you would open the Steel Code Checks spreadsheet and sort the members by Code Check
magnitude. Then you would visually identify the last member with a Code Check of 0.7 and
use the Exclude feature to exclude all members after that one.

Graphic Results
Most of the analysis results may be viewed graphically as well as in the spreadsheets. For the joints
you can plot the reactions. For the members you can plot force diagrams as well as color-code the
plotted members by code check or stress levels. Plate stress contours and corner forces may also be
viewed graphically. Deflected shapes and mode shapes may be viewed and animated. See Model
Display Options for more information.

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Plot Results Graphically

To plot results graphically:
1. If you do not already have the model view open, click the Open 3D Views icon on the View
ribbon.

2. Click the Model icon on the View ribbon for model view settings.
3. Select the options you would like to view.
4. Click Apply or OK.

Clear Results
You will be provided with a warning if changes are made to the model that might invalidate the current
results. Should you decide to proceed, the results will automatically be cleared and you will have to
re-solve the model to get results once you are finished making changes. This warning may be
disabled in the Application Settings under the 3D button.

To manually clear results, click the Clear Results icon.

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Opening a model with a solution file that was saved in a different version will also prompt you to
delete the solution file in order to open the model.

Internal Force Summation Tool

This tool may be activated by clicking the icon under the Results tab. The tool is only available from
within a model view that has active results for a single combination or a batch solution. This tool is not
currently available for an envelope solution.

This tool was originally created to convert Plate Analysis results into design forces for concrete slabs
and walls. However, the tool is equally useful for structure that have beams, columns and braces. It is
frequently used to determine overall story shears and moments. For detailed information on the tool,
please refer to the Plate Design Tools section.

Note: The internal force summation tool does NOT currently work on Solid Elements.

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Member Detail Report

The detail report allows you to see the overall force/stress/deflection state for any particular
member. This report shows diagrams for all these quantities and also lists detailed information on the
code checks for Hot Rolled Steel, Cold Formed Steel, Concrete, Aluminum and Timber design.
This detail report is available for any member following the solution. If you have run an envelope
solution, then you will only be able to view an enveloped detail report. If you run a Batch + Envelope
solution, you can scroll between individual (Batch) load combination results, and the Enveloped
results.
l If there is a (y) or (z) value next to the code check, it defines whether the controlling case is
in the local y or z axes respectively.
l If there is an (s) this tells you that the maximum check occurred at some other axes where a
round shape is used and the cross-sectional properties for the member are the same in all
directions.
l If you are viewing an enveloped detail report, the governing load combination number will
be reported in parenthesis. Ex: (LC 10).
l When a force or stress shows up with multiple colors (see image below), this signifies the
difference between the total value and the value when Live Load Reduction is considered.
l The viewing of Live Load Reduction within the diagrams or the consideration of
LL reduction in the reported values can be turned on or off by clicking on the
button.
l For members designated as beams, the Max Defl Ratio will report the maximum beam
deflection ratio (L'/y') as reported in the Beam Defl tab of the Member Deflections
spreadsheet.
l For members that are not designated as beams, the Max Defl Ratio will report the maximum
member deflection ratio (L/y') as reported in the Service or Strength tab of the Member
Deflections spreadsheet.

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View a Detail Report

There are three ways in which you can view a Detail Report: from the Quick Access toolbar, from the
right-click menu when in a spreadsheet and from the Results ribbon. Please note that you must run a
solution prior to a Detail Report being available.

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l
Quick Access toolbar: Click on the Detailed Report button on the Quick Access
toolbar and then click on that member.
If you do not already have the model view open, click the Open 3D Views icon on the View
ribbon.

l Right-click menu: While viewing a member results spreadsheet, such as Member

Stresses, click on the Detailed Report option from the Right-Click menu.
l Results ribbon: Click the Detailed Report icon on the Results ribbon and then click on a
member to open the report for that member.

Interactive Diagrams
Once a detail report is open, you can also click on any of the force, stress, or deflection diagrams to
open an interactive diagram. Click on any place along the length of the member to see how the value
changes.

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The diagrams provided are:

Plot
Plotted Value
Designation
A Axial Force
T Torsional Moment
Vy Shear Force Parallel to y-y Axis
Vz Shear Force Parallel to z-z Axis
My Bending Moment About y-y Axis
Mz Bending Moment About z-z Axis
Dy Deflection in Local y Direction
Dz Deflection in Local z Direction
fa Axial Stress
fc Bending Compressive Stress
ft Bending Tension Stress
f(y) and f(z) (Envelope Only)

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The "fa" stresses are the stresses resulting from the axial force. The "fc" and "ft" stresses incorporate
both bending moment and torsional normal warping stresses. In the envelope detail report, the "f(y)"
and "f(z)"stresses display both the maximum positive and negative bending stress located at the
extreme fiber of the member in the local y- and z-axis. These stresses are listed in the Member
Stresses spreadsheet as z-Top, z-Bot, y-Top and y-Bot.
The diagrams are scaled in groups to give a good representation of relative values. For example, the
force diagrams (A, Vy and Vz) are scaled such that the force of maximum magnitude fills the diagram
space. The other diagrams are then plotted using that same scale. The moments, deflections and
stresses are similarly scaled together.
When an output file is saved, the program will discard much of the unneeded force, moment and
deflection data used to create the detail report plots. When this saved file is later retrieved, these plots
will appear more coarse and inexact. However, the maximums, minimums and controlling code
checks are always maintained regardless of how coarse the plots appear.

Note:
l When a force or stress shows up with multiple colors , this signifies the difference
between the total value and the value when Live Load Reduction is considered.
l The consideration of LL Reduction is only included for models that are integrated
with RISAFloor.
l The consideration of LL reduction in the displayed diagram may be turned on or off
by toggling the LL Reduction check box.

Detailed View for Deflection Diagrams

Only members that have been designated as beams will also report the Defl Ratio in the detailed
deflection diagram. This value is the beam deflection ratio which can also be seen in the Beam Defl
tab of the Member Deflections spreadsheet and the summary at the end of the Member Detail Report.

Beam Members Other Members

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Multi-Span Detailed View for Deflection Diagrams

For multi-span beams the detailed deflection diagram will give span information and show a dashed
line at the support locations. The Defl Ratio is based on the Span Length of the current span.

Tapered Members
The Detail Reports for tapered members designed to AISC Design Guide 25 contain information not
available in other Hot Rolled Steel Design Reports. Refer to the Tapered Member Results sub-topic
of Hot Rolled Steel Design for more information.

Envelope Member Detail Reports

The Detail Reports can be viewed for single load combinations, or as an envelope. If you solve a
Batch + Envelope solution, you can toggle between the overall enveloped results and the individual
load combination results using the menu at the top left.

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For the enveloped report, all diagrams will show enveloped data. Governing load combinations will be
noted in the header of each load check.

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Note: If you solve a load combination with a Moving Load or a Time History Load, the results
will only be available in the enveloped detail report..

Concrete Member Detail Reports

Concrete member detail reports are similar in function to detail reports for other materials, but they
are different in the type and amount of information they convey. One of the largest differences is that
the force diagrams are always envelope force diagrams, because the majority of the concrete design
results are based on the envelope forces.
The detail reports for concrete Beams and Columns are discussed in greater detail in the Concrete -
Design Results section.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual RISAFloor & RISA-3D Integration

RISAFloor & RISA-3D Integration

While the primary function of RISAFloor is to create and optimize floor systems, another strength is
that it can be used to automatically generate a model of the lateral force resisting system in RISA-3D.

Note: The features described in this section are only available to users who are running both
RISAFloor and RISA-3D.

Lateral System Model Generation

Beams, columns, and walls whose function is set to "Lateral" on the Primary Data Tab of their
respective spreadsheets in RISAFloor will automatically be generated in the RISA-3D model when
accessed via the Director menu. To access this model, click the Director button on the far right end
of the Main Menu and choose RISA-3D. The RISA Application Interface will then switch from
RISAFloor to that of RISA-3D.
Once in RISA-3D you will notice that you can use the RISA-3D features to edit and solve the
model. You can add braces, beams, columns, walls, and additional loads just as you would in a
regular RISA-3D model. Refer to the RISA-3D General Reference Manual and Tutorials for
documentation of RISA-3D's features.
The "gravity" model in RISAFloor and the "lateral" model in RISA-3D are fully linked. Subsequently,
any changes made to RISAFloor generated members in the RISA-3D model will automatically update
those same members in RISAFloor model.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual RISAFloor & RISA-3D Integration

Note:
l Beams, columns, and walls whose function is set to "Gravity" in RISAFloor will NOT
be generated in RISA-3D for optimization. These members have been indicated as
"gravity-only" members and will not collect any lateral load in the RISA-3D model.
Therefore, these members would only "clutter" the lateral system model in RISA-3D
and are subsequently not drawn.
l RISAFloor "Gravity" members may be viewed in RISA-3D via the Misc Tab of the
Model Display Options Dialog. These members will be displayed for visual effect
only in the model view but will not contribute to the stiffness of the RISA-3D model.
l The unbraced lengths of RISAFloor Lateral members are coordinated with those in
the RISA-3D model.
l Members explicitly defined in RISAFloor will have a design list of 'None' in RISA-3D
to prevent alternate shapes from being suggested.
l Member end releases in the RISA-3D model are controlled by RISAFloor, and
cannot be changed in RISA-3D. To modify these, go to the Beams or Columns
spreadsheet in RISAFloor.

Diaphragms
Diaphragms are created in RISA-3D for every floor with a defined diaphragm edge in RISAFloor.
Although you cannot delete these diaphragms, you can make them inactive in RISA-3D. The Mass,
Mass Moment of Inertia and Center of Mass are automatically calculated based on the RISAFloor
loads and on the settings in Model Settings. For more information on this interaction, see the
Diaphragms topic.

The X and Z eccentricities are used in the equivalent lateral force method for calculation of seismic
loads. This allows you to quickly and easily account for the effects of accidental torsion when
calculating your seismic response.
The Diaphragm and Region columns are the names of diaphragms and regions in the model.

Note: Diaphragms defined as rigid are not designed, thus the Region column is blank.

The Type allows you to toggle between flexible, semi-rigid, and rigid for Beam Supported Floors (can
only be toggled on RISAFloor side). The Concrete Supported floors can be Rigid or Semi-Rigid and
the type is defined in the Slab Definitions spreadsheet in RISAFloor.

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The Design Rule allows you to switch between design rules for the diaphragm regions. The Design
Rules spreadsheet is where many parameters are defined for your diaphragm. For more information
on diaphragm modeling and interaction, see the Diaphragms topic.

Concrete Floor Slabs

Concrete Floor Slabs (created with RISAFloor ES) are transferred into RISA-3D either as Rigid
diaphragms or Semi-Rigid diaphragms.
Rigid diaphragms have no out-of-plane stiffness therefore it would be recommended that you model
lateral beams in RISAFloor with the Rigid diaphragms. The interaction of slabs and beams is ignored
with respect to the analysis and design of lateral concrete beams in RISA-3D.
Semi-Rigid diaphragms are automatically modeled in RISA-3D with a plate sub-mesh representing
the slab. There is in-plane and out of plane stiffness for a Semi-Rigid diaphragm.

Gravity Loads
The gravity loads on the lateral members, including the beam reactions from the gravity only
members, become part of the RISA-3D model. The Load Categories in RISAFloor are automatically
converted into Basic Load Cases in RISA-3D. The exceptions to this are the Load Categories that
deal specifically with construction loads (DL Const, and LL Const), which are not converted.

Wind Loads
Wind loads can be automatically generated per various codes.
See Load Generation - Wind Loads for more information.

Seismic Loads
Seismic loads can be automatically generated per various codes.
See Load Generation - Seismic Loads for more information.

Buckling-Restrained Braced Frame (BRBF) System

Buckling-restrained brace (BRB) design is available for models that come from RISAFloor to RISA-
3D. The gravity members can be drawn and designed in RISAFloor. Users can then direct the model
to RISA-3D and add BRB members from specific databases (e.g. CoreBrace database). The BRB-
related databases are only available for RISAFloor-RISA-3D integration. BRB members and design
are not available for RISA-3D only models. If an existing model with BRB shape is detached in RISA-
3D, the BRB shapes will be converted to a generic shape RE1x1.
The integration of RISAFloor and RISA-3D fits well with the split gravity and lateral design
requirements for the BRBF system. The framing members such as columns and beams can be
designed in RISAFloor under gravity loads to meet the requirements of them resisting gravity loads
without BRB braces. After the model is directed to RISA-3D, users can add BRB braces to perform
the lateral load design for the whole system.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual RISAFloor & RISA-3D Integration

Detach

On the Modify ribbon, the Detach RISAFloor icon lets you detach the RISA-3D model from the
RISAFloor model. This deletes any diaphragm information and generated loads.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual RISAFoundation Interaction

RISAFoundation Interaction
RISAFoundation has the ability to transfer load information from RISA-3D and RISAFloor and use
this information to design foundations. The following entry will describe how these loads come across
the design modules so you can accurately use RISAFoundation for your foundation design.

RISAFoundation Interaction with RISA-3D

RISAFoundation transfers joint reactions from RISA-3D into RISAFoundation by way of load
categories. This is not the same as load combinations. Load categories are defined in the Basic Load
Cases spreadsheet of RISA-3D.
To get your reactions to transfer from RISA-3D to RISAFoundation:
1. Loads must be split into specific load categories (DL, LL, etc.) under the Basic Load Cases
spreadsheet.
2. The model must be solved.
3. Click on Director and choose RISAFoundation, to transfer to RISAFoundation.

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Note:
l If you do not define a load category for a basic load case, then the loads from
that case will not be transferred into RISAFoundation.
l You must run at least a single load combination.
l When you are working between RISA-3D and RISAFoundation Model
Settings will only be brought over to RISAFoundation the first time you
transfer from the RISA-3D module. After this first transfer, any time you
change something in RISA-3D from Model Settings that would affect
RISAFoundation, then you would also have to go into RISAFoundation and
make the change.
l Boundary conditions defined as Reaction or Spring will be transferred but
Fixed boundary conditions will not.
l Wall reactions will be brought into RISAFoundation as a series of point loads
along the base of the wall. The point reactions are taken from the location of
the base of the wall mesh from the RISA-3D model.

Example of RISA-3D and RISAFoundation Interaction

A simple example would be the braced frame structure seen below on the left. This has been
created in RISA-3D. The load applied to this structure came from Load Category WL (wind load).
Note that this structure had other loads applied as well. But the wind loads are used as an
example.

RISA-3D Wind Loads Graphical Representation RISAFoundation Wind Loads

Graphical Representation

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First a load combination is run (note that this does not have to have wind in the load combination),
then RISAFoundation is chosen from the Director in RISA-3D. The Director is the means by which
navigation to different modules in the program is possible. When RISAFoundation is first entered
dead loads applied to points in a plan view of your structure are displayed. Clicking the button will
then get an orientation similar to the one shown above. Next, choose WL-Wind
Load from the drop down list. The loads shown above on the right will be displayed. Note that these
loads appear consistent for the type of loading present.

Note:
l The points are relabeled in RISAFoundation, though labeled in a way that can be
easily compared to the original RISA-3D model joints. You can scroll through the
different types of loads and compare them to RISA-3D for accuracy verification.
l Load combinations do not transfer over from RISA-3D, thus they will need to be re-
created in RISAFoundation. An easy way to do this would be to just copy the
spreadsheet over from RISA-3D.

Foundations at Different Elevations

If, when moving into the RISAFoundation from RISA-3D, there are foundations that are at different
elevations, a window opens that looks like this:

You can choose to bring over reactions at a single elevation of your choice. This may be helpful if
there are some reactions that are due to an adjacent structure or support that is not a foundation.
You can choose to bring over all reactions regardless of elevation. This is a good option to have if
there is a partial basement level or any condition where there truly are foundations at different levels.

Note: All of the differing elevations will be brought in at a single elevation.

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RISAFoundation Interaction with RISAFloor

This interaction is a little more involved because it involves three programs (RISA-3D, RISAFloor and
RISAFoundation). For RISAFoundation, the bases of columns and the bottom of walls will be
considered boundary conditions. Thus, loads are applied at the bases of these elements for
foundation design in RISAFoundation.
To transfer from RISAFloor to RISAFoundation you must pass through RISA-3D. Please see the
RISA-3D to RISAFoundation procedure.

Gravity Elements in RISAFloor

Elements (columns, walls) defined as gravity only are the only elements which transfer load directly
from RISAFloor into RISAFoundation. Wall reactions come in as line loads and column reactions
come in as point loads.
Wall line load reactions are brought in according the overall moment, M, and axial force, P in the
overall wall. The wall moment is taken as a summation of force*distance about one end of the wall.
Once P and M are calculated, the magnitudes at either end of the wall are calculated as:

Lateral Elements in RISAFloor

When applying loads to lateral members within RISAFloor, those loads are simply attributed to the
members brought over into RISA-3D. Thus, RISAFoundation does not bring any information in from
RISAFloor concerning lateral members. All of this information is taken directly from RISA-3D. From
this point we are just working as if we only had RISA-3D and RISAFoundation working together. See
above.

Limitations
RISAFoundation can not recognize moving loads
Moving Loads, not described as a load category, and their reactions can't be read as loading within
RISAFoundation, thus loads will need to be applied manually to the foundations to account for these.

RISAFoundation requires your Y-axis to be vertical

Models coming from RISA-3D need to have the Y-axis to be vertical to be brought into
RISAFoundation. If the Y-axis is not the vertical axis, then a dialog box will pop up when you try to link
to RISAFoundation with this message.

RISAFoundation will not consider non-linear load effects

In a true Non-Linear analysis (with Tension Only or Compression Only members), the individual
reactions would vary depending on which LC was used to create it because different members may

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be active for different LC's. In that manner the Load Category reactions that make their way into
RISAFoundation are imperfect because a DL or LL reaction would technically be different for the
WLX and WLZ cases.

RISAFoundation will not consider second order effects

In a true second order analysis, the P-Delta effect would vary depending on which LC was used to
create it because of the non-linearity of the effect when multiple loads are combined together. In that
manner the Load Category reactions that make their way into RISAFoundation are imperfect
because the P-Delta effect on a DL or LL reaction would technically be different depending on
whether the final Load Combination included WLX or WLZ cases.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Section Sets

Section Sets
Cross-section properties may be assigned to members in one of two ways; either by choosing a
shape directly from the steel database or by using a section set. Section sets provide a way to group
members so that they have the same properties. Adjusting the set properties, rather than selecting
and adjusting each member can achieve changes to the properties for all of the members in the
set. You must use section sets if you want to perform timber code checks or steel shape optimization.
The cross section data for the members is recorded on the Section Sets spreadsheet. Cross
sectional properties can be entered manually or may be retrieved from one of the shape
databases. Currently the databases include Hot Rolled Steel, Cold Formed Steel, Wood, Concrete,
and Aluminum. Once the section is defined, it is then referenced on the Members spreadsheet when
assigning properties to a member.

Define a New Section Set

To define a new Section Set:
1. Click on Section Setsin the ‘Data Entry’ menu, to open the spreadsheet.
2. Select the tab for the Material type that you want to use.
3. Enter the section set label and other information.

You can edit or create a new material by clicking on thebrowse button in the cells.
4. (Optional) Click on theShape column browse button if you want to open the database.

Note:
l If you leave the Shape name blank for General Sections, then you may enter the
rest of the properties (A, I, J) yourself without having to define an arbitrary shape.
l For rectangular, circular, and pipe shapes you can use the On-Line shapes to
automatically define the shape properties. See On-Line Shapes.

Section Sets Spreadsheet

The Section Sets spreadsheet records the section properties for the member elements and may be
accessed by selecting Section Sets in the ‘Data Entry’ menu.

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The following are input columns on the spreadsheet that may be used to specify cross section data
for the members in the model.

Section Label
The Section Label is the label you'll reference on the ‘Members’ spreadsheet to assign properties to
a member. This label can be anything you wish, so long as it's not the same as any other section set
label.

Section Database Shape

The Shape field is used to obtain properties from the shape databases. To use the database, simply
enter the name of the database shape and the shape properties (A, I, J) will be filled in
automatically. Click to pick from the database.
If you don't want to use a database shape and wish to enter the shape properties directly, just leave
this field blank.

Note: For rectangular, circular, and pipe shapes you can use the On-Line shapes to
automatically define the shape properties. See On-Line Shapes.

Section Material
The Material field is used to enter the label of the material. The material must be defined on the
‘Materials’ spreadsheet or on the ‘Wood Properties’ spreadsheet.

Member Type
Enter the member type for the section set. The choices are Column, Beam, Vertical Brace, and
Horizontal Brace.
Here are the main effects that the member type will have on your structure:
1. If using concrete members, this will define the rebar layout (column vs beam) .
2. If using design lists, they specifically reference the member type.
3. If using member area loads, loads will not be attributed to members defined as Hbraces or
Vbraces.

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4. If using the RISA-Revit link the link will not work properly unless you use member types.
5. If integrating with RISAConnection, the connection validation requires proper use of
member types.
6. If using the seismic detailing provisions then you must use proper member types.

Design List
Enter the design list type that you wish to use for this section set. This entry will affect the members
that are available to program when it is suggesting alternate or optimized shapes. Refer to Design
Optimization for more information on the member optimization procedure. Also refer to Appendix A –
Redesign Lists for information on creating or editing these lists.

Design Rules
Enter the design rules type that you wish to use for this section set. When the program is checking
alternate or optimized shapes, it will restrict its selections to members that obey the chosen design
rules. Refer to Design Rules– Size / U.C. for more information.

Cross Section Properties

The cross section properties will be filled in automatically if you use a database shape. For General
Materials, you may leave the shape field blank and enter these directly. Iyy and Izz are for bending
about the respective member local axes. Note that it's not a good idea to edit these fields if you
already have a database shape assigned. Any changes will not be saved and will be replaced with
the original values when the file is reopened or the shape is reentered in some other manner. You
should create a new shape in the database to avoid this situation.

Note: For Tapered WF shapes, only the shape properties at the I-end will be shown on the
‘Section Sets’ spreadsheet. To view properties for both ends use the Edit button in the
‘Shape Selection’ settings.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Seismic Detailing - Design Rules

Seismic Detailing - Design Rules

Seismic Design Rules can be applied to Column, Beam and VBrace members in the model. The rules
invoke various design or code check requirements according to AISC seismic design provisions
(AISC 341, AISC 358). The program uses the 2005, 2010, or 2016 versions of these codes,
depending on the HR steel design code settings in the Model Settings.
The design provisions primarily apply only to Hot Rolled steel members. However, the Column
Overstrength design option applies to all members to which that seismic design rule has been
applied. The reason for this is so that members (collectors or such) which require design to the
overstrength provisions per the requirements of ASCE-7 can be automatically designed to the higher
force requirements of the Overstrength load combinations.
The default entry for a member's seismic design rule is None which means that no special seismic
detailing provisions will apply to the code checking provisions for that member.

General Frames and Columns

Seismic Design Rules: Hot Rolled Frame - General Columns
The first portion of the Seismic Design Rules under the Hot Rolled Frame tab applies to the steel
frame in general and Hot Rolled columns.

Seismic Design Rules: Hot Rolled Frame - General / Column Ductility

Column Header Description

Label The label is a user defined text string which is used as a unique
identifier for each of the seismic design rules defined for the
structure. The program comes pre-loaded with number of generic
seismic design rules based on AISC 341 seismic detailing
specification.

Click on the ellipsis in the Label column to open the Seismic

Design Rule Editor window. This window lets you further define the
frame type, member ductility, and member overstrength
requirements, etc. You can choose either to use this editor window
or the spreadsheet, to edit a seismic design rule.

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Column Header Description

Frame Type Frame Type defines the frame type (e.g. SMF, SCBF) for the
frame. The program is pre-loaded with several typical seismic-
force-resisting-systems based on AISC 341 seismic detailing
specification. The program uses this entry to determine which code
sections of seismic detailing requirements should be applied to
members with the current seismic design rule.
Column Ductility Column Ductility defines the ductility requirements for the columns.
l High Ductility:Refers to a member which requires
Seismically Compact sections for members such as a
Special Concentrically Braced Frame (SCBF) or a Special
Moment Frame (SMF).
l Moderate Ductility: Refers to a member which require
Compact sections for frame members, but which does not
require the special Seismic Compactness defined in AISC
341. One example would be an Intermediate Moment
Frame (IMF).
l Minimal Ductility: Refers to a member which does not
have specific compactness requirements beyond the
normal AISC specification. This can even include
members with slender elements. One example would be
an Ordinary Moment Frame (OMF).

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Column Header Description

Note:
l Ordinary Concentrically Braced Frames (OCBF) require Moderate or High
ductility out of the brace members (depending on the version of the code), but
allow for Minimal ductility out of the other members. The program will
automatically account for this brace ductility requirement. Therefore, the Frame
Ductility may still be entered as Minimal.
l When checking the seismic compactness of members, the axial load used to
calculate Ca is based on the worst case axial compression from the normal load
combinations. It will not consider any axial force that occurs from an
"overstrength" load combination.
l The Frame Ductility setting is used by the program when it is checking some of
the miscellaneous beam-column moment connection requirements per AISC
358. For example: if the beam to column connection is specified by the user as a
Reduced Beam Section (RBS) then the span to depth ratio of the beam must be
greater that 7.0 to be considered a highly ductile frame, and greater than 5.0 to
be considered a moderately ductile frame.

Column Overstrength In seismic design some members may be required to be designed

to an elevated / overstrength load. In RISA, this is done by creating
load combinations with the Omega overstrength factors applied to
the earthquake loads. If the column members are required to be
designed to these load combinations, then this check box will be
checked.

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Column Header Description

Note:
l In many cases, it's only the axial effect of the overstrength loads that needs to
be considered in the column overstrength code checks. In these cases, it could
be overly conservative to consider the moment with these elevated axial forces.
A future revision to the program will add an Axial Only option to this input field
which would allow the program to ignore the effects of moment when the
amplified axial force is taken into account.
l Generally speaking the 2005 version of AISC 341 requires that moment frame
columns be designed for the overstrength loads whenever the axial force for the
regular load combinations exceed 40% of the column's axial capacity. However,
the 2010 and newer versions of the same specification always require that
these columns be designed to these overstrength loads. Therefore, this entry
cannot be modified when the 2010 or newer code is selected.
l The program does not consider any of the limitations related to the "sum of
shears which can be transmitted to the column" or the "sum of the expected
strength of the braces".
l If a Seismic Design Rule is applied to a column member which is not hot rolled
steel (such as a wood drag strut or collector), that member will ignore the design
rules except for the Overstrength required flag. If this is selected, then the non-
steel member's capacity will be checked against the forces derived from the
overstrength seismic load combinations.
l Refer to the LC Generator and the Set BLC Entry sub-topics in the Load
Combinations section for more information regarding the creation of
overstrength load combinations.

Beams
Seismic Design Rules - Hot Rolled Frame - Beams
This portion of the spreadsheet contains information pertinent mostly for the design of hot rolled
beams that are part of moment frames. The only exception to this is the Beam Overstrength option
which applies to any beam member which is assigned the seismic design rule.

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Seismic Design Rules: Hot Rolled Frame - Beam Ductility

Column Header Description

Beam Ductility Beam Ductility defines the ductility requirements for the beams.
The definitions of High Ductility, Moderate Ductility, Minimal
Ductility are described under the Column Ductility section above.
Connection Connection designates which of the pre-qualified moment
connections defined in AISC 358 or its supplement are being used
for the beam to column moment connection. The options are:
l Bolted Flange Plate (BFP) as described in Chapter 7 of
AISC 358.
l Reduced Beam Section (RBS) as described in Chapter 5
of AISC 358.
l Bolted Unstiffened Extended End Plate (BUEEP) and
Bolted Stiffened Extended End Plate (BSEEP) as
described in Chapter 6 of AISC 358.
l Welded Unreinforced Flange - Welded Web (WUF-W)
as described in Chapter 8 of AISC 358.
l Kaiser Bolted Bracket (KBB) as described in Chapter 9
of AISC 358
l Other/None: There are times where AISC 341 and AISC
358 have conflicting provisions. This includes the definition
of the probable maximum moment at the hinge and the
definition of the Strong Column / Weak Beam Ratio. When
one of the pre-qualified connections is selected then the
program will enforce the AISC 358 version of the
provisions. When the Other connection is selected then,
the AISC 341 version of these provisions will be enforced
instead. This "connection option" should normally be used
when the beam will not have moment connections (i.e. it is
part of a braced frame).

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Column Header Description

Note: The moment connection setting is used (in

combination with the Frame Ductility setting on the column
tab), to check some of the miscellaneous beam-column
moment connection requirements per AISC 358. For
example: if the beam to column connection is specified by
the user as an Reduced Beam Section (RBS) then the
column depth must be limited to a maximum of W36, and
the beam weight cannot exceed 300 lbs / ft.

Beam Overstrength In seismic design some members may be required to be designed

to an elevated / overstrength load. In RISA, this is done by creating
load combinations with the Omega overstrength factors applied to
the earthquake loads. If the beam members are required to be
designed to these load combinations, then this box would be
checked.

Note:
l Beams in a braced frame may act as some form of a collector or drag strut. As
such, the ASCE-7 seismic provisions would require that they be designed for the
overstrength load combinations.
l If a Seismic Design Rule is applied to a beam member which is not hot rolled
steel (such as a wood drag strut), that member will ignore the design rules
except for the Overstrength required flag. If this is selected, then the non-steel
member's capacity will be checked against the forces derived from the
overstrength seismic load combinations.
l If only an overstrength load combination was run then you will get no results for
members that are not required to be designed to overstrength loading.
l Refer to the LC Generator and the Set BLC Entry sub-topics in the Load
Combinations section for more information regarding the creation of
overstrength load combinations.

Z Factor This factor is used to define the reduction in plastic hinge moment
expected for Reduced Beam Sections. Enter in the ratio between
the plastic section modulus for the reduced beam section and the
unreduced beam. For RBS connections this value will vary greatly,
but will always be less than 1.0. The program will not allow a value
of less than 0.1 to be entered in by the user. If this value is left
blank, then no reduction in moment is considered.
This factor will be used to determine the probable design strength
and the strong column / weak beam moment ratio for the
connection. It does NOT currently reduce the stiffness of the beam
used in the analysis.

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Column Header Description

Note: AISC 358 has some restrictions on the length and

depth of cut that is allowed for the RBS section. RISA does
not make any attempt to enforce these restrictions.

Hinge Location This entry defines the location of the assumed plastic hinge (in
inches) from the face of the column. This is used to determine the
design moment at the face of the column as well as the strong
column / weak beam ratio.
l For RBS connections, this entry should be the distance
from the face of column to the center of the reduced beam
section.
l For stiffened connections (such as BSEEP, or BFP), this
will usually be the distance from the face of column to the
end of the stiffener, haunch, or flange plate.
l For unstiffened end plate connections, this entry will
usually be the lesser of 50% of the beam depth or 3 times
the beam flange width.
l For WUF-W connections, this entry will normally be set to
0.0.

Braces
Seismic Design Rules - Hot Rolled Frame - Braces
This portion of the spreadsheet contains information pertinent to the design of hot rolled braces. The
only exception to this is the Brace Overstrength option which applies to any VBrace member which is
assigned the seismic design rule.

Seismic Design Rules: Hot Rolled Frame - Brace Ductility

Column Header Description

Brace Ductility Brace Ductility defines the ductility requirements for the braces.
The definitions of High Ductility, Moderate Ductility, Minimal

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Column Header Description

Ductility are described under the Column Ductility section above.
Brace Overstrength In seismic design some members may be required to be designed
to an elevated / overstrength load. In RISA this is done by creating
load combinations with the (Ω0) overstrength factors applied to the
earthquake loads. If the brace members are required to be
designed to these load combinations, then this box would be
checked.

Note:
l If a Seismic Design Rule is applied to a brace member which is not hot rolled
steel, that member will ignore the design rules except for the Overstrength
required flag. If this is selected, then the non-steel member's capacity will be
checked against the forces derived from the overstrength seismic load
combinations.
l Refer to the LC Generator and the Set BLC Entry sub-topics in the Load
Combinations section for more information regarding the creation of
overstrength load combinations.

Max KL/r In seismic design some members may have the following
restriction on the maximum slenderness (KL/r) value that they are
allowed to have.

Examples would be AISC 341-05 braces that are part of a Special

Concentrically Braced Frame (SCBF). This would also include
AISC 341-05 and AISC 341-10 K, V, or inverted V braces in an
Ordinary Concentrically Braced Frame (OCBF).

Limitations
Seismic Detailing Limitations

Limitation Description
Panel Zone Capacity Currently, the program uses the elastic shear capacity equations (AISC
360-2010, eqns J10-9 and J10-10) for its code check of the panel zone.
When plastic panel zone deformation is considered (along with shear
capacity of the flanges) less conservative equations ( J10-11 and J10-12)
may be more appropriate.
V and Inverted V Braced The requirement that the beam be analyzed as though the brace carried
Frames & Gravity Loads no dead or live load cannot be directly met in the RISA-3D analysis.

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Limitation Description
However, this may be accomplished by integrating the model with
RISAFloor, which automatically analyzes the beam for gravity loads as
though the brace were not present.
Unbalanced Beam Force The effect of unbalanced brace forces is calculated only for beams in V
in Braced Frames or an inverted V frame configuration. This force is reported in the
Seismic Detailing portion of the beam's detail report. However, this
force is NOT used in the code checking of the beam UNLESS a
capacity-limited (CL) load combination is used. For capacity-limited
LCs (e.g. LC with ELX-CL), the program will apply brace expected
strengths as seismic loads for columns and beams design. Under these
load combinations, the beam unbalanced forces will be automatically
considered in beam design by applying the capacity-limited forces.
Expected Strength of The effect of expected strength of braces is considered through the
Braces capacity-limited load combinations (e.g. ELX-CL, ELZ-CL) for
columns and beams in braced frames such as SCBF and BRBF. Users
need to select the supported design code (AISC 2010 or 2016), assign
seismic design rules with appropriate frame type (e.g. SCBF or BRBF),
and generate capacity-limited load combinations to perform capacity-
limited design for columns and beams in braced frames.

Seismic Detailing - Design Rules

Seismic Design Rules can be applied to Column, Beam and VBrace members in the model. The rules
invoke various design or code check requirements according to AISC seismic design provisions
(AISC 341, AISC 358). The program uses the 2005, 2010, or 2016 versions of these codes,
depending on the HR steel design code settings in the Model Settings.
The design provisions primarily apply only to Hot Rolled steel members. However, the Column
Overstrength design option applies to all members to which that seismic design rule has been
applied. The reason for this is so that members (collectors or such) which require design to the
overstrength provisions per the requirements of ASCE-7 can be automatically designed to the higher
force requirements of the Overstrength load combinations.
The default entry for a member's seismic design rule is None which means that no special seismic
detailing provisions will apply to the code checking provisions for that member.

General Frames and Columns

Seismic Design Rules: Hot Rolled Frame - General Columns

The first portion of the Seismic Design Rules under the Hot Rolled Frame tab applies to the steel
frame in general and Hot Rolled columns.

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Seismic Design Rules: Hot Rolled Frame - General / Column Ductility

Column Header Description

Label The label is a user defined text string which is used as a unique
identifier for each of the seismic design rules defined for the
structure. The program comes pre-loaded with number of generic
seismic design rules based on AISC 341 seismic detailing
specification.

Click on the ellipsis in the Label column to open the Seismic

Design Rule Editor window. This window lets you further define the
frame type, member ductility, and member overstrength
requirements, etc. You can choose either to use this editor window
or the spreadsheet, to edit a seismic design rule.

Frame Type Frame Type defines the frame type (e.g. SMF, SCBF) for the

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Column Header Description

frame. The program is pre-loaded with several typical seismic-
force-resisting-systems based on AISC 341 seismic detailing
specification. The program uses this entry to determine which code
sections of seismic detailing requirements should be applied to
members with the current seismic design rule.
Column Ductility Column Ductility defines the ductility requirements for the columns.
l High Ductility:Refers to a member which requires
Seismically Compact sections for members such as a
Special Concentrically Braced Frame (SCBF) or a Special
Moment Frame (SMF).
l Moderate Ductility: Refers to a member which require
Compact sections for frame members, but which does not
require the special Seismic Compactness defined in AISC
341. One example would be an Intermediate Moment
Frame (IMF).
l Minimal Ductility: Refers to a member which does not
have specific compactness requirements beyond the
normal AISC specification. This can even include
members with slender elements. One example would be
an Ordinary Moment Frame (OMF).

Note:
l Ordinary Concentrically Braced Frames (OCBF) require Moderate or High
ductility out of the brace members (depending on the version of the code), but
allow for Minimal ductility out of the other members. The program will
automatically account for this brace ductility requirement. Therefore, the Frame
Ductility may still be entered as Minimal.
l When checking the seismic compactness of members, the axial load used to
calculate Ca is based on the worst case axial compression from the normal load
combinations. It will not consider any axial force that occurs from an
"overstrength" load combination.
l The Frame Ductility setting is used by the program when it is checking some of
the miscellaneous beam-column moment connection requirements per AISC
358. For example: if the beam to column connection is specified by the user as a
Reduced Beam Section (RBS) then the span to depth ratio of the beam must be
greater that 7.0 to be considered a highly ductile frame, and greater than 5.0 to
be considered a moderately ductile frame.

Column Overstrength In seismic design some members may be required to be designed

to an elevated / overstrength load. In RISA, this is done by creating
load combinations with the Omega overstrength factors applied to
the earthquake loads. If the column members are required to be
designed to these load combinations, then this check box will be
checked.

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Note:
l In many cases, it's only the axial effect of the overstrength loads that needs to
be considered in the column overstrength code checks. In these cases, it could
be overly conservative to consider the moment with these elevated axial forces.
A future revision to the program will add an Axial Only option to this input field
which would allow the program to ignore the effects of moment when the
amplified axial force is taken into account.
l Generally speaking the 2005 version of AISC 341 requires that moment frame
columns be designed for the overstrength loads whenever the axial force for the
regular load combinations exceed 40% of the column's axial capacity. However,
the 2010 and newer versions of the same specification always require that
these columns be designed to these overstrength loads. Therefore, this entry
cannot be modified when the 2010 or newer code is selected.
l The program does not consider any of the limitations related to the "sum of
shears which can be transmitted to the column" or the "sum of the expected
strength of the braces".
l If a Seismic Design Rule is applied to a column member which is not hot rolled
steel (such as a wood drag strut or collector), that member will ignore the design
rules except for the Overstrength required flag. If this is selected, then the non-
steel member's capacity will be checked against the forces derived from the
overstrength seismic load combinations.
l Refer to the LC Generator and the Set BLC Entry sub-topics in the Load
Combinations section for more information regarding the creation of
overstrength load combinations.

Beams

Seismic Design Rules - Hot Rolled Frame - Beams

This portion of the spreadsheet contains information pertinent mostly for the design of hot rolled
beams that are part of moment frames. The only exception to this is the Beam Overstrength option
which applies to any beam member which is assigned the seismic design rule.

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Seismic Design Rules: Hot Rolled Frame - Beam Ductility

Column Header Description

Beam Ductility Beam Ductility defines the ductility requirements for the beams.
The definitions of High Ductility, Moderate Ductility, Minimal
Ductility are described under the Column Ductility section above.
Connection Connection designates which of the pre-qualified moment
connections defined in AISC 358 or its supplement are being used
for the beam to column moment connection. The options are:
l Bolted Flange Plate (BFP) as described in Chapter 7 of
AISC 358.
l Reduced Beam Section (RBS) as described in Chapter 5
of AISC 358.
l Bolted Unstiffened Extended End Plate (BUEEP) and
Bolted Stiffened Extended End Plate (BSEEP) as
described in Chapter 6 of AISC 358.
l Welded Unreinforced Flange - Welded Web (WUF-W)
as described in Chapter 8 of AISC 358.
l Kaiser Bolted Bracket (KBB) as described in Chapter 9
of AISC 358
l Other/None: There are times where AISC 341 and AISC
358 have conflicting provisions. This includes the definition
of the probable maximum moment at the hinge and the
definition of the Strong Column / Weak Beam Ratio. When
one of the pre-qualified connections is selected then the
program will enforce the AISC 358 version of the
provisions. When the Other connection is selected then,
the AISC 341 version of these provisions will be enforced
instead. This "connection option" should normally be used
when the beam will not have moment connections (i.e. it is
part of a braced frame).

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Note: The moment connection setting is used (in

combination with the Frame Ductility setting on the column
tab), to check some of the miscellaneous beam-column
moment connection requirements per AISC 358. For
example: if the beam to column connection is specified by
the user as an Reduced Beam Section (RBS) then the
column depth must be limited to a maximum of W36, and
the beam weight cannot exceed 300 lbs / ft.

Beam Overstrength In seismic design some members may be required to be designed

to an elevated / overstrength load. In RISA, this is done by creating
load combinations with the Omega overstrength factors applied to
the earthquake loads. If the beam members are required to be
designed to these load combinations, then this box would be
checked.

Note:
l Beams in a braced frame may act as some form of a collector or drag strut. As
such, the ASCE-7 seismic provisions would require that they be designed for the
overstrength load combinations.
l If a Seismic Design Rule is applied to a beam member which is not hot rolled
steel (such as a wood drag strut), that member will ignore the design rules
except for the Overstrength required flag. If this is selected, then the non-steel
member's capacity will be checked against the forces derived from the
overstrength seismic load combinations.
l If only an overstrength load combination was run then you will get no results for
members that are not required to be designed to overstrength loading.
l Refer to the LC Generator and the Set BLC Entry sub-topics in the Load
Combinations section for more information regarding the creation of
overstrength load combinations.

Z Factor This factor is used to define the reduction in plastic hinge moment
expected for Reduced Beam Sections. Enter in the ratio between
the plastic section modulus for the reduced beam section and the
unreduced beam. For RBS connections this value will vary greatly,
but will always be less than 1.0. The program will not allow a value
of less than 0.1 to be entered in by the user. If this value is left
blank, then no reduction in moment is considered.
This factor will be used to determine the probable design strength
and the strong column / weak beam moment ratio for the
connection. It does NOT currently reduce the stiffness of the beam
used in the analysis.

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Note: AISC 358 has some restrictions on the length and

depth of cut that is allowed for the RBS section. RISA does
not make any attempt to enforce these restrictions.

Hinge Location This entry defines the location of the assumed plastic hinge (in
inches) from the face of the column. This is used to determine the
design moment at the face of the column as well as the strong
column / weak beam ratio.
l For RBS connections, this entry should be the distance
from the face of column to the center of the reduced beam
section.
l For stiffened connections (such as BSEEP, or BFP), this
will usually be the distance from the face of column to the
end of the stiffener, haunch, or flange plate.
l For unstiffened end plate connections, this entry will
usually be the lesser of 50% of the beam depth or 3 times
the beam flange width.
l For WUF-W connections, this entry will normally be set to
0.0.

Braces

Seismic Design Rules - Hot Rolled Frame - Braces

This portion of the spreadsheet contains information pertinent to the design of hot rolled braces. The
only exception to this is the Brace Overstrength option which applies to any VBrace member which is
assigned the seismic design rule.

Seismic Design Rules: Hot Rolled Frame - Brace Ductility

Column Header Description

Brace Ductility Brace Ductility defines the ductility requirements for the braces.
The definitions of High Ductility, Moderate Ductility, Minimal

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Ductility are described under the Column Ductility section above.
Brace Overstrength In seismic design some members may be required to be designed
to an elevated / overstrength load. In RISA this is done by creating
load combinations with the (Ω0) overstrength factors applied to the
earthquake loads. If the brace members are required to be
designed to these load combinations, then this box would be
checked.

Note:
l If a Seismic Design Rule is applied to a brace member which is not hot rolled
steel, that member will ignore the design rules except for the Overstrength
required flag. If this is selected, then the non-steel member's capacity will be
checked against the forces derived from the overstrength seismic load
combinations.
l Refer to the LC Generator and the Set BLC Entry sub-topics in the Load
Combinations section for more information regarding the creation of
overstrength load combinations.

Max KL/r In seismic design some members may have the following
restriction on the maximum slenderness (KL/r) value that they are
allowed to have.

Examples would be AISC 341-05 braces that are part of a Special

Concentrically Braced Frame (SCBF). This would also include
AISC 341-05 and AISC 341-10 K, V, or inverted V braces in an
Ordinary Concentrically Braced Frame (OCBF).

Limitations
Seismic Detailing Limitations

Limitation Description
Panel Zone Capacity Currently, the program uses the elastic shear capacity equations (AISC
360-2010, eqns J10-9 and J10-10) for its code check of the panel zone.
When plastic panel zone deformation is considered (along with shear
capacity of the flanges) less conservative equations ( J10-11 and J10-12)
may be more appropriate.
V and Inverted V Braced The requirement that the beam be analyzed as though the brace carried
Frames & Gravity Loads no dead or live load cannot be directly met in the RISA-3D analysis.

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Limitation Description
However, this may be accomplished by integrating the model with
RISAFloor, which automatically analyzes the beam for gravity loads as
though the brace were not present.
Unbalanced Beam Force The effect of unbalanced brace forces is calculated only for beams in V
in Braced Frames or an inverted V frame configuration. This force is reported in the
Seismic Detailing portion of the beam's detail report. However, this
force is NOT used in the code checking of the beam UNLESS a
capacity-limited (CL) load combination is used. For capacity-limited
LCs (e.g. LC with ELX-CL), the program will apply brace expected
strengths as seismic loads for columns and beams design. Under these
load combinations, the beam unbalanced forces will be automatically
considered in beam design by applying the capacity-limited forces.
Expected Strength of The effect of expected strength of braces is considered through the
Braces capacity-limited load combinations (e.g. ELX-CL, ELZ-CL) for
columns and beams in braced frames such as SCBF and BRBF. Users
need to select the supported design code (AISC 2010 or 2016), assign
seismic design rules with appropriate frame type (e.g. SCBF or BRBF),
and generate capacity-limited load combinations to perform capacity-
limited design for columns and beams in braced frames.

Seismic Detailing - Results

The seismic detailing results are presented in two ways: the seismic detailing results spreadsheet
and the seismic detailing sections of the member detail reports. The seismic detailing results
spreadsheet is intended to be a summary report. More detailed information can be found for each
member on that member's detail report.

Seismic Results Spreadsheet - Columns

The first tab of the Seismic Design Rules spreadsheet applies to the Hot Rolled members which have
been assigned to the Member Type of Column and which have a seismic design rule applied.

Seismic Results Spreadsheet - Columns

Column Header Description

Label The Label column displays the user defined name for the column. It
is used as a unique identifier for each of the seismic design rules
defined for the structure.

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Seismic Design Rules Seismic Design Rule displays the specific rule applied to the
column.
Ductility Req’d Ductility Required
The Ductility Req’d column displays the ductility requirements for
the columns. Possible requirements include:
l High Ductility:Refers to a member which requires
Seismically Compact sections for members such as a
Special Concentrically Braced Frame (SCBF) or a Special
Moment Frame (SMF).
l Moderate Ductility: Refers to a member which require
Compact sections for frame members, but which does not
require the special Seismic Compactness defined in AISC
341. One example would be an Intermediate Moment
Frame (IMF).
lMinimal Ductility: Refers to a member which does not
have specific compactness requirements beyond the
normal AISC specification. This can even include
members with slender elements. One example would be
an Ordinary Moment Frame (OMF).
UC Max Maximum Code Check
The UC Max column summarizes the member code checks from all
the load combinations that included seismic force. It does NOT
include code checks related to connection design like panel zone
shear checks or continuity plate checks.
LC Load Combinations
The LC column displays the load combination governing the
column. If the load combination that controlled the design used the
overstrength seismic forces (meaning it had an Ω factor in the load
combination) then the governing load combination will be followed
by an asterisk (*).
Slenderness Checks The Slenderness Checks column summarizes the worst case
condition between local element compactness checks and KL/r
slenderness restrictions (if any). Whether the member passed the
required element compactness checks based on the Req'd
Ductility setting. Highly ductile frames are considered to require a
"seismically compact" member per the provisions of AISC 341
Table D1.1. Whereas moderately ductile frames are considered to
require a "compact" member per the requirements of the regular
AISC 360 design standard (Table B4.1).
This column also displays a warning message if the column fails
any KL/r restrictions such as those given in AISC 341-05 section
9.7b which requires that columns which are unbraced must have a
KL/r < 60.

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Note: For sections that do not have a Compact limit per

Table B4.1 of the AISC 360 (i.e. Case 3), and who do not
meet or exceed the non-compact limit, RISA will report as
"non-slender".

Panel Zone Checks Whenever the program detects a valid seismic moment connection
between a beam and a column it checks the panel zone of the
column per the regular AISC 360 chapter J checks and displays it in
the Panel Zone Checks column.
l For frames that require high ductility (SMF), the
required panel zone shear force ise based on the
maximum probable moment projected to the face of
column per AISC 341.
l For frames which do not require high ductility
(IMF and OMF), the panel zone shear demand is based on
the end moments from the solved load combinations. If the
Overstrength Req'd flag has been set for the column, then
the Ωo load combinations is used as well. This is because
AISC 341 provides little additional panel zone
requirements beyond those given in the AISC 360
specification.
In addition, the program checks the panel zone for column beam
connections per the extra seismic detailing checks of AISC 341.
That is the requirement that the thickness of the column web is
greater than the sum of the depth and width of the panel zone
divided by 90.
Panel Zone Eqn Panel Zone Equation
Only the worst case / controlling code equation for the panel zone
checks are reported in the Panel Zone Eqn column. However,
detailed information on the other equations are reported in the
column detail report.

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Note:
l The regular panel zone checks are done using the formulas which assume that
panel zone deformation is not included in the analysis.
l Currently, the effects of column story shear (which tend to decrease the panel
zone shear demand) are not taken into account.
l Per the seismic detailing specification, the extra panel zone thickness checks
are only checked for "highly ductile" frames (i.e. Special Moment Frames).
l These conditions are checked for each beam connected to the column with a
valid seismic moment connection. However, the total panel zone shear demand
is based on the sum of the panel zone shears from the individual beams. This
may be overconservative for cases with an IMF or OMF frame where the
maximum moments in the beams occur for different load cases.

Cont. Plate Req’d Continuity Plate Required

Whenever the program detects a valid seismic moment connection
between a beam and a column, it automatically checks the
column's capacity to resist the concentrated beam flange forces
from the moment connection per section J10.6 of the regular AISC
360 specification. If any of these checks fail, then the program
reports that a continuity plate is required at that connection
location.
When you have selected one of the pre-qualified moment
connections from AISC 358, then the program enforces the
additional continuity requirements of AISC 358-2005 section 2.4.4
or AISC 341-2010 section E3.6f. For bolted end plates, the
equivalent equations from AISC 358 hapter 6 is used instead.
Because the codes do not require these provision for frames with
minimal ductility (OMF's) this check is not enforced in those cases.
Cont. Plate Eqn Continuity Plate Equation
Only the worst case / controlling code equation for the continuity
plate checks are reported in the Cont. Plate Eqn column. However,
detailed information on the other equations are reported in the
column detail report.

Note: The demand moment used to calculate the beam

flange forces is based on the Req'd Moment reported on
the Beams tab of the Seismic Detailing results.

SC/WB Ratio Strong Column / Weak Beam Ratio

The Strong Column / Weak Beam ratio is checked for all moment
connections between a beam(s) and the column. The worst case
(lowest) ratio is reported here. If the frame ductility requirements

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Column Header Description

dictate a minimum value for this ratio, then the program also lists a
pass / fail check in this column.
SC/WB Beam Strong Column / Weak Beam Controlling Beam
The controlling beam is reported to identify the location on the
column which resulted in the lowest SC/WB ratio. If the worst case
connection had beams framing in from either side then only one of
the beams is reported, as only one is required to identify that
location.
Misc. Checks Miscellaneous Checks
The Misc. Checks column relates to a number of miscellaneous
checks required by AISC 358. For columns this is normally related
to the maximum depth or weight of the column, or whether the
member type (tube, wide flange, pipe) is valid with the moment
connection assigned to it. Other connection limitations (non-
orthogonal / skewed connections) are reported with the beam's
Misc Checks.

Seismic Results Spreadsheet - Beams

The second tab of the Seismic Design Rules spreadsheet applies only to Hot Rolled steel members
which have been assigned a Member Type of Beam and which have a seismic design rule applied.

Seismic Results Spreadsheet - Beams

Column Header Description

Label The Label column displays the user defined name for the beam. It
is used as a unique identifier for each of the seismic design rules
defined for the structure.
Seismic Design Rules Seismic Design Rule displays the specific rule applied to the beam.
Ductility Req’d Ductility Required
The Ductility Req’d column displays the ductility requirements for
the beams. Possible requirements include:
l High Ductility:Refers to a member which requires
Seismically Compact sections for members such as a
Special Concentrically Braced Frame (SCBF) or a Special
Moment Frame (SMF).

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l Moderate Ductility: Refers to a member which require
Compact sections for frame members, but which does not
require the special Seismic Compactness defined in AISC
341. One example would be an Intermediate Moment
Frame (IMF).
lMinimal Ductility: Refers to a member which does not
have specific compactness requirements beyond the
normal AISC specification. This can even include
members with slender elements. One example would be
an Ordinary Moment Frame (OMF).
UC Max Maximum Code Check
The UC Max column summarizes the member code checks from all
the load combinations that included seismic force. It does NOT
include code checks related to connection design like panel zone
shear checks or continuity plate checks.
LC Load Combination
The LC column displays the load combination governing the beam.
If the load combination that controlled the design used the
overstrength seismic forces (meaning it had an Ω factor in the load
combination) then the governing load combination is followed by an
asterisk (*).
Slenderness Checks The Slenderness Checks column summarizes whether the
member passed the required element slenderness checks based
on the Req'd Ductility setting.
l For the 2005 code, highly ductile frames are considered to
require a "seismically compact" member per the provisions
of AISC 341, whereas moderately ductile frames are
considered to require a "compact" member per the
requirements of the regular AISC 360 design standard.
l For the 2010/2016 code seismically compact and compact
limits are determine from AISC 341 table D1.1. AISC 360
limits are only used when reporting whether a member
should be reported as non-compact, slender.

Note: For sections that do not have a Compact limit per

Table B4.1 of the AISC 360 (i.e. Case 3), and who do not
meet or exceed the non-compact limit, RISA will report as
"non-slender".

Type Connection Type

The Type column merely lists the type of moment connection that
was specified for the member in the Seismic Design Rules applied
to the member.

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Req’d Shear Required Shear
The Req’d Shear column displays the required shear strength for
connection design. For Highly ductile connections, this column
displays the shear force required to develop a plastic hinge on
either side of the beam plus the contribution of shears from the
gravity loads. In the member's detail report we refer to these forces
as Vpr and Vg.
Connections which require Minimal ductility are designed for the
lesser value of the required hinge shear force (Vpr +Vg) or the Ω
shear developed when considering the overstrength load
combinations.
For Moderately ductile connections the required shear force for
connection design is based on the connection type. Connections
listed with a connection type of "other" use the same criteria as the
minimally ductile connections. The pre-qualified connections
(BUEEP, RBS, et cetera) typically require the same design shear
values (Vpr +Vg) as required for the Highly ductile connections.

Note:
l The Other connections assume a value of 1.1 to account for strain hardening
(rather than the Cpr factor used in AISC 358).
l The Vg values are obtained during a batch or envelope solution by looking at the
beam shears at the hinge location for every solved load combination which does
not include any wind or seismic loading.
l If there were no gravity-only load combinations solved then Vg is approximated
by taking half the difference in the shear force between the two ends of the
beam member.
l For minimally ductile moment frames, the required shear need not exceed R*Vu
either. Though this is unlikely to ever govern over the Ω*Vu calculation.

Req’d Moment Required Moment

The Req’d Moment column displays the required Moment strength
for connection design. Currently all highly and moderately ductile
moment frames beam connections require that the connection be
designed for the maximum probable moment projected to the face
of the column. For minimally ductile moment frames, the required
moment need not exceed R*Mu based on discussion in the AISC
341 commentary.

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Note:
l This moment is not used to code check the actual beam and column members. It
is used, however, to determine if the column requires continuity plate stiffeners
to resist the connection forces.
l The Beam Detail Report may also list the Overstrength Moments (Ω0*Mu)
obtained from solving the overstrength load combinations. These are reported
for reference only.

SC/WB Ratio Strong Column / Weak Beam Ratio

The Strong Column / Weak Beam ratio is checked for all moment
connections between a beam(s) and the column and is reported in
the SC/WB Ratio column. The worst case (lowest) ratio is reported
here. If the frame ductility requirements dictate a minimum value for
this ratio, then the program also lists a pass / fail check in this
column.
SC/WB Col Strong Column / Weak Beam Controlling Beam
The controlling column member is reported to identify which end of
the beam resulted in the lowest SC/WB ratio. That information is
displayed in the SC/WB Col column.
Span /Depth The Span/Depth column reports the span to depth ratio for the
beam. This value is important because it is used in testing for the
AISC 358 pre-qualified connections. Each of the pre-qualified
connections have limits on the minimum span to depth ratio for
which that moment connection can be used. When the frame
ductility requirements and connection type have limits on this value
then the program also lists a pass / fail check in this column.

Note: The span used in this calculation is the clear span

from column flange to column flange as specified in AISC
358.

Misc. Checks Miscellaneous Checks

The Misc. Checks column relates to a number of miscellaneous
checks required by AISC 358.
l Geometry Checks on the Beam (i.e. max. Weight,
Depth, Flange Thickness, Flange
l Sloped connections: If beam and column webs are in the
same plane, the connection need not be orthogonal. But,
the program will not perform seismic moment connection
calculations when the slope exceeds 15 degrees.
l Strong Axis connections: The program currently only

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supports strong axis moment connections for seismic code
checking. The tolerance for determining if a connected is
skewed enough to be disqualified is 5 degrees.

Seismic Results Spreadsheet - Braces

The third tab of the Seismic Design Rules spreadsheet applies only to Hot Rolled steel members
which have been assigned a Member Type VBrace and which have a seismic design rule applied.

Seismic Results Spreadsheet - Braces

Column Header Description

Label The Label column displays the user defined text string which is
used as a unique identifier for each of the seismic design rules
defined for the structure.

Note: For OCBF frames, the required frame ductility will be

listed as minimal even though the element slenderness
requirements will enforce the highly ductile (i.e. seismically
compact) limits for the brace.

Seismic Design Rules Seismic Design Rule displays the specific rule applied to the brace.
Ductility Req’d Ductility Required
The Ductility Req’d column displays the ductility requirements for
the brace. Possible requirements include:
l High Ductility:Refers to a member which requires
Seismically Compact sections for members such as a
Special Concentrically Braced Frame (SCBF) or a Special
Moment Frame (SMF).
l Moderate Ductility: Refers to a member which require
Compact sections for frame members, but which does not
require the special Seismic Compactness defined in AISC
341. One example would be an Intermediate Moment
Frame (IMF).
l Minimal Ductility: Refers to a member which does not
have specific compactness requirements beyond the
normal AISC specification. This can even include

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members with slender elements. One example would be
an Ordinary Moment Frame (OMF).
UC Max Maximum Code Check
The UC Max column displays the combined bending and axial code
check for the brace. This code check is based on non-overstrength
load combinations only, unless the Seismic Design Rule for the
brace has been designated as Overstrength Req'd. The Load
Combination number which resulted in the highest UC value is
reported. If the governing load combination contained overstrength
seismic forces (Ω0) it will be followed by an asterisk (*).
LC Load Combination
The LC column displays the load combination governing the brace.
The Load Combination number that results in the highest UC value
is reported. If the governing load combination contained
overstrength seismic forces (Ω0) it is followed by an asterisk (*).
Slenderness Checks The Slenderness Checks column summarizes the worst case
condition between local element compactness checks and KL/r
slenderness restrictions (if any). This field summarizes whether the
brace passed the element compactness checks based on the
Req'd Ductility setting. Special Concentrically Braced Frames
require a "seismically compact" member per the provisions of AISC
341.
This also indicates when a brace fails the KL/r restrictions listed in
AISC 341.

Note:
l For OCBF frames (which have minimal required frame ductility) still require that
the bracing member's element slenderness meet the highly ductile (i.e.
seismically compact) limits of AISC 341.
l For sections that do not have a Compact limit per Table B4.1 of the AISC 360
(i.e. Case 3), and who do not meet or exceed the non-compact limit, RISA will
report as "non-slender".

Req’d Tension Required Tension

The Req’d Tension field summarizes the axial forces tension
required for the design of the brace connections. The connection
design forces are separated into tension and compression design
forces. These forces are determined based on the capacity of the
brace itself.

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Note: For frames with Minimal ductility, where

Overstrength is required for the brace, the maximum brace
axial load from Overstrength (Ω0) load combinations is
reported if it exceeds the capacity-based connection
design forces.

Req’d Comp Required Compression

The Req’d Tension field summarizes the axial forces compression
required for the design of the brace connections. The connection
design forces are separated into tension and compression design
forces. These forces are determined based on the capacity of the
brace itself.

Note: For frames with Minimal ductility, where

Overstrength is required for the brace, the maximum brace
axial load from Overstrength (Ω0) load combinations is
reported if it exceeds the capacity-based connection
design forces.

Unbalanced Beam For brace configurations which the program identifies as V or

Inverted-V (Chevron) the program automatically calculates the
unbalanced beam forces per the provisions of AISC. The resultant
unbalanced vertical force on the beam is reported in the
Unbalanced Beam column.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips
& Tricks webpage at risa.com/post/support. Type in Search
keywords: Unbalanced.

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Column Header Description

Note:
l For braces that are non-symmetric the most unbalanced combination of
tension/compression is reported.
l The horizontal and vertical components are shown relative to the beam's local
axes. (Up) and (Down) refer to the direction of the resultant force on the beam
relative to its positive local y axis.
l These unbalanced forces are not actually used in the design of the beam
member. They are reported for reference only.
l The beam must have a seismic design rule assigned to it in order to view these
forces.
l The requirement that the beam be analyzed as though the brace carried no
dead or live load cannot be met by RISA-3D, since the program cannot force
certain members to only carry certain components of a load. This can be
accomplished by integrating the model with RISAFloor though, which will
analyze the beam for dead and live loads as though the brace were not present.

Brace Vert. Force Brace Vertical Force

Axial force in the Vertical Brace.

Brace Hori. Force Brace Horizontal Force

Axial force in the Horizontal Brace.

Misc. Checks Miscellaneous Checks

There are no miscellaneous brace checks in the program at this
time. The Misc. Checks column has been reserved for future
additions. This column will always report "Pass".

Note: reported if it exceeds the capacity-based connection design forces.

Seismic Detailing - Detail Reports

The seismic detailing results are presented in two ways: the seismic detailing results spreadsheet
and the seismic detailing sections of the member detail reports. The seismic detailing results
spreadsheet is intended to be a summary report. More detailed information can be found for each
member on that member's detail report as described below. The information described here is based
on enveloped information from a batch solution.

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Design Forces for Moment Connections

The seismic portion of hot-rolled steel detail reports for beams in moment frames contain sections
called Required Connection Shear Strength and Required Connection Moment Strength.

Required Connection Shear Strength

The Vg listed is the shear at the plastic hinge location in the beam due to gravity loads. RISA
determines this value by taking the worst case shear from the load combinations which do NOT
include any wind or seismic loads. If there are no solved LC's which meet this criteria, then the value
is taken as half the difference in the end shears from the seismic LC's.
RISA uses the term Vpr to refer to the shear required to produce the maximum probable hinge
moment (Mpr) on both sides of the beam.. This value will be equal to 2*Mpr / Distance between
plastic hinge locations. If the connection is Other / None then the Mpr will be based on a Cpr of 1.1 per
AISC 341 assumptions. If the connection is a WUF-W connection, this will be based on a Cpr of 1.4.
Otherwise, the calculation will be based on the Cpr of the material as defined in AISC 358.
The Ωo*Vu value listed in the detail report is the shear demand based on the worst case of the
Overstrength Load Combinations. This is presented because AISC 341 (Section 10.2a in the 2005
code or Section E1.6b in the 2010/2016 code) says that moderately and minimally ductile frames
need not have their shear connection designed to a force greater than this value.
Per AISC 341, the required shear strength Demand for a connection requiring high ductility will be
based on the Vpr value plus the shear due to gravity loading (Vg). For minimal ductility, the required
shear strength Demand will be based on the lesser of this shear (Vpr + Vg) or the shear demand from
the overstrength load combinations.

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Note:
l The Vg values are obtained during a batch or envelope solution by looking at the
beam shears at the hinge location for every solved load combination which does
not include any wind or seismic loading.
l If there were no gravity-only load combinations solved then Vg is approximated by
taking half the difference in the shear force between the two ends of the beam
member.
l In addition, the program will not allow the design shear to exceed R*Vu. Though this
is not likely to ever control over the Ωo*Vu loading.

Required Connection Moment Strength

The required Moment strength for connection design is listed here along with the values used to
compute it.
The Hinge Location reported here is the Hinge Location from the assigned Seismic Design Rule.
This represents the distance from the face of column to the center of the plastic hinge.
The Ze value is the effective plastic section modulus of the hinge. It is equal to the plastic section
modulus of the beam multiplied by the Z Factor from the assigned Seismic Design rule.
The Mpr value is the probable plastic moment projected to the face of the column. This would be
equal to Cpr*Ry*Fy*Ze.
The Demand Moment is the Mpr moment projected to the face of the column. The projection of this
moment must account for the extra moment due to the shear force at the hinge location times the
distance from the hinge location to the face of column. This would be equal to Mpr + (Vpr+Vg)*Hinge
Location distance. This value will be used as the demand moment for calculating the beam flange
force demand to determine if the column requires continuity plate stiffeners.
The Ωo*Mu is reported mostly for reference. However, it may be used to determine the shear
demand on the column's panel zone. In addition, moment frames requiring minimal ductility will not
allow the demand moment to exceed R*Mu.

Column Panel Zone Capacity Calculations for Moment Frames

The seismic portion of hot-rolled steel detail reports for columns in moment frames contains a section
called Panel Zone Summary.

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For frames that require high ductility (SMF), the Demand Vu is based on the maximum probable
moment projected to the face of column. In addition, the program will check the panel zone for column
beam connections per the extra seismic detailing checks of AISC 341 (eqn 9-2 in the 2005 code or
E3-7 in 2010/2016). That is the requirement that the thickness of the column web is greater than the
sum of the depth and width of the panel zone divided by 90.
For frames which do not require high ductility (IMF and OMF), the panel zone shear demand will be
based on the end moments from the solved load combinations. If the Overstrength Req'd flag has
been set for the column, then the ΩoMu values listed in the section above (Design Forces for Moment
Connections) will be used instead.

Note:
l Currently, the effects of column story shear (which tend to decrease the panel zone
shear demand) are not taken into account.
l These conditions are checked for each beam connected to the column with a valid
seismic moment connection. However, the total panel zone shear demand is based
on the sum of the panel zone shears from the individual beams. This may be over-
conservative for cases with an IMF or OMF frame where the maximum moments in
the beams occur for different load cases.

Continuity Plate Checks for Columns in Moment Frames

The seismic portion of hot-rolled steel detail reports for columns in moment frames contains a section
called Continuity Plate Summary.

These checks come from either the AISC 358, AISC 341 or the AISC 360 depending on the required
ductility of the system and the type of moment connection used.

Required Flange Force Calculations

The flange force, Puf, is the demand force that the column has to resist. This force is based on the
probable maximum moment at the face of column (see the Demand Moment from the Design Forces
for Moment Connections section listed above). This will be used for the AISC 358 Continuity Plate
Checks.

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Note:
l When the WUF-W connection is used the program will calculate the probable
maximum moment at the face of the column based on a Cpr of 1.4. This connection
assumes a large degree of strain hardening which artificially increases the probably
maximum moment over the other pre-qualified connections with a similar beam and
material.
l When an Other / None connection is used, the Cpris always assumed to be equal to
1.1.
l When ASD design is used the required Flange Force for connection design is
determined by dividing the probably maximum moment at the face of the column by
a factor of 1.5.

AISC 341-05 Continuity Plate Checks

Column Flange Thickness Requirement (AISC 341: Section 11.5 for 2005, no
equivalent in 2010/2016)
For wide flange columns in moment frames which require minimal ductility (OMF's), continuity plates
are required if the equations from section 11.5 are not met. For connections which require higher
ductility (SMF or IMF) see the AISC 358-05 Continuity Plate Checks listed below.

AISC 358/341 Continuity Plate Checks

Column Flange Thickness Requirement (AISC 358: Section 2.4.4 in 2005, E3.6f in
2010/2016)
For wide flange columns with a pre-qualified moment connection (except for Extended End Plates)
continuity plates are required if column flange thickness does not meet the requirements of these
sections. This check is enforced for only high and intermediate ductility requirements (SMFs and
IMF's) in 2005, but is checked for all frames in 2010/2016.

Note: If the connection type is listed as Other / None then this check is not enforced even for
frames with high ductility requirements.

End Plate Moment Connections (BUEEP and BSEEP from AISC 358: Section
6.10)
Moment connections requiring high or intermediate ductility (SMFs and IMFs) which use an end plate
moment connections require the continuity plate checks described in Section 6.10 of AISC 358.
For End Plate Moment Connections (BUEEP and BSEEP) the program will check following
concentrated force failure modes to determine if continuity plates are required:

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Seismic Detailing - Design Rules

l Column Web Yielding (per AISC 358-05: Equation 6.9-24)

l Column Web Crippling (per AISC 358-05: Equation 6.9-29 through 6.9-31): With the
assumption that N = 2*tbf
l Column Web Compression Buckling (per AISC 358-05: Equation 6.9-26 and 6.9-27): With
the caveat that this check is only performed if the moment connection has beams framing in
on both sides of the column.

Note:
l These checks are really just variations of the normal AISC 360 continuity plate
checks. However, they have been customized to account for the presence of the
end plates. For this reason, the BUEEP and BSEEP moment connections do
NOT check the AISC 360 Continuity Plate requirements as they would be
considered redundant.
l The Column Flange Bending checks of equation 6.9-21 are not performed. These
checks require the calculation of the Yc term which depends on the number of bolts
and the geometry of the connection. Thus, it can not be calculated and an N/A is
presented instead.
l The bolted end plate moment connection equations from AISC 358 are only
formulated for LRFD design. Therefore, in cases where ϕ equals 0.75, an Ω value of
2.0 will be assumed. Similarly, in cases where ϕ equals 0.9, an Ω value of 1.67 will
be used.

AISC 360 Continuity Plate Checks

For SMFs, IMFs and OMFs that are not using BUEEP and BSEEP connections AISC 341 requires
that the connections still meet the requirements of AISC 360-05 Section J10. The program will check
the following concentrated force failure modes to determine if continuity plates are required:
l Column Flange Bending (per AISC 360-05: Equation J10-1.)
l Column Web Yielding (per AISC 360-05: Equation J10-2 and J10-3.) With the assumption
that N = tbf
l Column Web Crippling (per AISC 360-05: Equation J10-4, J10-5a and J10-5b.) With the
assumption that N = tbf
l Column Web Compression Buckling (per AISC 360-05: Equation J10-8.) With the caveat
that this check is only performed if the moment connection has beams framing in on both
sides of the column.

Multiple Moment Connections Framing to a Column

When a column with seismic design rules has a beam framing in from each side, each beam will show
up separately in the detail report with its own continuity plate checks. Since these checks are local to
the beam flange to column flange force transfer, the program does not assume any interaction
between the continuity plate checks of the two beams.

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Strong Column / Weak Beam (SC/WB) Moment Ratios

The seismic portion of hot-rolled steel detail reports for columns in moment frames contains a section
displaying the Column Beam Moment Ratio which is frequently referred to as the Strong Column /
Weak Beam Moment ratio.

This value is reported for reference only for frames that require Minimal or Moderate Ductility (OMF's
and IMF's).
For frames that require High Ductility (SMF's), any value less than 1.0 is considered to fail the SC/WB
code check per AISC 341(Section 9.6 in 2005 and E3.4 in 2010/2016). These frames report a
warning that connection bracing is required anytime the SC/WB ratio is calculated as less than 2.0
per the AISC 341 section for unbraced connections.

Note:
l The Sum M*pbvalue is based on the maximum probable moment at the plastic hinge
location projected to the centerline of the column.
l For two sided moment connections, this Sum M*pbvalue assumes that the shear
force from gravity loads (Vg) adds to the plastic hinging shear force (Vpr) on one
side of the connection and takes away from it on the other side.

Bracing Requirements for Beams in a Moment Frame

The seismic portion of hot-rolled steel detail reports for beams in moment frames contains a section
called Beam Flange Bracing. This section reports the required beam flange bracing forces for
moment connection. These values depend on ductility requirements of the connection.

For connections which require high or moderate ductility (SMF, or IMF), the Lb values used in
Equation A-6-8 are based on Maximum Spacing values shown in the detail report. These maximum
spacing for beam bracing is based on the requirements of AISC 341 (sections 9.8 / 10.8 in 2005 and
E2.4a /E3.4b in 2010/2016).
For connections which require minimal ductility (OMF), Lb values used in Equation A-6-8 are based
on the maximum of Lcomp-top, Lcomp-bottom or Lp as defined in AISC 360-05 equation F2-5.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Seismic Detailing - Design Rules

Note:
l The Cd values in equations A-6-7 and A-6-8 are always assumed to be 1.0 based
on the commentary to AISC 341.
l For RBS connections, the Mr values used in equations A-6-7 and A-6-8 are
assumed to be equal to the plastic section modulus at the reduced beam section.

Requirements for Braced Frames

In addition to the input echo and the Element Slenderness checks, braced frames display the
following sections in the member detail report. These sections are displayed for the Brace Member
and (in the case of V or inverted V braced systems) the beam member attached to the V bracing.

Brace Connection Strength

The three brace connection design forces are all presented for reference, although the actual design
of the connection is outside of the scope of RISA-3D. The first two are determined based on the
capacity of the brace itself. The third value is based on the maximum force in the brace from the
solved load combinations. If the brace has been specified to be designed for Overstrength (Ω0) then
this value will be based on the Overstrength load combinations.

Note: When using the 2010/2016 code, the expected brace strength in compression is based
on the normal AISC 360 chapter E requirements computed assuming a yield stress equal to
Ry*Fy.

Unbalanced Forces
For brace configurations which the program identifies as V or Inverted-V (Chevron) the program
automatically calculates the unbalanced beam forces per the provisions of AISC 341. The resultant
unbalanced forces on the beam are reported.

For more information see the Seismic Detailing Results topic; For additional advice on this topic,
please see the RISA Tips & Tricks section of the website: www.risa.com/post/support. Type in
Search keyword: Unbalanced.

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Brace KL/r Restriction

The program will report the KL/r check for certain brace members based on the user input setting for
the Seismic Design Rules. Examples where a user would likely select this input would be braces that
are part of a Special Concentrically Braced Frame (SCBF) as well as K, V, or inverted V braces in an
Ordinary Concentrically Braced Frame (OCBF).

Buckling Restrained Braces

The adjusted brace strength and required connection strength for BRB are different than other HR
members. The compression strength adjustment factor (β) and strain hardening adjustment factor
(ω) are included in the calculation. See Hot Rolled Steel - Design for additional information on these
parameters.

Miscellaneous Seismic Checks

Element Width-to-Thickness Ratios Checks

This section of the detail report displays the results of the element Width-to-Thickness ratios checks
per the provisions of AISC 341.

l AISC 341 Table D1.1 requires (based on the frame ductility and member type) that the
Width-to-Thickness ratios of the cross section satisfy certain criteria. Members do not meet
the criteria will report Fail using red text to indicate that the member has failed the AISC 341
criteria.

Miscellaneous AISC 358 Pre-Qualification Checks

This section of the detail report displays the results of some of the miscellaneous provisions of AISC
358. Specifically those sections related to pre-qualification of the beam-column moment connection.

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Some of these requirements are related to the beam or column dimensions (size, weight, et cetera).
Some of them are related to the clear span to beam depth ratio.

Note: The program is not checking any of the AISC 358 weld restrictions.

Other Miscellaneous Checks

The program produces warning messages (in the detail report only) relating to the various AISC 341
restrictions. Among them are the provisions which require columns with a L/r ratio greater than 60 to
be braced out of plane as shown below.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Shape Databases

Shape Databases
For each material, there are several databases of common structural shapes such as Hot Rolled
Steel Wide Flanges, Cold Formed Shapes, Wood, Concrete Tees, etc. You may also choose from
shapes created in RISASection. You may type in the names directly, select shapes from these
databases or add your own shapes.
l What Aluminum Shapes are available?

Database Shape Types

There are different types of shapes for each material type including General shapes. Names for each
shape type follow a syntax so that they can be typed directly into the Shape box on the Section Sets
spreadsheet or on the Primary tab of the Members spreadsheet. Alternately you may click the
button to look up a shape and select it.

Hot Rolled Shapes

AISC, Canadian, Trade Arbed and custom Hot Rolled shapes are accessed by clicking the Shape
Database icon from the Advanced ribbon and then clicking the Hot Rolled tab from the Shape
Database Editor window.

The hot rolled shapes and databases are more fully described in the Hot Rolled Steel Design section.
See Hot Rolled Steel Databases for more information.

Virtual Joists and Virtual Joist Girders

The Steel Joist Institute (SJI) has put together Virtual Joist and Virtual Joist Girder tables which
convert common joist and joist girder sizes into equivalent wide flange beams. These shapes are
available by selecting Virtual Joist Girder or Virtual Joist from the Database menu. For additional
advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at risa.com/post/support. Type in
Search keywords: Virtual Joist Girders

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Shape Databases

Cold Formed Shapes

Manufacturer and custom cold formed shapes are accessed by clicking the Shape Database
icon from the Advanced ribbon and then clicking the Cold Formed tab from the Shape Database
Editor window.

The cold formed shapes and database are more fully described in the Cold Formed Design section.
See Cold Formed Steel Databases for more information

Concrete Shapes
Concrete shapes do not have a predefined database like hot rolled and cold formed steel. Instead,
they are defined using a parametric shape code that may be assigned any depth or width. There are
two types of shapes currently supported: Rectangular and Round. See Concrete Database for more
information.

Wood Shapes
The available wood shapes are based on the dimension lumber and post and timber shapes given in
the NDS or CSA O86, depending on what code you have chosen as your Wood design code. You
may also design for multiple plies of these shapes. Note that the NDS dimension lumber shapes are
all nominal sizes. CSA O86 shapes are actual sizes.
Allowable stress values for each shape are based on the species and grade information given in the
selected design code. See Wood Database for more information.

Aluminum Shapes
US, Canadian and custom Aluminum shapes are accessed by clicking the Shape Database icon
from the Advanced ribbon and then clicking the Aluminum tab from the Shape Database Editor
window.

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The aluminum shapes and databases are more fully described in the Aluminum - Databases section.

General Shapes
Arbitrary Shapes
Arbitrary Shapes are a special, catch-all shape. This arbitrary shape type is provided so that any
shape can be added to the shape database.
AISC code checks are not calculated for arbitrary shapes since their place in the specification is
unknown. Everything else will be calculated for them (forces, deflections, stresses). The max
thickness (Max thick) value for the cross section is used to determine the pure torsional shear stress
for the shape. "J" is the torsional constant. The "d" values (the distances to the extreme fibers) allow
the program to calculate stresses at the extreme fibers.

Note:
l These shapes will generally be rendered using a greenish cruciform shape. The
center of the cruciform will reflect the centroid of the section with the tips of the
cruciform representing the distances from the neutral axis to the extreme fiber.
l Refer to Member Shear Deformations and Member Shear Stresses for more
information on the shear area factors (As-zz Def, As-yy Def, .As-zz Stress, & As-yy
Stress) shown in the figure below.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Shape Databases

To Add an Arbitrary Shape to the Database

l
To enter an arbitrary shape in the database, click the Shape Database icon from the
Advanced ribbon and then clicking the General tab from the Shape Database Editor
window. Set the shape type to Arbitrary, click Add and then enter the shape name and
properties.

RISASection Files
You can create simple or complex sections in RISASection and then import those sections for use in
your model. Sections that exist in RISASection (files located in the "RISASection" file specified in File
- Application Settings - File Locations) will be available for use in the model. Each section must
have a unique name for it to be available.
The shapes that are designated as General Material, Arbitrary Shape Type in RISASection will show
up in the General tab under the "RISASection" Database.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Shape Databases

The shapes that are designated as Hot Rolled Steel Material in RISASection will show up in the Hot
Rolled tab under the appropriate Shape Type (Channel, Wide Flange, etc.) when "RISASection" is
selected as the Database.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Shape Databases

Note: Currently, RISASection can only import General and Hot Rolled Steel shapes. More
material choices will be available in a future version.

For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: RISASection Integration.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Shape Databases

Troubleshooting RISASection / RISA- Interaction

There are a few common issues that arise when attempting to access RISASection files from within
RISA-.
l When RISA-3D launches, it will only import RISASection files that exist in the directory
specified in File - Application Settings - File Locations.
l RISA-3D only reads in database files when it is first launched. Therefore, if a RISASection
file is created or modified, then RISA-3D must be closed and re-started before it will
recognize the new or modified section.
There are some common mistakes that are made from within the RISASection program that may
cause an issue when trying to read that shape from within RISA-3D.
l The name of the RISASection "File" is actually different from the name of the section itself.
Both names will appear in the RISA-3D database, but it is important to give your sections
unique names in order to properly tell them apart. Note: each RISASection file can contain
many different sections. Hence the need to name each individual section.
l Unless specifically identified as a Hot Rolled Material type and shape (from within
RISASection), the shapes will be imported as Arbitrary shapes with a General Material type
l RISASection can save files with a new *.nmsx file type (for RISASection 2.0 or higher), or
an old *.nms (for RISASection version 1.1 or older). If saved as the old file type, the
sections will only come in as Arbitrary members with a General material type.
l If the file is saved with a *.nmsx extension it will not be read into older versions of the RISA
programs (prior to RISA-3D version 9.1.1.

Structural Desktop (SDT) Shapes

The SDT database is provided by the Structural Desktop software in a file called SDT.FIL. Structural
Desktop automates drawing production of RISA models. The SDT database is provided for shapes
that are not directly supported in RISA models (such as bar joists) but are available in Structural
Desktop. For more information on Structural Desktop see www.structuraldesktop.com.

On-Line Shapes
On-Line shapes are shapes whose dimensions are defined directly in the syntax of the shape
name. On-line shapes are not stored in the shape database because there is enough information
from the label syntax to calculate all the shape properties. A pipe, for example, can be fully defined by
specifying the thickness and diameter.
These shapes are treated just like database shapes for stress calculations. Currently, Pipes, Solid
Rectangular and Solid Circular shapes are defined on-line as discussed below in Pipe Database
Shapes, Solid Rectangular Shapes, and Solid Circular Shapes.

Pipe Database Shapes

Pipe shapes, which are hollow circular shapes, are entered as on-line shapes. The syntax for these
shapes is "PIdiaXthick", where "dia" is the pipe outside diameter and "thick" is the pipe thickness (in

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Shape Databases

inches or centimeters). For example (assuming US Standard units), PI10X.5 would be a 10" diameter
pipe with a wall thickness of 1/2".

Solid Rectangular Shapes

These shapes can be defined as on-line shapes. The syntax is "REhtXbase", where "ht" is the
rectangle height and "base" is the rectangle base (in inches or cm). For example, RE10X4 would be a
10" deep, 4" width rectangular shape (assuming US Standard units). These shapes can also be
defined in the Shape Editor. When defined in the Shape Editor the depth of the solid rectangular
section must always be greater than or equal to the width.

Solid Circular Shapes

These shapes are defined as on-line shapes. The syntax is "BARdia", where "dia" is the circle
diameter. For example (assuming metric units), BAR2 would be a circular bar with a diameter of 2 cm.

Database Files
The shape databases are stored in the database files (*.FIL). These files may only be edited through
the program. The path to these files is set in the File Locations tab of Application Settings, which is
found in the File menu.
After adding a new shape in your model, you will be prompted with this Changes to Shape Database
dialog Click 'Yes' if you want to add the shape to your Shape Database to be available for all future
models. Click 'No' if you do not want the new shape to be available for other models, this will not save
the shape to your Shape Database.

You can also make edits to the geometric and section properties of the shapes in your Shape
Database. If you modify geometric properties, you can also use the Re-Calc button for the program to
automatically calculate the corresponding section properties.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Shape Databases

After editing the geometric or section properties for a shape in your model, you will be prompted with
this Changes to Shape Database dialog. Click 'Yes' if you want to add the shape modifications to your
Shape Database to be available for all future models. Click 'No' if you do not want the changes to
apply to other models, this will not save the changes in the Shape Database for other models.

Note:
l Alterations to the shape databases are not permanent unless you agree to save
them. Changes that are not saved only remain valid for the current session and will
not be present the next time you start RISA.
l New shapes are always added to the bottom of the database in blue text.
l To delete a shape specify the database and shape type you wish to delete and then
click the Delete button.
l To edit a shape click the Edit button and edit the shape properties. Only shapes
that are not part of the default database are able to be edited. If the shape you
would like to edit is a default database shape, the program will ask if you would like
to make a copy of the shape. Geometric values can be edited here, and will allow
you to recalculate the section properties if edits have been made.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Solid Elements

Solid Elements
The Solid or 8 node brick element allows you to model structures that are too thick to be modeled by
plate elements. Common applications could include dam models, extremely thick pile caps or
vibrating equipment with extremely thick support slabs. Essentially, these elements should be used
whenever the Mindlin – Reissner assumption of linear strain through the thickness of the element
would not be appropriate.
Solid elements may be viewed / edited in a couple of ways, but can only be created by extruding
existing plate elements.

Create Solids
Solid Elements are not drawn in RISA-3D. Instead, they must be extruded from a mesh of plate
elements. Use the Insert menus or the Drawing Toolbar to create new solids. Once you have created
these items, you can use other graphic features to load the model and set boundary conditions.
Creating solid models requires more forethought than either beam or plate elements. To create solids
you must first create a plate element mesh, and then extrude that mesh into a series of solid
elements. See Plate Modeling Tips and Plate Modeling Examples for tips on building plate element
meshes. You can set all the element properties up front or you can modify these properties after you
draw them. Modifying Solids is discussed in the next section.
The “Create Solids by Extruding Plates” window (shown below) lets you take any existing plate and
extrude it out into a three dimensional object.

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Extrude Solids
To extrude solid elements:
1. If there is not a model view already open, then click the Open 3D Views icon in the ‘View’
ribbon.
2. If you do not already have a plate element mesh, then you must create one.
See Drawing Plates for more information on this.
3. Click the Solids icon (as shown in the following image).and set the solid properties.

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The Create Solids by Extruding Plates window opens.

The “Create Solids by Extruding Plates” window lets you take any existing plate and
extrude it out into a three dimensional object.
4. Click the Material arrow and choose the solid material you want to extrude.
5. In the Extrusion Options section enter the extruding options:

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l Extrude Axes either globally or locally.

The X, Y, and Z components of the extruding vector and the thickness of the
extrusion vector.
l The No. of Solid Elements (number solid elements) along the extrusion vector.
6. Choose one of the following options:
l Extrude all selected plates - Choose this option to extrude an entire selection of
plates at once.
Select the plates in the 3D View panel first, then choose this option.
All plates currently selected in the 3D View panel will be extruded. If you don’t have
any plates selected, ALL plates of the same material in the model are extruded by
default.
l Extrude by clicking plates individually - Choose this option to extrude a single
solid at a time or to select just a few plates to extrude.
Choose this option first, then click on the individual plate(s) you want to extrude.
7. Click OK to extrude the plates.

Note:
l Only Quadrilateral plates can be extruded.
l To extrude more solids with different properties, press CTRL-D to recall the Create
Solids by Extruding Plates window.
l You can also view and edit solid properties by clicking on a solid.
l
You can undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo button.

Modify Solids
You can modify one or more solid elements at once using the Properties panel. The Properties panel
lets you modify the properties of solids that already exist in your model. You can modify solids one at
a time by selecting a single solid and modifying the properties, or you can modify entire selections of
solids by selecting the solids first and then modifying the parameters for the entire set.
To modify solid elements using the Properties panel:

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1. Click on one or more solids to view to display the properties in the Properties panel.

2. In the Properties panel, edit the properties you want to modify.

your changes are immediately applied.

Sub-Meshing Solids
You can submesh solid plate elements into a mesh of smaller elements. This new mesh can be any
size up to the program limits for joints and/or solids. This is very useful for refining a coarse mesh of
elements; just make sure that all adjacent solid elements (elements sharing an edge) maintain
connectivity.
You can define different submesh increments in each direction.
You can submesh the solids one at a time by selecting the Click to Apply option and then clicking on
the solids you wish to submesh. You may also modify entire selections of solids by selecting the
plates and then using the Apply to Selected option.

Submesh Solid Elements

To submesh solid elements:
1. If there is not a model view already open, click the Open 3D Views icon in the View ribbon.
2. Select the Solids you want to sub mesh.
3. Click the Submesh Solids icon in the ‘Modify’ ribbon (as shown below).

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The Solid Submeshing Options window opens.

This window allows you to define different submesh increments in each direction.
4. Specify the number of pieces along the side.
5. Click OK to apply your options.

Note:
l You can submesh solids one at a time by specifying the number of pieces, clicking
OK and then clicking on the solids you wish to submesh. Or, you can modify entire
selections of solids by selecting the plates, opening the Solid Submeshing Options
window, specifying the number or pieces, and then clicking OK.
l To submesh more solids with different parameters, press CTRL-D to recall the
Submesh Solids settings.
l
You may undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo button.

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Solids Spreadsheet
The Solids Spreadsheet records the properties for the solid elements of the model and may be
accessed by selecting Solids on the Data Entry menu.

The following data columns hold the ‘Primary’ data for the solids.
Solids Primary Data Columns

Column Description
Label Display the unique name of each solid.
You can assign a unique label to any or all of the solids. You can
then refer to the solid by its label. Each label has to be unique. If
you try to enter the same label more than once, you receive an
error message. You can relabel solids at any time using the
Relabel Allor Relabel Selected icons on the Modify ribbon.
Solid Nodes (A - H) The A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H node entries are used to define the 8
corner nodes of the solid element. These nodes are unable to be
edited in the spreadsheet, since solids are created by extruding
existing plates.
Material The material label links the solid with the desired material defined
on the Materials Spreadsheet.

Note: Solids are always defined with general materials.

This is because the other material sets (Hot Rolled, Cold
Formed, Wood, and Concrete) are used to designate
member code checking specifications. Since solids are
only used for analysis, no code checking is provided and
the material must be designated as a general material.

Activation The Activation data column allows for solids to be set to 'Active',
'Inactive', or 'Excluded'. These choices can be made by selecting
them from the drop down list or by entering an 'I' for 'Inactive' or an
'E' for 'Excluded'. If the cell is left blank the plate is 'Active' by
default. See Inactive and Excluded Solids for more information.

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Solid Information
Just as with the nodes, members, and plates you can click any solid to view it’s properties. All of the
same information that is stored in the Solids spreadsheet is displayed for the solid you choose, and
may be edited. This is a quick way to view and change solid properties.

The following table describes the information provided in the Properties panel.
Solid Properties Panel

Property Description
Material The material set label links the solid with the desired material defined on
the Material spreadsheet.
Solid Label You must assign a unique label to all of the solids. You can then refer to
the solid by its label. Each label has to be unique, so if you try to enter
the same label more than once you will get an error message. You can
relabel solids at any time by clicking the Relabel All icon on the Modify
ribbon and selecting Solids.

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Property Description
Additional The A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H node entries, under the Additional
Properties (Corner Properties section, are used to define the 8 corner nodes of a
Nodes) hexahedral element.
Activation Activation
The activation state of the element may be changed. If the solid is made
inactive, you will need to activate the solid from the solids spreadsheet,
or by using the Criteria Select feature to find and select inactive solids.

Note:
l If you have a plate that has a side of a length that is less
than the merge tolerance that you specify in the Model
Settings under the Solutions tab, then we will not
extrude a solid element from that plate.
l If you come across this as being a problem, then your
plates are probably not well meshed and you should
think about cleaning up your mesh.

Inactive and Excluded Solids

Making an item such as a member or solid inactive allows you to analyze the structure without the
item, without having to delete the information that defines it. This leaves data intact so the item may
be easily reactivated. This is handy if you want to try a model with and then without certain items,
without having to actually delete the data.
l Choosing "Inactive" makes the item inactive, i.e. the item is not included when the model is
solved or plotted.
l Choosing "Exclude" will exclude it from the results list. So, an item set as "Exclude" will be
treated like any other solid in the solution and plotting of the model, but the solid will not be
listed in the solution results (forces, stresses etc.). This is useful if there are certain items
whose results you're not interested in. You don't have to clutter up the results with these
items and can concentrate on the items you're most interested in.
See Printing for more limiting printed results.

Solids Formulation
A reference for this element is Finite Element Procedures, by K.J. Bathe, Prentice-Hall, 1996.
Although the book does not complete the element derivations, it does provide many references for
papers on the family of elements. In brief, the element formulation is standard 8-node ISO-parametric
formulation.

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Node Connectivity
The node connectivity in our current solid formulation follows the “left hand rule”. It means if the first 4
nodes are ordered counterclockwise in plane (as shown in the picture below), then node 5 has to be
below node 1. However, if the first 4 nodes are ordered clockwise in plane, then N5 would have to be
above node 1.
The node connectivity for solid element is listed in the following picture.

If the solid element is generated using the extrusion tool, the nodes will automatically be generated in
the proper order. However, when you are modifying the location the nodes, it is important to keep the
order the nodes to be consistent with the rules stated above. If not, then the local element matrix will
be singular and an error message will be produced at solution time.

Degrees of Freedom
The Solid element activates the THREE translational degrees of freedom at each of its connected
nodes. Rotational degrees of freedom are NOT activated. This element contributes stiffness to all of
these translational degrees of freedom. If a rotational load or constraint is applied to a node that is
only connected to the solid elements, it will be ignored. Modeling these types of rotations would be
similar to modeling the "Drilling Degree of Freedom" for plates. Refer to the Modeling Tips section of
the general reference manual for more information.

Coordinate System
For the time being, no local coordinate system is defined for the solid element. All the input and
output, such as material properties, stresses, displacements are all defined in the global coordinate
systems.

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Solid Modeling Tips

Number of Elements
The standard ISO-parametric formulation needs at least 4 elements through the thickness in order to
accurately simulate a bending dominant part (such as a thin beam or thin plate).

Aspect Ratio of Elements

Solid Elements are more sensitive to element distortion than plate elements. For this reason, it is a
good idea to keep a solid elements relatively undistorted. The best formulation for a solid is a cube
with equal length sides.

Note:
l Solids are always defined with general materials. This is because the other material
sets (Hot Rolled, Cold Formed, Wood, and Concrete) are used to designate
member code checking specifications. Since solids are only used for analysis, no
code checking is provided and the material must be designated as a general
material.
l It’s generally more efficient to use the Graphic Editing features if you want to
change the properties for many solids at once.

Loading
For the time being, only joint loads and self weight can be applied to the solid elements.

Verification Examples
Open the Solid_Cantilever.r3dfrom the Examples folder in the RISA directory.

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In this example, a straight cantilever beam (modeled with solid elements) is subjected to a unit force
at the tip in the three orthogonal direction and the unit moments at the tip about the three orthogonal
directions, each in a different load case. The tip displacements are compared with hand calculations
as shown below:

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The values shown in the table for the RISA output is an average of the 35 nodes at the tip of the
cantilever.

%
Case Equation Theory RISA
Difference
Axial Delta = 0.060" 0.060" 0
Extension PL/AE
Strong Axis Delta = 1.372" 1.361" 0.80
Bending PL3/3EI
Weak Axis Delta = 4.322" 4.203" 2.75
Bending* PL3/3EI
From this table we can see that solid element deflections are in very good agreement with the
theoretical values.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Solid Elements - Results

Solid Elements - Results

When the model is solved, there are two types of results specifically for solid elements: Solid
Stresses and Solid Principal Stresses.

Solid (Global) Stress Results

Access the Solid Stress results by selecting Solid Stresses from the Results section of the
Explorer panel.

The solid element stresses in the global directions are evaluated at the standard 2 x 2 x 2 Gauss
integration points of the element and extrapolated/interpolated to the joints and the center of the
element for graphical display of the stress contours. The Solid Stresses spreadsheet, however, only
displays the center stress value for each element. These stresses are always reported with respect to
the global X, Y and Z axes of the model.
For enveloped results the maximum and minimum value at each location is listed. The load
combination producing the maximum or minimum is also listed, in the "LC" column.

Sign Convention for Stresses

For solid element stresses, RISA uses a sign convention where tension is represented by a positive
value of Sigma XX, Sigma YY, or Sigma ZZ.
Sign convention for the other stresses is as shown in the image below.
o The first subscript represents the plane on which the stress is acting. In the case of Sigma
YZ, the plane is perpendicular to the Global Y plane.
o The second subscript represents the direction of the stress. In the case of SigmaYZ, a
positive stress has an orientation in the positive Z direction.
o Since RISA's implementation uses only isotropic material, Sigma YZ = Sigma ZY, Sigma
XY = Sigma YX, and Sigma XZ = Sigma ZX.

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Note:
l See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how to use Find, Sort as well as other useful
spreadsheet options.
l See Results View Settings to learn how to plot solids results.

Solid Principal Stress Results

Principal values and their associated principal directions are also computed. Access the Solid
Principal Stress results by selecting Solid Principals from the Results panel.

Principal Stresses
Sigma1, Sigma2, and Sigma3 represent the principal stresses for the element. The principal stresses
are the three eigenvalues of the 3 by 3 stress matrix.

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Orientation of Principal Stresses

The direction of the Sigma1 principal stress is defined by Angle1X, Angle1Y, and Angle1Z. Where
each of the angles defines the angle between that global axis and the principal stress direction. The
same definitions hold true for the Sigma2 and Sigma3 stresses.

Von Mises Stress

The Von Mises stress is a combination of the principal stresses and represents the maximum energy
of distortion within the element. This stress can be compared to the tensile yield stress of ductile
materials for design purposes. For example, if a steel plate has a tensile yield stress of 36 ksi, then a
Von Mises stress of 36 ksi or higher would indicate yielding of the material at some point in the plate.

For enveloped results the maximum and minimum value at each location is listed. The load
combination producing the maximum or minimum is also listed, in the "LC" column.

Note:
l See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how to use Find, Sort as well as other useful
spreadsheet options.
l See Results View Settings to learn how to plot solids results.

Solid Corner Force Results

Access the Solid Corner Forces Spreadsheet by selecting the Results Tab and then selecting
Envelope (or LC) button Solid Corner Forces. Alternatively, on the Results toolbar you can
select Solid Corner Forces Spreadsheet.

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The solid corner forces are the global forces at the corner of each plate and are listed for each active
solid.
These are the forces calculated at the corners of the solids, in the GLOBAL directions. These values
are obtained by multiplying the solid's corner displacements with the global stiffness matrix. Unlike
the local stresses and forces, which are very accurate approximations, these corner forces represent
EXACT results based on linear elastic theory. Also, the local forces are listed on a 'per unit length'
basis, whereas these global direction corner forces represent the total force on the solid at the corner

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in the given direction, in the same way that node reactions are reported. At any given node, the
corner forces for all solids connected to that node should sum to zero (a requirement of equilibrium),
assuming no members or boundary conditions are also present at the node.
For enveloped results, the maximum and minimum value is listed. The load combination producing
the maximum or minimum is also listed, in the "LC" column.

Note: See Spreadsheet Operations to learn how to use Find, Sort, Label Marked Lines in
Current ViewShow Selected Lines in Current View and other options.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Solution

Solution
To solve the model, click the Solve icon on the Home ribbon or on the Quick Access toolbar. A
progress bar displays information as the solution proceeds.
Home ribbon

Quick Access toolbar

Note: The linear-elastic behavior of the program implicitly means that non-linear (2nd order)
behavior is not generally supported. Tension-structures such as guy cables or fabric
structures would fall into this non-linear category. Please see the Modeling Tips section for
some ways to approximate this behavior. This note applies to all elements in the program
(wall panels, plates, members, etc.).

Four solution options are presented when you click Solve on the menu. Some of the options require
other solution types to be performed. See Results for information on solution results. For additional
information on Dynamic Analysis and Response Spectra Analysis results refer directly to those
sections. For connection design within RISA-3D see the RISAConnection Integration topic.

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What do you want to do?

l Perform a dynamic analysis.
l Perform a response spectra analysis.
l Perform a Time History solution.
l Perform a Static Solution

What do you want to know?

l What is an Envelope Solution?
l What is an Batch Solution?

Differences Between RISA-3D and RISAFloor

RISAFloor performs an independent solution at each floor. The assumptions in the Floor solution are
essentially the following:
l The vertical stiffness of walls are infinite and are not affected by the stiffness of the
members supporting them.
l Vertical and rotational stiffness of columns are approximated based on the floor height and
properties (EEI/L and AE/L).
l Lower floors will not affect the solution or loading of floors that are located above them.

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l RISA-3D results do not currently account for Live Load Reduction coefficients in the
analysis or design unless the model is linked to RISAFloor.
These assumptions are not always 100% accurate. Therefore, the RISA-3D solution can differ in
cases where these assumptions are less than perfect.

Static Solutions
Static solutions are based on load combinations and may be performed on any defined load
combinations. When a static solution has been performed and the results are available the icon
on the status bar in the lower left corner will change from to . If any changes are made to the
model that invalidate the results then the results will be cleared and another solution will be
necessary.
The solution is based on the widely accepted linear elastic stiffness method for solution of the model.
The stiffness of each element of the structure is calculated independently. These element stiffnesses
are then combined to produce the model's overall (global) stiffness matrix. This global matrix is then
solved versus the applied loads to calculate joint deflections. These joint deflections are then used to
calculate the individual element stresses. The primary reference for the procedures used is Finite
Element Procedures, by K. J. Bathe (Prentice-Hall, 1996).

Skyline Solver
This solution method is also sometimes referred to as an Active Column solution method. In finite
element analysis, the nonzero terms of the stiffness matrix are always clustered around the main
diagonal of the stiffness matrix. Therefore, the Skyline or Active Column solutions take advantage of
this by condensing the stiffness matrix to exclude any zero stiffness terms that exist beyond the last
non-zero term in that column of the matrix.
Since the majority of terms in a stiffness matrix are zero stiffness terms, this method greatly reduces
the storage requirements needed to store the full stiffness matrix. However, for large models
(+10,000 joints) , the memory requirements even for a skyline solution can be problematic.
This solution method has been used successfully in RISA for more than 20 years, and has proven its
accuracy continuously during that time.

Sparse Solver
The skyline solver described above is moderately efficient because it only stores and performs
operations on the terms within the "skyline" of the stiffness matrix. However, that solution still
contains a great number of zero stiffness terms within the skyline of the matrix. A Sparse Solver will
reduce the matrix size to an absolute minimum by eliminating the storage of ALL zero stiffness terms.
A sparse solver is the most efficient solution methodology possible because it stores and performs
operation only on the non-zero terms of the stiffness matrix. For this reason the sparse solution is
preferred from both a solution speed and memory requirement standpoint.

Note: The skyline solver is retained mostly for comparison and verification purposes.

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Multi-Threaded Solutions
RISA products now have the ability to use multiple CPU cores if you set the Processor Core
Utilization to Multiple (Optimum) or Maximum in Model Settings. The program will split up the solving
based on load combination and use each available CPU core to solve load combinations in parallel.
Once this portion of the solution is complete the program then combines this data for enveloping and
design purposes. This behavior will improve solution time for computers with multiple cores and
models with large numbers of load combinations.
During the load combination portion of the solution the solution dialog will show progress for each
core being used.

Single Combination Solutions

Choose this option to solve one load combination by itself.

Envelope Solutions
Static solutions may also be performed on multiple combinations and the results enveloped to show
only the minimum and maximum results. Each of the results spreadsheets will contain minimum and
maximum values for each result and also the corresponding load combination. The member detail
report and deflected shape plots are not available for envelope solutions. See Load Combinations to
learn how to mark combinations for an envelope solution.

Batch Solutions
Static solutions may be performed on multiple combinations and the results retained for each
solution. When performing a batch solution, you have the option to also include a set of envelope
results. This is useful when an envelope result is desired to quickly determine a controlling load
combination, but when the investigation of that load combination required the greater details given
with batch solution results. When using the Batch + Envelope Solution, to view the envelope results,
click on a spreadsheet in the Results toolbar. To view the batch results, click on that same

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spreadsheet in the Results toolbar a second time. Both the envelope and batch solution
spreadsheets should now be available simultaneously.
You may group the results by item or by load combination by choosing from the Results section on
the Results tab. For example you can have all the combination results for member M1 together or
you can have all the member results for Load Combination "D+L" together. See Load Combinations
to learn how to mark combinations for a batch solution.

Dynamic Solutions
Eigenvalues & Mode Shapes
In this section, the term "Dynamic Solutions" refers to solving of the dynamic properties of a structure.
This involves assembling the mass matrix, solving for the eigen values (natural periods /
frequencies), as well as determining the mode shapes of vibration associated with each period /
frequency. Dynamic analysis requires a load combination, but this combination is merely used to
determine the mass of the model. See Dynamic (Modal) Analysis for much more information.

When a dynamic solution has been performed and the results are available the icon on the status
bar in the lower left corner will change from gray to . If any changes are made to the mode that
invalidates the results then the results will be cleared and another solution is necessary.

Accelerated Solver
The Accelerated Solver is actually three solvers in one: A Direct Jacobian, an Accelerated Sub-
Space solver, and a Lanczos Solver. Each of these solvers will have a certain range of models for
which it is most efficient. Therefore, RISA will automatically detect which should be most efficient for
the given model and use that solver for the eigen-solution. This solver is much more efficient than the
standard solver and will fine frequencies and mode shapes in a fraction of the time the standard
solver. Therefore, it is the default solution option.

Standard Solver
This solver uses sub-space iteration to solve for the Eigen values. This solver has been used for
years and the accuracy of the results is very well established. It has been included mostly for
comparative / verification purposes.

Ritz Vector Solver

This solver uses Load Dependent Ritz (LDR) vectors to bias the dynamic solution. This means that
the solution does not necessarily represent the true mode shapes or natural frequencies of the
structure. As such, this solution should not be used in cases where the natural frequencies and
modes shapes are the main goal.
Ritz vectors are derived by using a static displacement vector as the basis of the derived vector, only
allowing for the solution of modes / vectors that will be excited by the initial loading or which will
contribute to the total response. In RISA, the initial static displacement vectors are based on the load
combination used for the definition of dynamic mass. The mass defined in this load combination is
converted into a static load in each direction for which a Response Spectra solution is requested. The
solution of which forms the basis for the initial Ritz Vectors.

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Note:
l For cases where the mode shapes and frequencies are used to estimate dynamic
response (i.e. Response Spectra or Time History analysis), it has been
demonstrated that using Ritz vectors can produce a more accurate response than
would be obtained using the same number of true eigen modes.
l It is possible, however, for there to be some frequency shift in the mass
participation. For the case of earthquake response of a typical building structure,
this frequency shift should result in a more conservative base shear than would be
produced by a true eigen solution producing the same amount of mass
participation.
l In particular Ritz Vectors are useful for cases in which it is difficult to obtain the
desired level of mass participation with a traditional eigen value analysis. This is
because Ritz vectors are biased towards a presumed deflected shape.
l When Ritz Vectors are used for a Time History analysis the LC used as the basis for
the dynamic mass should contain TH loading at the main joints of the structure. The
program will detect this and then include the Time History Load function in the initial
static displacement vector. This doesn't change the mass matrix at all. But, it will
bias the Ritz Vectors to displacements at those joints which leads to a more
accurate Time History response with fewer modes.

Response Spectra Solutions

Whenever a dynamic / eigen solution has been performed the icon on the status bar in the lower
left corner will change from gray to .
If any changes are made to the model that invalidate these dynamic results (even if they don't
invalidate the mass matrix), the dynamic results will be cleared and need to be re-solved before a
time history analysis can be performed.

Note:
l Alpha will default to zero, at which point the solution is identical to the Newmark
Beta method using integration constants Beta = 0.25 and gamma = 0.5.
l A negative value for alpha is often used then the desire is to dissipate energy
associated with higher frequency response. This makes the HHT solution
methodology more stable than other solution methods, and may allow the user to
set their integration time step slightly larger to improve time history solution speed.
Refer to topic Dynamic Analysis - Time History for more information on setting time
steps.
l RISA requires an Eigensolution or Ritz Vector solution even when Direct Integration
is used. Refer to Required Number of Modes for a discussion on this topic.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Spreadsheet Operations

Spreadsheet Operations
Powerful spreadsheets can be used to view, sort and edit the input data and results. The
spreadsheets and model views are synchronized. As you edit a model graphically the spreadsheets
are automatically updated. As you make changes in the spreadsheets the model views reflect these
changes immediately.
The input data may be accessed from the Explorer panel or from the Data Entry icon (shown in the
following image) on the Spreadsheets ribbon.

You can edit the data or you can add new data. You can also paste data from another application
directly into the spreadsheet via the Windows clipboard. Any changes made to the input
spreadsheets may also be viewed graphically.
After solving the model, results are recorded in spreadsheets for browsing. These spreadsheets can
be accessed from the Explorer sidebar or the various result spreadsheet icons (Envelope, LC, and
Dynamic) found on the Results ribbon (as shown in the following image).

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You can sort the results in order to find maximums and exclude data that is not important. You can
also copy this data to the Windows clipboard and use it in another application.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Advanced Spreadsheet.

Move and Scroll

To move between cells in a spreadsheet, click any cell or use the keyboard arrow keys. When you
move to a cell it becomes the active cell. To see a different area of the spreadsheet use the vertical
scroll bars on the right side of the spreadsheet.

To Scroll Do This
One row up or Click the arrows on the vertical scroll bar.
down
One column left Click the arrows on the horizontal scroll bar.
or right
One page up or Click above or below the scroll box in the vertical
down scroll bar.
One page left or Click to the left or right of the scroll box in the
right horizontal scroll bar.
A large distance Drag the scroll box to the approximate relative
position.

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Note:
l The size of a scroll box indicates the proportional amount of the spreadsheet that is
visible. The position of a scroll box indicates the current location relative to the
spreadsheet.
l The mouse wheel is also an excellent tool for scrolling up and down in
spreadsheets or graphics. Roll the wheel or click and drag to move around.

Spreadsheet Keyboard Commands

The following keyboard commands are available:

Key Function
Arrow Keys Move the active cell one location
TAB Move right one cell
ENTER Move to the first column of the next line.
Adds new line if necessary.
PAGE UP Move the active cell one full page up.
PAGE DOWN Move the active cell one full page down.
HOME Move to the first line of the spreadsheet.
END Move to the last line of the spreadsheet.
F3 Insert new line below current line and repeat the
current values in the new line.
F4 Delete current line.
F8 Add new row to end using values from row above.

Select Spreadsheet Cells

Before you can carry out commands or tasks in a spreadsheet, you must select the cells that you
want to work with.

To Select Do This
A single cell Click the cell, or press the arrow keys to move to
the cell.
A range of cells Click the first cell of the range, and then drag to
the last cell.
An entire row Click the row heading.
An entire column Click the column heading.
Adjacent rows or Drag across the row or column headings
columns

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Note: To cancel a selection of cells, click any single cell in the spreadsheet.

Undo Operations
RISA-3D provides you with virtually unlimited ‘Undo’ capability so that you can easily correct
mistakes or just back up to try different possibilities. Simply click the Undo button as many times as
you wish to go back a step.

Another option is ‘Multiple Undo’, accessed by the down arrow next to the Undo button. This lets you
go back to a specific previous action that you would like to Undo.

The model view and the spreadsheets visually display the "undoing". Remember that graphic edits
are undone as well.

Redo Operations
RISA-3D provides you with virtually unlimited ‘Redo’ capability so that you may reapply actions that
were previously undone. Simply click the Redo button as many times as the Undo button was used
just prior.

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Another option is Multiple Redo, accessed by the drop-down arrow next to the Undo button. This lets
you go back to a specific previous action that you would like to Redo.

The model view and the spreadsheets visually display the "redoing". Remember that graphic edits
are redone as well.

Edit Spreadsheets
The spreadsheets have been specifically developed for the input and editing of structural
models. There are many ways to edit the spreadsheets allowing you to quickly build your model. You
can copy and move data from other locations or other files. You can also fill large blocks of cells
automatically and perform math on these cells.

Change BLC in a Load Spreadsheet

To change Basic Load Cases (BLC) in a Load spreadsheet:
l Use the drop down load list (as shown in the following image) or the adjacent buttons on the
window toolbar, to control the basic load case in a load spreadsheet.

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Fill Selected Cells

To fill selected cells:
1. Select the cells you wish to fill.
2. Click the Block Fill icon on the Spreadsheets ribbon.

3. Type the value you wish to apply.

4. Click OK.

Perform Math on Selected Cells

To perform math on selected cells:
1. Select the desired cells.
2. Click the Block Math button.

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3. Specify the value and the operation you wish to apply.

4. Click OK.

Cancel or Undo Editing

To cancel or undo editing:
l To cancel an entry before you press ENTER, press ESC.
l To undo a completed entry, click the Undo button.

Edit Cell Contents

To edit cell contents:
1. Click the cell that contains the data you want to edit.
2. Make any changes to the cell contents.
3. To enter your changes, press ENTER.
4. To cancel your changes, press ESC.

Note:
l To replace the contents of a cell, click on the cell and type the new entry.
l To edit the contents of a cell, double-click on the cell and use the arrow keys
to locate the cursor and perform the edit.

Inserting, Deleting and Clearing Cells

To insert cells you must insert an entire row. When you delete cells you must delete an entire row.
The row is removed from the worksheet and shifts the lower cells to fill the space. When you clear
cells, you remove the cell contents but leave the blank cells on the spreadsheet.

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Insert Rows
To insert rows:
1. Click a cell in the row immediately above where you want the new row.
2. To insert a blank line, click the Insert Row icon.

3. To have the values of the current line copied in the new line, click the Add Row icon.

Clear Cell Contents

To clear cell contents:
1. Select the cells, rows or columns you want to clear.
2. Press the DELETE key.

Delete Rows
To delete rows:
1. Select the rows you want to delete.
2. Click the Delete Selected Rows icon .

The lower cells will shift up to fill the space.

Note: Some spreadsheets do not allow you to delete lines. For example the Member Design
spreadsheet has one line for each member defined. You may leave these lines blank but can
not delete them.

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Move and Copy Cell Contents

Standard Windows cut, copy and paste functions are fully supported. By using the clipboard you may
move or copy any spreadsheet data to another location in the same spreadsheet, or to another
spreadsheet (provided it fits). You may also copy data to or from another model or any other
application that supports copy and paste such as a word processor or spreadsheet.

Move / Copy Cell Content

To move or copy cell content:
1. Select the cells you want to move or copy.
2. Do one of the following, depending on what you want to do.
To copy the cells: Click the Copy icon on the Spreadsheet ribbon.

3. Click on the cell you wish to place the data in and click the Pasteicon.

Move / Copy Cells between Existing Cells

To move or copy cells between existing cells:
1. Select the cells you want to move or copy.
2. To copy the cells selectthe Copy icon from the Spreadsheet ribbon.

3. Select a cell on the row above where you want to place the data.
4. Click the Insert Row iconfor each new line that is needed.

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5. Click on the upper left cell you wish to place the data in and click the Pasteicon.

Move / Copy Cells to Another File

To move or copy cells to another file:
1. Select the cells you want to move or copy.
2. To copy the cells selectthe Copy icon from the Spreadsheet ribbon.

3. Open the file you wish to copy the data to.

4. Click on the cell you wish to place the data in and click the Paste button.

Note:
l Your data stays in the clipboard until you cut or copy new data. You may
repeat step 4 to move or copy data to multiple locations.
l When you copy information, you have the option to Copy or Copy with
Headers. This is helpful if you are copying information to a spreadsheet-type
program. See the Customizing RISA topic for more information on this.

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Sorting and Finding in Spreadsheets

Sort a Spreadsheet by a Column Value
You can sort spreadsheets by the values in most any column.
To sort a spreadsheet by a column value:
1. Click in the column you wish to sort.
2. Click on the Sort icon

3. Choose the sorting method from the Sort menu.

You can relabel the nodes, members, plates, or solids after sorting them by using the
options in the Tools Menu.

Find a Specific Element in a Spreadsheet

To locate or find a specific element while in a spreadsheet:
1. Click the Find & Replaceicon on the Spreadsheets ribbon.

A Find and Replace window opens.

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2. Enter the element .

3. Click Find Next.

Default Spreadsheet Data

Many of the spreadsheets provide the option to save the current data as the default and every new
file subsequent to the save will already have that data. This way the office standards that you might
use in most of your models are already entered and available in new models. This feature is available
in the following spreadsheets: Materials, Design Rules,Footings, and Load Combinations.
To save default data simply click the Save as Defaults icon when you are ready and the current data
in the spreadsheet will be used in each new file that you create.

The data is saved for the current, active, spreadsheet only and affects no other open or closed
spreadsheets.

Export to Excel Spreadsheet

For all Results spreadsheets, the program is capable of exporting them to Excel Spreadsheets.
To export a Results spreadsheet to an Excel spreadsheet:

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1. Right Click and choose the Export to Excel option.

2. Choose if you want to export the current spreadsheet tab or all tabs.

3. Select Excel file name and file save location and export.

Note: The Export to Excel can also be used by clicking the button on ribbon.

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Special Spreadsheet Functions

There are special functions that help you with a particular spreadsheet. For example you may
generate K factors for members on the Member Design Parameters Spreadsheet. These features
may be accessed on the Window Toolbar or you may right click your mouse on the spreadsheet and
choose the feature on the Shortcut Menu.

Member Design Spreadsheet

Click to approximate the K factor for the current member or all of the members. See K Factors
(Effective Length Factors) learn more about this feature.

Basic Load Case Spreadsheet

Click to copy loads from one basic load case to another. You may choose certain load types
such as distributed loads and point loads. Once you have created a copy you can use the
spreadsheet tools to quickly modify the loads.

Click to clear loads from a basic load case.

Load Combinations Spreadsheet

Solution options are easily available while working in the Load Combinations spreadsheet.

You can click LC Generator button to have the program generate load combinations based on a
variety of Building Codes. See Generating Building Code Combinations for more information.

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Selecting Items in the Model View

In certain results spreadsheets there is the capability to have elements selected graphically.
The process is as follows:
1. Open the desired results spreadsheet.
2. Highlight the lines from your spreadsheet that you wish to view graphically, by clicking on
the number of those lines on the far left.
3. Click the Select icon in the Graphical Highlight section of the Spreadsheet ribbon.

4. Only those elements highlighted will be selected graphically.

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Note:
The inverse process can be used with the Unselect in the Graphical Highlight section.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Stability

Stability
Instabilities occur whenever a node can deflect or rotate without limit. Put another way; a node is
unstable if there is nothing to restrain it.
With that one statement you can understand and resolve any instability problem. Instabilities are easy
to understand and easy to fix. The next section explains what RISA-3D does with instabilities. The
following sections provide some simple examples of instabilities and their resolution.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Instabilities.

Instability Procedure
Because many instabilities are inconsequential to the results yet they prevent a solution RISA-3D
locks them as they are discovered and proceeds with the solution. This locking is a boundary
condition that removes the degree of freedom from the solution. A reaction (if any) is not calculated
and that is one of the dangers of ignoring instabilities. See Testing Instabilities to learn how to test if
an instability is affecting the results.
At the end of the solution you will be notified that nodes have been locked and that you may view the
affected nodes in a model view. These locks will also be reported in the Reactions spreadsheet.

Note: Isolated rotational instabilities do not produce a notification that nodes have been
locked. You can adjust this in the Output section of the Application Settings from the File
menu if you wish to be warned about all instabilities.

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Instability Causes
Common causes of instabilities are briefly mentioned here and then highlighted in the following
examples.

Member End Releases – Boundary Conditions

Overuse of member end releases and/or boundary conditions is by far the most common cause of
instability as shown in the examples below. The solution is to either remove a member end release or
change a boundary condition so that the node is restrained. At least one member or boundary
needs to be fixed to each node to prevent instability. If you think of a node as the end of a
member and specify no release for that member end this member still will not experience moment at
the end if all other elements are left unfixed.

Unconnected Elements
Nodes that are not connected into the model cause instabilities. This is much more common in
models without Physical Members as can be seen below. The solution may be to merge the model
with the model merge feature.

Flexible Elements
Members or plates with relatively small properties such as a long member with a moment of inertia of
1.0 in4 can cause instabilities. This is usually not a problem unless the members are not used
properly.

Instability Examples
These simple examples are provided to directly address the common scenarios that occur in
structural modeling. You will notice a recurring theme so once you understand one or two of them you
will have a handle on the causes and resolutions for most instabilities, including those in more
complex models.
Remember the golden rule as you look at each example: A node is unstable if there is nothing to
restrain it.

Cantilever Beam/Column
If a member end release is specified at the free end of a cantilever the node becomes unstable
because it is free to rotate without any resistance.
Cause: Specifying a member release at the free end of a cantilever member.

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Resolution: Remove the member end release.

If the member is not released from the node then the member provides resistance to the node so that
it cannot rotate without limit. The member end moves and rotates and the node goes along for the
ride. There will be no moment at the free end of the member since there is nothing there to pass
moment.

Column at a Support
If a pinned column base is modeled with a pinned boundary condition AND a member end release at
the base of the column the node becomes unstable because it is free to rotate without any resistance.
Cause: Specifying a pinned boundary condition AND a member release.

Resolution: Either remove the member end release or specify a fixed boundary condition. Do not
do both unless you want a fixed column base that resists moment.
If the member is not released from the node then the member provides resistance to the node so that
it cannot rotate without limit. The member end rotates and the node goes along for the ride. There will
be no moment at the base of the member since the pinned boundary cannot resist moment.
If instead the boundary is specified as fixed then the boundary provides resistance to the node so that
it cannot rotate. The member end release allows it to rotate while the node does not. There will be no
moment at the base of the member since the fixed boundary cannot pass moment through the
member end release.

Simply Supported Beam

If a pinned beam end is modeled with a pinned boundary condition AND a member end release the
node becomes unstable because it is free to rotate without any resistance.
Cause: Specifying a pinned boundary condition AND a member release.

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Resolution: Either remove the member end release or specify a fixed boundary condition. Do not do
both unless you want a fixed member end that resists moment.
If the member is not released from the node then the member provides resistance to the node so that
it cannot rotate without limit. The member end rotates and the node goes along for the ride. There will
be no moment at the end of the member since the pinned boundary cannot resist moment.
If instead the boundary is specified as fixed then the boundary provides resistance to the node so that
it cannot rotate. The member end release allows it to rotate while the node does not. There will be no
moment at the end of the member since the fixed boundary cannot pass moment through the
member end release.

Beam-Column Connection
If a pinned beam/column connection is modeled with a released column end AND a released beam
end the node becomes unstable because it is free to rotate without any resistance.
Cause: Specifying a released column end AND a released beam end.

Resolution: Either remove the column end release or the beam end release. Do not do both unless
you want a fixed connection that resists moment.
If the column is not released from the node then the column provides resistance to the node so that it
cannot rotate without limit. There will be no moment at the connection since the beam end release
cannot pass moment.

Simple Truss
If a truss panel point is modeled with releases at the ends of EVERY member connecting to that point
the node becomes unstable because it is free to rotate without any resistance.
Cause: Specifying all members with released ends.

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Resolution: Either remove one end release or add a rotational boundary condition at each node. Do
not do both.
If one member end is not released from each node then the member provides resistance to the node
so that it cannot rotate without limit. There will be no moment at the member end since the remaining
members have end releases and cannot pass moment.
You can also solve the problem with a rotational boundary condition at each node. Using the ALL
code you can restrain each node for rotation and proceed to use end releases at all members.

2D Models
If you are solving a 2D model defined in the XY plane and you're only interested in the planar action,
you could enter "ALL" and put an "F" (for Fixed) for Z translation, X Rotation and Y Rotation. See the
following figure:

There is a 2D Mode button which can quickly add Fixed boundary conditions to all nodes in the Z
translation:

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Note: If a node is explicitly listed with boundary conditions, those boundary conditions
override the "ALL" conditions for all 6 directions. The "ALL" specified boundary codes apply
only to those nodes NOT otherwise listed on the Boundary spreadsheet. This is why nodes
1 and 2 in the figure above also have the Fixed code in the Z translation, 2x Rotation and 2y
Rotation fields.

Unconnected Elements
If a node, member or plate is not connected to the model then there will be instability. With the use of
Physical Members this is rare in a model that only consists of beam elements however those that
have plates or finite members can be defined in a way that they are not connected.
Cause: Unconnected elements. The portal frame is not connected to the plate elements because
the bottoms of the columns do not fall on plate corners. The plates are stable however the portal
frame is not.

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Resolution: For beam models, run the Model Merge feature. For plate models redefine the mesh so
that plates are connected at their corners. Model merge will not solve problems caused by lack of
plate continuity.

3D Models
For three-dimensional models, torsional instabilities are not uncommon. A "torsional" instability is
where a member, or a series of members, is free to spin about its centerline (local x) axis. This
diagram illustrates such a situation:

The member M3 as a whole is unstable because there is nothing to restrain it from spinning in torsion.
At nodes N1 and N2 the columns and beams framing into the member (members M1, M2, M8, M9)
are pinned. The same can be said of Members M7 and M10 framing into the member ends.
Therefore, there is nothing in the model that will restrict the torsional rotation of the M1 beam.
Another example of a potential local instability is X-bracing with a center node and loaded with self-
weight. X-bracing has almost no out-of-plane stiffness, so even a little bit of out-of-plane load applied
at the center node could cause an instability. (The out-of-plane load could come from a P-Delta
analysis, lateral load, etc.) A diaphragm with very weak out-of-plane properties modeled with plate
elements can also be a source of potential local instability.

Testing Instabilities
Although some can be ignored, keep in mind that not all instabilities are necessarily
inconsequential. Look at the following model:

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This is an example of a single bent frame that is laterally unstable. To obtain a solution the lateral
direction would be locked and a solution obtained, though not a correct one. The warning message
may be annoying if you know the instabilities being locked are of no consequence, but there won't be
any surprises.
The best way to test whether an instability is inconsequential or not is to apply a Reaction to the node
in the unstable degree of freedom. Then re-run the model and examine the reactions. If the Reaction
that is restraining the instability is showing a non-zero force or moment, then you have a problem with
the model that must be corrected for you to get valid results. If the Reaction that is restraining the
instability is showing a ZERO force or moment, then the instability is inconsequential to the results.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Unbraced Lengths

Unbraced Lengths
The member capacity for axial compression and for flexure is dependent on the spacing of elements
which provide bracing along the length of a member. By default the program assumes that no bracing
is provided along the length of the Physical Member. This is represented by the condition where the
unbraced length field is shown as empty/blank.

Note: If bracing is not provided at each end of the physical member then the assumption that
the unbraced length equals the physical member length can be unconservative. The program
allows you to specify an unbraced length greater than the physical member length to address
this situation.

You may specify unbraced lengths as a fixed distance or by using RISA's Unbraced Length
Commands. The unbraced lengths are:
o Lbyy
o Lbzz
o Lcomp-top
o Lcomp-bot
o L-torque
The unbraced lengths that are used for member capacity calculations are listed in the Member Detail
report after solution.

Note: Specifying bracing via unbraced lengths does not provide physical bracing to the
model for analysis. It only affects the member capacity calculated for code checks. See the
example below.

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Lb Values (Lb, Lu, Le)

The Lb values: Lbyy andLbzz,represent the distance between points which brace the member
against Flexural (column-type) Buckling about the member's local y and z axes, respectively. Lb
bracing prevents the entire member from moving laterally (perpendicular to its own axis). These Lb
values are used to calculate slenderness ratios (KL/r) for both directions, which are used in the
calculation of member axial compression capacity.

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Lcomp Values (Lcomp, Le-bend)

The Lcomp values, Lcomp-top and Lcomp-bot, represent the distance between points which brace
the top or bottom flange of the member against Lateral-Torsional (beam-type) Buckling. These
Lcomp values are used to calculate the member's flexural (bending) capacity. Where the top flange
of the member is in compression due to bending, Lcomp-top is used. Where the bottom flange of the
member is in compression due to bending, Lcomp-bot is used. Lcomp bracing prevents the
member's flange from moving laterally (perpendicular to the member's axis).
Members which experience a moment reversal along their length (such as fixed-end or continuous
members) have compression in both the top and bottom flange (although not simultaneously). The
program uses the appropriate Lcomp (top or bottom) based on moment direction to calculate the
bending capacity at each internal section along the member.
The top flange is the flange on the positive local y-axis side of the member. Therefore if a beam if
rotated 180 degrees about its own axis (flipped upside down) the "top" flange will actually be facing
downwards.

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Note: Concrete members are not checked for lateral-torsional buckling, so Lcomp is not
used for concrete.

L-torque
The L-torque value represents the distance between points which restrain the member against
twisting about its own axis. This value is used to calculate the member's Torsional Buckling and
Flexural-Torsional Buckling capacity. These limit states affect the member's axial compression
capacity.

Note:
l The L-torque value is NOT used for calculations of stiffness or stress for members
subjected to warping. This is done using an internal "warping length" set by the
program.
l Not all design codes check for Torsional Buckling or Flexural-Torsional Buckling.
For those that do, these limit states will only be checked if L-torque >
LbzzandLbyy.
l Currently the AISC 360 code, CSA S16-14 code, Aluminum codes, and the 2010
and newer Cold Formed Steel codes support this unbraced length.

Automated Unbraced Length Commands

Aside from leaving the unbraced length blank or inputting a fixed distance, you can harness
the program's ability to use a limited intelligence for determining unbraced lengths. In order to do this
you can simply type in the name of the Unbraced Length Commands into the unbraced length field. If
a valid command word is used then the program will accept and display that command in lieu of a
distance value.

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Some member types are pre-populated with an Unbraced Length Command when they are created.
Below is a list of the commands which may be used:

Segment
When this command is used, all Nodes which fall along the length of the physical member are
assumed to provide bracing. If Nodes are not evenly spaced along the member then an unbraced
length is calculated for each "segment". A segment is defined as the distance between adjacent
Nodes. In the example below, the member is defined as one physical member spanning from N1 to
N2. The intermediate node N3 is considered as a brace point when Segment is specified for this
member. Therefore the forces which occur in Segment 1 will be compared against a capacity
calculated using Lb1, and the forces occurring in Segment 2 will be compared against a capacity
calculated using Lb2.

When using the Segment command the program will assume that each node along the length of the
member can act as a brace location regardless of whether any bracing or restraint exists. In the
example above this will result in an unconservative member capacity if no bracing will be supplied at
N3 in real life.

Lbyy
This command is only available for Lcomp-top and Lcomp-bot. When this command is used, the
value entered for Lbyy will also be used for Lcomp.

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In the example below, Case C, the Lbyy command could be appropriately be used in the Lcomp-top
field. In the example below, Case D, the Lbyy command could be appropriately used in both Lcomp
fields. It would not be appropriate to use the Lbyy command for Case A or Case B below.

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Floor
For RISA-3D models which are linked to RISAFloor models, if an unbraced length is set in RISAFloor,
it is listed as Floor in RISA-3D spreadsheets. This indicates that the unbraced length was set in
RISAFloor for all locations along the length of the member, and those same values are being used in
the RISA-3D model.
In the example below, the fixed-end beam M2 is using the Framing command for Lcomp-bot in
RISAFloor.

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When this beam is brought into RISA-3D, the RISA-3D member properties show that Lcomp-bot is
referencing RISAFloor (Floor).
After the model is solved you can confirm in the Member Detail Report that the RISAFloor unbraced
length is being used. The maximum code check occurs at 0 feet from the i-end of the member.
Because this is a fixed-fixed beam, the bottom flange is in compression there so Lcomp-bot is used
instead of Lcomp-top.

Material Specific Behavior

Hot Rolled Steel
l For AISC ASD 9th Edition calculation of Kl/r for WTs and Double Angles, there is an
effective Kl/r ratio that may be used when Flexural-Torsional buckling controls. This can be
found in the commentary Section E3.
l Specifying LcompTop and LcompBot both as zero constrains a single angle to bend/buckle
about its geometric axes. Otherwise it will behave about its principal axes. Alternatively,
specifying L-torque as zero also constrains single angles to bend/buckle about their
geometric axes. See Member Results for more information on Single Angle behavior.
l For single angles behaving about their principal axes, Lbyy specifies bracing against
buckling about the minor principal axis. Lbzz specifies bracing against buckling about the
major principal axis. See Member Results for more information on Single Angle behavior.

Cold Formed Steel

In general, the unbraced lengths for Cold Formed bending checks are based on the Lcomp value
and axial checks are based on Lb values. Below describes more specifics based on the AISI 2012
code.

Lateral Torsional Buckling (AISI C3.1.2)

Lt = Lcomp
Lcomp is the unbraced length for the flange that’s in bending compression at that section (either
Lcomp_top or Lcomp_bot).
This applies to all shapes and all AISI codes.

Note: Older Versions of RISA-3D (v12 and older)

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Lt= smaller of Lbyy and Lcomp

When Lateral Torsional Buckling governs over local buckling, the display of the Seff in the Detail
Report will report the Sc which is the elastic section modulus of effective section calculate relative to
the extreme compression fiber at Fc.

Distortional Buckling (AISI C3.1.4)

Lm=Lcomp
Lcomp is the unbraced length for the flange that’s in bending compression at that section (either
Lcomp_top or Lcomp_bot).

Axial Strength (AISI C4.1)

L= Could be Lbyy or Lbzz, whichever gives the larger of (KL/r)yy or (KL/r)zz

Flexural Torsional Buckling or Torsional Buckling (AISI C4.1.2)

Lt= L-Torque

Note: Older Versions of RISA-3D (v12 and older)

Lt= smaller of Lbyy and Lcomp

Distortional Buckling (AISI C4.2)

Lm= L-Torque
l The Torsional Warping constant for Back-to-Back Channels and Tracks, Cw is calculated
per the AISI prescribed doubly symmetric shapes (AISI-08 Manual 3.3.3) that are
continuously welded (all the unbraced lengths are 0). If the Back-to-Back shape is not
continuously welded (any of the unbraced lengths larger than zero), Cw is twice the value of
each individual section.
l For Hat Channel (HU) shape types, the Lcomp-top and Lcomp-bot values only apply to
the flanges perpendicular to the local y axis (see image below). Therefore, if your loading is
applied in the local z direction, these entries will not apply. This assumption was made in
reference to section C3.1.2.1 of the AISI Specification with Commentary whose footnote
tells us that the limit state of Lateral-Torsional Buckling does not apply to these shapes.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Unbraced Lengths

Concrete
l The unbraced lengths for Flexural Buckling (Lbyy, Lbzz) are called Lu-yy and Lu-zz for
concrete. Their behavior is the same as the behavior for Lbyy and Lbzz.
l The unbraced lengths are used for the Moment Magnification procedure in older versions of
the ACI code.

Wood
l The unbraced lengths for Flexural Buckling (Lbzz, Lbyy) are called Le1 and Le2 for wood.
Their behavior is the same as the behavior for Lbyy and Lbzz.

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l The unbraced lengths for Lateral-Torsional buckling (Lcomp-top, Lcomp-bot) are called Le-
bend Top and Le-bend Bot for wood. Their behavior is the same as the behavior for Lcomp-
top and Lcomp-bot.
l See AF&PA NDS-2012, Table 3.3.3 for information on how to determine Le-bend based on
the unbraced length. This procedure is not followed automatically in RISA.

Aluminum
l Specifying LcompTop and LcompBot both as zero constrains a single angle to bend/buckle
about its geometric axes. Otherwise it will behave about its principal axes. Alternatively,
specifying L-torque as zero also constrains single angles to bend/buckle about their
geometric axes. See Member Results for more information on Single Angle behavior.
l For single angles behaving about their principal axes, Lbyy specifies bracing against
buckling about the minor principal axis. Lbzz specifies bracing against buckling about the
major principal axis. See Member Results for more information on Single Angle behavior.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Unbraced Lengths.

K Factors (Effective Length Factors)

Effective Length Factors (K) are recommended or required for some design codes. The effective
length factor allows you to adjust the unbraced length for Flexural Buckling as a simplified method of

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accounting for buckling effects. Kyy is a modifier factor for Lbyy. Kzz is a modifier factor for Lbzz.
If the K Factor field is left blank/empty then it is taken as 1.0, thereby not affecting the unbraced
length.
If a value is entered for a K Factor, that value will be used for the entire length of the physical
member. If an entry is not made (left blank), the value will internally default to '1' for that member.

Note: K-torque for Torsional or Flexural-Torsional Buckling is always be assumed t o be 1.0,

except for Aluminum design where it is taken as the lesser of Kyy or Kzz.

K Approximation Feature
RISA-3D is able to approximate the recommended K values for a member based on the member's
sway condition and end release configuration. The K-factor approximation is based on AISC 360-10,
Table C-A-7.1. To access this feature you must be in the Members spreadsheet, on the tab which
shows the unbraced lengths. Click theK-Factor icon on the Spreadsheets menu.

The following table gives the values the program calculates for various conditions.

Tabl End K-
Sideswa
e Conditio Valu
y?
Case ns e
(a) Fixed- No .65
Fixed
(b) Fixed- No .80
Pinned
(c) Fixed- Yes 1.2
Fixed
(d) Pinned- No 1.0
Pinned
(e) Fixed-Free Yes 2.1
(f) Pinned- Yes 2.0
Fixed
RISA-3D recognizes a pinned boundary condition for the K approximation for a full pin, i.e. if all the
rotations in the boundary condition are released. If any of the rotations in a boundary condition are
restrained, the boundary condition is considered "fixed" for the K factor approximation.
Any configuration not described here is given the default value of '1.0'.

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If any value that influences these K values is changed, the K factor approximation should be redone.
For instance, if you have RISA-3D approximate K factors, then change some of the member end
release designations, you should redo the K factor approximations.
Remember that the K factors are approximations and you should check to make sure you agree with
all K factors RISA-3D assigns. You can always override a K factor after an approximation by directly
entering the value that you want in the appropriate field. Keep in mind that a subsequent
approximation will overwrite any manually input values so you will need to override the approximation
each time it is performed.

Limitation:
RISA-3D will currently neglect the influence of adjoining framing members when those members are
connected at a joint that also has degrees of freedom restrained by boundary conditions. For
example, suppose a column and beam member connect at a joint that is restrained for translation in
all directions (i.e. the joint is "pinned"). The K factor approximation will neglect the beam member
when it calculates the K factor for the column and visa-versa. The effect will be that the ends of the
members at that joint will be seen as "pinned" and not "fixed" for the K factor approximation.

Sway Flags
The Sway Flags indicate whether the member is to be considered subject to sidesway for bending
about its local y and z axes. The y sway field is for y-y axis bending and the z sway field is for z-z axis
bending. Click on the field to check the box and indicate that the member is subject to sway for that
particular direction, or leave the entry blank if the member is braced against sway. These sway flags
influence the calculation of the K factors as well as the Cm and Cb factors.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Units

Units
You can work with imperial (kips, inches, etc.) or metric (KN, meters, etc.) units, or any combination of
the two. The current units appropriate for each data item are shown at the tops of the data columns in
the spreadsheets and with the plot of values in the model view.

Change Units
To change units:
1. Click the Units icon in the ‘Model’ section of the Home ribbon.

The Units Selection window opens.

2. Specify the units you want for each item in the drop down lists.

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Standard units systems are preset and may be specified by clicking the Standard Imperial
and Standard Metric buttons.
3. (Optional) Clear the check box for Converting Existing Data if you do not wish to convert
values already entered (as shown in the following image).

4. (Optional) Check the Set as Default box to save your selections as the default.
You can save any of the units as the default setting so that when you start a new model the
information is already there. (as shown in the following image).

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5. Click OK to save your change and close the window.

Standard Imperial Units

This is the units system currently prevalent in the United States. 'Feet' are used for location entries
such as node coordinates and load locations, and 'Inches' are used for section property entries such
as area and moment of inertia. Force and weight units are in 'kips', where 1 kip = 1000 pounds. Stress
units are in 'ksi' (kips per square inch).

Standard Metric Units

This units system uses 'Meters' for location entries and 'Centimeters' for section property entries.
Force units are in 'kN' (kiloNewtons), where 1 KN = 1000 Newtons. Stress units are in 'MegaPascals'
(MPa), where a MegaPascal is 1,000,000 Newtons per square meter. Weight units are in 'Kilograms'
and thermal units are in 'Degrees centigrade.

Units Specifications
The following are the unit specifications and their applications:
Unit Specifications Measurements and Usage

Measurement Usage
Lengths Coordinates, Unbraced Lengths, Load Locations
Dimensions Shape Properties, Plate Thickness, Member Offsets
Material Stiffness E, G
Weight Densities Material Density

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Measurement Usage
Forces Loads, Forces
Linear Forces Distributed Loads
Moments Loads, Forces
Surface / Area Loads Plate/Shell Surface Loads, Area Loads
Translational Springs X Y Z Boundary Conditions
Rotational Springs X Rot, Y Rot, Z Rot Boundary Conditions
Temperatures Thermal Coefficient, Temperatures
Deflections Deflections, Displacements
Stresses Fy, Allowable and Actual Stresses

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Wall Panels

Wall Panels
The wall panel element allows you to easily model walls for in plane and out of plane loads. Wall
panel data may be viewed and edited in two ways:
l Graphically, in the Wall Panel Editor
l Texturally, in the Wall Panels Spreadsheet.

Drawing Wall Panels

There are several graphic-editing features that make the creation and modification of models quite
easy. Use the Wall Panels button to use these features in the model view. To create new wall panels,
you can draw them using a drawing grid or draw "dot to dot" existing nodes. Once you have created
these items you can use other graphic features to apply loads and set boundary conditions.
You can set many of the wall panel properties up front or you can modify these properties after you
draw them. Modifying properties is discussed in the next sections. See the Wall Panels topic for
information on wall panels and their properties.
The Wall Panels button lets you graphically draw wall panels in your model. Enter the appropriate
wall panel parameters, and draw wall panels between existing nodes or on the drawing grid. Notice
that the coordinates of the node or grid point that is closest to your cursor, are displayed next to your
cursor. The new wall panels will be shown on screen and will be recorded in the Wall Panels
Spreadsheet.
To actually draw a wall panel, you have two options:
l Modifying your Drawing Grid according to how you wish to lay out your wall panels.
1. Use the Create Wall Panels by Clicking on Grid Areas option.
2. Click in the grid areas formed by the intersecting grid lines.
As you click on an area, a wall panel is automatically created in that area.
l Creating wall panels by drawing a diagonal that defines it.
1. Click on the grid point or node that you want to be the start node for the diagonal.
2. Click on the end node for the diagonal.
The wall panel "stretches" like a rubber band as you draw from node to node.

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Note:
l You must draw wall panels rectangular.
l Wall panels must be oriented vertically in your model.

The parameters shown are the same parameters that you would enter on the Wall Panels
Spreadsheet.
To draw Wall Panels:
1. Open a model view, if you haven’t done so already.
a. Open the View ribbon.
b. Click the Open 3D View icon, to open a new view.
2. If you are not drawing between existing nodes, create a drawing grid or define nodes on the
Node Coordinates spreadsheet.
3. Click the Wall Panels icon.
4. Set the Wall Panel properties in the ‘Properties’ panel.
5. (Optional) In the Properties panel, set any other properties (Additional, Reinforcements
and/or Advanced) by expanding each section and entering the properties you want to use.
6. Click Apply to start drawing wall panels by clicking on the nodes or grid points, using the
left mouse button.
You must click on two points, or click in grid areas.
7. To stop drawing altogether, right click or press the Esc key.

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Note:
l To draw more wall panels with different properties, press CTRL-D to recall the Wall
Panel action.
l You can also specify or edit wall panels in the Wall Panels Spreadsheet.
l You can also view and edit wall panel properties by clicking on a wall panel.
l You can undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo icon.
l Drawing top to bottom or bottom to top determines the panel's local axes directions.
See Wall Panel Local Axis for more information.

Modifying Wall Panels

There are two ways to modify wall panels. You can view and edit the member data in the Wall Panel
spreadsheet or you can click a wall panel to view and edit its properties. You can also double click a
wall panel to open the Wall Panel Editor.
A group of selected wall panels can be modified all at once by selecting multiple plates, then
changing their properties in the Properties panel. See the Graphic Selection topic for more on
selecting.
The parameters shown are the same as those used to define new wall panels.

To modify Wall Panels:

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1. Open a model view, if you haven’t done so already.

a. Open View ribbon.
b. Click the Open 3D View icon, to open a new view.
2. You can choose to modify a single wall panel at a time or to an entire selection of wall
panels.
l To modify a single wall panel: Click on the wall panel and change the properties in the
Properties panel.
l To modify a selection of wall panels: Select the walls collectively by clicking and
dragging over them, then change the properties in the Properties panel.

Note:
l To modify more wall panels with different parameters, press CTRL-D to recall the
Wall Panels action.
l You can also modify wall panels in the Wall Panels Spreadsheet.
l You can undo any mistakes by clicking the Undo button.
l The thickness option is only available if you are choosing a General or Concrete
material. Wood and Masonry require you to change their thickness in the Design
Rules spreadsheet.
l For existing models of version 9.1.1 or earlier, all wall panels will be brought in
using Custom regions/openings. Here we provide an option that will reset all wall
panels to base their design on the Wall Design Rule.

Wall Panel Spreadsheets

Another way of editing wall panels is through the Wall Panel spreadsheet. This spreadsheet is
accessible through the Explorer panel, Data Entry section and includes data on two tabs: Primary
and Advanced.

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The following data columns hold the primary data for the wall panels:

Wall Panel Labels

You can assign a unique label to any or all of the wall panels. You can then refer to a wall panel by its
label. Each label must be unique, so if you try to enter the same label more than once, you will get an
error message. You can relabel wall panels at any time, with the Relabel Wall Panels option on the
Tools menu.

Wall Panel Nodes

The A, B, C, and D node entries are used to define the 4 corner nodes of a wall panel. The nodes
must all lie on the same plane, be oriented parallel to the vertical axis and be entered in either a
clockwise or counter-clockwise sequence. They can not be adjusted from the spreadsheet.

Wall Panel Material Type and Material Set

The material set label links the wall panel with the desired material defined on the Material
Spreadsheet.

Note: Currently wall panels can only be made up of concrete, masonry, wood or general
materials.

Wall Panel Thickness

The thickness field on the Wall Panels Spreadsheet is the thickness of the element. This thickness is
constant over the entire element. Note that the thickness for Masonry and Wood wall panels are set in
the Design Rules spreadsheet. For concrete and general material walls the value is defined here.

Design Rule
This allows you to choose a specific design rule from the Design Rules spreadsheet. The design rule
is where you can specify very detailed information for the wall.

Panel/Spacing
This shows the current panel for masonry and wood walls. Wood and masonry walls can require an
iterative solution. This means that the panel properties used for a wall panel may change from
solution to solution, so here is the place where that information is displayed. Note that the panel
properties also show up in the output.

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When you select a design rule for a wall panel, there may be a range of sheathing call-outs, stud
spacings and bar/grout spacings. At the initial solution the program simply uses the first item in the list
that meets the criteria of the design rule and then the optimization starts from there. This initial criteria
is what will show up in the Panel/Spacing column. After you optimize your wall this panel criteria may
update/change. If you want to reset all of these values to the original values, simply right click when in
the Wall Panels spreadsheet and select Reset Wall Panels Design.

Note:
l For masonry walls we show the current bar/grout spacing.
l For wood walls we show the current sheathing call-out and the current stud
spacing.
l For concrete walls this column is not applicable, as the stiffness of the wall is not
affected by the program optimization.

Reset Wall Panels Design

The Wall Panels spreadsheet lists the panel parameters designed by the program after solution.
From the Primary tab, you can reset the wall panels design by selecting the Reset Wall Panels
Design from the right-click menu. This resets the panel design to the parameters, based on the Wall
Design Rule.

Seismic Rule
This field defines a Seismic Design Rule and is applicable to concrete walls only. Please see the
Concrete Wall - Seismic topic for more information.

Design Method
This is a column specific to wood wall panels and allows you to choose which design method you
choose to work with: Segmented, Perforated or Force Transfer. See the Wood Wall Panels topic for

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more information. These design methods are not applicable for concrete, masonry, or general wall
panels.

Note: Currently, wood wall panel design is only available for NDS design.

SSAF (Shear Stiffness Adjustment Factor)

This is a factor specific to wood wall panels that allows the user to manually adjust the shear stiffness
of a particular wall panel. Because the program uses a finite element solution, the program does not
automatically consider some contributions to the FEM deflections, such as nail slip. With this
adjustment factor the user can match up the deflections from their hand calculations with the FEM
node deflections at the top nodes in the wall.

Icr (In Plane and Out of Plane)

These values are considered for both masonry and concrete wall design and allow you to modify the
stiffness of the wall for cracking considerations. This value will be multiplied by the Igross of the wall.

Masonry Walls
By default (if left blank) the program will use a value of 0.50 for both In-plane and Out-plane Icr
Factor. This value comes from Section 3.1.5.2 of the ACI 530-11 code. If you have performed a
cracked section analysis or want to override this default you can input it directly here.

Concrete Walls
By default (if left blank) the program will use a value of 0.70 for In-plane Icr Factor and 0.35 for Out-
plane Icr Factor. These are the minimum factors for beams (Out-plane) and columns (In-plane) per
ACI 318-14 Section 6.6.3.1.1 (ACI 318-11 Section 10.10.4.1). If you have performed a cracked
section analysis or want to override this default you can input it directly here.
For service level analysis, the level of cracking will be significantly less. Therefore, the stiffness used
in your analysis should be representative of the reduced loading and reduced cracking. Per the ACI
318-14 Section R6.6.3.2.2 (ACI 318-11 Section R10.10.4.1), the program will account for this
increased stiffness by applying a factor of 1.43 to the cracked section properties for any load
combination that has the “Service Load” flag checked on the Design tab of the Load
Combinations Spreadsheet

Note:
l This factor will only be used if the Use Cracked Sections checkbox is checked in
the Concrete tab of Model Settings.
l This factor (or 1.43*Icr) can not be greater than 1.0.

K Factor
This is the effective length factor and is available concrete, masonry and wood walls. If left blank this
will be taken as 1.0.

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Note:
l For masonry this factor affects ACI 530-11 equations 2-16, 2-17, 2-19, 2-21, 2-22,
3-11, 3-12, 3-18, 3-19, and Section 3.3.5.3.
l For wood this affects the Cp factor calculation (specifically FcE) for wood
compression capacity for both studs and chord design.

Cm In/Out
This input controls the Cm calculation for P-Little Delta calculations for concrete wall panels. If this is
left blank the program will auto-calculate this value. See the P-LIttle Delta section of the Concrete
Wall - Design topic for more information.

Activation
This column allows you define a wall panel as inactive or excluded. Please see the Inactive and
Excluded Elements for more information.

Wall Panel Editor

The Wall Panel Editor lets you edit the detailed properties of a wall panel including openings,
regions and boundary conditions. This window also provides design options and details for the
specific panel, and is accessible by double-clicking on an existing wall panel.

If the wall panel is drawn upper right to lower left it will be drawn with the panel's local x-axis going
from left to right. If drawn lower right to upper left the panel's x-axis will go from right to left and is
presented here as though you are looking at the back side of the panel.

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Note: There are many icons, dropdown lists and information shown depending on the type of
wall panel you are working with. See the Masonry Wall - Modeling, Wood Wall - Design and
Concrete Wall - Design topics for more information.

Create Openings
In the Wall Panel Editor, you can add rectangular openings to the wall panel.
To draw an opening:
1. Click the Openings icon on the Walls ribbon.

2. Select two grid intersections which make up the two diagonal corners of your opening.
Notice that you can view your cursor coordinates next to your cursor. The opening
dimension is also displayed based on the first click of the opening relative to the second
click.

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3. (Optional) Right-click your mouse, to exit this tool.

Note:
l Drawing an opening in a concrete wall will create a lintel above the opening. We will
not design the lintel but we will give analysis results. See the Concrete Wall -
Design topic on lintels.
l Drawing an opening in a masonry wall will create a lintel above the opening. For
more information on defining lintel geometry and design properties, see the
Masonry Wall - Design topic on lintels.
l Drawing an opening in wood wall will create a header above the opening. For more
information on defining the header properties, see the Wood Wall - Design topic
on headers.
l Drawing an opening in a general wall panel, there is no header/lintel automatically
created. The general wall panel is given as an option for analysis only.
l Openings can not overlap a region. Regions must be deleted before you draw an
opening in an area. After the opening is created you can go back and redraw the
regions.
l Openings must be drawn greater than 3 inches away from wall edges.

Creating Regions
Within the Wall Panel Editor, you can also create different rectangular regions within your wall panel.
Regions are used to further define areas of your wall panel for use in analysis/design. If you do not

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specify a region in a wall panel without openings, then the entire wall panel is considered a region.

Automatically Draw a Region

To automatically draw regions:
1. Input your openings, if not already done.
2. Click the Auto icon in the ‘Regions’ section of the Walls ribbon

The program defines regions as we would expect a user to want them.

Note: If the regions defined are not located correctly by the generator, you can
delete the generated regions with the Delete button and redraw them manually.
See below for more information on this.

3. (Optional) Right-click your mouse, to exit this tool.

Manually Draw a Region

To manually draw a region:
1. Click the Manual icon in the ‘Regions’ section of the Walls ribbon.

2. Use your cursor to select two grid intersections which make up the diagonal corners of the
region.
Similar to wall openings, local coordinates and region dimensions will be displayed next to
the cursor in the Wall Panel Editor.
3. (Optional) Right-click your mouse, to exit this tool.

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Note:
l For masonry wall panels, there is a region editor that allows you to define design
properties for the region. Double-click inside the boundary of the drawn region to
open this editor. See the Masonry Wall - Design topic for region information. Note
that design and analysis results are displayed by region.
l For wood wall panels the design and analysis results are displayed by region.
l For concrete wall design, the program will automatically create regions at solution
around openings. If there are floors/diaphragms that cut through your wall, then
separate regions/designs will be created above and below the floors/diaphragms.
l For general wall panels we will not do any design for you. However, you can lay out
your regions so that your analysis results will allow you to design your general wall
panels much more easily.

Access Design Rule From Properties Panel

When using the Wall Panel Editor, you can view or edit an existing Design Rule or create a new
design rule, by using the Properties panel.
To access the Wall Panel Design Rule options:
1. Go to the Properties panel.

2. Click on the Design Rule ellipsis button.

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Tip: You can also just double-click inside a wall panel in the Wall Panel Editor, to
open the Review or Change Wall Design Rule.

The Review or Change Wall Design Rule window opens.

The following table explains the available Design Rule options.

Wall Design Rule - Options

Option Description
Create New Create New lets you create a new Wall Design Rule to be applied
to the wall.
View & Edit View & Edit Existing lets you view, as well as edit, the Wall
Existing Design Rule that is currently applied to the wall.

Boundary Conditions
Within the ‘Wall Panel Editor’, all boundary conditions are applied as continuous along a wall panel
edge.
To set boundary conditions within the Wall Panel Editor:
1. Open the Walls ribbon, if not already open.

2. Click the Boundary Conditions icon in the ‘Regions’ section.

3. Select your boundary condition criteria, and click the wall panel edge to apply the boundary
condition too.
You can also apply boundary conditions to your wall panel outside of the Wall Panel Editor
as well, but this is the only place where you can define a continuous boundary condition.

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For wood wall panels, hold downs and straps are used in the program as well. For more
information on adding hold-downs and straps, see the Wood Wall - Design topic.
4. (Optional) To exit out of this tool right-click your mouse.

Wall Grid
The drawing grid, which appears in the upper right corner of the Wall Panel Editor screen, gives the
user options for drawing within the Wall Panel Editor window. The options include:
Snap Options allows you to provide snap points at the edges of the wall panel at quarter and third
points.
Grid Increments allow you to set a drawing grid within the Wall Panel Editor separate from that in the
main model view that you can snap to when drawing openings and regions. This field can work in two
separate ways:
l Single input increment: If you put a single value here (0.5 ft for example), this increment
will be used across the entire wall until the end of the wall is reached.
l Multiple input increments: If you have specific locations you wish to define, you can use
this field to place exact grid points. Commas are used to delineate different grids and @
symbols can be used to apply the same increment multiple times (5, 10, 2@8, 3 for
example). If you place multiple increments in and you are not yet to the end of the wall then
the last increment defined will be used until the end of the wall is reached.

View Controls
In addition to the wall panel editing tools, the Wall Panel Editor window includes the view controls
listed in the following table.
Wall View Controls

Icon Description

The Delete icon lets you delete openings, regions or boundary conditions from
the wall panel.

The Rendered icon turns rendering of the current model view on or off,
depending on the current setting.

The Nodes icon shows any nodes that fall in the plane of the wall panel, and
allows you to snap to them when drawing regions or openings.

The Wall Grid icon turns the display of the Drawing Grid on ro off, depending
on the current setting.

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Icon Description

The Diaphragm icon turns the display of the Diaphragms on or off, depending
on the current setting.

The Detach Diaphragm icon lets you click on a diaphragm in the editor to
detach it from the wall. The detached diaphragm then shows up in gray.

The Zoom Extents icon redraws the wall panel to fit within the Wall Panel
Editor window.

The Loads button in the 3D View editing panel, turns the display of the wall
panel loads on or off, depending on the current setting.
The Print icon on the Quick Access toolbar, lets you print your current wall
panel view.

Note:
l There are also view controls specific to concrete and masonry. For more
information see the Concrete Wall - Design and Masonry Wall - Design topic.

l There are also view controls specific to wood. For more information see the Wood
Wall - Design topic.

Wall Panel Local Axes

When a wall panel is drawn it comes along with a set of local axes. If the wall is drawn top left to
bottom right versus bottom left to top right it will change the direction of the local axes.

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In most cases the local axes direction does not affect results. Here is a list where the local axis is
important:
l Applying Loads: Wall panel surface loads can be applied to the local axes directions.
Thus, the local axes direction will affect the sign of the applied load.
l Viewing Plate Contours: Wall plate contours can be viewed based on local axes, thus
knowing the orientation is necessary to get meaningful information from these contours
l Out-of-Plane Concrete Wall Design: Concrete cover can be different for each face of a
concrete wall. Which face you are defining is based on the +z and -z local axes.

Note: Check out the Flip Axis command to allow you to change these local axes.

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Loading
Wall panels can be loaded either directly or indirectly from supporting other elements (other walls,
columns, beams, etc.). Line loads and distributed loads can be applied directly to wall panels, similar
to how they are applied to members. These loads can be applied vertically or horizontally. Wall panel
surface loads can also be applied directly to the wall.

Load Attribution
In RISA-3D, the use of finite elements dictates how loads pass through wall panels. Load is attributed
to the structure according to relative stiffnesses of elements. In concrete, wood and masonry design,
many empirical equations are formed based on approximations or idealizations. Because of this, you
may not get your loading in your wall panel elements (regions and lintels) to match hand calculations
exactly. A prime example of this occurs with the 45 degree rule for lintels for masonry. According to
theory, arching action occurs in lintels to the point that, if the top of your wall is a sufficient distance
away, only the load in the triangular portion above your lintel would actually be taken into the lintel
itself. Also, no load applied at the floor level would be felt by the lintel either. See the image below.

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Within RISA-3D, this idealization will not hold true. The wall panel is a finite element mesh that
attributes load according to the plate mesh FEM behavior. The load that is getting into the lintel is a
true representation of how the wall is actually working. There is still arch action taking place as you
can tell if you look at the vertical force contours in the wall panel.

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In the image above, the red color is an area of very low axial force in the wall. Thus, you can see that,
due to plate distribution of force, there is still arching action taking place. This arching action,
however, will not be immune to additional loads added to the wall or the opening being located lower
in the wall (as is assumed with the idealized arching action in many texts). Thus, though your loads

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for lintel design may not be identical to what idealized methods might consider, this is a rational
loading for the geometry and loading input on the wall panel.

Meshing the Wall Panels

At solution time, the wall panels will be automatically meshed into quadrilateral plate elements. Unlike
the plate elements created directly by the user, the automatically generated plate elements are
transient in the program and will not be saved in the input file.
The wall panel meshing is treated similar to analysis results. When the results of an analysis are
deleted, the wall panel mesh is cleared to be re-built during the next solution. When a solution results
file is saved, the meshed elements will be included in that file.

Mesh Size
The global mesh size for the wall panels can be input on the Solution tab of the Model Settings
window. The smaller the mesh size, the more accurate the analysis will be. However, smaller mesh
size also leads to longer solution time and more memory usage. The default mesh size is 12 inches in
RISA-3D.
Localized small mesh sizes are used in the lintel locations for masonry walls, in order to achieve more
accuracy for the lintel forces.

Graphical Display of the Wall Panel Mesh

By default, the plate elements associated with the wall panels are not visible to the user. The mesh
can be turned on using the setting on the Panels tab of the Model Display Options window. The
Analysis Mesh check box turns the display of the wall panel mesh on or off.

Note: The display of the mesh is only available when there are active analysis results.

Point Constraints for the Panel Mesh

Point constraints are the locations within the wall panel that require connectivity to the meshed plate
elements. The program automatically generates point constraints at the following locations:
l Location of an existing node on the wall panel edges, region boundaries and opening
boundaries

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l Where beams intersects the wall panels (out-of-plane) on the wall panel edges, region
boundaries and opening edges

l Location of an external boundary condition.

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Note: Unattached node that are located on the wall panels can be considered as point
constraints and prolong the meshing time. It is highly recommended that the user delete any
unattached nodes before solving.

Line Constraints for the Panel Mesh

Line constraints are the locations within the wall panel that require continuous connectivity to plate
edges rather than a single point. The program will automatically generate line constraints at the
following locations:
l Opening edges.

l The edge and vertical centerline of a defined region.

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l Where a diaphragm intersects the wall panel.

l Where a beam or column element intersects within the plane of the wall panel.

Tips for Ensuring an Accurate Mesh

In order to generate an efficient mesh that gives accurate results, it is critical to place the line
constraints and point constraints correctly. If line constraints or point constraints are very close to
each other, the automesher will be forced to generate small sized elements in order to satisfy the
constraints. Therefore, a large number of plate elements will be generated and the solution will be
slowed down significantly.
The following guidelines should be followed to ensure a quality mesh:
l Avoid generating very narrow regions and openings.
l Avoid small offsets between the external boundary conditions with the location of the region
boundaries and wall boundaries.
l Avoid small offsets between opening edges with the region boundaries .
l When a wall panel is intersected by another wall panel, diaphragms, beams or plate
elements, keep in mind that the intersection is a line/point constraint. Avoid the small
offsets between intersections with the region boundaries or opening edges inside the wall
panel.
Example #1: Region Boundaries

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1. The left boundary region R1 is placed very close to the opening but not on the
opening.
2. The left boundary of region R2 is placed very closed to the left edge of the wall
but not exactly on the wall boundary.
In order to satisfy the line constraints required by the opening edge, region boundaries,
and wall boundaries, the program is forced to generate very small meshes in the portion
of the wall adjacent to these constraints.

Example #2: Poorly Located Boundary Conditions:

The left boundary of region R1 is at the vertical center line of a wall panel. At the same
time, the user placed an external boundary condition at the bottom of the wall panel,
which is slightly offset from the center line. In order to accommodate the line constraint
of the region boundary and the point constraint of the external boundary condition, the
automesher is forced to generate a very small mesh adjacent to these constraints.

Merge Tolerance for Auto-Correction of Mesh

If the distance between the line constraints and point constraints are smaller than the merge
tolerance specified on the Model Settings (which defaults to 0.12 inches) then the automesher will
automatically snap the constraints together during the meshing. This can eliminate some of the
meshing issues that occur in the examples above.

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Wall Panels - General Results

When the model is solved there are results spreadsheets specifically for Wall Panel Design and for
Wall Forces. The Wall Panel Design spreadsheets are divided into different tabs: In plane, Out of
Plane, Lintel, Wood Wall Axial, Wood Wall In-Plane, Wood Header and Wall Panel Seismic. Each tab
provides code checks based on the relevant code, depending on the material type. These
spreadsheets can be used as a summary of all of the panels in your model. To get detailed
information about each panel, you can use the Wall Panel Detail Reports.
Concrete Wall Spreadsheet Results
l In Plane Results Spreadsheet
l Out of Plane Results Spreadsheet
Concrete Wall Detail Reports
l Wall Summary Detail Report
l In Plane/Out of Plane Detail Report
Masonry Wall Spreadsheet Results
l In Plane Results Spreadsheet
l Out of Plane Results Spreadsheet
l Lintel Results Spreadsheet
Masonry Detail Reports
l In-Plane / Shear Wall Detail Report
l Out-of-Plane Detail Report
l Slender Wall Detail Report
l Lintel Detail Report
Wood Wall Spreadsheet Results
l Axial Results
l In Plane / Shear Results
l Header
Wood Wall Detail Reports
l In-Plane or Shear Wall Detail Report

Wall Force Results

The Wall Force Results spreadsheet lists the axial force, shear and moments for each wall panel. The
elevations where forces are reported are at the base of walls and at the locations of any diaphragms
that intersect the walls. The elevation is given in terms of global elevation.

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The following table provides descriptions for each of the columns in the results spreadsheet.

Column Header Description

Wall Label This column displays the wall panel label.
LC This column reports the relevant Load Combination.
Elevation This column report the elevation (in Global Coordinates) at which the
forces are reported.
Axial This column reports the axial force value in the wall. Compression force
is reported as positive, Tension force as negative.
x-Shear This column displays the shear force in the local x direction for the wall.
This is the shear wall / strong direction of the wall.
z-Shear This column displays the shear force in the local z direction for the wall.

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Column Header Description

This is the cantilever / weak direction of the wall.
x-x Moment This column displays the moment about the local x axis for the wall. This
is the cantilever / weak direction of the wall.
z-z Moment This column displays the moment about the local z axis for the wall. This
is the shear wall / strong direction of the wall.

General Wall Detail Report

The general wall detail report shows the material type, height, length, and envelope forces for general
walls.

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Note: No detail report is generated for general walls with openings when there is no region
defined.

The Wall Panel Design spreadsheet displays the calculated results for wall elements and may be
accessed by selecting Wall Panel Design from the Results menu on the Explorer Panel. The

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spreadsheet has nine tabs: Concrete In, Concrete Out, Masonry InMasonry Out, Masonry
Lintel, Wood Wall Axial, Wood Wall In-Plane, Wood Header and Wall Panel Seismic.
The first two tabs as well as the last tab give results of Concrete Wall analysis. For more information
on these tabs see Concrete Wall Results and Concrete Wall - Seismic Results.
The next three tabs are results of Masonry Wall analysis. For more information on these tabs see
Masonry Wall Results.
The next three tabs are results of Wood Wall analysis. For more information on these tabs see Wood
Wall Results.

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CFS Walls
Cold Formed Steel Walls - Design
The CFS wall panel element allows you to easily model, analyze and design CFS walls for in-plane
loads. Here we will explain the specific inputs and design considerations. For general wall panel
information, see the Wall Panels topic. For CFS wall results interpretation, see the CFS Wall Results
topic.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: CFS Walls
Full code checking and design can be performed on the panel sheathing, studs, and chords based on
the following codes:
l The AISI S240-15 CFS Structural Framing
l AISI S400-15 w/S1-16 Seismic Design of CFS Structural Systems

CFS Wall Input

The Walls ribbon gives some specific information and options for modeling/analysis of CFS walls. It
can be accessed by double clicking on a wall panel in the 3D view window.

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CFS View Controls

Button/Icon Name Description

Chords Allows you to turn the display of wall panel
region chords on and off.
Studs Allows you to turn the display of the studs on
and off.
Header Allows you to turn the display of the studs on
and off.
Top/Sill Plate Allows you to turn the display of the top/sill
plates on and off.

Design Rules
You must set up design rules for the stud/chord sizes, as well as make a database selection for shear
panels. This is done in the Wall Design Rules spreadsheet in the CFS Wall (Studs) and CFS Wall
(Fasteners) tabs. See the CFS Wall - Design Rules topic for more information.

Create Openings in CFS Walls

In the Walls ribbon, you have the option of adding rectangular openings to CFS wall panels. To draw
an opening:
1. Click the Openings icon.

2. Click on two nodes or grid intersections which make up the two diagonal corners of your
opening.

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Note: Currently header design is not available for CFS walls.

When an opening is drawn, a header beam is automatically created above the opening (as
indicated by the H1 block in the image).

Hold-Downs and Straps

Hold-downs and straps are automatically added to your walls in their required locations. For a Type I -
Segmented design, you must have hold-downs or straps at the bottom corners of each of your design
segments. The program will not permit the drawing of hold-downs or straps at locations where they
are not allowed.
If there are custom locations that you want to add hold-downs or straps, you can do this from the
Walls ribbon .
Hold downs can represent the anchorage of your wall to the foundation or the connection of shear
wall chords between floors. To add hold-downs to the base of your wall, first select theHold Downs
icon in the ‘Walls’ ribbon.

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Hold downs must be added after regions are created and can only be added at the corners of regions.
Hold down requirements depend on the type of wall design you are performing.
Straps represent the connection of the current wall panel to a wall panel below. To add straps to the
base of your wall, first select the Straps icon in the ‘Walls’ ribbon.

Straps also can only be added after regions are created and can only be added at the corners of
regions. Strap requirements also follow the same logic as hold downs as to where they must be
defined as far as regions are concerned.

Note:
l Hold-downs and straps are not designed for CFS Walls. However, the required
forces will still be reported. More information on this can be found in the CFS Wall
Results topic.
l All boundary conditions for wall panels should be defined in the wall panel editor.
Adding external boundary conditions can create problems.
l The locations of hold-downs and straps define where the program will calculate
tension forces in your walls.
l By default, the program will automatically add hold-downs to the base of walls that
have boundary conditions applied to them and will apply straps to walls that have
walls below.
l All Straps and Hold-downs are placed at the base of walls only. So, if you would like
to put a strap or hold-down between floors, you would apply it to the base of the
upper wall.

General Requirements for Shear Walls

The design of CFS shear walls per the available design codes requires that many criteria are satisfied
before a wall can be considered adequate. For RISA to work within this framework, we require that
certain modeling practices be followed. Outlined below are many general wall modeling practices and
limitations as well as specific requirements for the Type I - Segmented method that is available for
CFS Walls in the program.

Note: RISA-3D does not currently support Type I with FTAO or Type II walls.

Type I - Segmented Method

The Type I - Segmented methodology is defined in Section B5.2 of the AISI S240-15 North American
Standard for Cold-Formed Steel Structural Framing.

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Where there is a wall panel with openings, the area above and below the openings is disregarded
and the wall is designed as being made up of separate, smaller shear walls.
Like all wall panels, the segmented CFS wall is broken into a series of meshed plate elements to
represent the overall wall. The portions of the segmented shear wall that are considered "ineffective"
in resisting shear are modeled with a plate elements that have a significantly reduced shear stiffness
so that they will not receive any significant moment or shear from the FEM analysis.
See the diagram below for more information:

In addition, the out of plane stiffness and in plane stiffnesses of the segmented CFS wall are modeled
separately based on different assumed plate thicknesses. This is done to insure that the shear
stiffness is based entirely on the properties of the sheathing and is not influenced by the out-of-plane
stiffness of the wall studs.

Note: If you have several stacked Segmented wall panels with misaligned openings, you will
receive the Warning Message shown below upon solution. This message means that RISA-
3D has assumed that the strap force from the above wall panel will be spread out across the
region directly under it. Therefore, you need to be aware of this assumption and detail the
wall panel accordingly.

l A shear panel design will be chosen for the worst-case region in a segmented wall. That
panel will then be used for all regions in that wall. The worst-case region is the one that has
the highest Shear UC value.

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Geometric Requirements and Limitations

The program will check the geometric requirements per AISI S240-15 B5.2.1.1 and AISI S400-E1.4
as required unless otherwise noted below. The sections noted below are assumed to be satisfied and
are not checked.

Note:
l AISI S400-E1.4 parts (d) - (g) and (k) - (r)
l AISI S240 B5.2.2.3.2.1.1 parts (c) and (e)
l AISI S400 E2.3.1.1.1.1 parts (c) and (e)

General Program Functionality and Limitations

Assigning Code and Design Methodology
CFS wall designs will be based on the AISI S240-15 North American Standard for Cold-Formed Steel
Structural Framing and S400-15 w/S1-16 North American Standard for Seismic Design of Cold-
Formed Steel Structural Systems. You can select these codes in the CFS Walls dropdown within the
Codes section of the Model Settings. If you set this code to “None”, the program will not perform
design for the CFS walls.
The design properties of CFS stud and chords within the wall are referenced from the AISI S100
specification referenced in the Cold Formed Steel dropdown.
In this manner, the design methodology (ASD or LRFD) for the entire wall panel (stud, chord and
sheathing design) is determined by the design method selected in the Cold Formed Steel dropdown.
For example, if the AISI S100-16: ASD code is selected as shown below, the CFS walls will use ASD
factors in the stud, chord and sheathing designs.

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RISAFloor and RISA-3D Interaction

When using RISAFloor and RISA-3D in combination, the interface transitions nicely between the two
programs. Here is a quick walk through of this interaction.

Input Interface
1. Model the entire building (gravity and lateral members) within RISAFloor.
Be sure to model all openings and regions for all of the wall panels in the model.

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2. Add loading and solve the model.

3. Take the model into RISA-3D via the Director tool.
4. Once in RISA-3D you must add your hold downs and straps to your wall panels.

Note:
l You can not modify your openings or regions in RISA-3D. All region and
opening modifications must be taken back to RISAFloor to be done.
l Hold downs and straps can not be added to wall panels in RISAFloor.
l Hold downs are required at the corners of all full height regions in the wall
panel for the Segmented design method.
l The Design Rule and Design Method can be changed in either program at
any time.

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Modeling Tips- Platform Framing

The CFS wall height in RISA is measured from the bottom of the sill plate to the top of the floor
framing as shown below. However, platform framing causes the wall height to be significantly shorter
than a RISA model would represent.
This is especially problematic for the FTAO design method where the region above openings is
assumed to be much larger than it is built. However, currently only the Type I - Segmented method is
available and the portions above and below the opening are not used to transfer shear forces.

Limitations for Hold-downs / Straps (Including deformation)

l The program does not currently have a database for or optimize hold-downs/straps for CFS
walls.
l The manufacturer listed or user defined hold-down deformation can be input in the Wall
Design Rules spreadsheet for inclusion in the design deflection calculation. See the
CFS Wall - Results topic for more information.

Automatic Boundary Conditions

l In RISA-3D, if no boundary conditions or hold downs are defined for CFS wall panels at the
lowest level of the structure, the program will automatically create hold downs at the

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corners of the wall panel. If you do not want the hold downs to be automatically created,
define a "free" boundary condition at the base of the wall panel in the wall panel editor.

Deflection
The program will report the design deflection for CFS shear walls that have wood or steel sheathing.
l There is currently no code check for drift or deflection for CFS shear wall panels.

Stud Design
Studs are only designed for load combinations which do not contain a wind or seismic load. The
maximum axial load, determined as an envelope force from all of the "gravity" load combinations
which have been solved, is determined for each region.
Studs are checked per AISI S240-15 B3.2: Wall Stud Design. The program currently only uses the All
Steel Design methodology in which case bracing from the attached sheathing or structural bracing is
ignored. Therefore the unbraced length for the buckling of the stud is taken as the full wall height. The
top and bottom track thicknesses are considered negligible and are not deducted from the total
height.

Note:
l The program currently does not optimize the stud size or spacing.
l The program will use an effective length factor, K, equal to 1.0 for the design of the
studs.

Stud force demand and number of studs calculation:

The program first divides the maximum axial force in the region by the length of the region. Then it will
multiply this distributed force by the stud spacing to get a maximum stud demand.
The program calculates the number of studs based on the following procedure:
1. Determines the number of spaces between studs by dividing the region length by the stud
spacing.
2. Rounds this number up to the nearest whole number.
3. Determines the number of studs by adding one to this number.

Openings
l Currently, the program does not perform header design. This will be available in an updated
version.

Chord Design
The chord design is based on forces that are calculated differently for Compression versus Tension.
The tension chord force is calculated including the dead load stabilizing moment. The compression

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chord force includes the only the tributary area of one stud spacing in the compression force. For
Segmented design, the chord forces are found based on each region.

Chord forces are calculated per the following equations:

Where:
l M = Moment at the base of the wall
l L = Length of the wall

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l P = Axial force at the base of the wall

l n = Number of Studs = Length/Stud Spacing

Note:
l In RISA-3D, the edge of the CFS walls represent the centerline of the chord
member. Therefore, the depth of the chord member will not affect the chord force
calculation since the centerline of the chord member will always be assumed at the
edge of the wall.
l The eccentricity checkbox in the Wall Design Rules spreadsheet will not affect the
chord force calculation.
l RISA-3D models the shear walls using only the sheathing. The vertical resistance
occurs only at the tension and compression chords. Thus, if two wall panels are
stacked on top of each other, the load transfer will only happen at the chord
locations. Therefore, the lateral analysis should agree very well with hand
calculations. However, it also means that gravity load design may be more
appropriate in RISAFloor.

Hold-Down Force
Hold-Down forces are calculated per the following equations:
Note that the hold-down force calculation depends upon whether the eccentricity checkbox has been
checked, and the value entered in the eccentricity field.
l When the "Eccentricity" check-box is unchecked in the CFS Wall Design Rule (Fasteners
tab), the hold-down force is exactly equal to the chord force indicated above.

l When the "Eccentricity" check-box is checked in the CFS Wall Design Rule (Fasteners tab),
an eccentricity distance should be indicated in the "Ecc Dist" column. This distance should
be the distance between the hold-down and the centerline of the chord member.

The Hold-Down force is calculated by finding the Tension chord force. In order to accommodate an
unsymmetrical vertical load on the wall, the program adopted a more accurate approach by
calculating the moment at the compression side first and then finding the resulting reaction on the
tension side.

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The resulting equation to determine the hold-down force is as follows:

Where:
l Ma = moment at point A(CL of compression chord)
l M = moment at base of the wall
l P = Axial load at the base of the wall
l L = length of the wall
l bc = width of chord member
l Rb = reaction at point B = hold down force
l CL = Hold down eccentricity distance (per selected hold down)

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Lateral Force Distribution

l The lateral force distribution between piers is based on the relative stiffness of the
sheathing, not on the length of the shear wall. For example, if you have an 8 foot wall and a
4 foot wall, the 8 foot wall will take more than 8/(8+4)*100% of the force. The moment of
inertia in the 8 foot wall will allow for a larger proportion of load to go into that pier.

Shear Panel Material Capacities

Shear capacity of the wall will be dependent on the Sheathing Material and Design Method that was
chosen in the Design Rules spreadsheet - CFS Wall (Fasteners) tab. When design values are pulled
from design tables, the program will use the appropriate capacity from the table based on the height-
to-width ratio of the wall, member thickness of the stud members and type of loading used.
Tabulated shear capacities are based on the AISI S240-15 CFS Structural Framing and AISI S400-
15 w/S1-16 Seismic Design of CFS Structural Systems codes. If the governing lateral load is a
seismic load (under the load category EL, ELX, ELY, ELZ, etc) then the capacity will be pulled from
the AISI S400-15 code.

Note: Curtain wall considerations per AISI S240-15 are not considered in the program.

Wood Sheathing
Tabulated design values are referenced from AISI S240-15 Table B5.2.2.3-2 and AISI S400-15 Table
E1.3-1.

Steel Sheathing
Tabulated design values are referenced from AISI S240-15 Table B5.2.2.3-1 and AISI S400-15 Table
E2.3-1.
If the Effective Width Method is used as the design method, this will be referenced from AISI S400-15
Chapter E2.3.

Note: The program will not perform the end distance check in the effective width method.
This is assumed to be satisfied.

Fiberboard
Tabulated design values are referenced from AISI S240-15 Table B5.2.2.3-4. AISI S400-15 does not
apply for this material.

Gypsum
Tabulated design values are referenced from AISI S240-15 Table B5.2.2.3-3. AISI S400-15 does not
apply for this material.

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Stiffness Assumptions

Vertical Direction
RISA uses an orthotropic plate element to de-couple the vertical and shear stiffness of the CFS walls.
The vertical stiffness will be based on the E value of the studs and chords as specified in the Materials
spreadsheet and the thickness of the wall. The thickness is taken as

Where,

In-Plane Shear
The in-plane shear stiffness will be based on the Ga value designated within the specified nailing
schedule divided by the sheathing thickness. Both the Ga value and the sheathing thickness are
defined in the specified sheathing schedule.

Out-of-Plane Shear
For the out of plane shear, RISA uses the same Young's Modulus (E) as used in the vertical direction
and a thickness that is calculated from the out of plane moment of inertia. This becomes:

CFS Wall Self Weight

The program will calculate CFS wall self weight as a sum of all the weights of the components. The
material density is used to calculate the self weight of the studs, chords, top plates, sill plate, and
sheathing. These are all then summed together to give the self weight of the entire wall.

Note:
l For this calculation, stud height equals full wall height.
l The number of studs is calculated using the stud spacing specified in Design Rules.

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CFS Wall Optimization

The program will optimize CFS walls based on the required demand forces. The program can
optimize sheathing for in-plane shear design.
This optimization can substantially modify the stiffness of the wall. To properly adjust the stiffness
requires an iterative solution that updates the stiffness of the model. This includes updating the
strength properties of the wall as well as the stiffness. The program will handle this
optimization/iteration automatically.
To update the stiffness portion of the wall, the program must re-solve your model with these updated
stiffnesses as this will change the distribution of forces through the model. Thus, the program will start
with it's initial stiffness parameters and solve the model. It will then optimize the wall to meet strength
criteria. Another solution will then be run with the new stiffnesses and the program will again optimize
the wall to meet strength criteria. This procedure will continue to occur until all wall panel results
match those of the previous solution.
The program will always present results in the output that coincide with the stiffness used in the final
solution.

Panel Optimization

The procedure that RISA uses for design optimization is fundamentally based upon the assumption
that there is a 'cost' to shear capacity, and therefore the ideal panel design would have as little shear
capacity as possible to meet code requirements. Once the program has determined the shear
demand on the wall it will choose the most economical panel configuration based on that which has a
Shear Capacity closest to, but not exceeding the shear demand.
The program will also only pick shear panels that qualify based on the region height-to-width ratio and
minimum stud thickness requirements.

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The default shear panels in the program come straight from published tables in the AISI S240-15 and
AISI S400-15.

Note:
l The shear forces listed in the XML spreadsheet are nominal shear strength values.
The force capacity will be adjusted by the appropriate factor depending on if the
ASD or LRFD design method is selected in the Cold Form Steel code dropdown.
l Panels with a label containing the characters "_W" together will be ignored during
design optimization.

CFS Walls
Cold Formed Steel Walls - Design
The CFS wall panel element allows you to easily model, analyze and design CFS walls for in-plane
loads. Here we will explain the specific inputs and design considerations. For general wall panel
information, see the Wall Panels topic. For CFS wall results interpretation, see the CFS Wall Results
topic.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: CFS Walls
Full code checking and design can be performed on the panel sheathing, studs, and chords based on
the following codes:
l The AISI S240-15 CFS Structural Framing
l AISI S400-15 w/S1-16 Seismic Design of CFS Structural Systems

CFS Wall Input

The Walls ribbon gives some specific information and options for modeling/analysis of CFS walls. It
can be accessed by double clicking on a wall panel in the 3D view window.

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CFS View Controls

Button/Icon Name Description

Chords Allows you to turn the display of wall panel
region chords on and off.
Studs Allows you to turn the display of the studs on
and off.
Header Allows you to turn the display of the studs on
and off.
Top/Sill Plate Allows you to turn the display of the top/sill
plates on and off.

Design Rules
You must set up design rules for the stud/chord sizes, as well as make a database selection for shear
panels. This is done in the Wall Design Rules spreadsheet in the CFS Wall (Studs) and CFS Wall
(Fasteners) tabs. See the CFS Wall - Design Rules topic for more information.

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Create Openings in CFS Walls

In the Walls ribbon, you have the option of adding rectangular openings to CFS wall panels. To draw
an opening:
1. Click the Openings icon.

2. Click on two nodes or grid intersections which make up the two diagonal corners of your
opening.

Note: Currently header design is not available for CFS walls.

When an opening is drawn, a header beam is automatically created above the opening (as
indicated by the H1 block in the image).

Hold-Downs and Straps

Hold-downs and straps are automatically added to your walls in their required locations. For a Type I -
Segmented design, you must have hold-downs or straps at the bottom corners of each of your design

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segments. The program will not permit the drawing of hold-downs or straps at locations where they
are not allowed.
If there are custom locations that you want to add hold-downs or straps, you can do this from the
Walls ribbon .
Hold downs can represent the anchorage of your wall to the foundation or the connection of shear
wall chords between floors. To add hold-downs to the base of your wall, first select theHold Downs
icon in the ‘Walls’ ribbon.

Hold downs must be added after regions are created and can only be added at the corners of regions.
Hold down requirements depend on the type of wall design you are performing.
Straps represent the connection of the current wall panel to a wall panel below. To add straps to the
base of your wall, first select the Straps icon in the ‘Walls’ ribbon.

Straps also can only be added after regions are created and can only be added at the corners of
regions. Strap requirements also follow the same logic as hold downs as to where they must be
defined as far as regions are concerned.

Note:
l Hold-downs and straps are not designed for CFS Walls. However, the required
forces will still be reported. More information on this can be found in the CFS Wall
Results topic.
l All boundary conditions for wall panels should be defined in the wall panel editor.
Adding external boundary conditions can create problems.
l The locations of hold-downs and straps define where the program will calculate
tension forces in your walls.
l By default, the program will automatically add hold-downs to the base of walls that
have boundary conditions applied to them and will apply straps to walls that have
walls below.
l All Straps and Hold-downs are placed at the base of walls only. So, if you would like
to put a strap or hold-down between floors, you would apply it to the base of the
upper wall.

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General Requirements for Shear Walls

The design of CFS shear walls per the available design codes requires that many criteria are satisfied
before a wall can be considered adequate. For RISA to work within this framework, we require that
certain modeling practices be followed. Outlined below are many general wall modeling practices and
limitations as well as specific requirements for the Type I - Segmented method that is available for
CFS Walls in the program.

Note: RISA-3D does not currently support Type I with FTAO or Type II walls.

Type I - Segmented Method

The Type I - Segmented methodology is defined in Section B5.2 of the AISI S240-15 North American
Standard for Cold-Formed Steel Structural Framing.
Where there is a wall panel with openings, the area above and below the openings is disregarded
and the wall is designed as being made up of separate, smaller shear walls.
Like all wall panels, the segmented CFS wall is broken into a series of meshed plate elements to
represent the overall wall. The portions of the segmented shear wall that are considered "ineffective"
in resisting shear are modeled with a plate elements that have a significantly reduced shear stiffness
so that they will not receive any significant moment or shear from the FEM analysis.
See the diagram below for more information:

In addition, the out of plane stiffness and in plane stiffnesses of the segmented CFS wall are modeled
separately based on different assumed plate thicknesses. This is done to insure that the shear
stiffness is based entirely on the properties of the sheathing and is not influenced by the out-of-plane
stiffness of the wall studs.

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Note: If you have several stacked Segmented wall panels with misaligned openings, you will
receive the Warning Message shown below upon solution. This message means that RISA-
3D has assumed that the strap force from the above wall panel will be spread out across the
region directly under it. Therefore, you need to be aware of this assumption and detail the
wall panel accordingly.

l A shear panel design will be chosen for the worst-case region in a segmented wall. That
panel will then be used for all regions in that wall. The worst-case region is the one that has
the highest Shear UC value.

Geometric Requirements and Limitations

The program will check the geometric requirements per AISI S240-15 B5.2.1.1 and AISI S400-E1.4
as required unless otherwise noted below. The sections noted below are assumed to be satisfied and
are not checked.

Note:
l AISI S400-E1.4 parts (d) - (g) and (k) - (r)
l AISI S240 B5.2.2.3.2.1.1 parts (c) and (e)
l AISI S400 E2.3.1.1.1.1 parts (c) and (e)

General Program Functionality and Limitations

Assigning Code and Design Methodology
CFS wall designs will be based on the AISI S240-15 North American Standard for Cold-Formed Steel
Structural Framing and S400-15 w/S1-16 North American Standard for Seismic Design of Cold-
Formed Steel Structural Systems. You can select these codes in the CFS Walls dropdown within the
Codes section of the Model Settings. If you set this code to “None”, the program will not perform
design for the CFS walls.
The design properties of CFS stud and chords within the wall are referenced from the AISI S100
specification referenced in the Cold Formed Steel dropdown.
In this manner, the design methodology (ASD or LRFD) for the entire wall panel (stud, chord and
sheathing design) is determined by the design method selected in the Cold Formed Steel dropdown.
For example, if the AISI S100-16: ASD code is selected as shown below, the CFS walls will use ASD
factors in the stud, chord and sheathing designs.

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RISAFloor and RISA-3D Interaction

When using RISAFloor and RISA-3D in combination, the interface transitions nicely between the two
programs. Here is a quick walk through of this interaction.

Input Interface
1. Model the entire building (gravity and lateral members) within RISAFloor.
Be sure to model all openings and regions for all of the wall panels in the model.

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2. Add loading and solve the model.

3. Take the model into RISA-3D via the Director tool.
4. Once in RISA-3D you must add your hold downs and straps to your wall panels.

Note:
l You can not modify your openings or regions in RISA-3D. All region and
opening modifications must be taken back to RISAFloor to be done.
l Hold downs and straps can not be added to wall panels in RISAFloor.
l Hold downs are required at the corners of all full height regions in the wall
panel for the Segmented design method.
l The Design Rule and Design Method can be changed in either program at
any time.

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Modeling Tips- Platform Framing

The CFS wall height in RISA is measured from the bottom of the sill plate to the top of the floor
framing as shown below. However, platform framing causes the wall height to be significantly shorter
than a RISA model would represent.
This is especially problematic for the FTAO design method where the region above openings is
assumed to be much larger than it is built. However, currently only the Type I - Segmented method is
available and the portions above and below the opening are not used to transfer shear forces.

Limitations for Hold-downs / Straps (Including deformation)

l The program does not currently have a database for or optimize hold-downs/straps for CFS
walls.
l The manufacturer listed or user defined hold-down deformation can be input in the Wall
Design Rules spreadsheet for inclusion in the design deflection calculation. See the
CFS Wall - Results topic for more information.

Automatic Boundary Conditions

l In RISA-3D, if no boundary conditions or hold downs are defined for CFS wall panels at the
lowest level of the structure, the program will automatically create hold downs at the

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corners of the wall panel. If you do not want the hold downs to be automatically created,
define a "free" boundary condition at the base of the wall panel in the wall panel editor.

Deflection
The program will report the design deflection for CFS shear walls that have wood or steel sheathing.
l There is currently no code check for drift or deflection for CFS shear wall panels.

Stud Design
Studs are only designed for load combinations which do not contain a wind or seismic load. The
maximum axial load, determined as an envelope force from all of the "gravity" load combinations
which have been solved, is determined for each region.
Studs are checked per AISI S240-15 B3.2: Wall Stud Design. The program currently only uses the All
Steel Design methodology in which case bracing from the attached sheathing or structural bracing is
ignored. Therefore the unbraced length for the buckling of the stud is taken as the full wall height. The
top and bottom track thicknesses are considered negligible and are not deducted from the total
height.

Note:
l The program currently does not optimize the stud size or spacing.
l The program will use an effective length factor, K, equal to 1.0 for the design of the
studs.

Stud force demand and number of studs calculation:

The program first divides the maximum axial force in the region by the length of the region. Then it will
multiply this distributed force by the stud spacing to get a maximum stud demand.
The program calculates the number of studs based on the following procedure:
1. Determines the number of spaces between studs by dividing the region length by the stud
spacing.
2. Rounds this number up to the nearest whole number.
3. Determines the number of studs by adding one to this number.

Openings
l Currently, the program does not perform header design. This will be available in an updated
version.

Chord Design
The chord design is based on forces that are calculated differently for Compression versus Tension.
The tension chord force is calculated including the dead load stabilizing moment. The compression

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chord force includes the only the tributary area of one stud spacing in the compression force. For
Segmented design, the chord forces are found based on each region.

Chord forces are calculated per the following equations:

Where:
l M = Moment at the base of the wall
l L = Length of the wall

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l P = Axial force at the base of the wall

l n = Number of Studs = Length/Stud Spacing

Note:
l In RISA-3D, the edge of the CFS walls represent the centerline of the chord
member. Therefore, the depth of the chord member will not affect the chord force
calculation since the centerline of the chord member will always be assumed at the
edge of the wall.
l The eccentricity checkbox in the Wall Design Rules spreadsheet will not affect the
chord force calculation.
l RISA-3D models the shear walls using only the sheathing. The vertical resistance
occurs only at the tension and compression chords. Thus, if two wall panels are
stacked on top of each other, the load transfer will only happen at the chord
locations. Therefore, the lateral analysis should agree very well with hand
calculations. However, it also means that gravity load design may be more
appropriate in RISAFloor.

Hold-Down Force
Hold-Down forces are calculated per the following equations:
Note that the hold-down force calculation depends upon whether the eccentricity checkbox has been
checked, and the value entered in the eccentricity field.
l When the "Eccentricity" check-box is unchecked in the CFS Wall Design Rule (Fasteners
tab), the hold-down force is exactly equal to the chord force indicated above.

l When the "Eccentricity" check-box is checked in the CFS Wall Design Rule (Fasteners tab),
an eccentricity distance should be indicated in the "Ecc Dist" column. This distance should
be the distance between the hold-down and the centerline of the chord member.

The Hold-Down force is calculated by finding the Tension chord force. In order to accommodate an
unsymmetrical vertical load on the wall, the program adopted a more accurate approach by
calculating the moment at the compression side first and then finding the resulting reaction on the
tension side.

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The resulting equation to determine the hold-down force is as follows:

Where:
l Ma = moment at point A(CL of compression chord)
l M = moment at base of the wall
l P = Axial load at the base of the wall
l L = length of the wall
l bc = width of chord member
l Rb = reaction at point B = hold down force
l CL = Hold down eccentricity distance (per selected hold down)

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Lateral Force Distribution

l The lateral force distribution between piers is based on the relative stiffness of the
sheathing, not on the length of the shear wall. For example, if you have an 8 foot wall and a
4 foot wall, the 8 foot wall will take more than 8/(8+4)*100% of the force. The moment of
inertia in the 8 foot wall will allow for a larger proportion of load to go into that pier.

Shear Panel Material Capacities

Shear capacity of the wall will be dependent on the Sheathing Material and Design Method that was
chosen in the Design Rules spreadsheet - CFS Wall (Fasteners) tab. When design values are pulled
from design tables, the program will use the appropriate capacity from the table based on the height-
to-width ratio of the wall, member thickness of the stud members and type of loading used.
Tabulated shear capacities are based on the AISI S240-15 CFS Structural Framing and AISI S400-
15 w/S1-16 Seismic Design of CFS Structural Systems codes. If the governing lateral load is a
seismic load (under the load category EL, ELX, ELY, ELZ, etc) then the capacity will be pulled from
the AISI S400-15 code.

Note: Curtain wall considerations per AISI S240-15 are not considered in the program.

Wood Sheathing
Tabulated design values are referenced from AISI S240-15 Table B5.2.2.3-2 and AISI S400-15 Table
E1.3-1.

Steel Sheathing
Tabulated design values are referenced from AISI S240-15 Table B5.2.2.3-1 and AISI S400-15 Table
E2.3-1.
If the Effective Width Method is used as the design method, this will be referenced from AISI S400-15
Chapter E2.3.

Note: The program will not perform the end distance check in the effective width method.
This is assumed to be satisfied.

Fiberboard
Tabulated design values are referenced from AISI S240-15 Table B5.2.2.3-4. AISI S400-15 does not
apply for this material.

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Gypsum
Tabulated design values are referenced from AISI S240-15 Table B5.2.2.3-3. AISI S400-15 does not
apply for this material.

Stiffness Assumptions

Vertical Direction
RISA uses an orthotropic plate element to de-couple the vertical and shear stiffness of the CFS walls.
The vertical stiffness will be based on the E value of the studs and chords as specified in the Materials
spreadsheet and the thickness of the wall. The thickness is taken as

Where,

In-Plane Shear
The in-plane shear stiffness will be based on the Ga value designated within the specified nailing
schedule divided by the sheathing thickness. Both the Ga value and the sheathing thickness are
defined in the specified sheathing schedule.

Out-of-Plane Shear
For the out of plane shear, RISA uses the same Young's Modulus (E) as used in the vertical direction
and a thickness that is calculated from the out of plane moment of inertia. This becomes:

CFS Wall Self Weight

The program will calculate CFS wall self weight as a sum of all the weights of the components. The
material density is used to calculate the self weight of the studs, chords, top plates, sill plate, and
sheathing. These are all then summed together to give the self weight of the entire wall.

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Note:
l For this calculation, stud height equals full wall height.
l The number of studs is calculated using the stud spacing specified in Design Rules.

CFS Wall Optimization

The program will optimize CFS walls based on the required demand forces. The program can
optimize sheathing for in-plane shear design.
This optimization can substantially modify the stiffness of the wall. To properly adjust the stiffness
requires an iterative solution that updates the stiffness of the model. This includes updating the
strength properties of the wall as well as the stiffness. The program will handle this
optimization/iteration automatically.
To update the stiffness portion of the wall, the program must re-solve your model with these updated
stiffnesses as this will change the distribution of forces through the model. Thus, the program will start
with it's initial stiffness parameters and solve the model. It will then optimize the wall to meet strength
criteria. Another solution will then be run with the new stiffnesses and the program will again optimize
the wall to meet strength criteria. This procedure will continue to occur until all wall panel results
match those of the previous solution.
The program will always present results in the output that coincide with the stiffness used in the final
solution.

Panel Optimization

The procedure that RISA uses for design optimization is fundamentally based upon the assumption
that there is a 'cost' to shear capacity, and therefore the ideal panel design would have as little shear

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capacity as possible to meet code requirements. Once the program has determined the shear
demand on the wall it will choose the most economical panel configuration based on that which has a
Shear Capacity closest to, but not exceeding the shear demand.
The program will also only pick shear panels that qualify based on the region height-to-width ratio and
minimum stud thickness requirements.
The default shear panels in the program come straight from published tables in the AISI S240-15 and
AISI S400-15.

Note:
l The shear forces listed in the XML spreadsheet are nominal shear strength values.
The force capacity will be adjusted by the appropriate factor depending on if the
ASD or LRFD design method is selected in the Cold Form Steel code dropdown.
l Panels with a label containing the characters "_W" together will be ignored during
design optimization.

Cold Formed Steel Walls - Design Rules

The CFS wall panel element allows you to easily model, analyze and design CFS walls for in plane
loads. Here we will explain the CFS specific inputs and design considerations. For general wall panel
information, see the Wall Panels topic. For information on CFS wall design considerations, see the
CFS Wall - Design topic. For CFS wall results interpretation, see the CFS Wall Results topic.

Unity Check

Max Bending Chk

Wall Panel Unity Check Spreadsheet Columns

Column Header Description

Max Bending Chk The Max Bending Chk column defines the hold-down maximum code
check value. Currently, hold-down design/optimization is not available
for CFS walls. However, this will be made available in a future release.
Max Shear Chk The Max Shear Chk column defines the shear panel selection maximum

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Column Header Description

code check value. Typically this is always 1.0, but it allows the option of
having the program pick out a shear panel layout that is not at maximum
capacity. Putting a value of 0.8 chooses a panel thickness and nailing
that is at 80% of capacity.

CFS Wall (Studs)

CFS Wall Panel Parameters Spreadsheet Columns

Column Header Description

Top Plate The Top Plate column lets you specify the member to be used as a top plate
for your wall. A top plate is a member that runs continuously along the top of
the wall studs.
Sill Plate The Sill Plate column lets you specify the member to be used as a sill
plate for your wall. A sill plate is a member that runs continuously along
the bottom of the wall studs.
Studs The studs column lets you specify the member to be used for studs in
your wall. Studs are vertical members in the wall, attached to the sill
plate at the bottom and the top plate at the top. Note that you can use
back-to-back or toe-to-toe options as well.
Stud Space The Stud Space column lets you specify the spacing between the studs
within the wall.
You may specify a minimum and maximum spacing of wall studs. The
program can then optimize the stud spacing based on axial design only.
For information on how the optimization works, see the Wood Wall -
Design topic.
l If you specify the maximum and minimum stud spacing as the
same value, then we will use that value exclusively.
l Out of plane design is not performed for wood walls, so any
optimization is based only on axial forces in the studs.
Header Size The Header Size column lets you define the default header size for all
openings. Note that the program does not provide a design for CFS
headers at this time.

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Design Rules - CFS Wall (Fasteners)

Design Rules - CFS Walls (Fasteners) Spreadsheet Columns

Column Header Description

Type of Wall The Type of Wall column shows the design methodology of the CFS wall
panel. Currently, CFS walls can only be designed using the Type I -
Segmented method.
Sheathing Material The Sheathing Material column lets you choose which sheathing material you
would like to be used for lateral design optimization. The specific sheathing
material that you choose automatically populates the corresponding sheathing
database in the adjacent Schedule column.
Schedule The Schedule column lets you choose the sheathing database and Panel
Group you would like to use for design optimization.
By selecting the Select Individual Panel option, an individual panel
type can be assigned.
For information on how the optimization works, see the CFS Wall -
Design topic. For more information on this schedule, as well as
information on how to edit or create your own custom schedule, see
Appendix G-CFS Design Databases.
Design Method The Design Method column lets you choose the method in which the
lateral capacity is determined by the program. If you choose the Table
option, the program references tabulated shear capacities in the AISI
S240 and AISI S400 manual. The Effective Strip Method is only
available for the Steel Sheet sheathing material option.
For more information on this see the CFS Wall - Design topic.
Min Panel Thick The Min Panel Thick column lets you set minimums for the thickness of
the sheathing to be designed.
If the same value is set for both max and min, then that is the thickness
used.
Max Panel Thick The Max Panel Thick column lets you set maximums for the thickness of
the sheathing to be designed.
If the same value is set for both min and max, then that is the thickness
used.
Fastener Min Edge The Fastener Min Edge Space column lets you set minimums for the
Space spacing of the nails that fasten the sheathing to the boundary members
(top plate, sill plate, hold down chords).
Note that a 12" spacing is assumed for all field nailing (nails fastening

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Column Header Description

the sheathing to the internal studs).
Fastener Max Edge The Fastener max Edge Space column lets you set maximums for the
Space spacing of the nails that fasten the sheathing to the boundary members
(top plate, sill plate, hold down chords).
Note that a 12" spacing is assumed for all field nailing (nails fastening
the sheathing to the internal studs).
HD Chords The HD Chords columns lets you choose what member size you would
like to use for the Hold Down Chords (Posts) at both ends of the wall
panel.
Eccentricity The Eccentricity checkbox lets you control whether the eccentricity
distance of the hold-down (input into the Ecc Dist column) is used in the
calculation of the hold-down force.
For more information, see the Hold Down force calculation section in the
CFS Wall - Design topic.
Ecc Dist The Ecc Dist column lets you input an eccentricity distance to be used in
the calculation of the hold down force. This distance should be
measured from the centerline of the HD chord to the actual hold-down
anchorage.
HD Deflection The HD Deflection column lets you input the manufacturer hold down
deflection which is used in the reported shear wall design deflection
calculation.

Cold Formed Steel Walls - Results

CFS Wall results are presented in the Wall Panel Design Spreadsheet and the detail reports.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: CFS Walls.

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CFS Wall Results Spreadsheets

CFS Wall Axial Results

The following table provides descriptions of the columns in the spreadsheet.

CFS Walls Axial Results Spreadsheet

Column Header Description

Wall Panel The Wall Panel column lists the CFS wall panels that you have defined.
Region The Region column lists the wall panel region that the results are based
on.
Stud Size The Stud Size column shows the size of the stud chosen for your wall
based on the Design Rules you have defined.
Stud Spacing The Stud spacing column shows the spacing between stud chosen for
your wall, based on the Design Rules you have defined.
Axial Check The Axial Check column displays the code check ratio between the
member load and the member capacity.
Gov LC The Gov LC column adjacent to the Axial Check column, shows the
governing load combination for the design.
Chord Size The Chord Size column shows the optimum chord size chosen for your
wall, based on the Design Rules you have defined. Note that the chords
are the vertical hold-down members/posts at the both ends of the wall.
Chord Axial Check The Cord Axial Check column displays the code check ratio between the
member load and the member capacity.
Gov LC The Gov LC column adjacent to the Chord Axial Check column, shows
the governing load combination for the design.

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Note:
l When running the Segmented design method, the wall panel regions above and
below the opening are not considered in design. Thus an NC (no calculation) is
displayed.
l If there are some constraints that will not allow a wall to be designed, an NC (no
calculation) will be displayed. Check the “Warning Log” within the program for more
information on this.

CFS Wall In-Plane Results

The following table provides descriptions of the columns in the spreadsheet.

CFS Walls In-Plane Results Spreadsheet

Column Header Description

Wall Panel The Shear Panel Label shows the optimum shear panel arrangement
chosen for your wall, based on the Design Rules you have defined.
Sheer Panel Label The Shear Panel Label column displays the name of the panel in the model.
Region The Region gives the region for which the design values are being
displayed.
Shear Check The Shear Check value is a code check ratio between the panel shear
load and the panel shear capacity.
Shear Force The Shear Force column displays the value that governed the design.
Gov LC The Gov LC column adjacent to the Shear Force column, displays the
load combination that governed the design.
Hold-down Force The Hold-Down Force show the maximum value of hold-down/strap that
produced the highest strap force. This maximum force could occur on
either end of the wall/region.
Gov LC The Gov LC column adjacent to the Hold-down Force column, shows
the load combination that produced the highest strap force.

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Note:
l When running the Segmented design method, the wall panel regions above and
below the opening are not considered in design. Thus an NC (no calculation) will be
displayed. If running a combined RISAFloor and RISA-3D model use RISAFloor to
get header results.
l If there are some constraints that will not allow a wall to be designed, an NC (no
calculation) will be displayed. Check the “Warning Log” within the program for more
information on this.
l If “default” is shown in the ‘Hold-Down Label’ column it means that a hold down is
not required for this wall/region.

CFS Wall Self Weight

The program will calculate the self weight of a CFS wall based on the weights of the individual
components. Using the material density, the self weight is calculated for the studs, chords, top plates,
sill plates, and sheathing. These are all then summed for the total self weight of the wall.

CFS Wall Detail Reports

The detail report gives detailed information about the wall design. The detail reports are specifically
molded to the type of design specified.

Note:
l Only the Segmented design method is considered for CFS walls at this time.
l Many of the values for design checks seen below are not performed in RISAFloor
as it is strictly a gravity design program.

Accessing the Detail Reports and the Specific Windows

Once you have a solved model, the detail reports become available. They are accessible in two ways:
l If you have the Wall Panel Design spreadsheet open, you can right-click on a line in the
spreadsheet and select Detailed Report.
l
If you are in a graphic view of your model, there is a button that will open up the detail
report window.

Note: Detail report information is not available for an envelope solution.

Once the detail report window is open, you will see a dialog area at the top.

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Option Name Description

Prior/Next The left and right arrows let you cycle
between the different wall panels in your
model.
Print Lets you print the Detail Report (found at
the bottom of the Detail Report window).
The Wall detail report gives an overall summary of your wall, complete with governing code
checks and opening information.

Segmented Method
The Segmented design method uses each of the three detail report sections to give design
information.

Wall Window
This window gives an overview of the wall, giving controlling region information and deflection
information. Note that this window only gives information on the full-height segments in your wall, as
this is the basis of the Segmented method.

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Input Echo

This lists information about the wall, similar to the Region report and also gives an image of the wall.
The image shows the location of hold-downs/straps, regions and headers.

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Design Summary

Design Summary Sections

Section Description
Envelope Results The Enveloped Results gives the code checks for all of the
controlling elements in the wall and their associated load
combinations.
Region Information The Region Information gives the tabulated results of all of the full-
height regions in your wall.
Opening Information The Opening Information simply states that header design cannot
be completed with the Segmented method. The regions above and
below the opening have their shear stiffnesses set to be zero and
this causes the header forces to be invalid.
Deflection Results The Deflection Results gives both the calculated AISI code
deflection (Maximum Region Deflection) and the FE deflection for
use as a means of comparison. Because the AISI equations are
empirical and take into account many non-elastic considerations
such as nail slip, these two values may not be the same.

Region Window
This window gives information for your wall on a region by region basis. Note that only full-height
regions of the wall panel will have a region detail report. The Segmented method only considers
these full height segments in the design of the wall.

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The region detail report is split into four portions: input echo, diagrams, design details, and cross
section detailing. Note that in RISAFloor the detail reports are less detailed because RISAFloor does
not consider lateral forces which RISA-3D does.

Input Echo
Below is the input echo portion of the detail report.
Criteria table

Criteria Description
Code Gives the code used to design your wall panel.
Design Method Gives the design method that was used.
Wall Material Specifies the CFS type assigned to the entire wall.
Panel Schedule Specifies the sheathing material used to optimize panel selection (set in
Design Rules).

Materials table

Material Description
Wall Studs Specifies the CFS material type assigned to the wall studs.
Stud Size Specifies the member size used for the wall studs.
Chord Material Specifies the CFS material type assigned to the chords (vertical
members at both ends of the wall).
Chord Size Specifies the member size used for the chords (vertical members at both
ends of the wall).
Top Plate & Sill Specifies the CFS material type assigned to the top and sill plates.
Top Plate Size Specifies the member size used for the top plate.
Sill Plate Size Specifies the member size used for the sill plate.

Geometry table

Geometry Description
Total Height This is the height of the wall panel region.
Total Length This is the length of the wall panel region.
Region H/W Ratio This is the ratio of wall height to length, using the minimum wall height.
Cap. Adj (2w/h) This is an aspect ratio reduction factor for the shear panel strength per
AISI S240-15 B5.2.2.1. This factor applies only for wall panels that have
an aspect ratio greater than 2 but less than or equal to 4. This factor is
applied separately for each full-height region in your wall.
Stud Spacing This is the optimized stud spacing based on your Design Rules.
K This is the effective length, K Factor used for stud and chord
compression design.

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Geometry Description
HD Eccentricity This is the eccentricity of the hold-down connection. This is based on
user input (set within the Design Rules).

Envelope Diagrams
These diagrams show the axial forces, in-plane shear, and in-plane moments of the wall, as well as
the maximum and minimum forces and their locations.

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Note:
The diagrams are not actually enveloped.
l The Axial diagram shown is the diagram from the governing load combination for
Stud design.
l The Shear and Moment diagram is the diagram from the governing load
combination for Shear Panel design.

Design Details
This portion gives you the capacity and strength values at the section in the wall where the combined
check is maximum, as well as the governing load combination. Much of this information is also
reported in the CFS Wall Panel Design spreadsheets.

Design Details Sections

Section Description
Studs The provided capacities of the Studs members are calculated using the
standard provisions for tension/compression members. These members
are assumed to be fully braced in the weak axis, and unbraced in the

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Section Description
strong axis.
Chords The provided capacities of the Chords members are calculated using
the standard provisions for tension/compression members. These
members are assumed to be fully braced in the weak axis, and unbraced
in the strong axis.
For more information on the chord force calculations, see the CFS Wall -
Design topic.

Note: For chord results, the tension/compression capacity is

computed using the reduced cross-sectional properties caused
by the hold-down bolt hole.

Shear Panel The Selected Shear Panel section shows the call-out from the shear
panel database. The information below it, is the information describing
the call-out.
The provided capacity of the shear panel is taken from the Shear
Capacity column of the panel database. This is the adjusted capacity
based on tables within the AISI S240-15 and S400-16. The Governing
LC explicitly states if the controlling load combination was based on
Wind or Seismic. The program does a unity check for all LCs that are
being solved, finds the maximum value and reports that information.
This section of the report echoes the database information for the
selected shear panel. For more information on these properties refer to
Appendix G-CFS Shear Wall Files.

Note:
l The displayed "Shear Capacity" takes the given
nominal shear capacity from the design code and
multiplies or divides it by the appropriate code factor
and aspect ratio factor when applicable.
l A shear panel design will be chosen for the worst-case
region in a segmented wall. That panel will then be
used for all regions in that wall. The worst-case region
is the one that has the highest Shear UC value.
l Because wind and seismic loading allows for different
design capacities, the highest shear in the wall may not
be the governing shear (if that highest shear was due to
wind).

Deflections The Deflections section shows the Detail Report based on an

approximation from the design code.
See the following Deflection section for more information.

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Deflection

The deflection listed in the detail report is based on an approximation from the design code:

AISI Design Deflection

Per the AISI S240-15 North American Standard for Cold-Formed Steel Structural Framing Equation
B5.2.5-1:

Refer to the AISI 240-15 standard page 52 for detail definitions for each term in the equation.
The first component of the above equation determines the Bending Component of the deflection.
The second component of the above equation determines the Shear Component of the deflection.
The third component of the above equation determines the Hold-Down Elongation, which causes
additional deflection. The delta_v term refers to vertical deformation of the hold-down. This is a user
input within the Wall Design Rules.

Note: This is the theoretical deflection of the wall. This may differ from the deflection of the
wall as performed by finite element analysis within RISA. Therefore, this deflection value may
not coincide with the reported deflection value in the deflections spreadsheets.

Cross Section Detailing

The last section of the detail report consists of the wall detailing information. This information is
provided as a visual confirmation of the wall design. The wall thickness, and stud spacing are shown

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as dimensions. The triangle shows sheathing on one side of the wall, with the abbreviated panel
designation. The chord sizes/forces are shown at either end.

Note:
l The graphic will show hold-downs regardless if one is required or not.
l The chord members will always be shown as CS members face-to-face despite
what is specified in the Design Rules. This is just a graphical representation of the
chord member placement.

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Concrete Wall Panel - Design

The concrete wall panel element allows you to easily model, analyze, and design concrete walls for in
plane and out of plane loads for the codes defined below:
l The 2022, 2019, 2014, 2011, 2008 and 2005 Editions of ACI 318.
l The 2014 Edition of CSA A23.3.

Note:
l Unless otherwise specified, all code references below are to ACI 318-14.
l Walls designed in RISA meet all of the requirements for Ordinary Concrete Shear
Walls.
l ACI 318-19 (22) re-approves previous ACI 318-19 without any technical changes,
therefore all references in the help documentation and in the program continue to
use ACI 318-19.

Here we will explain the concrete-specific inputs and design considerations. For general wall panel
information, see the Wall Panels topic. For concrete wall design rule information, see the Concrete
Wall - Design Rules topic. For concrete wall results interpretation, see the Concrete Wall Results
topic.

Concrete Wall Panel - Design

The concrete wall panel element allows you to easily model, analyze, and design concrete walls for in
plane and out of plane loads for the codes defined below:
l The 2022, 2019, 2014, 2011, 2008 and 2005 Editions of ACI 318.
l The 2014 Edition of CSA A23.3.

Note:
l Unless otherwise specified, all code references below are to ACI 318-14.
l Walls designed in RISA meet all of the requirements for Ordinary Concrete Shear
Walls.
l ACI 318-19 (22) re-approves previous ACI 318-19 without any technical changes,
therefore all references in the help documentation and in the program continue to
use ACI 318-19.

Here we will explain the concrete-specific inputs and design considerations. For general wall panel
information, see the Wall Panels topic. For concrete wall design rule information, see the Concrete
Wall - Design Rules topic. For concrete wall results interpretation, see the Concrete Wall Results
topic.

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Concrete Wall Input

To open the Wall Panel Editor:
l Double-click on the wall in the model.
A new window opens for the wall panel. The ‘Walls’ ribbon toolbar provides viewing options for
Region and reinforcement display (after solution). You can also draw in openings, assign boundary
conditions, and create regions. The properties of the wall panel can be modified in the Properties
panel.

Concrete Wall Display Controls

Display Controls

Icon Control Description

Show Nodes This options lets you turn the display of nodes on or off.

Show Regions This option lets you turn the display of regions on or off.

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Icon Control Description

Show Lintel This option lets you turn the display of lintels on or off.

Rendered This option let you toggle the rendering of the wall panel on or
off.

Show This option lets you turn the display of diaphragms on or off.
Diaphragm

Show Rebar This option lets you turn the display of reinforcement on or off,
after you have solved the model.

Concrete Wall View Controls

View Controls

Icon Control Description

Front Lets you orient the wall panel so that you are looking at the front
(positive X-axis to the right).

Back Lets you orient the wall panel so that you are looking at the back
(positive X-axis to the left).

Zoom Extents Lets you reposition the wall panel to fit in the Wall Panel view.

Concrete Wall Drawing Tools

The wall panel grid increment and snap points can be specified in the Drawing Tools section of the
Walls tab.
The Wall Grid icon (shown below) allows you to modify your snap options, drawing grid in the wall
panel editor.

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Concrete Wall Regions

Concrete walls depend on Regions for results presentation. The program automatically creates these
regions at solution time. If you have a wall panel with no diaphragms then a single region will be
created over the entire wall and you will get a single reinforcement design for the entire wall. If there
are diaphragms that pass through your wall panel and/or there are openings in the wall, then the wall
will be broken up into multiple regions above and below the diaphragms and around the openings,
giving a different reinforcement design for each region.
Within each region, the program will optimize the spacing of bars for strength, spacing and minimum
reinforcement considerations of the wall.
From within the Wall Panel Editor, you have the option of creating rectangular regions within the
concrete wall panel. Regions are used to define reinforcement in different parts of the wall. Each
region will be assigned a uniform reinforcement, which may be different than the reinforcement in
other parts of the same wall (unless you are using Group Story option from Wall Design Rules).
If no regions have been drawn on a wall then they will be automatically generated when a solution is
performed. To automatically generate regions prior to running a solution, click theAuto icon (shown
below).

To manually draw regions, select the Manualicon (shown below) and use your cursor to select two
nodes or grid intersections which make up the diagonal corners of the region. To exit this tool right-
click your mouse.

Code and Reinforcement Considerations

Reinforcement Design and Placement (ACI 318-14/19)

Reinforce Design
The program will design the reinforcement spacing for you. For this design reinforcement spacing,
rho, and strength requirements are considered for design. If specific reinforcement is defined in the
Wall Design Rules spreadsheet then it may be possible for the reinforcement design to not meet code
requirements.
Sections 25.2 and Chapter 11 have provisions regarding min/max spacing, required reinforcement
ratios, and proper proportioning of wall reinforcement. If your wall does not meet a code requirement
the program will give a red warning message in the detail report.
Section 25.2 (General Reinforcement Requirements)
The minimum spacing requirements from Section 25.2.1 are considered for design.

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Chapter 11 (Wall Reinforcement Detailing)

The maximum spacing requirements from section 11.7.2.1 and 11.7.3.1 are considered for design.

Note: The precast wall spacing requirements of Section 11.7.2.2 and 11.7.3.2 are not
considered.

The minimum spacing requirements of Section 11.6.1 are also considered for design. Additionally,
the thickness requirement from Section 11.7.2.3 as well as the proportioning and cover checks in that
section are also considered.
The program will consider the reinforcement requirements of Section 11.6.2 if the Vu exceeds
0.5*ϕ*Vc.

ACI 318-11 Reinforcement Design

The program will design the reinforcement spacing for you. For this design reinforcement spacing,
rho, and strength requirements are considered for design. If specific reinforcement is defined in the
Wall Design Rules spreadsheet then it may be possible for the reinforcement design to not meet code
requirements.
Sections 7.6, 14.3 and 11.9 all have provisions regarding min/max spacing, required reinforcement
ratios, and proper proportioning of wall reinforcement. If your wall does not meet a code requirement
the program will then give you a red warning message in the detail report.
Section 7.6 (General Reinforcement Requirements)
The minimum spacing requirements from 7.6.1 and the maximum spacing requirements from section
7.6.5 are considered for design.
Section 14.3 (Wall Reinforcement Requirements)
The minimum spacing requirements of Sections 14.3.2 and 14.3.3 and maximum spacing
requirements of 14.3.5 are also considered for design. Additionally, the thickness requirement from
Section 14.3.4 as well as the proportioning and cover checks of 14.3.4 are also considered.
Section 11.9.8 and 11.9.9 (Shear Reinforcement Requirements for Walls)
The program will consider the reinforcement requirements of Section 11.9.9 if the Vu exceeds
0.5*ϕ*Vc (per Section 11.9.8).

CSA A23.3-14 Reinforcement Design

The program will design the reinforcement spacing for you. For this design reinforcement spacing,
rho, and strength requirements are considered for design. If specific reinforcement is defined in the
Wall Design Rules spreadsheet then it may be possible for the reinforcement design to not meet code
requirements.
Clause 14.1.7.1 and 14.1.8 have provisions regarding wall geometry, min/max spacing, required
reinforcement ratios, and proper proportioning of wall reinforcement. If your wall does not meet a
code requirement the program will then give you a red warning message in the detail report.
Clause 14.1.7.1 (General Wall Geometry Requirements)

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The thickness of the walls shall be not less than the smaller of lw / 25 or hu / 25, but not less than 150
mm.
Clause 14.1.8 (Wall Reinforcement Requirements)
The program considers the provisions for reinforcement diameter (14.1.8.2), number of layers
(14.1.8.3), max spacing of reinforcement (14.1.8.4), and min reinforcement ratio (14.1.8.5 &
14.1.8.6).

Reinforcement Placement
The reinforcement is designed to meet spacing, rho, and strength requirements. This design may
cause the reinforcement spacing design to not fit in the wall region at the exact spacing designed for.
Therefore the program will add bars to the extreme ends of the wall region to take these remainders
into account.
The reinforcement layout algorithm works as follows (picture looking down on a cross section of wall):
First the required spacing is calculated and the wall region length is divided by this spacing.
a. If two bars cannot fit at this spacing, one bar (each face if specified) will be placed at each
end of the wall (meeting cover req'ts).
b. If only three bars fit at this spacing then one bar (each face if specified) will be placed at
each end of the wall (meeting cover req'ts) and one bar in the center of the wall.
c. If more than three bars are required, then reinforcement is filled in uniformly in the center of
the wall and an equal remainder is left between the end bar and the second bar. The image
below illustrates this (assume symmetry on both ends of the wall).

Note: This process is only required for very skinny walls. Almost all walls will fall into Step c
above.

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Axial Tension
The axial tensile capacity for a wall assumes all reinforcement is fully developed. The capacity (with
no bending interaction) equals:

where n = number of vertical bars in the wall.

Axial Compression
The axial compressive capacity (with no bending interaction) is taken from equation 10-2.
If CSA A23.3-14 code is selected, Clause 10.10.4 was used to calculate the axial compressive
capacity (with no bending interaction).

Note: Slenderness is taken into account per section 6.6.4.5. See the Second Order Effects
section below. CSA A23.3-14 uses the same procedure in considering slenderness effect.

Bending
Both in plane and out of plane capacity consider beam theory in design. For out of plane design (if no
axial force) the capacity is simply defined as:

Note: For out of plane reinforcement design, the reinforcement on both faces is taken into
account. Thus, the capacity equation above may have two parts to it in order to consider the
extreme tension bar and also the bar nearest the compression face that may also be in
tension

Minimum Required Moment

ACI 318-14 Section 6.6.4.5.4 (ACI 318-11 Section 10.10.6.5) requires a minimum required moment
to be taken into account for each axis in the wall. Thus, if the value from ACI 318-14 Eq 6.6.4.5.4 (ACI
318-11 Eq 10-17) is greater than the calculated moment demand this value will be used. This is
meant to account for a minimum eccentricity of the axial force in the wall. CSA A23.3-14 has similar
requirements on minimum required moment as defined in 10.15.3.1.
The design moment may be factored up due to P-Little Delta effects (see below).

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Shear

In-Plane
When ACI 318-19 is selected, Vc is calculated using Equation 11.5.4.3. For wall panels subjected to
net axial tension, αs is calculated using Equation 11.5.4.4.
When other ACI 318 editions are selected, Vc is taken into account using ACI 318-14 Detailed
Equations from Table 11.5.4.6 (ACI 318-11 Equations 11-27 and 11-28), where:
l d = 0.8*lwall
l Nu, Mu and Vu are taken at the location of maximum shear demand.
When CSA A23.3-14 are selected, Vc is taken into account using Equation 11.6. The factor β is
calculated using Equation 11.11 where:
l The longitudinal strain εx is calculated using Equation 11.13.
l The equivalent crack spacing parameter sze is calculated using Equation 11.10.
Vs is taken from ACI 318-14 Equation 11.5.4.8 (ACI 318-11 Equation 11-29). Although Vs is only
required if Vu >= 0.5*ϕ*Vc, any minimum reinforcement requirement will be used as Vs and added to
the shear capacity.

Note:
l The maximum Vn per ACI 318-14 Section 11.5.4.3 (ACI 318-11 Section 11.9.3) is
also checked.
l In ACI 318-14 Section 11.6.2 (ACI 318-11 Section 11.9.9), the lw term here is taken
as the FULL length of the wall, not the length of the region. ACI 318-14 Section
11.5.4.6 (ACI 318-11 Section 11.9.6) take the lw to be the length of the region.
l In ACI 318-14 Section 11.6.2 (ACI 318-11 Section 11.9.9) the hw term here is taken
as the height of the region.

When CSA A23.3-14 are selected, Vs is taken from Equation 11.7 where the angle of inclination θ is
calculated using Equation 11.12.

Out-Of-Plane
When ACI 318-19 is selected, Vc is calculated using Equation (c) in Table 22.5.5.1. Note that ACI
318-19 code suggests ρw may be taken as the sum of the areas of longitudinal bars located more
than two-thirds of the overall member depth away from the extreme compression fiber. Therefore,
RISA calculates ρw as the sum of the areas of vertical bars on the tension face.
When other ACI 318 editions are selected, the equations from ACI 318-14 Sections 22.5.6.1 and
22.5.7.1 (ACI 318-11 Section 11.2.15 and 11.2.3) is used for Vc.
When CSA A23.3-14 are selected, Vc is calculated in the same way as In-Plane shear section.

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If there are axial tension forces present it is possible for the Vc to go to zero. If axial tension is present
the program will use shear friction of the vertical reinforcement in the wall, which will appear as
phi*Vns in the output. phi*Vns is calculated as follows:

Thus, the program calculates the portion of the vertical reinforcement that is already engaged in
tension and uses the remaining strength to be used for shear friction. The program also sets a
maximum shear friction capacity equal to what the concrete wall with no axial force could take. A
coefficient of friction, μ, of 1.0 is conservatively assumed.
When CSA A23.3-14 are selected, shear friction is ignored in the shear strength calculation.

The larger of phi*Vnc and phi*Vns is used in the code check. If there is no axial tension in the wall then
phi*Vns = 0 and shear friction will not be considered. The intention is to only use shear friction when
needed for a case where the wall is loaded in tension and can produce a very small phi*Vnc value.

Lambda
Lambda is considered differently for the 2005 and newer codes. For ACI 318-05 the program will
always consider lambda = 0.75 if the Density of concrete is <= 115 pcf and lambda = 1.0 otherwise
(ACI 318-05 Section 11.2.1). For the ACI 318-08 and newer codes, the program will use the Lambda
value directly from the Materials spreadsheet.

Wall Capacity and Deflection Calculations

Deflections
The deflection listed in the detail report is based on the finite element analysis of plate elements. This
deflection agrees well with beam theory, thus can be calculated based on beam equations.

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Note: If you are checking a hand calculation of the in-plane deflections, be sure to include the
deflection due to shear and consider the cracked moment of inertia.

Interaction Diagrams

The program uses a concrete solver to create the interaction diagram and uses this diagram to
calculate the capacity of a wall/wall region based on the demand axial force and moment. The
program computes the code check based on making a straight line through the origin, the
moment/axial force demand location, and where that line crosses the interaction diagram curve. For
the out of plane report there is the possibility of different cover spacing at each face of the wall. Thus,
the capacities for each face of the wall are reported.

Moment and Axial Force Thresholds

The program will ignore axial forces and moments that are below a certain threshold. If the moment or
axial force is deemed to be inconsequential to the code check then the program will simply not
include the interaction of that force. There are two thresholds that are considered:
l Axial Force Threshold: If Pu < 0.01*f'c*Ag for that LC, then the axial force in the wall region
will be ignored for code checks for that LC.
l Moment Threshold: If Mu < 0.01*d*Pu for that LC, then the moment in the wall region will
be ignored for code checks for that LC.
These two thresholds allow the concrete solver to work much more efficiently while having little to no
effect on code check values.

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Second Order Effects

Per ACI 318-14 Section 6.7.1.1 (ACI 318-11 Section 10.10.4) an elastic second order analysis will
satisfy code requirements. In RISA this means running a P-Delta analysis to consider secondary
moments induced due to the displacement of member ends and a P-Little Delta analysis to account
for member curvature effects.
The ACI 318-14 requires that either Section 6.6.4, 6.7 or 6.8 are used for sway frames. The ACI 318-
08/11 specifications require that either Section 10.10.3, 10.10.4 or 10.10.5 are used. The ACI 318-05
specification requires that you follow provisions of Section 10.13.
Because a P-Delta analysis (big and little) is a more robust analysis the program requires this
analysis for all ACI specifications.

P-Delta
The secondary effects due to the displacements of member ends is taken into account with the
inclusion of a P-Delta analysis.
To perform a P-Delta Analysis place a "Y" in the P-Delta column of the Load Combinations
spreadsheet. For more information on this, see P-Delta.

Element Curvature Effects (P-Little Delta)

The design moment (max of demand moment and minimum required moment) must be factored up
per ACI 318-14 Section 6.6.4.5 (ACI 318-11 Section 10.10.6) if the wall is considered slender.
Slenderness requirements are given in ACI 318-14 Section 6.2.5 (ACI 318-11 Section 10.10.1). The
program conservatively only considers ACI 318-14 Equation 6.2.5.a (ACI 318-11 Equation 10-6).
Thus, if the KL/r (in either direction) exceeds 22, then the provisions of ACI 318-14 Section 6.6.4.5
(ACI 318-11 Section 10.10.6) are also considered. CSA A23.3-14 uses the same procedure in
considering the P-Little Delta effect.

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Note:
l The M2 moment will be calculated separately at each section of the wall vertically,
rather than using a single M2 moment for the entire height of the wall.
l If Pu > 0.75*Pc the program will fail the wall and not give a code check.
l The moment of inertia (I) in the Pc equation is taken conservatively as 0.25*Ig per
ACI 318-14 Section R6.6.4.4.4 (ACI 318-11 Section R10.10.6.2).
l Cm is calculated per ACI 318-14 eq. 6.6.4.5.3a (ACI 318-11 eq. 10-16). User may
override this and manually input Cm value in Walls spreadsheet - Advanced tab.
l Lu for the wall is either defined as the full height of wall or story (a story is broken up
by diaphragms that cross the wall.
l P-Little Delta is only considered for full story height regions. Non full-height regions
will give a note and not do P-Little Delta.
l If the controlling load combination experiences tension, the Mc results will be
suppressed and show N/A because tension would actually reduce the amplified
moment.
l For more information on this, see P-Little Delta.

Concrete Lintel Considerations

The addition of openings into a wall in the wall panel editor will automatically create a lintel above the
opening. It will be symbolized by a blue bar that has the name of the lintel inside of it. The program will
produce axial, shear and moment diagrams for the lintel that can be viewed from the Concrete Wall
Detail Report from the Lintel drop-down option. Here we will explain some of the different
considerations.

How Lintels are Defined

In RISA-3D the lintel is considered as the entire region directly above an opening (L1 below), even
though the blue bar does not cover this entire area.

At solution the program will then perform a summation of forces over this entire region and presents
the analysis results in the detail report. These results are presented as a "beam" analysis. The

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program will cut through the entire region vertically multiple times along the length of the region. At
each cut the program will calculate the axial, shear and moments. The results from each of these cuts
are then combined to form the force diagrams.

Note: Keep in mind that the program only reports results in the detail report if there is a
region above the opening AND the width of the region matches exactly the width of the
opening. Therefore, a region drawn off-center of the opening will not give lintel results.

Load Attribution
See the Wall Panels topic for more information.

Modeling Tips

Optimization and Enveloping

Optimization Procedure
The program will use the Wall Design Rules and start with the maximum spacing and check that
configuration for strength, spacing, and minimum reinforcing requirements. If the max spacing works,
then the design is done. If not then the program will reduce the spacing by the spacing increment and
then do the same checks. This will occur until a bar spacing is reached to satisfy the code
requirements.

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Enveloping

RISAFloor/RISA-3D Design Enveloping

If you are using RISAFloor and RISA-3D in tandem to do gravity and lateral design, then the program
envelopes the results of both. Thus, RISAFloor will never increase the spacing of bars larger than
what was required in RISA-3D and vice versa. Also, when moving between programs, the
reinforcement spacing that controls will be carried on into the other program.
For example, let's assume RISAFloor required vertical bars that are #6 @ 12" oc. We then use the
Director to take the model to RISA-3D. In RISA-3D, the required vertical bars are #6 @ 8" oc. Now, if
we take the model back to RISAFloor and solve again, the #6 @ 8" oc spacing is brought over to
RISAFloor and code checks are now based on this spacing.

Note: When going back and forth between RISAFloor and RISA-3D, you must solve the
model in each of the programs to capture this enveloping. If you do not re-solve, then you are
then seeing the results from the previous time you solved in that program without updating for
the enveloping.

Multi-Story Walls
For modeling of multi-story shear walls that have diaphragms intersecting, separate regions will be
drawn above and below the diaphragms (see Figure 1). The design of each of these regions can be
different. This, however, is only true of the spacing of reinforcement. The bar size must be equal for
the full-height of the wall, because the Design Rule is for the entire wall and all regions.
If you want to change bar size over the height of the wall, simply create separate wall panels and
stack them on top of one another. In this way you can define different Design Rules and thus different
reinforcement bar sizes up and down the wall (see Figure 2).

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For the stacked regions model where the intention is to drop off bars as you work your way up the
wall, lets give an example. Let's say that at the base of the wall you have bars at a 4" o.c. spacing. At
some point you want to drop off bars to create an 8" o.c. spacing.
All you need to do here is set your Design Rules such that the Min Vert Bar Spacing is set to 4", the
Max Vert Bar Spacing is set to 8" and the Spacing Increment is set to 4".

Local Axes and Wall Cover Dimensions

The program is able to consider different reinforcement cover dimensions for each face of the wall.
Because of this the orientation of the wall is important. In the program the Exterior Face of the wall
is oriented in the +z local axis direction. The Interior Face of the walls is oriented in the -z
local axis direction.

Note:
l In RISAFloor the wall local axis is irrelevant as we are only doing axial checks.
l If the cover on both faces is identical then the local axis orientation is irrelevant.

A wall drawn in a clock-wise fashion will have its local axis pointed in the positive direction. A wall
drawn in a counter-clockwise fashion will have its local axis point in the negative direction.
If the wall local axis is facing the wrong direction then use the Local Axis Flip from the Modify Walls
dialog to correct it.

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When bringing a model from RISAFloor to RISA-3D then you want to think about how you are
drawing in RISAFloor so that the local axes come in properly in RISA-3D. You will want to draw the
walls in in RISAFloor in a counter-clockwise manner to get the local z axes to point outward.
Wall Panels Drawn in RISAFloor in Counter-Clockwise Fashion

Image of Local Axes in RISA-3D

You can go to Model Display Options - Panels tab to view the local axes for the wall.

Limitations
l Horizontal reinforcement is designed for in plane shear forces, spacing, and minimum
reinforcement checks. They are not used for bending design at this time.
l Walls with bars each face in the wall will require the same size bar and spacing for both
faces.
l For sloped walls due to sloping floors, regions cannot be defined in the upper triangular
area of the wall panel. Thus, the stiffness of the wall in this area is accurate, but you will get
no design results for this portion of the wall.

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l Concrete walls are considered completely separately in both the in plane and out of plane
directions. Any interaction of the wall, reinforcement, etc., between in plane and out of
plane behavior is not considered.
l Reinforcement development is not considered. All reinforcement is assumed to be fully
developed.
l ACI 318-14 Chapter 18 (ACI 318-11 Chapter 21) and CSA A23.3-14 Clause 21 provisions
for seismic design are currently not considered in the program.

Concrete Wall - Design Rules

The concrete wall panel element allows you to easily model, analyze, and design concrete walls for in
plane and out of plane loads. Here we will explain how concrete design rules work. For general wall
panel information, see the Wall Panels topic. For information on concrete wall design considerations,
see the Concrete Wall - Design topic. For concrete wall results interpretation, see the Concrete Wall
Results topic.

Unity Check

Setting a maximum Bending Check (Axial & Bending) or a maximum Shear Check controls the rebar
which the program chooses for the wall design. A value of 0.9 denotes that the program may choose
a rebar layout that is at 90% of capacity.

Note: The same unity check parameters are valid for masonry walls as well. However, these
parameters are not considered in wood wall design. For wood walls these values are always
assumed to equal 1.0.

Concrete Wall (Rebar) Rules

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Vert and Horz Bar Size

These are the vertical and horizontal bar sizes used for reinforcement of the wall.

Note: The bar size and spacing is assumed to be the same for each face of the wall.
Currently reinforcement must be the same for both faces.

Max/Min Vert and Horz Bar Space

The program will design the reinforcement spacing based on these guidelines. If you want the
reinforcement to be at an exact spacing, simply enter that spacing as both the min and max in order to
force this spacing.

Horz and Vert Bar Increment

This is the spacing change increment that the program will use for design. If the maximum spacing
does not work, the spacing will drop by this increment and be checked again. The program will work
its way down until it reaches a spacing that meets all reinforcement requirements.

Group Wall
For walls that have multiple regions, this checkbox allows you to group the reinforcement for the
regions in a wall. Thus, the worst case vertical and horizontal reinforcement spacing will be used for
all regions in the wall.

Concrete Wall (Cover) Rules

Outer Bars
This defines whether the reinforcement mesh has the Horizontal or Vertical bars closest to the face of
concrete. This will affect the "d" calculation for the wall. If the location is Centered then this defines
which bar is nearest the outside face of concrete.

Horizontal Vertical

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Location
Location allows you to locate reinforcement at each face of wall or centered. If the reinforcement is
defined as centered then the program places the vertical bar directly at the center of the wall. The
horizontal bar is then placed to one side or the other based on the "Outer Bars" designation.

Note: The ACI code requires two curtains of reinforcement if the wall is 10" thick or greater,
thus the program will give a warning in the results if you configure your wall like this.

Int Cover (-z)

This is the clear cover distance from the interior face of wall to the outer reinforcement. The interior
face of the wall is defined by the negative z local axis direction of the wall.

Ext Cover (+z)

This is the clear cover distance from the exterior face of wall to the outer reinforcement. The exterior
face of the wall is defined by the positive z local axis direction of the wall.

Edge Cover
This is the "in plane" cover dimension for the outer edges of walls.

Transfer In and Transfer Out

These options allow you to transfer loads from regions above and below openings to adjacent full-
height regions. Transfer in is for in plane loads and transfer out is for out of plane loads. Here is an
image of a wall:

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If either of the Transfer options are turned on for this wall, then any loading in that plane (in plane or
out of plane) for regions above and below openings will have their load transferred into the adjacent
regions.

A couple of things to keep in mind with the Transfer options:

l This is a design-level tool. That is, there is no stiffness change for the model. The program
uses the stiffness of all regions for its stiffness. However, after solution, the forces that have
accumulated in the regions above/below openings are moved into the adjacent regions.
The adjacent region design will then include these forces.

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l Results output will not give any information for these "transferred" regions. Only the regions
adjacent to the openings will have results.

Concrete Wall Results

Concrete wall results are presented in the “Wall Panel Design” spreadsheet on the Concrete tabs, the
“Concrete Reinforcing” spreadsheet on the Concrete Wall tab and the Detail Reports. Results are
reported on a region by region basis.

Design Spreadsheet Results

The Wall Panel Design spreadsheet contains two tabs that involve concrete wall design: Concrete
In and Concrete Out. Each tab gives code checks based on the chosen concrete code and can be
used as a summary of all of the walls and wall regions in your model. To get detailed information
about each region, you can see the Wall Panel Detail Report.

Note:
l Concrete lintel results are not given in the output spreadsheets because the
program analyzes them without designing. You must go to the detail report to see
lintel analysis results.
l If a wall panel is set to Transfer forces, then regions above and below opening will
not have results. See the Concrete Wall - Design Rules topic for more information.

In Plane

The Concrete In tab provides in plane code checks and capacities relevant to the in plane behavior of
the wall.
ConcreteWall Spreadsheet - In Plane

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Column Description
Wall Panel The Wall Panel column displays the concrete wall panels defined in the
model.
Region The Region column lists the concrete wall panel region that the results
are based on.
Max UC The Max UC column shows the maximum code check due to axial force
plus in-plane bending.
LC The LC column adjacent to the Max UC column, shows the load
combination that produces each of the highest code check values.
Shear UC The Shear UC column shows the in-plane shear code check. A value
greater than 1.0 for any of these values would indicate failure.
LC The LC column adjacent to the Shear UC column, shows the load
combination that produces each of the highest code check values.
Pn*Phi The Pn*Phi reports the axial capacity of the wall.

Note: An NC means that the axial force in the wall is less than
the threshold value, so the axial force is not considered.

Mn*Phi The Mn*Phi column shows the calculated in plane moment capacity for the
region.
Vn*Phi The Vn*Phi column shows the calculated in plane shear capacity for the
region.

Out of Plane

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Note: An NC means that the bending moment in the wall is less than the threshold value, so
the axial force is not considered.

The Concrete Out tab provides out of plane code checks and capacities relevant to the out of plane
behavior of the wall. See the following table for description of the data in each column.
Concrete Wall Spreadsheet - Out of Plane

Column Description
Wall Panel The Wall Panel column displays the concrete wall panels defined in the
model.
Region The Region column lists the concrete wall panel region that the results
are based on.
Max UC The Max UC column shows the code check due to axial force plus out of
plane bending.
LC The LC column adjacent to the Max UC column, shows the load
combination that produces each of the highest code check values.
Shear UC The Shear UC column shows the out of plane shear code check. A value
greater 1.0 for any of these values would indicate failure.
LC The LC column adjacent to the Shear UC column, shows the load
combination that produces each of the highest code check values.
Pn*Phi The Pn*Phi reports the axial capacity of the wall.

Note: An NC means that the axial force in the wall is less than
the threshold value, so the axial force is not considered.

Mn*Phi The Mn*Phi reports the calculated out of plane moment capacity for the
region.

Note: An NC means that the bending moment in the wall is less

than the threshold value, so the axial force is not considered.

Vn*Phi The Vn*Phi reports the calculated out of plane shear capacity for the
region.

Reinforcing Spreadsheet Results

The Concrete Wall tab contains reinforcement results for each region in a concrete wall panel.

Note: If a wall panel is set to Transfer forces, then regions above and below opening will not
have results. See the Concrete Wall - Design Rules topic for more information.

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Concrete Wall

The Concrete Wall tab displays the thickness, horizontal and vertical reinforcement sizes, and
spacing for each region in the concrete wall.

Detail Reports
The detail reports show the overall geometry, analysis, and design for the individual regions/stories of
the wall panel. The report also shows envelope diagrams for the forces and moments in the region.
Three basic types of detail reports are provided: Wall Summary, Region and Opening.

Accessing the Detail Reports and the Specific Windows

Once you have a solved model, the detail reports become available using either of the following
methods:
l If you have the Wall Panel Design spreadsheet open, right-click on a wall panel row and
choose Detail Report from the menu that appears.
l
If you are in a graphic view of your model, click the button on the Selection toolbar and
then click on a wall panel.

Note: If a wall panel is set to Transfer forces, then regions above and below opening do not
have results. See the Concrete Wall - Design Rules topic for more information.

Once the detail report window is open, you will see a dialog area at the top.

The following table describes the options that control the display of the Detail Report.

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Detail Report Control Options

Option Name Description

Prior/Next The left and right arrows let you
scroll quickly between the different
wall panels in your model.
Wall Panel Part The first drop-down list lets you
choose between individual Region
and Opening (Lintel) results and a
summary of the entire Wall.

Regions/Headers The second drop-down list lets you

select between different Regions or
Openings within the individual wall
panel. “R” represents regions, while
“L” represents levels (headers).

or The is available only when ‘Opening’

or ‘Region’ is chosen in the Wall
Panel Part drop-down.
In/Out Plane If you have selected a Region, then
you have the option of whether to
view the in plane or out of plane
report.
The is available only when ‘Region’
is chosen in the Wall Panel Part
drop-down.
The following options can be found at the bottom of the Detail Report window.
Print Lets you print the Detail Report.

Add to Full Report Lets you add the current detail report
you are viewing to the printed report.
View the Printing topic for more
information.

Wall Report
This report provides an overview of the wall, a summary of the controlling code checks and deflection
information. This report also displays information about the wall, similar to the Region Input Echo and
also gives an image of the wall. The image shows region locations, wall length and story dimensions,
and the nodes that define the corners of the wall panel.

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The Region Results section gives the tabulated results of all regions in the wall for in plane design
axial/bending, shear and deflection for quick reference. You can view the individual region reports to
get a more detailed explanation of these values.
The Reinforcement Results section gives the reinforcement results for each region in the wall.

Region Report - In Plane

This window gives information for your wall on a region by region basis. The Region detail report is
split into five portions: input echo, diagrams and design, wall section properties, interaction diagrams
and cross section detailing.

Note: In RISAFloor, the detail reports are less detailed because RISAFloor does not
consider lateral forces.

Input Echo
Below is the input echo portion of the detail report.

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Criteria Description
Code Gives the code used to design the wall.
Design Rule Gives the design rule used to design reinforcement and cover for the
wall.
Loc of r/f States whether reinforcement is defined at each face of the wall or
centered.
Outer Bars States whether the outer bar in the wall is vertical or horizontal.
Bar Size States the bar size for both horizontal and vertical reinforcement.
Bar Spacing States the bar spacing for both horizontal and vertical reinforcement.
Group Wall? States whether the regions in the wall are grouped or not. See the
Concrete Wall - Design Rules topic for more information.

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Materials Description
Material Set States the Material used for the design of the wall.
Concrete f'c States the compressive strength of the concrete.
Concrete E States the modulus of elasticity of the concrete.
Concrete G States the shear modulus of the concrete.
Conc Density States the unit density of concrete used for self-weight calculations.
Lambda States the lightweight concrete factor for shear design.
Conc Str Blk States whether a rectangular (Whitney's) or parabolic stress block was
used.
Bar Fy States the reinforcement strength for both vertical and horizontal bars
Steel E States the modulus of elasticity for reinforcement.

Geometry Description
Wall Dimensions States the height, length, and thickness of the wall panel region.
Cover Dimensions States the interior, exterior, and edge reinf. cover dimensions.
K States the effective length factor which is used in determining
slenderness of the wall.
Use Cracked? States whether a wall is considered to be cracked or not. Defines
whether or not to use cracking in the determination of the moment of
inertia.
Icr Factor States the factor that Igross is multiplied by to get the cracked moment
of inertia. This defaults to 0.7 for in plane and 0.35 for out of plane.

Diagrams and Design

In Plane

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Out of Plane

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Envelope Diagrams
These diagrams show the axial forces, in-plane shear, and in-plane moments of the wall region, as
well as the maximum and minimum forces and their locations. The results give an envelope solution
of all load combinations .
Because the enveloped results displayed are always the maximum values and because axial and
bending forces are checked per their combined effects, the forces in the envelope diagrams won't
necessarily be the forces that the wall region is designed to. For example, if there is a high bending
moment at the top of a wall region and a high axial force at the base of the wall region, the program
will do a check at each location up the wall region, considering the shear and moment at that location
for THAT load combination. Thus, the maximum axial force given at the location of maximum bending
may NOT be the axial force for the LC that produced the maximum bending.

Code Check Summary

This portion of the report gives the capacity and strength values at the section in the wall region
where the combined check is maximum, as well as the governing load combination. Much of this
information is also reported in the Concrete Wall Panel Design spreadsheets.

Axial/Bending Details
The axial and bending capacity are based upon an interaction diagram for the wall region. See below
for interaction diagram information. The program computes the code check based on making a

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straight line through the origin, the moment/axial force demand location and where that line crosses
the interaction diagram curve.
For the out of plane report there is the possibility of different cover spacing at each face of the wall
region. Therefore the program reports capacities for each face of the wall region. The capacity at the
exterior face means that reinforcement at the exterior face of the wall is in tension and vice-versa for
the interior face.

Note: The program considers walls to act completely separately in the out of plane direction
from the in plane direction. Any out of plane/in plane interaction will need to be taken into
account by hand.

Shear Details
The shear details section gives the shear demand required in the wall region. The in plane shear
strength of the concrete and steel are listed separately, along with the code-prescribed maximum
allowed shear. For out of plane shear design, the simplified equation will be used. For more
information on shear capacity of concrete walls, see the Concrete Wall - Design topic.

Deflections
The deflection listed in the detail report is based on the finite element analysis of plate elements. This
deflection agrees well with beam theory, thus can be calculated based on beam equations.

Note:
l If the deflection ratio is larger than L/10000, then L/10000 will be reported.
l If you are checking a hand calculation for in plane deflections, be sure to include the
deflection due to shear and consider the cracked moment of inertia.

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Wall Section Properties

This section reports the properties used to calculate the wall capacities. The reinforcement details
(minimums and provided area) are reported.

Slender Wall Considerations (P-Little Delta)

ACI 318-14 Section 6.6.4.5 (ACI 318-11 Section 10.10.6) considers moment magnification of non-
sway frames. This is essentially the P-little delta effect in the form of an amplified moment due to the
effects of element curvature, Mc. This moment replaces the actual demand moment in design
checks. For more information on this see the Concrete Wall - Design topic.

Note:
l Mact is the actual demand moment in the wall from analysis. The program
compares this to the M2min moment, calculated per ACI 318-14 section 6.6.4.5.4
(ACI 318-11 section 10.10.6.5), and uses the maximum as the M2 moment.
l Since the moment can be different positive or negative for out of plane bending, the
program will provide an Interior and Exterior calculation in this case.
l If the controlling load combination experiences tension, the Mc results will be
suppressed and show N/A because tension would actually reduce the amplified
moment.

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Interaction Diagrams

The program uses a concrete solver to create the interaction diagram and uses this diagram to
calculate the capacity of each wall region based on the demand axial force and moment. The
program then computes the code check based on making a straight line through the origin, the
moment/axial force demand location and where that line crosses the interaction diagram curve.

Cross Section Detailing

In Plane

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Out of Plane

The last section of the detail report consists of a graphic cross-sectional view of the wall. This view
gives cover dimensions, reinforcement size and spacing, and the wall thickness for placement
verification.

Concrete Lintel Report

Lintels - Criteria / Materials / Geometry

The right section of the detail report echoes back the basic input parameters (Criteria, Materials,
Geometry) entered by the user. An example is shown below:

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Since the lintel is not being designed, much of this information is not used but is displayed for
reference.

Information Description
Valid Region This is the region that the forces are being considered over. The
program will sum forces of the region directly above the opening and the
forces given in the detail report come from this portion of the wall.
Total Height This is the height of the region above the opening that forces are being
reported for.
Total Length This is the width of the opening that the lintel is spanning.
Thickness This is the thickness of the wall.
Other Information All of the other information is general information for the overall wall.

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Lintel Detail Reports - Diagrams

The left section of the detail report provides the enveloped axial, shear and moment diagrams over
the length of the lintel. These can be viewed for both in and out of plane forces and are the "beam"
forces for the lintel.

Concrete Wall - Seismic Design

Concrete walls can now be designed for seismic design provisions. Here the process is described.

Note: ACI 318-19 (22), ACI 318-19 and ACI 318-14 are the supported codes for this feature
and all code references given in this topic are specific to these codes. ACI 318-19 (22) re-
approves previous ACI 318-19 without any technical changes, therefore all references in the
help documentation and in the program continue to use ACI 318-19.

Seismic Design Rules

ConcreteWall Seismic Design Rule

Column Description
Label The label is the name for the Wall Seismic Design Rule that is called out
for a wall panel.
Wall Type These are the three wall types supported in RISA-3D.
Diagonal Bar Size This specifies the diagonal bar size used for shear reinforcement.
The following are the three possible states for the Label and Wall Type columns.
l Ordinary: This option adds no extra checks to the wall on top of the regular code checks for
a non-seismic consideration per section 18.2.1.6(b). The provisions required to be met are
elements not considered in the RISA-3D analysis/design.
l Intermediate Precast: This option has provisions specific to wall piers per section 18.5.
This Wall Type assumes Seismic Design category D, E or F.
l Special: This option has provisions specific to section 18.10.

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Shear Force Amplification in ACI 318-19

ACI 318-19 Section 18.10.3.1 requires the special concrete wall to consider the design shear force
amplification per Equation (18.10.3.1). RISA calculates the amplification factors Ωv and ωv
automatically based on the code provisions. The governing Ωv and ωv values are provided in the wall
panel/region Detail Report. These amplification factors are used to calculate the seismic design force
Ve. Note that the combined amplification factors shall not exceed 3.0 per Equation (18.10.3.1).

Ωv is calculated per Table 18.10.3.1.2. RISA assumes the lowermost wall panel/region base to be the
critical section. In the table, the hwcs refers to the height of the entire structural wall, and lw is the
width of a wall panel/region. Mpr is the moment capacity calculated assume steel yield stress is
1.25*fy. The governing combination of Mpr/Mu will be used to calculate Ωv factor. For the wall
panel/region at critical section, Mpr and Mu values are reported in the Region result of the Detail
Report.

ωv is calculated per Equation (18.10.3.1.3), the number of story above the critical section ns is user-
input parameter in Global Model Setting-Seismic Tab:

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Pier Design
Pier design is governed by section 18.10.8. Section 18.14 is not considered. This design
consideration is applicable to ‘Intermediate Precast’ and ‘Special’ shear wall types. To determine
whether to perform pier checks we use the pier dimensions from Table R18.10.1. Piers must have
vertical edges that meet at a wall edge or opening.
The wall below has four piers.

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The program is checking the reinforcement in the piers based on Section 18.10.8.1, which references
section 18.7.4, 18.7.5 and 18.7.6. If any of these cases gives a failure we will give red text in the detail
report regarding this. Specifically, the program checks:
l Rho-min/rho-max per Section 18.7.4.1
l Defining closed hoops per Section 18.7.5.2.a
l Max spacing of vertical bars per Section 18.7.5.2.e
l Cross ties required per Section 18.7.5.2.f
l Max spacing of horizontal bars per Section 18.7.5.3
l Rho-min horizontal per Section 18.7.5.4.
l Wall pier shear checks per Section 18.7.6.1.1.
l Ve = 2*Mpr/Hp. Mpr is calculated using fye = 1.25*fy.
l If Vu < Ve, use Ve. Otherwise, use Vu.
l If (Ve / Vu) > 0.5 and Pu < Ag*f’c/20 then Vc should be taken as zero per Section 18.7.6.2.1.

Coupling Beams
Coupling beam design is governed by section 18.10.7 and is applicable to the ‘Special’ shear wall
type.
Specifically the program checks:

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l The program uses a threshold of L/H of 4. If L/H > 4 there will be no design and you must
manually design the coupling beam per Section 18.6. If L/H < 4 then the program will design
the coupling beam using diagonal reinforcement.
l Vn per equation 18.10.7.4.
l Reinforcement checks per Section 18.10.7.4(d). Section 18.10.7.4(c) is not used because
(d) is simpler.
l Reinforcement must be "Each Face".
l Outer bars must be "Horizontal".
l Rho-min as the max of (i) & (ii) per Section 18.10.7.4(d).

Boundary Elements/Zones
Boundary zone checks are based only on section 18.10.6.3. The program performs a check of the
maximum extreme fiber compression stress for the worst-case earthquake load combination. If this
value exceeds 0.2*f'c then a boundary zone is required. The program will currently tell you if a
boundary zone is required or not. It will not design for the provisions of the boundary zone.

Reinforcement Limits for Regions

These checks are for regions that are outside of pier locations.
Specifically the program checks:
l Rho-min Vertical and Horizontal per Section 18.10.2.1.
l Vertical and Horizontal max spacing per Section 18.10.2.1.
l Bar location based on H/L per Section 18.10.2.2.
l Vn-max per Section 18.10.4.1 and 18.10.4.4.
l Rho-min Vertical > Rho-min Horizontal based on H/L per Section 18.10.4.3.
l Rho-max Vertical per Section 18.10.6.5a.

Design Spreadsheet Results

Wall Panel Seismic Detailing

Results for Seismic Detailing checks are provided in the Wall Panel Design spreadsheet - Concrete
Seismic tab. Results are provided per region, and the Seismic Detailing column provides a summary
of the Seismic Detailing checks. For a more detailed output, check the “Seismic Detailing” portion of
the Wall Panel Detail Report.

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Concrete Wall Panel Seismic Code Checks

Column Description
Wall Panel The Wall Panel column displays the concrete seismic wall panels
defined in the model.
Coupling Beam/Wall The Coupling Beam/Wall Pier column displays whether the output is for a
Pier coupling beam or a wall pier.
Region/Pier The Region/Pier column displays the specific region and the associated pier
or lintel.
UC Shear In Plane There is one main shear code check for either piers (per Section
18.7.6.1.1) or coupling beams (per equation 18.10.7.4). If the load
combination that controlled the design used the overstrength seismic
forces (meaning it had an Ω factor in the load combination) then the
governing load combination will be followed by an asterisk (*).
LC The LC column displays the governing load combination.
BZ Req’d? The BZ Req’d? column displays whether or not there are boundary
elements/zones required.
l If No is displayed, it means there are no boundary
elements/zones required.
l If Yes is displayed, it meands boundary elements/zones are
required.

Reinforcing Spreadsheet Results

Wall Panel reinforcement is provided in the Concrete Reinforcing Spreadsheet - Concrete Wall tab.
Results are provided per region. For a more detailed output, check the “Wall Reinforcement” portion
of the Wall Panel Detail Report.

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Detail Report Results

Wall Summary Report

In this report the program gives a color-coded view of the piers and coupling beams in the wall. In the
tables the code checks and reinforcement is reported as well.

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Shear Details - Seismic Tab in ACI 318 - 19

When ACI 318-19 code is selected and special concrete shear walls are used in seismic analysis, a
new Shear Details - Seismic tab is added next to the regular Shear Details tab. In this tab, the
governing Ωv value as well as Mpr, Mu values are presented. The amplified shear demand will be
used to calculate the new UC values.

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Please note that for each wall panel group (a group of seismic concrete shear walls stacked on each
other to resist seismic load), the governing Ωv value is used for all panels in this group. There may be
multiple wall panels/regions at the critical location which produces different Ωv values, the program
only reports the governing Ωv, Mpr, and Mu values in the detailed reports of each wall panel/region.

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Wall Summary Report

In this report the program gives a color-coded view of the piers and coupling beams in the wall. In the
tables the code checks and reinforcement is reported as well.

Pier Report
In the pier report the program performs a shear code check and gives results for the reinforcement
limits required.

Coupling Beam Report

In the coupling beam report the program defines the shear check based on the diagonal bars and
gives overall wall reinforcement checks.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Masonry Wall - Modeling

Masonry Wall - Modeling

The masonry wall panel element allows you to easily model, analyze and design masonry walls for in
plane and out of plane loads. Here we explain the masonry specific inputs and procedures for
modeling. For general wall panel information, see the Wall Panels topic. For information on masonry
design rules, see the Masonry Wall - Design Rules (this is where you can define block thickness and
self-weight). For masonry calculation considerations and code references, see the Masonry Wall -
Design topic. For masonry wall results interpretation, see the Masonry Wall Results topic.

Note: All code references in this topic refer to the TMS 402-16 specification unless noted
otherwise.

Masonry Wall Input

The Wall Panel Editor gives some specific information and options for modeling/analysis of masonry
walls.

Masonry View Controls

Masonry Wall Panels have the following view controls:
View Controls

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Icon Control Description

Regions The Regions icon lets you turn the display of regions on or off.

Lintel The Lintel icon lets you turn the display of lintels on or off.

Out-Plane The Out-Plane icon lets you turn the display of out of plane
reinforcement on or off.

In-Plane The In-Plane icon lets you turn the display of in-plane
reinforcement on or off, after you have solved the model.

Openings / Lintels

In the Wall Panel Editor, you have the option of adding rectangular openings to masonry wall
panels. To draw an opening, select the Openings icon and then select two nodes or grid
intersections which make up the two diagonal corners of your opening. When an opening is drawn a
lintel is automatically created above the opening. To view or edit the properties of a masonry lintel,
double-click inside the boundary of the drawn opening. This brings up the Editing Properties window
for that particular lintel.

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This window shows the design options set in the Wall Design Rules - Lintel spreadsheet to
design/analyze your lintel. If you have multiple lintels in a wall and want a specific design that differs
from the other lintels, you can double click the lintel then select "Convert to Custom...". When using
the custom option, the program uses all of the information set in the Lintel Editor and disregards any
information given by the design rule.
The following table includes the different input options available for designing/analyzing lintels.
Lintels Input Options

Control Description
Depth Depth is the depth of the lintel.
Bearing Distance Bearing Distance is the bearing length at either end of the lintel. This is
used to calculate the effective length of the lintel.
Bar Size Bar Size option is the reinforcement size you wish to use for the main
reinforcing in the lintel.
Bars Per Layer Bar Per Layer is the number of bars you wish to have in a given layer of
reinforcement. There is also an option to have this value optimized

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Control Description
based on geometry of the section, and also the number of layers that
you have defined.
Number of Rebar Number of Rebar Layers lets you have multiple layers of reinforcement
Layers in the lintel.
c/c Spacing of c/c Spacing of Layers is the distance between layers (if there is more
Layers than one).
CL Rebar to Lintel CL Rebar to Lintel Bot is a value used to calculate the “d” value for the
Bot lintel.
Stirrup Size Stirrup Size is the size of stirrup to be added to the lintel if required.

Note: When inputting bar sizes for your lintels, the program will not allow you to place
reinforcement that will not actually fit into the lintel because of width constraints. We use the
actual dimensions of the block, the face-shell thickness for the given block chosen and use a
1/2" clear cover between reinforcement and the block per section 6.1.3.5.

Regions
Within the Wall Panel Editor, you have the option of creating rectangular regions within the masonry
wall panel. Regions are used to define reinforcement in different parts of the wall. Each region will be
assigned a uniform reinforcement, which may be different than the reinforcement in other parts of the
same wall.
If no regions have been drawn on a wall, then they are automatically generated when a solution is
performed.
To automatically generate regions prior to running a solution, click the Automatic Wall Regions
icon.

To manually draw regions, select the Manual Wall Regions button and use your cursor to select two
nodes or grid intersections which make up the diagonal corners of the region. To exit this tool right-

click your mouse.

To view or edit the properties of a masonry region, double-click inside the boundary of the drawn
region. This brings up the Review or Change Wall Design Rule window for that particular region.

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You can choose to edit/view the existing wall design rule, or create a new wall design rule. The
information is populated from the Wall Design Rules spreadsheet for masonry. For more information
see the Masonry Wall - Design Rules spreadsheet on setting this up.

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For masonry wall panel regions, you can also customize regions which makes it different than the
Wall Design Rule. To use a custom design region, select Convert to Custom Design Region.
When using the custom option, the program uses all of the information set in the Region Editor and
disregards any information given by the design rule for that region.

Note: For models created with version 9.1.1 or earlier ALL regions will come in set to
Custom, bringing over the information exactly as it comes from the existing model. For all
newly created models in version 10 or later the regions will default to the wall design rule.

Within this dialog you can specify the properties which will be used for the design of the region. The
program can optimize the bar spacing and the boundary zone width based on code checks. The
block size, reinforcing strength and the method of self-weight calculation are defined in the Design
Rules under the Masonry Wall tab.

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Note: The program designs regions separately for out-of-plane and in-plane forces, thus the
Region Editor is divided into different parts.

Here we will walk through the different input options available for designing/analyzing regions:
Transfer - This option lets you choose whether or not you want this region to transfer Out of Plane
and In Plane Loads. If you check these transfer options, the program dumps those loads above and
below an opening into the adjacent regions for design.

Note:
l These transfer options are only available when you have defined a region above or
below an opening.
l If you do not choose to check these transfer options you will see design results for
regions above and below openings.

Axial - Lets you to define properties of a region based on axial forces.

l Block Grouting - Lets you to define how you want your wall grouted. If you choose
"Partially Grouted" the program will optimize the grout spacing with the Bar/Grout Spacing
l Reinforced - Gives the option of designing the wall as reinforced or unreinforced.
l Bar/Grout Spacing - This Lets you to define the bar/grout spacing. If you have the
"Optimize" box checked, the program will optimize the reinforcement spacing based on
code checks.
l Vert Bar Size - This is the main vertical bar size that will be used in design.
l Location - This defines how you want to lay out the reinforcement in your region. Each
Face puts reinforcement on both faces of a given cell. Staggered alternates the bars to
either face of wall region.

Note: When using the staggered option, you are selecting to space the bars at
each face at double the bar/grout spacing defined above. For example, if you have
a staggered spacing at 24" oc you have a bar on the outside face at 48" oc and a
bar on the inside face at 48" oc. These bars are staggered, thus you have grout
filled cores at 24" oc.

In-Plane Reinforcement - Lets you to define properties of a region based on in-plane forces.
l Vertical Bar Size - Lets you to define vertical bar size for the boundary zones.
l Bars Per Cell - Lets you to define one or two bars per cell.
l Boundary Zone Width - You must define a boundary zone width, but RISA optimizes the
width if the "Optimize" box is checked.

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Note: If you have the optimize checkbox selected, the program optimizes the
boundary zone width based on code checks.

l Horizontal Bar Size - Lets you define horizontal bar size to be used if horizontal reinforcing
is required.
l 1.5x Shear Increase - This option may be required in high seismic zones. The option is
available per section 7.3.2.6.1.2.

Merge Lintels
When an opening is drawn in a masonry wall panel, you will notice that a lintel beam region is
automatically created above the opening. If you have multiple openings, you may want to merge the
individual lintels into one. To do this, click the Merge Lintels icon.

If you have two lintels you want to merge, then click within each of the openings to merge them into
one. If you have multiple lintels that you want to merge, click inside of the two openings that define the
ends of the merged lintel that you want. You will see that this merges your multiple openings into one.
To exit out of this tool right-click your mouse.
When merging lintels, the top edges of the lintels have to be identical. If, once you have merged
lintels, you delete one of the openings the entire lintel will be deleted. At that point, you have to delete
any openings left in the wall that don't have a lintel over them.

Optimization / Limitations
Optimization
The program optimizes masonry walls and lintels based on the required demand forces. The program
can optimize:
l Vertical bar/grout spacing for out of plane design.
l Boundary zone widths for in plane flexural design.
l Horizontal bar spacing for in plane shear design.
l Reinforcement bars for lintel flexural design.
Of these optimizations, the only one that substantially modifies the stiffness of the wall is the vertical
bar/grout spacing. To properly adjust the stiffness requires an iterative solution that updates the
stiffness of the model. This includes updating the strength properties of the wall as well as the
stiffness. This optimization/iteration can be done automatically (by checking the box) or can be done
manually (by unchecking the box) in the Model Settings - Solution tab.

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To update the stiffness portion of the wall, the program must re-solve your model with these updated
stiffnesses as this will change the distribution of forces through the model. By checking the boxyou
are telling the program to re-solve automatically. Thus, the program will start with it's initial stiffness
parameters and solve the model. It will then optimize the wall to meet strength criteria. Another
solution will then be run with the new stiffnesses and the program will again optimize the wall to meet
strength criteria. This procedure will continue to occur until you reach the number of Iterations set or
until all wall panel results match those of the previous solution.
By unchecking the box the program will only run the solution once and the results will be based on the
original configuration. You can then manually optimize your walls using the Suggested Design
spreadsheet.
After the solution is run (with or without optimization) the design results are based on the stiffness
used in the last iteration (by unchecking the box a single iteration is run). The program will then
compare the design of the last iteration with the stiffness used in that last iteration. If the two are the
same, the results shown are the final results. If the two are not the same, the program will then
provide these two different results in the Suggested Design spreadsheet.
The program will always present results in the output that coincide with the stiffness used in the final
solution.

Note: The updating of the stiffness for the model is only required for the vertical bar/grout.
Thus, boundary zone widths, horizontal shear reinforcement and lintel reinforcement are
optimized automatically.

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Suggested Design

In the Suggested Design spreadsheet you will get a list of wall panels in your model that are not yet
fully optimized, showing the vertical bar and/or grout spacing of the last iteration (Current Spacing)
and the program optimized spacing (Suggested Spacing). From here you have the ability to Use
Suggested? which means that you want to re-run the solution with the Suggested Spacing. You can
choose this for each wall panel individually. Once you have these checkboxes checked appropriately,
click the icon.

After this, the stiffness matrix is re-formulated and may cause some redistribution of loads through
the model. Because of this, the Suggested Spacing may also update and you may need to Use
Suggested? multiple times to converge on a solution.

Note:
l If the wall does not show up in the Suggested Design spreadsheet, then the current
wall panel settings used are the optimal ones.
l For more information on wood wall optimization see the Wood Wall - Design topic.
l For more information on member optimization see the Design Optimization topic.
l Concrete walls do not show up here because the reinforcement optimization does
not affect the stiffness of the wall.

Lintels
For masonry lintels you must input the dimensions, bar size and number of layers of bars for the lintel,
but are given the option of optimizing how many bars are in a given layer. If you provide a max/min
number of bars in the Wall Design Rules - Masonry Lintel tab then the program will optimize the
number of bars in a layer. Because this is just a change in reinforcement, this is an automatic
optimization that does not require an iterative solution.

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Lintel Reinforcement Placement Check

The program will do a check to see that the reinforcement in the lintel will fit properly. The available
width for reinforcing in the lintel is based on the width of block, thickness of grout between the block
and the reinforcement, and it assumes there will be a double-leg stirrup.

where
tgrout = 0.5 in (per Section 6.1.3.5 of ACI 530-13; the program assumes coarse grout)

dbstirrup = diameter of stirrup (from the Wall Design Rules - Masonry Lintel tab)
Note that we use a minimum bar spacing equal to the minimum of either db or 1".

Regions
For masonry regions, there are two options for optimizing. For out of plane design, the program will
optimize the spacing of bars for strength (not deflection) considerations of the wall For in-plane
design, the boundary zone width will be optimized for strength as well. The spacing of
reinforcement/grouting affects the overall stiffness of the wall thus you must iterate your solution to
update this spacing. The boundary zone design affects the overall stiffness very little, thus this is an
automatic optimization that does not require an iterative solution. If you provide a min/max boundary
zone width in the Wall Design Rules - Masonry In tab, then the program will optimize the boundary
zone width.

Limitations
l Openings and regions must be input only in RISAFloor if you are using RISA-3D and
RISAFloor in tandem.
l For sloped walls due to sloping floors, openings and regions can not be defined in the upper
triangular area of the wall panel. These openings are not supported at this time. This will be
addressed in a future version.
l For areas of masonry wall panels that are not defined as a region, the stiffness of the wall is
assumed to be that of an ungrouted masonry wall and the weight of the wall is assumed to
be that of a fully grouted wall.
l Masonry has specific requirements regarding the spreading out of concentrated loads at
certain angles and for certain depths (Section 5.1.3). These provisions are not considered
in RISA, as the finite element mesh stiffness is what determines load path. See the Wall
Panels - Load Attribution topic for more information.

Masonry Wall - Modeling

The masonry wall panel element allows you to easily model, analyze and design masonry walls for in
plane and out of plane loads. Here we explain the masonry specific inputs and procedures for
modeling. For general wall panel information, see the Wall Panels topic. For information on masonry

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design rules, see the Masonry Wall - Design Rules (this is where you can define block thickness and
self-weight). For masonry calculation considerations and code references, see the Masonry Wall -
Design topic. For masonry wall results interpretation, see the Masonry Wall Results topic.

Note: All code references in this topic refer to the TMS 402-16 specification unless noted
otherwise.

Masonry Wall Input

The Wall Panel Editor gives some specific information and options for modeling/analysis of masonry
walls.

Masonry View Controls

Masonry Wall Panels have the following view controls:
View Controls

Icon Control Description

Regions The Regions icon lets you turn the display of regions on or off.

Lintel The Lintel icon lets you turn the display of lintels on or off.

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Icon Control Description

Out-Plane The Out-Plane icon lets you turn the display of out of plane
reinforcement on or off.

In-Plane The In-Plane icon lets you turn the display of in-plane
reinforcement on or off, after you have solved the model.

Openings / Lintels

In the Wall Panel Editor, you have the option of adding rectangular openings to masonry wall
panels. To draw an opening, select the Openings icon and then select two nodes or grid
intersections which make up the two diagonal corners of your opening. When an opening is drawn a
lintel is automatically created above the opening. To view or edit the properties of a masonry lintel,
double-click inside the boundary of the drawn opening. This brings up the Editing Properties window
for that particular lintel.

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This window shows the design options set in the Wall Design Rules - Lintel spreadsheet to
design/analyze your lintel. If you have multiple lintels in a wall and want a specific design that differs
from the other lintels, you can double click the lintel then select "Convert to Custom...". When using
the custom option, the program uses all of the information set in the Lintel Editor and disregards any
information given by the design rule.
The following table includes the different input options available for designing/analyzing lintels.
Lintels Input Options

Control Description
Depth Depth is the depth of the lintel.
Bearing Distance Bearing Distance is the bearing length at either end of the lintel. This is
used to calculate the effective length of the lintel.
Bar Size Bar Size option is the reinforcement size you wish to use for the main
reinforcing in the lintel.
Bars Per Layer Bar Per Layer is the number of bars you wish to have in a given layer of
reinforcement. There is also an option to have this value optimized

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Control Description
based on geometry of the section, and also the number of layers that
you have defined.
Number of Rebar Number of Rebar Layers lets you have multiple layers of reinforcement
Layers in the lintel.
c/c Spacing of c/c Spacing of Layers is the distance between layers (if there is more
Layers than one).
CL Rebar to Lintel CL Rebar to Lintel Bot is a value used to calculate the “d” value for the
Bot lintel.
Stirrup Size Stirrup Size is the size of stirrup to be added to the lintel if required.

Note: When inputting bar sizes for your lintels, the program will not allow you to place
reinforcement that will not actually fit into the lintel because of width constraints. We use the
actual dimensions of the block, the face-shell thickness for the given block chosen and use a
1/2" clear cover between reinforcement and the block per section 6.1.3.5.

Regions
Within the Wall Panel Editor, you have the option of creating rectangular regions within the masonry
wall panel. Regions are used to define reinforcement in different parts of the wall. Each region will be
assigned a uniform reinforcement, which may be different than the reinforcement in other parts of the
same wall.
If no regions have been drawn on a wall, then they are automatically generated when a solution is
performed.
To automatically generate regions prior to running a solution, click the Automatic Wall Regions
icon.

To manually draw regions, select the Manual Wall Regions button and use your cursor to select two
nodes or grid intersections which make up the diagonal corners of the region. To exit this tool right-

click your mouse.

To view or edit the properties of a masonry region, double-click inside the boundary of the drawn
region. This brings up the Review or Change Wall Design Rule window for that particular region.

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You can choose to edit/view the existing wall design rule, or create a new wall design rule. The
information is populated from the Wall Design Rules spreadsheet for masonry. For more information
see the Masonry Wall - Design Rules spreadsheet on setting this up.

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For masonry wall panel regions, you can also customize regions which makes it different than the
Wall Design Rule. To use a custom design region, select Convert to Custom Design Region.
When using the custom option, the program uses all of the information set in the Region Editor and
disregards any information given by the design rule for that region.

Note: For models created with version 9.1.1 or earlier ALL regions will come in set to
Custom, bringing over the information exactly as it comes from the existing model. For all
newly created models in version 10 or later the regions will default to the wall design rule.

Within this dialog you can specify the properties which will be used for the design of the region. The
program can optimize the bar spacing and the boundary zone width based on code checks. The
block size, reinforcing strength and the method of self-weight calculation are defined in the Design
Rules under the Masonry Wall tab.

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Note: The program designs regions separately for out-of-plane and in-plane forces, thus the
Region Editor is divided into different parts.

Here we will walk through the different input options available for designing/analyzing regions:
Transfer - This option lets you choose whether or not you want this region to transfer Out of Plane
and In Plane Loads. If you check these transfer options, the program dumps those loads above and
below an opening into the adjacent regions for design.

Note:
l These transfer options are only available when you have defined a region above or
below an opening.
l If you do not choose to check these transfer options you will see design results for
regions above and below openings.

Axial - Lets you to define properties of a region based on axial forces.

l Block Grouting - Lets you to define how you want your wall grouted. If you choose
"Partially Grouted" the program will optimize the grout spacing with the Bar/Grout Spacing
l Reinforced - Gives the option of designing the wall as reinforced or unreinforced.
l Bar/Grout Spacing - This Lets you to define the bar/grout spacing. If you have the
"Optimize" box checked, the program will optimize the reinforcement spacing based on
code checks.
l Vert Bar Size - This is the main vertical bar size that will be used in design.
l Location - This defines how you want to lay out the reinforcement in your region. Each
Face puts reinforcement on both faces of a given cell. Staggered alternates the bars to
either face of wall region.

Note: When using the staggered option, you are selecting to space the bars at
each face at double the bar/grout spacing defined above. For example, if you have
a staggered spacing at 24" oc you have a bar on the outside face at 48" oc and a
bar on the inside face at 48" oc. These bars are staggered, thus you have grout
filled cores at 24" oc.

In-Plane Reinforcement - Lets you to define properties of a region based on in-plane forces.
l Vertical Bar Size - Lets you to define vertical bar size for the boundary zones.
l Bars Per Cell - Lets you to define one or two bars per cell.
l Boundary Zone Width - You must define a boundary zone width, but RISA optimizes the
width if the "Optimize" box is checked.

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Note: If you have the optimize checkbox selected, the program optimizes the
boundary zone width based on code checks.

l Horizontal Bar Size - Lets you define horizontal bar size to be used if horizontal reinforcing
is required.
l 1.5x Shear Increase - This option may be required in high seismic zones. The option is
available per section 7.3.2.6.1.2.

Merge Lintels
When an opening is drawn in a masonry wall panel, you will notice that a lintel beam region is
automatically created above the opening. If you have multiple openings, you may want to merge the
individual lintels into one. To do this, click the Merge Lintels icon.

If you have two lintels you want to merge, then click within each of the openings to merge them into
one. If you have multiple lintels that you want to merge, click inside of the two openings that define the
ends of the merged lintel that you want. You will see that this merges your multiple openings into one.
To exit out of this tool right-click your mouse.
When merging lintels, the top edges of the lintels have to be identical. If, once you have merged
lintels, you delete one of the openings the entire lintel will be deleted. At that point, you have to delete
any openings left in the wall that don't have a lintel over them.

Optimization / Limitations

Optimization
The program optimizes masonry walls and lintels based on the required demand forces. The program
can optimize:
l Vertical bar/grout spacing for out of plane design.
l Boundary zone widths for in plane flexural design.
l Horizontal bar spacing for in plane shear design.
l Reinforcement bars for lintel flexural design.
Of these optimizations, the only one that substantially modifies the stiffness of the wall is the vertical
bar/grout spacing. To properly adjust the stiffness requires an iterative solution that updates the
stiffness of the model. This includes updating the strength properties of the wall as well as the
stiffness. This optimization/iteration can be done automatically (by checking the box) or can be done
manually (by unchecking the box) in the Model Settings - Solution tab.

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To update the stiffness portion of the wall, the program must re-solve your model with these updated
stiffnesses as this will change the distribution of forces through the model. By checking the boxyou
are telling the program to re-solve automatically. Thus, the program will start with it's initial stiffness
parameters and solve the model. It will then optimize the wall to meet strength criteria. Another
solution will then be run with the new stiffnesses and the program will again optimize the wall to meet
strength criteria. This procedure will continue to occur until you reach the number of Iterations set or
until all wall panel results match those of the previous solution.
By unchecking the box the program will only run the solution once and the results will be based on the
original configuration. You can then manually optimize your walls using the Suggested Design
spreadsheet.
After the solution is run (with or without optimization) the design results are based on the stiffness
used in the last iteration (by unchecking the box a single iteration is run). The program will then
compare the design of the last iteration with the stiffness used in that last iteration. If the two are the
same, the results shown are the final results. If the two are not the same, the program will then
provide these two different results in the Suggested Design spreadsheet.
The program will always present results in the output that coincide with the stiffness used in the final
solution.

Note: The updating of the stiffness for the model is only required for the vertical bar/grout.
Thus, boundary zone widths, horizontal shear reinforcement and lintel reinforcement are
optimized automatically.

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Suggested Design

In the Suggested Design spreadsheet you will get a list of wall panels in your model that are not yet
fully optimized, showing the vertical bar and/or grout spacing of the last iteration (Current Spacing)
and the program optimized spacing (Suggested Spacing). From here you have the ability to Use
Suggested? which means that you want to re-run the solution with the Suggested Spacing. You can
choose this for each wall panel individually. Once you have these checkboxes checked appropriately,
click the icon.

After this, the stiffness matrix is re-formulated and may cause some redistribution of loads through
the model. Because of this, the Suggested Spacing may also update and you may need to Use
Suggested? multiple times to converge on a solution.

Note:
l If the wall does not show up in the Suggested Design spreadsheet, then the current
wall panel settings used are the optimal ones.
l For more information on wood wall optimization see the Wood Wall - Design topic.
l For more information on member optimization see the Design Optimization topic.
l Concrete walls do not show up here because the reinforcement optimization does
not affect the stiffness of the wall.

Lintels
For masonry lintels you must input the dimensions, bar size and number of layers of bars for the lintel,
but are given the option of optimizing how many bars are in a given layer. If you provide a max/min
number of bars in the Wall Design Rules - Masonry Lintel tab then the program will optimize the
number of bars in a layer. Because this is just a change in reinforcement, this is an automatic
optimization that does not require an iterative solution.

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Lintel Reinforcement Placement Check

The program will do a check to see that the reinforcement in the lintel will fit properly. The available
width for reinforcing in the lintel is based on the width of block, thickness of grout between the block
and the reinforcement, and it assumes there will be a double-leg stirrup.

where
tgrout = 0.5 in (per Section 6.1.3.5 of ACI 530-13; the program assumes coarse grout)

dbstirrup = diameter of stirrup (from the Wall Design Rules - Masonry Lintel tab)
Note that we use a minimum bar spacing equal to the minimum of either db or 1".

Regions
For masonry regions, there are two options for optimizing. For out of plane design, the program will
optimize the spacing of bars for strength (not deflection) considerations of the wall For in-plane
design, the boundary zone width will be optimized for strength as well. The spacing of
reinforcement/grouting affects the overall stiffness of the wall thus you must iterate your solution to
update this spacing. The boundary zone design affects the overall stiffness very little, thus this is an
automatic optimization that does not require an iterative solution. If you provide a min/max boundary
zone width in the Wall Design Rules - Masonry In tab, then the program will optimize the boundary
zone width.

Limitations
l Openings and regions must be input only in RISAFloor if you are using RISA-3D and
RISAFloor in tandem.
l For sloped walls due to sloping floors, openings and regions can not be defined in the upper
triangular area of the wall panel. These openings are not supported at this time. This will be
addressed in a future version.
l For areas of masonry wall panels that are not defined as a region, the stiffness of the wall is
assumed to be that of an ungrouted masonry wall and the weight of the wall is assumed to
be that of a fully grouted wall.
l Masonry has specific requirements regarding the spreading out of concentrated loads at
certain angles and for certain depths (Section 5.1.3). These provisions are not considered
in RISA, as the finite element mesh stiffness is what determines load path. See the Wall
Panels - Load Attribution topic for more information.

Masonry Wall - Design

The masonry wall panel element allows you to easily model, analyze and design masonry walls for in
plane and out of plane loads for these specific codes:

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l The 2016 TMS 402 ASD and 2013, 2011, 2008, 2005, 2002 and 1999 Editions of ACI 530
ASD
l The 2016 TMS 402 Strength and 2013, 2011, 2008, 2005, 2002 and 1999 Editions of ACI
530 Strength
l The 1997 edition of the UBC for ASD and Strength
Here we will explain the calculation concepts and code references used in the program. For general
wall panel information, see the Wall Panels topic. For information on masonry design rules, see the
Masonry Wall - Design Rules (this is where you can define block thickness and self-weight). For
masonry wall modeling procedures, see the Masonry Wall - Modeling topic. For masonry wall results
interpretation, see the Masonry Wall Results topic.

Note:
l All code references in this topic refer to the TMS 402-16 specification unless noted
otherwise.
l References will be made to RMEH and NCMA. For more information on these
designations, see the Masonry Wall - Design Rules topic.
l Walls designed in RISA meet all of the requirements for Ordinary Masonry Shear
Walls except for the Minimum Reinforcement requirements of TMS 402-16 Section
7.3.2.3.1. That provision should be checked by hand outside of RISA.

Shear Design - In Plane ASD

In Plane Shear Stress, fv

This stress is calculated from Equation 8-24:

where:
l V = Total in plane shear in the wall region
l Anv = net shear area
In RISA Anv is defined as follows:

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where:
l dinplane = distance from compression face to centroid of boundary zone
l Eqsolidthickness = value from RMEH textbook which represents the "average" thickness of
wall considering block voids.

Note: If the 1.5x Shear Inc checkbox is checked in the Masonry Wall - Design Rules, then fv
is factored up by a 1.5 factor. This option is available per section 7.3.2.6.1.2.

In Plane Shear Capacity, Fv

The program calculates the capacity, Fv, from Equation 8-22:

The program also checks to verify we do not exceed the Fv max value from Equations 8-23 and 8-24
(or interpolation between them) that is reported in the detail report.
Fvs is only required if fv > Fvm. If fv < Fvm, then the program will not add any shear reinforcement
and Fvs = 0. If Fvs is required, then the program will back calculate a spacing, s, that will satisfy the
steel shear capacity required. This shear spacing is reported in the detail report.
When shear reinforcement is required the program will also meet the d/2 or 48" spacing required by
8.3.5.2.1. If Fv max must be exceeded to pass the code check, the program will use Fv max as the
capacity and state "Over Allowable" for the Shear Steel Spacing.

Note:
l The program does not do explicit seismic design, thus Equation 8-25 is not used.
l The M in the Fvm equation above is taken as the maximum moment in the region
instead of the moment at the location where the shear is maximum.

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Shear Design - Out of Plane ASD

Out of Plane Shear Stress, fv

This stress is calculated from Equation 8-21:

Out of Plane Shear Capacity, Fv

The program calculates the capacity, Fv, from Equation 8-25 shown above, except that only the Fvm
term is considered. There is no way to add shear reinforcing steel.
The program also checks to verify we do not exceed the Fv max value from Equations 8-26 and 8-27
(or interpolation between them) that is reported in the detail report.

Axial Design - ASD

In and Out of Plane Axial Stress, fa

The axial stress in a wall due to axial forces, fa, is calculated as:

This is applicable for all out of plane and in-plane masonry calculations. When fa < fb then the
masonry has cracked and then a cracked section analysis is performed. See the Bending Design -
ASD section below for more information on this procedure.

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Note: In and out of plane stress, fa will be the same. However, the location where these
forces are reported may be different. In plane forces will generally be reported at the base of
a wall. Out of plane forces may be reported at the base (cantilevered walls) or at mid-height
(simply supported walls).

Note: The program does not design masonry for net tension forces. fa will equal 0 ksi in
these cases.

In and Out of Plane Axial Capacity, Fa

The calculation of Fa is per either Equation 8-13 or 8-14, depending on the h/r ratio. These equations
match Equations 8-18 and 8-19 if you assume Ast = 0. RISA conservatively uses only the masonry in
calculating the compression capacity. The equations are as follows:

where:
l r is taken from the UBC-97 Table 21-H-1 (concrete masonry units) and Table 21-H-2 (clay
masonry units).
l h = effective height of wall region = K*hactual

Note: The program does not design masonry for net tension forces. If there is net tension, Fa
will still equal the compressive capacity of masonry.

Bending Design - ASD

In Plane Stresses fb and fs

These calculations are different depending on a cracked section or uncracked section. The wall is
considered uncracked if fa (compression) > fb. The wall is considered cracked if fa (compression) <
fb.
For uncracked masonry, the calculations are as follows:

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where:
l d = Total length of wall
Because the masonry is uncracked, no stress can develop in the steel.
For cracked masonry, the program performs an iterative analysis to determine the section
properties of the cracked wall.
The maximum masonry stress (fm) is obtained by solving the moment equilibrium equation as a
quadratic equation of kd. This equation comes from vertical equilibrium ( C - P - T = 0 ).
Here is a representative wall with axial force and moment:

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From this image we do a summation of moments about point T and come up with a quadratic
equation in terms of kd.

An assumption is made for fm = fa + fb, where fa = P/A and fb = M/S. From this C and T is determined.
Once we calculate a value for T we can then define the boundary zone steel required. The final
solution is determined through iteration. Each iteration of the steel area is based on the amount of
steel needed to create a 0.005 ksi difference in the calculated bending stress (fb) and is carried out
until the calculated value of required reinforcement is less than the reinforcement provided.
The final values are given in the detail report:

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A good reference for this iterative procedure is Section 7.10.1 of Design of Reinforced Masonry
Structures, copyright 2001 by Narendra Taly and published by McGraw-Hill.
From this analysis fm is calculated. This must then be broken down into fa and fb for the detail report.
Because Section 8.3.4.2.2 states:

the proportion is simplified. RISA will simply take fa = P/An for fa and the remaining value from fm is
used as fb.
From the tension force in the wall, T, the program calculates the required number of boundary zone
bars and places them in the wall. The reported code check is then based on:

Out of Plane Stresses fb and fs

The masonry bending stresses are referenced in UBC Section 2107.2.15 and are as follows:

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However, if you are using a partially grouted wall where the neutral axis passes through the webs of
your masonry, then RISA will do a T-section analysis to define the section properties. We use a
similar analysis as if you were doing a t-beam analysis for a concrete tee section. For more
information on this, see "Design of Reinforced Masonry Structures" by Narendra Taly, copyright
2001, example 6.3, P6.61.

The area in red is shown as the compression block in the image above.

In and Out of Plane Masonry Bending Capacity, Fb

For unreinforced masonry, the Equation 8-15 is:

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For reinforced masonry, Section 8.3.4.2.2 states:

Because of this provision, RISA defines:

In and Out of Plane Steel Capacity, Fs

Section 8.3.3.1 defines the allowable steel stress, Fs.

In Plane Design - Strength

In Plane Axial Strength, Pn

This is calculated from Equations 9-15 and 9-16:

Note:
l Keep in mind that An is calculated differently for NCMA vs RMEH. See the Masonry
Wall - Design Rules topic for more information.
l h = effective height of wall region = K*hactual

In Plane Moment Strength, Mn

The Mn value is based on the axial - moment interaction diagram for the wall based on strain
compatibility at different levels of axial force. Once the interaction diagram is created the Mu is plotted
and the code check is then calculated.

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Note: In plane moment strength is solely accounted for by boundary zone steel. We do not
use every bar in the wall and calculate the steel stress per bar. The "d" used for in plane
design is from the extreme compression fiber to the centroid of reinforcement in the boundary
zone. For a reference on this, see "Masonry Structures Behavior and Design" by Drysdale,
Hamid, and Baker, copyright 1999.

For a wall with no axial force, the Mn can be calculated from the equation:

Note: The maximum usable masonry strain at the extreme compression fiber, emu, is
assumed to be 0.0025. For assumptions of the extreme compression fiber for Seismic
Detailing checks of Masonry Walls, refer to the Maximum Area of Flexural Tensile
Reinforcement (Max. Flexural Rho Check - Strength) section.

In Plane Shear Strength, Vn

The program calculates the capacity, Vn, from Equation 9-17:

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The program also checks to verify the Vn max value from Equations 9-18 and 9-19 (or interpolation
between them) that is reported in the detail report is not exceeded.
Vns is only required if Vu > Phi*Vnm. If Vu < Phi*Vnm, then the program will not add any shear
reinforcement and Vns = 0. If Vns is required, then the program will back calculate a spacing, s, that
will both satisfy the steel shear capacity required and satisfy the maximum reinforcement spacing .
This shear spacing is reported in the detail report.
If Vn max must be exceeded to pass the code check, the program will use Vn max as the capacity
(so the wall fails in shear) and state "Over Allowable" for the Shear Steel Spacing.

Note: The M in the Vnm equation above is taken as the maximum moment in the region
instead of the moment at the location where the shear is maximum. This is generally a
conservative assumption.

Out of Plane Design - Strength

Out of Plane Axial Strength, Pn at max Mom

Here there are two different possible calculations.
If there is out-of-plane moment on the walls this is calculated from Section 9.3.5.4.2 as follows:
l If h/t < 30, Pn at max Mom = 0.20*f'm*An
l If h/t > 30, Pn at max Mom = 0.05*f'm*An
If there is no out-of-plane moment this is calculated from Equations 9-15 and 9-16:

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Note:
l t from the above equations is taken as the Block Nominal Thickness.
l h = effective height of wall region = K*hactual

Out of Plane Moment Strength, Mn

This calculation comes from the Commentary of Section 9.3.5.2 as follows:

The program is actually using an interaction diagram for out of plane bending as well. However, the
code places a limit on axial force from Section 9.3.5.4.2. This limit essentially means that only the
lower portion of the interaction diagram will be used. In this lower portion of the interaction diagram,
the bending capacity changes in a linear fashion with respect to axial force.

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Thus, the equation above is nearly identical to the value that the program's interaction diagram will
produce.

Note:
l In the case of high axial tension, it is possible that moment capacity will near zero.
l In partially grouted walls an effective width is calculated for b from Section 5.1.2

Out of Plane (Slender) Moment Demand, Mu

The out of plane demand moment, Mu, comes from the finite element analysis only. Equation 9-23
gives a formula for calculating the midheight moment due to out of plane loading, axial eccentric
loading, and P-Little Delta effects. In RISA the first two portions can be captured by modeling the
loads accordingly. Eccentric axial loading would need to be modeled with both a vertical load and a
moment. The P-Delta analysis that RISA uses during the Finite Element solution does not account for
P-Delta effects on plate elements or wall panels themselves. Instead the program captures P-Little
Delta effects from the iterative procedure shown in the Moment and Deflection Amplification
section below. This is very similar to that provided in the UBC and MSJC slender wall design
provisions.

Out of Plane (Slender) Deflection, δs

Out of plane deflections are calculated based on the Wall's Finite Element Analysis using a modified
thickness, tmod, for the wall plates. The modified thickness is calculated using the wall panel's out of
plate cracked moment of inertia, Icr, which can be input in the Advanced tab of the Wall Panels
spreadsheet.

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Note: The original thickness of the wall panel is the actual thickness of the wall panel, not to
be confused with the nominal thickness.

RISA-3D then uses Finite Element Analysis using the modified thickness of the plates to calculate the
out of plane deflection of the wall.

Unreinforced Masonry Design - ASD

Out of Plane Bending and Axial Design - ASD

For out of plane design for axial and bending the program performs 3 checks: a compression check, a
tension check, and a slenderness check.

Compression Check (per Equation 8-11)

where:
l fa and Fa are computed the same way as for reinforced masonry.
l fb = M/S. S = Sx value from NCMA TEK 141B (regardless of Wall Area Method
designation).
l Fb = 1/3*f'm per Equation 8-15

Tension Check (per Section 8.2.4.2)

where:
l Fbt = Allowable flexural tensile stress per Table 8.2.4.2

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Slenderness Check (per Equation 8-12)

where:

l Per Equation 8-16.

l I comes directly from NCMA TEK 141B for both Wall Area Methods, NCMA and RMEH.
l e is always assumed equal to 0.
l h = effective height of wall region = K*hactual

Note: If using an Unreinforced wall the program will ALWAYS use an ungrouted wall for
design, regardless of what is set in the masonry wall design rules.

Out of Plane Shear Design - ASD

This stress is calculated from Equation 8-21:

Note: We do not use Equation 8-17 to calculate shear stress.

The program calculates the capacity, Fv, from Equation 8-22 shown above, except that only the Fvm
term is considered. There is no way to add shear reinforcing steel.
The program also checks to verify we do not exceed the Fv max value from Equations 8-23 and 8-24
(or interpolation between them) that is reported in the detail report.

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In Plane Bending and Axial Design - ASD

For unreinforced masonry we use the same design provisions from reinforced masonry. Thus, we still
use reinforcement for both the boundary zones and shear reinforcement (if needed). See the
reinforced sections for more information on this design.

Note: Because this type of design is very uncommon it is not currently available.

In Plane Shear Design - ASD

The in plane shear stress, fv, is calculated as follows:

The in-plane shear stress capacity, Fv, is calculated from Section 8.2.6.2. Because we do not know
whether the wall is in running bond or not we omit options (c), (d), (e) and (f).

Unreinforced Masonry Design - Strength

Out of Plane Bending and Axial Design - Strength

For unreinforced masonry we perform the axial check per Section 9.3.5. For bending the program
does not give results.

Note: Because this type of design is very uncommon it is not currently available.

In Plane Bending, Axial, and Shear Design - Strength

For unreinforced masonry we use the same design provisions from reinforced masonry. Thus, we still
use reinforcement for both the boundary zones and shear reinforcement (if needed). See the
reinforced sections for more information on this design.

Note: Because this type of design is very uncommon it is not currently available.

Masonry Lintel Design - ASD

Here we will talk about specific calculations regarding lintel design for allowable stress design.

Note: There is no lintel design for unreinforced lintels. Regardless of whether you design the
wall as reinforced or unreinforced, all lintel design will use reinforcement. Because
unreinforced lintels are very uncommon it is not currently available.

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Shear Stress, fv
This stress is calculated from Equation 8-21:

where:
l d = distance from extreme compression fiber in top of lintel to the centroid of reinforcement.

Shear Capacity, Fv
The program calculates the capacity, Fv, from Equation 8-25, which is shown in the previous In Plane
Shear Capacity Fv section.
The program also checks to verify we do not exceed the Fv max value from Equations 8-23 and 8-24
(or interpolation between them) that is reported in the detail report.
Fvs is only required if fv > Fvm. If fv < Fvm, then the program will not add any shear reinforcement
and Fvs = 0. If Fvs is required, then the program will back calculate a spacing, s, that will satisfy the
steel shear capacity required. This shear spacing is reported in the detail report.
When shear reinforcement is required the program will also meet the d/2 or 48" spacing required by
8.3.5.2.1. If Fv max must be exceeded to pass the code check, the program will use Fv max as the
capacity and state "Over Allowable" for the Shear Steel Spacing.

Note:
l The program does not do explicit seismic design, thus Equation 8-25 is not used.
l The M in the Fvm equation above is taken as the maximum moment in the region
instead of the moment at the location where the shear is maximum. This is
generally a conservative assumption.
l The detail report shows a stirrup with two legs. However, the program only
considers one leg in the Av calculation.

Bond Stress, u, and Bond Capacity U

The bond stress check is one that has been grandfathered in from the UBC-1997 specification
section 2107.2.16 and is defined previously in the In Plane Bond Stress u section. Σo is the
summation of the circumference of all vertical bars.
The bond stress capacity was defined previously in the Bond Stress Capacity U section.

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Stresses fb and fs
The masonry bending stresses were defined previously in the Out of Plane Stresses fb and fs
section.

Bending Capacity, Fm (Fb) and Steel Capacity, Fs

Section 8.3.4.2.2 states:

Section 8.3.3.1 defines the allowable steel stress, Fs.

Masonry Lintel Design - Strength

Here we will talk about specific calculations regarding lintel design for strength design.

Note: There is no lintel design for unreinforced lintels. Regardless of whether you design the
wall as reinforced or unreinforced, all lintel design will use reinforcement. Because
unreinforced lintels are very uncommon it is not currently available.

Shear Strength, Vn
The program calculates the capacity, Vn, total from Equation 9-17, which was shown previously in
the In Plane Shear Strength Vn section.
The program also checks to verify the Vn max value from Equations 9-18 and 9-19 (or interpolation
between them) that is reported in the detail report is not exceeded.
Vn,steel is only required if Vu > Phi*Vn,masonry. If Vu < Phi*Vn,masonry, then the program will
not add any shear reinforcement and Vn,steel = 0. If Vn,steel is required, then the program will back
calculate a spacing, s, that will satisfy the steel shear capacity required. This shear spacing is
reported in the detail report.
If Vn max must be exceeded to pass the code check, the program will use Vn max as the capacity
(so the wall fails in shear) and state "Over Allowable" for the Shear Steel Spacing.

Note: The M in the Vnm equation above is taken as the maximum moment in the region
instead of the moment at the location where the shear is maximum. This is generally a
conservative assumption.

Moment Strength, Mn
Lintel design in RISA does not account for axial force, thus Mn is calculated simply from:

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Here are the calculations of other values reported in the detail report:

Masonry Wall - Design Rules

The masonry wall panel element allows you to easily model, analyze and design masonry walls for in
plane and out of plane loads. In this section, we will explain the masonry specific inputs and design
considerations. For general wall panel information, see the Wall Panels topic. For masonry wall
modeling procedures, see the Masonry Wall - Modeling topic. For masonry calculation considerations
and code references, see the Masonry Wall - Design topic. For masonry wall results interpretation,
see the Masonry Wall Results topic.

Note: All code references in this topic refer to the TMS 402-16 specification unless noted
otherwise.

Unity Check

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Setting a maximum Bending Check (Axial & Bending) or a maximum Shear Check controls the rebar
which the program chooses for the wall design. A value of 1.0 denotes that the program may choose
a rebar layout that is at 100% of capacity.

Note: For the Max Shear Check for in plane design, the program will only optimize the
spacing of reinforcement. It will not optimize the grout spacing. If you want to adjust grout
spacing, review the Masonry Out tab.

Masonry Wall General

Masonry Wall Parameters

Parameter Description
Block Nom Width Block Nominal Width is the nominal thickness of masonry walls. The
program will subtract 3/8" from this value to get the actual thickness.
This value is used, along with the value of grout / bar spacing, to
determine the effective thickness of the wall. The effective thickness is
based on table B3 of the Reinforced Masonry Engineering Handbook,
by Amrhein, Copyright 1998.
Block Grouting Block Grouting defines how the wall is grouted. If "Partially Grouted" is
chosen, then the spacing of grout will be based on the bar spacing
defined on the Masonry Out tab.
Reinforced Reinforced defines whether the wall is reinforced or not.
Wall Area Method Wall Area Method defines where the wall area is taken from. The NCMA
option pulls the "An" value from the NCMA TEK 141B document. The
RMEH option pulls the "Equivalent Solid Thickness" value from Table B-
3a and B-3b from the Reinforced Masonry Engineering Handbook,
James Amrhein, 5th edition copyright 1998.
In doing research on these two methods of calculating the area for a
masonry wall, the two methods produce very different results. The
NCMA values assume face-shell mortar bedding and web bedding
around grout-filled cells. The RMEH values assume full mortar bedding
(both face-shells and all webs). The Amrhein values also appear to
average in the area of horizontal bond beams as well. This would make

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Parameter Description
the area conservative for a self-weight calculation, but unconservative
for stress calculations. With these considerations in mind we are
defaulting the behavior to use NCMA by default.
See the Masonry Wall - Design topic for the specific calculations
regarding NCMA or RMEH.

Note:
l In version RISA-3D V10.0.1 and older the program
used both methods in different circumstances. Now the
program is consistent with this usage.
l If you open an existing model from RISA-3D V10.0.1
and older the program will default to the RMEH option.
l If you start a model from scratch the program will
default to the NCMA option.
l For self-weight the program will ALWAYS use RMEH,
as the presence of bond beams in the wall is realistic
and this is a conservative value.

Masonry Wall In Plane Design

Masonry Wall In-Plane Parameters

Parameter Description
Vert Bar Size The Vertical Bar Size column lets you define the vertical bar size for the
boundary zones.
Bars Per Cell The Bars Per Cell columns lets you define one or two bars per cell in the
boundary zones.
Min/Max Boundary The Min/Max Boundary Zone column lets you give maximum and
Zone minimum boundary zone widths. The program then designs the width
based on 8” increments (1/2 of a block length).
Horz Bar size The Horizontal Bar Size column lets you define horizontal bar size to be
used if horizontal reinforcing is required.

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Parameter Description
1.5x Shear Inc The 1.5x Shear Inc checkbox has been moved to the Seismic Design
Rules spreadsheet in the Masonry Walls tab. Please see Masonry Wall -
Seismic Design.
Transfer Load The Transfer Load option transfers in-plane loads from regions above
and below openings into the regions adjacent to the openings. Note that
the design of regions above and below openings are omitted.

Masonry Wall Out of Plane Design

Masonry-Wall-Out-of-Plane Parameters

Parameter Description
Bar Size Bar Size is the main vertical bar size to be used for axial/out of plane
design.
Bar Space Min/Max Bar Space Min/Max lets you give a maximum and minimum bar/grout
spacing. If you give a range between the max and min, then the program
optimizes the reinforcement spacing according to strength requirements
(code checks).
Bar Placement Bar Placement defines how the reinforcement is placed in the wall
region. Possible placement is:
l Center - puts a single bar centered in a given cell.
l Non-Center puts a single bar non-centered in a given cell.
l Each Face puts reinforcement on both faces of a given cell.
l Staggered alternates the bars on either face along the length
of the region.

Note: When using the staggered option, you are selecting to

space the bars at each face at double the bar/grout spacing
defined above. For example, if you have a staggered spacing at
24" oc you have a bar on the outside face at 48" oc and a bar on
the inside face at 48" oc. These bars are staggered, thus you
have grout filled cores at 24" oc.

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Parameter Description
Cover Allows you to specify the distance from the exterior of the masonry block
to the extreme fiber of the reinforcement. The default cover value is
defined as Min. The Min input will use whichever governs between
these two sections of the specification:
l Section 6.1.3.5 states a minimum distance between the inside
of the face shell and the reinforcement . RISA is conservative
and always assumes this to be 1/2". Thus, the cover calculated
in this fashion = tfaceshell + 1/2"
l Section 6.1.4 requires a cover dimension = 1-1/2" or 2"
depending on bar size and whether the masonry is exposed to
weather. In the program this is always assumed to be 1-1/2".
Thus, the Min term will create a cover equal to the maximum of tfaceshell
+ 1/2" OR 1-1/2".
For any other cover you wish to impose simply overwrite the Min value
with your value. If using the Non-Center option then the cover will
always be from the +z local axis face of the wall.
For example, let's assume the wall shown below is using the "Non-
Centered" reinforcement and the cover is set to 2.5". The image below
shows exactly where this bar is then located in the wall (d = 7.625" - 2.5"
- 3/8" = 4.75").

The actual "d" used in design will depend on the governing direction of
loading. If load is applied in both out-of-plane directions to the wall then
it is possible that a lower level of loading can produce a higher code
check because the "d" is smaller in one direction than the other.
If a non-sensical value is defined (i.e. one where the bar does not fall
inside of the block core then the program will give an error in the results
and place the reinforcement just inside the faceshell of the block.

Note: For the Center bar placement this field is ignored.

Mortar/Cement Mortar/Cement Types lets you specify the type of mortar/cement in the

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Parameter Description
Types wall. This affects the modulus of rupture (flexural tensile stresses) from
Tables 8.2.4.2 and 9.1.9.2.
Transfer Load Transfer Load lets you transfer out of plane loads from regions above
and below openings into the regions adjacent to the openings. Note that
the design of regions above and below openings will be omitted.

Masonry Wall Lintel Design

Masonry Wall Panel Lintel Parameters

Parameter Description
Depth Depth is the total depth of your lintel.
Bar Length Bar Length is the bearing length at either end of the lintel. This is used to
calculate the effective length of the lintel.
Bar Size Bar Size is the reinforcement size for your main reinforcing in the lintel.
Min/Max # Bars Per Min/Max # Bars Per Layer is the number of bars you wish to have in a
Layer given layer of reinforcement. If you give a range between the max and
min, then the program will optimize the reinforcement spacing based on
geometry of the section and also the number of layers that you have
defined.
Num of Layers Num of Layers is an option if you require multiple layers of reinforcement
in the lintel.
c/c Sp of Layers c/c Spacing of Layers is the distance between layers (if there is more
than one).
Dist to Bot Distance to Bottom defines the distance from the centerline of the
lowest-most bar to the bottom fiber of the lintel.
Stirrup Size Stirrup Size is the size of stirrup that will be added to the lintel if required.
Analysis Method Analysis Method is the is the lintel analysis method that determines the
design of the masonry lintel. The Simply Supported analysis method
produces lintel reinforcement design results, which can be seen in the
masonry lintel detail report. The FEA analysis method only displays
shear and moment diagrams in the detail report for the masonry lintel
based on the results of finite element analysis.

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Masonry Wall Results

Masonry wall results are presented in the wall results spreadsheets and the detail reports. Results
are reported on a region by region basis. In addition, the code checks for lintels spanning openings
are reported separately.
For general wall panel information, see the Wall Panels topic. For information on masonry design
rules, see the Masonry Wall - Design Rules . For masonry wall modeling procedures, see the
Masonry Wall - Modeling topic. For masonry calculation considerations and code references, see the
Masonry Wall - Design topic.

Note: All code references in this topic refer to the TMS 402-16 specification unless noted
otherwise.

Spreadsheet Results
The information on this spreadsheet is present on three tabs that involve Masonry design: In plane,
Out of Plane and Lintel. Each tab gives code checks based on the chosen masonry code and can be
used as a summary of all of the panels and panel regions in your model. To get detailed information
about each region, you can see the Wall Panel Detail Report.

In Plane

The In Plane results spreadsheet is intended to provide the code checks relevant to shear wall
behavior for the wall.
Masonry Wall Spreadsheet - In Plane

Column Description
Wall Panel The Wall Panel column displays the masonry wall panels defined in the
model.

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Column Description
Region The Region column lists the masonry wall panel region that the results
are based on.
Design Rule The Design Rule column displays the rule governing the design.
Combined UC For ASD codes, the Combined UC column displays the code check due
to axial force plus in-plane bending.
LC The LC column adjacent to the Combined UC column, shows the
individual code check for Combined UC. A value greater 1.0 for either of
these values would indicate failure.
Shear UC The Shear UC column shows the in-plane shear code check. A value
greater than 1.0 for any of these values would indicate failure.
LC The LC column adjacent to the Shear UC column, shows the load
combination that produces each of the highest code check values.
Fa (or Pn*Phi) The Fa or Pn*Phi column displays the allowable axial stress or axial
capacity.
Fb (or Mn*Phi) The Fb or Mn*Phi column displays the calculated allowable bending or
moment capacity for the region.
Fv (or Vn*Phi) The Fv or Vn*Phi column displays the calculated allowable shear stress
or Shear Capacity for the region.

Out of Plane

The Out-of-Plane results spreadsheet is intended to provide the code checks relevant to out of plane
bending for the wall.
Masonry Wall Spreadsheet - Out of Plane

Column Description
Wall Panel The Wall Panel column displays the masonry wall panels defined in the
model.
Region The Region column lists the masonry wall panel region that the results

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Column Description
are based on.
Design Rule The Design Rule column displays the rule governing the design.
Combined UC For ASD codes, the Combined UC column displays the code check due
to axial force plus out of plane bending. A value greater than 1.0 would
indicate failure. Note that this value represents the maximum of the
different combined checks shown in the detail report ((fa+fb)/Fb, fa/Fa,
and fs/Fs).
LC The LC column adjacent to the Combined UC column, shows the
individual code check for Combined UC. A value greater 1.0 for either of
these values would indicate failure.
Shear UC The Shear UC column shows the in-plane shear code check. A value
greater than 1.0 for any of these values would indicate failure.
LC The LC column adjacent to the Shear UC column, shows the load
combination that produces each of the highest code check values.
Fa (or Pn*Phi) The Fa or Pn*Phi column displays the allowable axial stress or axial
capacity.
Fb (or Mn*Phi) The Fb or Mn*Phi column displays the calculated allowable bending or
moment capacity for the region.
Fv (or Vn*Phi) The Fv or Vn*Phi column displays the calculated allowable shear stress
for the region.
For slender wall design additional checks and analyses are required. These are reported in the
region's detail report.

Masonry Lintels

The Masonry Lintel results spreadsheet provides the results for the masonry lintels that span over
user defined openings in the wall. They can also be viewed by looking at the detail report associated
with each opening.
Masonry Wall Spreadsheet - Lintel

Column Description
Wall Panel The Wall Panel column displays the masonry wall panels defined in the
model.

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Column Description
Region The Region column lists the masonry wall panel region that the results
are based on.
Design Rule The Design Rule column displays the rule governing the design.
Flexure UC The Flexure UC column displays the the code check due pure flexure of
the Lintel. Axial force is not considered in this code check at all.
LC The LC column adjacent to the Flexure UC column, shows the load
combination that produces each of the highest code check values.
Shear UC The Shear UC column displays the code check for shear. A value
greater 1.0 for either of these values would indicate failure.
LC The LC column adjacent to the Shear UC column, shows the load
combination that produces each of the highest code check values.
Fvm (or Vn*Phi) The Fvm or Vn*Phi column displays the allowable shear capacity.
Fvs (or Vn*Phi) The Fvs or Vn*Phi column displays the allowable shear stress.
Fm (or Mn*Phi) The Fm or Pn*Phi column displays the calculated allowable moment
capacity for the region.
Fs (or Mn*Phi) The Fs or Mn*Phi column displays the calculated allowable bending stress
for the region.

Concrete Reinforcing Spreadsheet Results

The last two tabs of this spreadsheet contain results for Masonry Wall reinforcement.

Masonry Wall

In Plane Masonry - Axial Details

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The Masonry Wall spreadsheet displays analysis results for the reinforcement of each region defined
in your masonry wall.

Lintel Reinforcing

The Masonry Lintel spreadsheet displays analysis results for the reinforcement of each lintel defined
in your masonry wall.

Masonry Wall Detail Report

The detail reports show the overall geometry, analysis and design for the individual regions of the wall
panel. The report also shows envelope diagrams for the forces and moments in the region.
Three basic types of detail reports are provided: Wall Summary, Region and Opening.

Accessing the Detail Reports and the Specific Windows

Once you have a solved model, the detail reports become available. They are accessible in two ways:
l If you have the Wall Panel Design spreadsheet open, there is a button at the top of the
screen: . This opens the detail report window.
l
If you are in a graphic view of your model, there is a button on the Selection toolbar.
Clicking this button and clicking on a wall panel will open up the detail report window for that
wall panel.

Note: Note: If a wall panel is set to Transfer forces, then regions above and below opening
will not have results. See the Concrete Wall - Design Rules topic for more information.

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Once the detail report window is open, you see an area at the top.

The following table describes the options that control the display of the Detail Report.
Detail Report Control Options

Option Name Description

Prior/Next The left and right arrows let you
scroll quickly between the different
wall panels in your model.
Wall Panel Part The first drop-down list lets you
choose between individual Region
and Opening (Lintel) results and a
summary of the entire Wall.

Regions/Headers The second drop-down list lets you

select between different Regions or
Openings within the individual wall
panel. “R” represents regions, while
“L” represents levels (headers).

or The is available only when ‘Opening’

or ‘Region’ is chosen in the Wall
Panel Part drop-down.
In/Out Plane If you have selected a Region, then
you have the option of whether to
view the in plane or out of plane
report.
The is available only when ‘Region’
is chosen in the Wall Panel Part
drop-down.
The following options can be found at the bottom of the Detail Report window.
Print Lets you print the Detail Report.

Add to Full Report Lets you add the current detail report
you are viewing to the printed report.
View the Printing topic for more
information.

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Detail Report - Wall Summary

This report gives an overview of the wall, a summary of the controlling code checks and deflection
information. This report also displays information about the wall, similar to the Region Input Echo and
also gives an image of the wall. The image shows region locations, wall length and story dimensions,
and the nodes that define the corners of the wall panel.

The Region Results section gives the tabulated results of all regions in the wall for in plane design
axial/bending, shear and deflection for quick reference. You can view the individual region reports to
get a more detailed explanation of these values.
The Reinforcement Results section gives the reinforcement results for each region in the wall.
The Lintel Reinforcement Resultssection gives the label and reinforcement for any lintels in the
wall.

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Detail Report - In Plane

In Plane-Masonry - Input Echo

The top section of the detail report echoes back the input information used in the design of the wall
region or lintel. This information is summarized below:

Detail Report - Criteria Column

Criteria Description
Code Gives the code used to design your wall panel.
Special Inspection Indicates whether special inspection is required for your wall. Special
inspection is normally required for all walls designed to the MSJC / IBC
codes. The UBC 1997 is the one code that allows the user to decide
whether special inspection is required.
Wall Area See the Wall Design Rules - Masonry Wall spreadsheet
Horizontal Bar Size Indicates the bar size to be used to resist shear forces.
Vertical Bar Size Indicates the bar size to be used to resist the tensile stress due to
moment.
Number of Tension Indicates the number of vertical bars present in the boundary region of
Bars the wall.
Effective depth This gives you the distance from the compression face of the wall to the
centroid of tension reinforcement.
The Geometry column gives the basic geometry of the wall. Block grouting and the grout spacing are
specified in the Wall Panel Editor. The block nominal width is input under the Wall Design Rules -
Masonry Wall tab.

The Materials column can be mostly modified under the Materials button on the Data Entry toolbar.

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The Envelope Diagrams section of the detail report displays the envelope axial shear and moment
diagrams as well as a summary of the code checks performed on the shear wall.

The Combined Check Summary gives maximum overall code checks considering the effects of
both bending and axial stresses. This section is not reported for MSJC strength design.
The Axial Summary and Bending Summary give the values used in the axial and flexural code
checks at the location which controls the combined check (fa+fb)/Fb for ASD design.
For ASD design, the maximum bending stress in the flexural reinforcement is reported as fs, and the
allowable steel bending stress as Fs. These values are given for the Load Combination and section
that produce the maximum code check (fs/Fs).
The Shear Summary reports the maximum shear demand on the beam as fv or Vu. The allowable
shear stresses are then reported as Fvm and Fvs, where Fvm is the allowable of the masonry alone
and Fvs is the allowable considering the effects of the shear reinforcement.

Detail Report - Axial Details

Axial Details Description

Maximum Axial The maximum axial force in the wall.
Force
Location The location along the height of the wall which produces the maximum
axial force.

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Axial Details Description

Load Combination The load combination that produced the maximum axial force.
Radius of Gyration (r) The out of plane radius of gyration for the wall.
h/r Slenderness ratio of the wall
Reduction Factor R This is the slenderness reduction portion of equations 8-13, 8-14, 9-11
and 9-12.

In Plane Masonry - Bending Details

Working Stress Design (ASD)

Ultimate Strength Design

Detail Report - Bending Details

Bending
Description
Details
Maximum Moment The maximum moment in the wall.
Location The height of the wall where the maximum bending moment is located.
Load Combination The load combination that produced the maximum bending moment.
Section Modulus (S) The uncracked section modulus. This is based on the effective thickness
and the length of the wall.
Tension Steel Asv The area of tension steel in this region of the wall panel.
Percentage of Steel The reinforcement ratio in this region of the wall panel.
(p)
k*d The length of the compression block.
j The ratio of the distance between the centroid of the compressive and
tensile forces (j).

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Bending
Description
Details
a Depth of compression block.
c Depth of Neutral Axis.
d Depth of section from compression fiber to centroid of tensile
reinforcement.

In Plane Masonry - Cracked Section Details

See the Masonry Wall - Design topic for more information.

In Plane Masonry - Shear Details

Detail Report - Shear Details

Shear Details Description

Moment The moment corresponding to the maximum shear check is reported
along with the M/Vd ratio.
Shear Bar Spacing The spacing of shear steel in the region of the wall panel.
Perimeter of Bars Used in the bond stress checks for ASD design.

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This section of the detail report is meant to provide a visual confirmation to the user of the boundary
zone width and reinforcement.

Detail Report - Out of Plane

Out of Plane Walls - Input Echo

The top section of the detail report echoes back the input information used in the design of the wall
region or lintel. This information is summarized below:

The information in the Criteria section is mostly described in detail in the section on In Plane Detail
Report. The End Face Dist is the distance from the edge of wall to centroid of vertical bar.
The Materials column can be mostly modified under the Materials button on the Data Entry toolbar.
The Geometry column gives the basic geometry of the wall. Block grouting and the grout spacing are
specified in the Wall Panel Editor. The block nominal width is input under the Design Rules>Masonry
wall tab.
The Eq Solid Thickness comes from the "Wall Area Method" in the Wall Design Rules - Masonry
Wall tab.

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Out of Plane Walls - Force Diagrams and Code Summary (ASD)

The next section of the detail report displays the envelope axial shear and moment diagrams as well
as a summary of the code checks performed on the transverse wall.

Note: The forces given in the detail report are given on a per foot basis. Thus these forces
are averaged over the width of a given region. For specialty loading conditions, you may
need to create much smaller regions to get more accurate local load conditions.

TheCombined Check Summary gives maximum overall code checks considering the effects of both
bending and axial stresses. This section is not reported for MSJC strength design.
TheAxial Summary and Bending Summary give the values used in the axial and flexural code
checks at the location which controls the combined check (fa/Fa)+(fb/Fb).
For ASD design, the maximum bending stress in the flexural reinforcement is reported as fs, and the
allowable steel bending stress as Fs. These values are given for the Load Combination and section
that produce the maximum code check (fs/Fs).
The Shear Summary reports the maximum shear demand on the beam as fv or Vu. The allowable
shear stresses are then reported as Fv.

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Detail Report - Design Details

Design Details Description

Radius of Gyration (r) The out of plane radius of gyration for the wall.
h/r Slenderness ratio of the wall.
k This value multiplied by d gives the depth to the neutral axis.
d The depth between the extreme face of masonry in compression and the
center of the tension reinf.
j This value multiplied by d gives the moment arm between the
compression and tension resultants.
Width for Shear This is the value used to calculate the shear capacity. For fully-grouted
walls, this is simply the center to center spacing of vertical
reinforcement. For partially-grouted walls, this value is conservatively
taken as the width of the grouted cell plus the thickness of the web and
end wall on either side. An example of this can be seen in Example 6.3
(p6.65) of "Design of Reinforced Masonry Structures" by Taly, copyright
2001.
Corresponding M & P These are the moments and axial forces used to calculate the shear
capacity. These are both conservatively taken as the maximum M & P in
the entire region, rather than the M & P at the location of maximum
shear.
M/(V*d) This is the M/Vd ratio used to calculate the shear capacity.

T-Section Analysis
See the Masonry Wall - Design topic for information on a T-section analysis.

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Detail Report - Out of Plane Slender

Out of Plane Walls - Force Diagrams and Code Summary (Strength)

The next section of the detail report displays the envelope axial shear and moment diagrams as well
as a summary of the code checks performed on the out-of-plane loaded slender wall.

TheAxial Detailsprovide the axial code check for pure compression forces. The Pn at max Mom
value reported is the maximum allowable axial force based on Section 9.3.5.4.2
TheBending Detailsare explained below:
l Mu/ phi*Mn represents the ratio of applied moment to moment capacity of the wall
l Mu, max is the out-of-plane bending moment at the controlling location of the wall.
l phi Mn is the out-of-plane moment capacity of the wall at the controlling location. It is
calculated per Section 9.3.5.2.
l phi is the strength reduction factor specified in Section 9.1.4.
l Location is the elevation of the wall which resulted in the highest (Mu / phi*Mn) ratio. It is
the location at which Mu and Pu are used to calculate phi Mn.

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l Load Combination is the load combination which resulted in an Mu and Pu which yielded
the highest (Mu / phi*Mn) ratio.

Note:
If there is an over-reinforced section this can cause a failure in the masonry wall solver. If this
occurs the program will produce an Over-reinforced message. To reconcile this you will
need to either increase the thickness of masonry block, decrease the grout spacing or
decrease the bar size or number of bars in the wall.

Deflection Details
Dmax/Dlimit is a code check result. Thus, if the value is larger than one, your wall fails deflection
criteria. Dmax (Δmax) is the calculated deflecting using the iterative slender wall design procedure
detailed in the Masonry Wall - Design topic. The Dlimit (Deflection Limit) is the allowable deflection
from TMS 402-13 Section 9.3.5.5.

Note:
l Both the Service and the Masonry flags must be checked on the Design tab of the
Load Combinations for the deflections to be checked for that load combination.
l The forces in the region are given on a per foot basis and are an average of the
forces over the width of the region.

Sectional Properties (Strength)

The center to center distance between reinforcing Total Width and the Eff Width (which accounts
for partially grouted walls) are both reported in this section. The Flange Thick tf refers to the
thickness of the face shell whereas the Effective Thick te refers to the overall effective depth of the
block.
The gross area and moment of inertia are reported along with the modulus of rupture, cracking
moment, neutral axis, modular ratio between steel and masonry, and the cracked moment of inertia.

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The area of steel As and the effective area of steel Ase are reported, with the effective area based
upon As + Pu/fy.
The gross steel ratio (rho gross) is calculated as the area of steel divided by the total area of the
section.
The Rho Provided (%) is calculated as the area of steel divided by the total width times the effective
depth (As/bd). This is limited to a Rho Maximum (%) value of 0.5 * rho balanced per the UBC-97
Section 2108.2.3.7. This provision was implemented in future codes as well.
The Sectional Properties gives a number of the properties used during the iterative slender wall
design procedure. All of these properties are reported based on a section of wall equal to the center
to center spacing of the reinforcement.

Out of Plane Masonry - Cross Section Detailing

This section of the detail report is meant to provide a visual confirmation to the user of the spacing
and location of reinforcement.

Detail Report - Lintels

Lintels - Criteria / Materials / Geometry

The first section of the detail report echoes back the basic input parameters (Criteria, Materials,
Geometry) entered by the user. An example is shown below:
The geometry portion and the dead weight of the wall warrant further explanation.
Detail Report - Lintels

Attribute Description
Dist to Top of Wall This is the distance from the top of the lintel to the top of the wall and is
used in the calculation of the arching action of the lintel loads.
Actual Length This is the total width of the opening.
Bearing Length This is the bearing length of the lintel on either side of the opening.
Effective Length The Center to Center distance between lintel supports. Assumed to be
length of the opening plus half of the bearing area on each side.
Effective Width The thickness of the block used to define the lintel.
Effective depth Equivalent to the "d" distance, the distance from the effective
compression face to the centerline of the tension reinforcing.

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Attribute Description
Total Depth This is the total depth of the fully grouted portion of the lintel.
Beam Dead Weight This is based on the user defined density for the Lintel / Opening.
Wall Dead Weight This is based on the wall self weight or the self weight of the region
immediately above the opening.

Lintel Detail Reports - Diagrams and Code Check Summary

The next section of the detail report provides the envelope shear and moment diagrams as well as a
summary of the code checks for the Lintel.

Lintel Detail Reports - Design Details

The next section of the detail report gives further details for the design checks performed on the lintel.

This Bending Details show the magnitude, location and load combination that correspond to the
maximum moment used in the design as well as the area of flexural steel required (As) and the steel
ratio (rho).
The Compressive Stress Block Details show the parameters used in calculating the strength of the
lintel.

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The Shear Details show the magnitude, location and load combination that correspond to the
maximum shear used in the design, the M/(V*d) ratio for shear design, and the required spacing of
ties (if applicable).

Lintel Detail Reports - Cross Section Detailing

This section of the detail report is meant to provide a visual confirmation to the user of the basic
geometry and reinforcement provided in the lintel.

Masonry Wall - Seismic Design

Masonry walls can now be designed for seismic design provisions. Here the process is described.

Note:
l Currently seismic design in masonry walls is only supported under the ACI 530-13
and TMS 402-16 codes. All code references given in this topic are specific to these
codes.
l Seismic design will be performed when the following input are met:
l Supported codes (ACI 530/TMS 402 2013 or 2016)
l Seismic design rules are assigned properly
l Seismic load combinations are used in solution

Seismic Design Rules

For seismic design of masonry walls to be performed, the masonry wall panel must be assigned a
Seismic Design Rule. Three default Seismic Design Rules are provided in the Seismic Design Rules
spreadsheet - Masonry Walls tab as a starting point. Users are responsible to edit/create seismic
design rules that fit specific design scenarios.

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Masonry Wall Seismic Design Rule

Column Description
Label The label is a user defined text string that is used as a unique identifier
for each of the seismic design rules defined for the structure. The
program comes pre-loaded with a number of generic seismic design
rules that you can edit to fit their design projects.
Wall Type These are the three masonry wall types supported for masonry wall
seismic design in RISA-3D.
Special Boundary This setting indicates that the wall will be designed with Special
Elements Boundary Elements per Section 9.3.3.6. The program will not check for
the maximum area of vertical reinforcement requirements for walls with
this checkbox turned on in the seismic design rules. Refer to the Design
Considerations section for additional information on checks provided for
walls designed with Special Boundary Elements.
l This setting is turned on by default for Special wall types. But
you can edit the seismic design rules to meet your design
needs.
1.5x Shear ASD This setting applies a 1.5x factor to the shear demand of the walls with
the seismic design rule applied in models solved with either TMS 402-
16: ASD or ACI 530-13: ASD codes.
l This setting is turned on by default for Special wall types
columns.
The following are the three possible states for the Label and Wall Type columns.
l Ordinary: This wall type will perform design checks based on the minimum reinforcement
requirements of Ordinary Reinforced Masonry Shear Walls per section 7.3.2.4.
l Intermediate: This wall type will perform design checks for Minimum Reinforcement
Requirements of Chapter 7, in addition to additional requirements of Intermediate
Reinforced Masonry Shear Walls per section 7.3.2.5.
l Special: This wall type will perform design checks for Minimum Reinforcement
Requirements of Chapter 7, in addition to additional requirements of Special Reinforced
Masonry Shear Walls per section 7.3.2.6. These requirements include:

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l Additional requirements are checked for Special Reinforced Masonry Walls per
section 8.3 (ASD Solution) and 9.3 (Strength Solution) in RISA-3D.

Design Considerations
All Wall Panels with Seismic Design Rules applied will be checked for the following Minimum
Reinforcement Requirements.

Minimum Reinforcement Requirements

All masonry design walls assigned a seismic design rule will be checked for minimum reinforcement
requirements per ACI 530/TMS 402 section 7.3.2. including:
l Vertical Reinforcement
l At Wall Ends (for wall regions at the ends of the wall panel)
l Minimum Bar Size
l Maximum Bar Spacing Around Openings (for applicable Wall Panel Regions)
l Horizontal Reinforcement
l At Top of Wall Region
l Minimum Bar Size
l Maximum Bar Spacing Around Openings (for applicable Wall Panel Regions)
Additionally, all wall types are checked for Mortar type requirements per ACI 530/TMS 402 section
7.4.4.2.2.

Special Reinforced Masonry Walls - Additional Requirements

Additional checks are provided for wall types assigned a “Special” seismic design rule per section
7.3.2.6. These additional checks include:
l Maximum vertical spacing of vertical reinforcement
l Shall be the smallest of one-third of the length of the wall region, one-third the height
of the wall region and 48 inches.
l Maximum spacing of horizontal reinforcement
l Shall be the smallest of one-third of the length of the wall region, one-third the height
of the wall region and 48 inches.
l Minimum cross-sectional area of vertical & horizontal reinforcement
l The sum of vertical and horizontal cross-sectional area shall be at least 0.002Ag
(vert), where Ag(vert) is the cross-sectional area of the wall panel region (on a
horizontal plane)
l Minimum vertical & horizontal cross-sectional area shall be 0.0007Ag, where Ag is the
gross cross-sectional area perpendicular to reinforcement being considered

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Note: All seismic checks performed in the program are listed in the seismic detailing section
per regions in the detailed report. Users can refer to section 7.3.2.6 for additional
requirements not checked by the program.

ASD - Additional Requirements

The ACI 530/TMS 402 code has additional seismic detailing requirements for masonry shear wall
panels, some of which are considered in RISA-3D. The seismic detailing requirements in this section
are only considered if the model is solved using one of the supported Service (ASD) masonry codes.

Max. Flexural Rho Check

Masonry Wall Panels with a Seismic Design Rule of “Special”, a shear span ratio (M/Vdv) ≥ 1, and an
axial load ≥ 0.05f’mAn, shall be checked for a maximum reinforcement ratio equal to ρmax, calculated
based on ACI 530/TMS 402 Equation 8-20:

Where:
l n is the modular ratio of steel reinforcement
l f’m is the compressive strength of masonry
l fy is the yield strength of steel reinforcement

ASD Wall Shear Stress Increase Check

Masonry Wall Panels with a Seismic Design Rule of “Special” will be checked if a ASD shear stress
increase of 150% (1.5x factor) is applied to the in-plane shear demand as required in Section
7.3.2.6.1.2. The program automatically handles this requirement if the “1.5x Shear ASD” setting is
turned on in the Seismic Design Rules - Masonry Walls tab, and will apply a 1.5 factor to the shear
demand in the wall region.

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LRFD - Additional Requirements

The ACI 530/TMS 402 code has additional seismic detailing requirements for masonry shear wall
panels, some of which are considered in RISA-3D. The seismic detailing requirements in this section
are only considered if the model is solved using one of the supported Strength (LRFD) masonry
codes.

Special Boundary Elements Requirements

For Masonry Wall Panels with a Seismic Design Rule of “Special” and walls “Special Boundary
Elements” setting turned on in the Seismic Design Rule, the program will determine if Special
Boundary Elements are required per Section 9.3.6.6.1. Two conditions are considered to determine if
Special Boundary Elements are required:

If any of the conditions above hold true, then Special Boundary Elements are not required per Section
9.3.6.6.1. If both of the conditions above do NOT hold true, then Special Boundary Elements are
required. The program does not design the walls with the Special Boundary Elements. Users shall
proceed to the requirements of Section 9.3.6.6 for further design requirements if special boundary
elements are required.

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Note:
l The requirements of Section 9.3.6.6.1 are checked per wall panel regions, not the
entire wall panel.
l Wall is assumed to be rectangular in shape and geometrically symmetrical.
l For wall panels designed using Special Boundary Elements, no checks for
maximum vertical reinforcement are required per ACI 530/TMS 402. Refer to TMS
402/602-16 and ACI 530-13 for additional information on ductility requirements.

Design Seismic Shear Capacity Limits

For Masonry Wall Panels with a Seismic Design Rule of “Special”, the program checks if the Design
Shear Strength, phi_Vn, exceeds a shear value (Vu) that corresponds to 1.25 times the nominal
flexural strength of the wall, calculated as follows:

Where:
l Mn is the in-plane nominal flexural strength of the wall panel region
l Mu is the in-plane moment (flexure) demand in the wall panel region
l V is the actual shear demand in the wall panel region
Additionally, the Design Shear Strength must not exceeds 250% of the shear demand in the wall
panel region:

If any of the minimum and maximum limits to the Design Shear Strength is not met, a “Fail” will be
indicated in this check in the Seismic Detailing section of the Wall Panel Detail Report for the wall
panel region.

Maximum Area of Flexural Tensile Reinforcement (max. Flexural Rho Check -

Strength)
For walls not designed with Special Boundary Elements (without the “Special Boundary Elements”
and designed using a Strength code, all wall panel regions will be checked against maximum flexural
reinforcement requirements per Section 9.3.3.2. Section 9.3.3.2 stipulates minimum levels of strain at
the extreme tension fiber, which the program handles individually for each wall panel region, with a
minimum tension reinforcement strain factor, “α”, for each masonry seismic wall type.
The tension reinforcement strain factor is dependent on the wall type, seismic response modification
R factor, and the shear span ratio (M/Vdv) ratio, as shown in the table below:

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The strain ratio for the extreme rebar layer, calculated as es/ey, where es is the strain in the steel at
the extreme tension rebar layer and ey is the yield strain of reinforcement.
The procedure for determining compliance is as follows:
l Wall Panel Region in-plane reinforcement design is done based on the flexure (moment)
demand in the wall panel region.
l Shear span ratio (M/Vdv), depth to neutral axis c and seismic response modification R
factor are reported.
l Required minimum tension reinforcement strain factor is obtained per the table above.
l Strain ratio, calculated as es/ey, where es is the strain in the steel at the extreme tension
rebar layer and ey is the yield strain of reinforcement, is compared to α.
l
If es/ey ≥ α, then reinforcement in the wall panel region is in compliance with Section
9.3.3.2.
l If es/ey < α, then the reinforcement in the wall panel region is NOT in compliance with
Section 9.3.3.2.
l The strain in the steel at the extreme tension rebar layer is calculated based on the depth to
neutral axis c, and the effective depth of the wall region, d, as shown in the diagram below:

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The calculation of the strain at the extreme tension reinforcement layer is as follows:

Note:
l Out of plane reinforcement is not considered in meeting ductility requirements for
Section 9.3.3.2.
l The effects of compression reinforcement is considered in the in-plane flexural
capacity of the wall panel regions when calculating the location of the neutral axis.
l The maximum usable masonry strain at the extreme compression fiber, emu, is
assumed to be 0.0025 for the calculation of the strain at the extreme tension steel
for Seismic Detailing checks. For assumptions of the extreme compression fiber for
non-seismic in-plane checks, refer to the In Plane Design - Strength section.
l Section 9.3.3.2.1 requires axial forces to be taken from the loading combination
given by D + 0.75L + 0.525QE. The program has no way of determining if this load
combination is present in the model, or if it governs the design of the wall panel.
Therefore, it is recommended that users include this load combination in the set of
solved load combinations, and determine if ductility requirements are met for this
specific load combination.

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Assumptions and Limitations

l All walls are assumed to be laid in a running bond.
l No checks are provided for seismic detailing requirements at roof and floor diaphragms, at
wall corners, for dowels or through control joints. Additional requirements may apply for
seismic design categories D, E and F. Refer to TMS 402-16 or ACI 530-13 Chapter 7 for
additional requirements.

Masonry Wall - Seismic Design Results

Results for Seismic Detailing of Masonry Walls are provided via Spreadsheets and wall panel Detail
Report.

Design Spreadsheet Results

Wall Panel Seismic Detailing

Results for Seismic Detailing checks are provided in the Wall Panel Design spreadsheet - Masonry
Seismic tab. Results are provided per region, and the Seismic Detailing column provides a summary
of the Seismic Detailing checks. For a more detailed output, check the “Seismic Detailing” portion of
the Wall Panel Detail Report.

Masonry Wall - Seismic Detailing

Column Description
Wall Panel The Wall Panel column displays the masonry seismic wall panels
defined in the model.
Seismic Design The Seismic Design Rule column displays the rule governing the design.
Rule
Region The Region column lists the masonry seismic wall panel region that the
results are based on.

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Column Description
UC Shear In Plane The Shear UC In Plane column shows the in plane shear code check. A
value greater than 1.0 for any of these values would indicate failure.
LC The LC column adjacent to the UC Shear In Plane column, shows the
load combination that produces each of the highest code check values.
Seismic Detailing The Seismic Detailing column displays whether or not the masonry
seismic wall panel passed or failed the analysis.
BZ Req’d? The BZ Req’d? column displays whether or not there are boundary
elements/zones required.
l If No is displayed, it means there are no boundary
elements/zones required.
l If Yes is displayed, it meands boundary elements/zones are
required.

Reinforcing Spreadsheet Results

Wall Panel reinforcement is provided in the Concrete Reinforcing Spreadsheet - Masonry Wall tab.
Results are provided per region. For a more detailed output, check the “Seismic Detailing” portion of
the Wall Panel Detail Report.

Detailed Reports

Seismic Detailing Checks - Wall Panel Region

Seismic Detailing checks are provided for each of the wall panel regions at the top of the report, when
Region is chosen in the first drop down. Each Seismic Detailing section has a header “Region RX
(Seismic Detailing)”, where “R” indicates a “Region” and “X” the region number.

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The Seismic Detailing checks depend on which design philosophy is being performed (e.g. ASD vs
Strength) and the Wall Panel’s Seismic Design Rule. See below an example of the checks provided
for a Strength design of a Masonry Wall Panel with a “Special” Seismic Design Rule designed with
Special Boundary Elements:
Legend:

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l A “PASS” indicates that the seismic detailing check is in compliance with the referenced
section.
l A “FAIL” indicates that the seismic detailing check is NOT in compliance with the
referenced section.
l A “N/A” indicates that the seismic detailing check is NOT APPLICABLE for the Wall Panel
Region.

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Wood Wall - Design

The wood wall panel element allows you to easily model, analyze and design wood walls for in-plane
loads. Here we will explain the wood specific inputs and design considerations. For general wall
panel information, see the Wall Panels topic. For wood wall results interpretation, see the Wood Wall
Results topic.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Wood Walls.
Full code checking and design can be performed on the panel sheathing, studs, ch ords, headers and
hold-downs based on the following codes:
l The 2018 edition of the NDS. Lateral wall design can be performed using either 2015 or
2021 SDPWS when using 2018 NDS.
l The 2015 edition of the NDS
l The 2012 edition of the NDS
l The 2005/08 edition of the NDS (National Design Specification)
l The 2014 edition of the CSA O86
l The 2009 edition of the CSA O86

Wood Wall Input

The Walls ribbon provides specific information and options for the modeling/analysis of wood walls.
To open the Walls ribbon, double-click on a wall panel within the 3D view window. This action also
opens the wall panel in the Wall Panel Editor.

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Wood View Controls

The following table provides descriptions for the wood wall panel view controls.
Wood Wall Panel View Controls

Control Description
The Chords icon lets you toggle the display of the wall panel region chords on
and off.
The Header icon lets you toggle the display of the headers on and off.
The Studs icon lets you toggle the display of the wall studs on and off.
The Top/Sill Plate iconlet you toggle the display of the top/sill plates on and
off.

Design Rules
You must set up design rules for the stud/chord sizes, as well as make database selection for shear
panels and hold-downs. This is done in the Wall Design Rules spreadsheet in the Wood Wall
(Studs) and Wood Wall (Fasteners) tabs. See the Wood Wall - Design Rules topic for more
information.

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Create Openings in Wood Walls with Headers

Within the Walls ribbon, you have the option of adding rectangular openings to wood wall panels.

Draw an Opening
To draw an opening:
1. Click the Openings icon.

2. Click on the two nodes or grid intersections which make up the two diagonal corners of your
opening.
When an opening is drawn, a header beam is automatically created above the opening.

View/Edit Header Beam Properties

To view or edit the properties of a header beam:
1. Open the Wall Design Rules spreadsheet.
In the case where you may have different opening headers in the same wall, you can define
the different headers by following the next step.
2. Double-click inside the boundary of the drawn opening, or click the Design Rule ellipsis
button in the ‘Properties’ panel.
This opens the Wood Wall Definition Editor window for that particular opening, which
then lets you modify the header properties.

The following options appear:

Review or Change Wall Design Rule

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Option Description
Create New Create New lets you create a new Wall Design Rule to be applied
to the wall.
View & Edit View Edit Existing lets you view as well as make edits to the Wall
Existing Design Rule that is currently applied to the wall.
Convert to The Convert to Custom (No Wall Design Rule) option is only
Custom available when each opening is defined separately. This option
lets you define a header size and material that is different from
the Wall Design Rule. This option only applies to Masonry
Walls.

Note: You set a custom header only if you have multiple

headers in the same wall that are different sizes.

3. Click on the View & Edit Existing or Convert to Custom (if making custom modifications)
to open the related window.
Refer to Wall Design Rules for more information on the available design rule options.

Hold-Downs and Straps

Hold-downs and straps are automatically added to your walls in their required locations. For a
“Segmented” design, you must have hold-downs or straps at the bottom corners of each of your
design segments. For “Perforated” and “Force Transfer Around Openings (FTAO)”, hold-downs
straps are only allowed at the two far corners of the wall panel. The program will not permit the
drawing of hold-downs or straps at locations where they are not allowed.
If there are custom locations that you want to add hold-downs or straps, you can do this from the
Walls ribbon.
Hold downs
‘Hold downs’ can represent the anchorage of your wall to the foundation or the connection of shear
wall chords between floors.
To add hold-downs to the base of your wall:
l Click theHold Downs icon on the Walls ribbon.

Hold downs must be added after regions are created and can only be added at the corners
of regions. Hold down requirements depend on the type of wall design you are performing.
Straps
‘Straps’ represent the connection of the current wall panel to a wall panel below.

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To add straps to the base of your wall:

l Click the Straps icon on the Walls ribbon.

Straps also can only be added after regions are created and can only added at the corners
of regions. Strap requirements also follow the same logic as hold downs as to where they
must be defined as far as regions are concerned.

Note:
l All boundary conditions for wall panels should be defined in the wall panel editor.
Adding external boundary conditions can create problems.
l The locations of hold-downs and straps define where the program will calculate
tension forces in your walls.
l If you have applied your hold-downs or straps for the Segmented design with
openings in your wall, then they will be required at the interior of the wall panel.
However, running Perforated or FTAO does not require hold-downs or straps at the
interior of the wall panel. Thus, if you toggle between Segmented to Perforated or
FTAO, then the hold-downs or straps you drew will be removed at the interior of the
walls. If you switch back to Segmented, the interior hold-downs or straps will come
back again.
l By default, the program will automatically add hold-downs to the base of walls that
have boundary conditions applied to them and will apply straps to walls that have
walls below.
l All Straps and Hold-downs are placed at the base of walls only. So, if you would like
to put a strap or hold-down between floors, you would apply it to the base of the
upper wall.

The output for straps and hold-downs will show up on the detail report for the wall panel. More
information on this can be found in the Wood Wall Results topic.

General Requirements for Shear Walls

The design of wood shear walls per the available design codes requires that many criteria are
satisfied before a wall can be considered adequate. For RISA to work within this framework, we
require that certain modeling practices be followed. Outlined below are many general wall modeling
practices and limitations. Also included are specific requirements for each of the three design
procedures for wood wall design with openings: Segmented, Force Transfer Around Openings, and
Perforated.
The three different types of shear walls are defined in Section 4.3 of the NDS Special Design
Provisions for Wind and Seismic.

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Note: The Canadian CSA O86 design code only supports the Segmented method, as
described below.

Segmented Method
Where there is a wall panel with openings, the area above and below the openings is disregarded
and the wall is designed as being made up of separate, smaller shear walls.
Like all wall panels, the segmented wood wall is broken into a series of meshed plate elements to
represent the overall wall. The portions of the segmented shear wall that are considered "ineffective"
in resisting shear are modeled with a plate elements that have a significantly reduced shear stiffness
so that they will not receive any significant moment or shear from the FEM analysis.
See the diagram below for more information:

In addition, the out of plane stiffness and in plane stiffnesses of the segmented wood wall are
modeled separately based on different assumed plate thicknesses. This is done to insure that the
shear stiffness is based entirely on the properties of the sheathing and is not influenced by the out-of-
plane stiffness of the wall studs.

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Note:
l If you have several stacked Segmented wall panels with misaligned openings, you
will receive the Warning Message shown below upon solution. This message
means that RISA-3D has assumed that the strap force from the above wall panel
will be spread out across the region directly under it. Therefore, you need to be
aware of this assumption and detail the wall panel accordingly.

l A shear panel design will be chosen for the worst-case region in a segmented wall.
That panel will then be used for all regions in that wall. The worst-case region is the
one that has the highest Shear UC value.

Force Transfer Around Openings Method

This method is based on a rational analysis of the wall generally referred to as the "Diekmann
Method" This method is documented in detail in Design of Wood Structures ASD/LRFD (6th edition)
by Breyer, Fridley, Cobeen, and Pollock. The assumption being that straps and blocking can added
at the corners of the openings to transfer the sheathing forces across these nodes. This method
essentially allows you to use the entire area of the wall (minus the opening) to resist the shear in the
wall.

The basic assumptions made in the shear wall analysis are the following:
l The sheathing resists the shear forces. The average shear force in each block of the wall
(numbered 1~8 as shown in the image above) is used as the controlling shear force in that

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location. The maximum shear in each of these locations will control the design of the wall.
The program uses an area weighted average of the Fxy plate forces to determine the
average shear for each block.
l The moment at the edge of each block that is above or below an opening is assumed to be
transmitted across the opening interface by horizontal tension straps or compression
blocks as shown in the image above. The required force is reported to the user, but the
design and length of these elements is left to the engineer.
l The moment at the edge of each block that is to the right or left of an opening is assumed to
be transmitted across the opening by tension straps or compression blocks. Since it is likely
that the sheathing and king studs will be capable of transmitting these forces, these
elements are not shown in the image above. However, these forces are reported so that the
design of the studs and sheathing in these regions can be checked by the engineer to
consider these effects.

Note:
l The program is limited in the automatic generation of regions for walls with multiple
openings that are not aligned. Therefore, it is recommended that complex walls will
multiple openings be simplified based on engineering judgment to facilitate easier
detailing of the force transfer around these openings.
l This design method is not available for Canadian CSA O86 design. If you select this
design method, the program will automatically change it back to Segmented.

Perforated Method
This method for design of wood shear walls with openings may end up being the most cost effective.
It only requires hold downs at the corners of the wall, yet it does not require straps or blocking around
the openings. A perforated shear wall design approach is, however, subject to a number of code
constraints about when it can be used.

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The basic design procedure for perforated walls is to essentially ignore the portions of the wall that do
not have full height sheathing and treat the wall instead as a significantly shorter wall. This amplifies
the chord and hold down design forces significantly while at the same time increasing the design unit
shear as shown in the equations below:

Where:

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Note:
l The perforated method of design also has many caveats that are given in Section
4.3.5.3 of the 2015 Special Design Provisions for Wind & Seismic / 4.3.5.6. of the
2021 Special Design Provisions for Wind & Seismic. The program will not allow the
design of wall panels that do not follow these provisions.
l For multi-story perforated shear walls, the amplified hold down forces required per
the code become difficult to interpret for the lower walls. Therefore, when RISA
calculates the hold down forces for the lower wall it assumes that the reduction
coefficients for the upper wall are identical to the values for the lower wall. This will
result in conservative hold down forces when the lower wall has more openings
than the upper wall. But, it may be un-conservative for situations where this is not
the case. This assumption does NOT affect the shear design of either wall, nor
does it affect the strap force calculations in the upper wall.
l This design method is not available for Canadian CSA O86 design. If you select this
design method, the program will automatically change it back to Segmented.

Shear Capacity Adjustment Factor, Co:

The NDS Special Design Provisions for Wind & Seismic lists Effective Shear Capacity Ratio (Co)
values that are used in calculating the nominal shear capacity of perforated shear walls. Because the
tabular values are limited to wall heights of 8’ & 10’, RISA instead uses equation (4.3-5) from the 2015
NDS SDPWS (as shown below) or equation (4.3-6) from the 2021 NDS SDPWS to calculate the Co
factor for any height wall.

Where:

When using these equations, RISA takes Ao as the true area of the openings. However, Table
4.3.3.5 of the 2015 NDS SDPWS (Table 4.3.3.4 from older versions of the NDS SDPWS) references
Co values based on all opening heights equal to the maximum opening height. Therefore if you want
the program to calculate Co equal to that in Table 4.3.3.5 of the NDS, you must draw all openings as
equal to the maximum height. Please see the image below for reference.

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Note: When the assumption is made that all opening heights are equal to the maximum
opening height then the equation produces values of Co that are within 1% for all the values
shown in the NDS table.

Co Limitation for Stacked Wall Panels

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For wall panels that are stacked on one another, each wall panel has its own Co value. These Co
values will be different if the openings in each wall are different. This is the source of a limitation in the
program.
The program determines the design forces in each wall panel separately using the finite element
solution. We then take those design forces and factor them for the Co values. The problem is that the
design forces for the bottom wall are affected by the Co value for the upper wall. Thus, the forces that
come down on a lower wall from an upper wall have been factored for the Cofrom the upper wall.
RISA-3D does not consider this. The program takes the forces from the finite element solution and
uses the Co value only for the wall in question.
Thus, the highest level in a stacked wall configuration will always use Co in a correct manner. The
lower wall(s), however, will be conservative if they have more openings than the upper wall(s) and
can be unconservative if the upper wall(s) have more openings than the lower wall(s).
This limitation must be considered when designing Perforated walls that are stacked.

General Program Functionality and Limitations

RISAFloor and RISA-3D Interaction
When using RISAFloor and RISA-3D in combination, the interface transitions nicely between the two
programs. Here is a quick walk through of this interaction.

Input Interface
1. Model the entire building (gravity and lateral members) within RISAFloor. Be sure to model
all openings and regions for all of the wall panels in the model.

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Note: You can not modify your openings or regions in RISA-3D. All region and
opening modifications must be taken back to RISAFloor to be done.

2. Add loading and solve the model.

3. Click on the Director link to take the model into RISA-3D.
4. Once in RISA-3D, add your hold downs and straps to your wall panels.

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Note:
l Hold downs and straps can not be added to wall panels in RISAFloor.
l Hold downs are only allowed to be added to the lower corners of the wall
panel for the Perforated or Force Transfer Around Openings design methods.
l Hold downs are required at the corners of all full height regions in the wall
panel for the Segmented design method.
l The Design Rule, Design Method and SSAF can be changed in either
program at any time.

Modeling Tips- Platform Framing

The wood wall height in RISA is measured from the bottom of the sill plate to the top of the floor
framing as shown below. However, platform framing causes the wall height to be significantly shorter
than a RISA model would represent.
The design method FTAO is the only method that will cause significant problems because the region
above openings is assumed to be much larger than it is built. In order to adjust for this framing depth,
you can adjust your opening height to include the depth of the floor framing. This will reduce the
portion of the wall above the opening thus reducing the amount of area to transfer shear forces.
In Segmented and Perforated design methods, the portion above and below the opening are not
used to transfer shear forces.

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Limitations for Hold-downs / Straps (Including deformation)

l The program does not currently have a database for continuous tie rod hold-downs.
However, the design results that are presented for each floor are intended to provide the
type of information necessary for the design of these types of hold downs.
l The davalues (deflection at peak load) from our hold-down database are based entirely on
the manufacturers listed values. These do not include any allowance for shrinkage (which is
often as much as 1/4" or more per floor), or crushing of the sill plate.
l There is not currently a da value used in the calculation for strap deformation for upper floor
levels.

Automatic Boundary Conditions

l In RISA-3D, if no boundary conditions or hold downs are defined for wood wall panels at the
lowest level of the structure, the program will automatically create hold downs at the
corners of the wall panel. If you do not want the hold downs to be automatically created,
define a "free" boundary condition at the base of the wall panel in the wall panel editor.

Deflection
l There is currently no code check for drift or deflection for shear wall panels.

Chord Design
The chord design is based on forces that are calculated differently for Compression versus Tension.
The tension chord force is calculated including the dead load stabilizing moment as per Section 4.3.6
of the NDS 2015 Special Design Provisions of Wind & Seismic. The compression chord force
includes the only the tributary area of one stud spacing in the compression force. For Segmented
design, the chord forces are found based on each region, and in FTAO and Perforated design
methods the chord forces are determined for the entire wall.

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Chord forces are calculated per the following equations:

l When the "Eccentricity" check-box is selected in the Wood Wall Design Rule (Fasteners
tab):

l When the "Eccentricity" check-box is NOT selected in the Wood Wall Design Rule
(Fasteners tab):

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Where:
l M = Moment at the base of the wall
l L = Length of the wall
l bc = width of chord member
l P = Axial force at the base of the wall
l n = Number of Studs = Length/Stud Spacing

Note:
l For Perforated Design, the term M/(Length-ChordWidth) found in the above
equation is replaced with Vh/(CoΣLi-ChordWidth) as indicated in the Equation 4.3-8
of the NDS 2015 Special Design Provisions for Wind & Seismic.
l RISA-3D models the shear walls using only the sheathing. The vertical resistance
occurs only at the tension and compression chords. Thus, if two wall panels are
stacked on top of each other, the load transfer will only happen at the chord
locations. Therefore, the lateral analysis should agree very well with hand
calculations. However, it also means that gravity load design may be more
appropriate in RISAFloor.

Hold-Down Force
The Hold-Down force is calculated by finding the Tension chord force. In order to accommodate an
unsymmetrical vertical load on the wall, the program adopted a more accurate approach by
calculating the moment at the compression side first and then finding the resulting reaction on the
tension side.

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Hold-Down forces are calculated per the following equations:

l When the "Eccentricity" check-box is selected in the Wood Wall Design Rule (Fasteners
tab):

l When the "Eccentricity" check-box is NOT selected in the Wood Wall Design Rule
(Fasteners tab):

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Where:
l Ma = moment at point A(CL of compression chord)
l M = moment at base of the wall
l P = Axial load at the base of the wall
l L = length of the wall
l bc = width of chord member
l Rb = reaction at point B = hold down force
l CL = Hold down eccentricity distance (per selected hold down)

Stud Design
Studs are only designed for load combinations which do not contain a wind or seismic load. The
maximum axial load, determined as an envelope force from all of the "gravity" load combinations
which have been solved, is determined for each region.
The compression capacity for the specified stud size is calculated with the assumption that the stud is
fully braced against buckling about its minor axis (within the plane of the wall). This is because the
blocking and sheathing are assumed to provide this bracing. The unbraced length for major axis
buckling is taken as the wall height, minus the thickness of the top and sill plates.
The program divides the region axial force by the number of studs that would be present in that region
for a given stud spacing. An optimal stud spacing is then selected based on the stud capacity, and the
parameters defined in the Design Rules.

Force Distribution
l The lateral force distribution between piers is based on the relative stiffness of the
sheathing, not on the length of the shear wall. For example, if you have an 8 foot wall and a
4 foot wall, the 8 foot wall will take more than 8/(8+4)*100% of the force. The moment of
inertia in the 8 foot wall will allow for a larger proportion of load to go into that pier.

Shear Capacity Adjustment Factors

40% Increase Factor Wind Load Cases

The allowable shear stress values tabulated in Appendix F are intended to be the allowable shear for
seismic loads. The solution tab of the Model Settings has a check-box which will automate the 40%

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shear capacity increase for any load combinations that include Wind Loads. This is called "Wind
ASIF" in the detailed report output. When the code is set to 2021 SDPWS LRFD, the code allows for
a 60% increase in shear capacity for wind loads.

Allowable Stress Reductions for Slender Wall Segments

The program will modify the allowable stress of the wall based on the 2b/h adjustment factor per NDS
SDPWS section 4.3.3.4 exception 1. This adjustment factor is only applied to the wall for load
combinations which include seismic loads. This adjustment factor only affects walls with an aspect
ratio between 2.0 and 3.5. This is called "Cap.Adj. (2w/h)" in the detailed report output.
For Segmented and FTAO wall panels designed per the NDS 2015, the program also checks the
Aspect Ratio factor per section 4.3.4.2. This factor will reduce the sheathing capacity for lateral (Wind
or Seismic) load combinations on walls who have a design region whose aspect ratio is greater than
2.0. This is called "Aspect Ratio" in the detailed report output.
The final governing factor (minimum of Cap. Adj. (2w/h) and Aspect Ratio) is reported as the Gov.
H/W Factor. This is then multiplied by the sheathing capacity to give the final Adj. Shear Cap..

Specific Gravity Adjustment Factor

The NDS defines an adjustment factor associated with using stud material that is less dense than
Douglas-Fir-Larch or Southern Pine. The program automatically accounts for this factor in the design
of Wood Shear Walls.

Unblocked Shear Wall Adjustment Factor

Section 4.3.3.2 of the 2015 NDS Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic is ignored in RISA-
3D. The program will always assume that the sheathing panel is blocked for both NDS and CSA
design.

Hold Down Adjustment Factor (Applicable to only 2021 SDPWS)

Per footnote 10 of Table 4.3A of the 2021 SDPWS, the nominal unit shear capacity for shear wall
shall be multiplied by 0.92 if shear walls are using 10d nails and where hold-downs are attached to

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the inside face of the end post. The program assumes that all Wood Walls have hold-downs
anchored to the inside face of the end post.

Uplift Limitation
Section 4.4 of the 2015 NDS Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic is ignored in RISA-3D.
The program currently does not design wall panels for uplift forces.

Stiffness Adjustment Factors

Shear Stiffness Adjustment Factor (to change FEM results)

This stiffness adjustment factor is set on the Wall Panels spreadsheet and is intended as a way to
force the FEM stiffness of the wall to more closely resemble the stiffness from the APA / NDS three
term deflection equation.
This adjustment affects the stiffness of the entire wall. Therefore, for segmented walls the engineer
may be forced to model the piers separately if they need to adjust the pier stiffnesses independently.
In a future release, this may become an automated factor.

Green Lumber
The Wood Wall (Studs) tab of the Design Rules spreadsheet contains a Green Lumber check-box to
account for the 50% reduction in the Ga value defined in the NDS footnote.

Stiffness Assumptions

Vertical Direction
RISA uses an orthotropic plate element to de-couple the vertical and shear stiffness of the wood
walls. The vertical stiffness will be based on the E value of the studs and chords as specified in the
Materials spreadsheet and the thickness of the wall. The thickness is taken as

Where:

In-Plane Shear
The in-plane shear stiffness will be based on the Ga value designated within the specified nailing
schedule divided by the sheathing thickness. Both the Ga value and the sheathing thickness are

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defined in the specified sheathing schedule.

Out-of-Plane Shear
For the out of plane shear, RISA uses the same Young's Modulus (E) as used in the vertical direction
and a thickness that is calculated from the out of plane moment of inertia. This becomes:

Wood Wall Self Weight

The program will calculate wood wall self weight as a sum of all the weights of the components. The
material density is used to calculate the self weight of the studs, chords, top plates, sill plate, and
sheathing. These are all then summed together to give the self weight of the entire wall.

Note:
l For this calculation, stud height equals wall height minus the thickness of the sill
plate and the top plate.
l The number of studs is calculated using the stud spacing specified in Design Rules.

Wood Wall Optimization

The program will optimize wood walls based on the required demand forces. The program can
optimize:
l Sheathing for in-plane shear design.
l Stud spacing for axial design.
l Hold-downs for in plane design.
Of these optimizations the two that substantially modifies the stiffness of the wall are the sheathing
and the stud spacing. To properly adjust the stiffness requires an iterative solution that updates the
stiffness of the model. This includes updating the strength properties of the wall as well as the
stiffness. This optimization/iteration can be done automatically by checking Optimize Masonry and
Wood Wallsin the Model Settings - Solution tab or can be done manually by unchecking this option.

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To update the stiffness portion of the wall, the program must re-solve your model with these updated
stiffnesses as this will change the distribution of forces through the model. By checking Optimize
Masonry and Wood Walls you are telling the program to re-solve automatically. Thus, the program
will start with it's initial stiffness parameters and solve the model. It will then optimize the wall to meet
strength criteria. Another solution will then be run with the new stiffnesses and the program will again
optimize the wall to meet strength criteria. This procedure will continue to occur until you reach the
Maximum Number of Iterations set or until all wall panel results match those of the previous
solution.
By unchecking Optimize Masonry and Wood Walls the program will only run the solution once and
the results will be based on the original configuration. You can then manually optimize your walls
using the Suggested Design spreadsheet.
After the solution is run (with or without optimization) the design results are based on the stiffness
used in the last iteration (by unchecking the Optimize Masonry and Wood Walls option a single
iteration is run). The program will then compare the design of the last iteration with the stiffness used
in that last iteration. If the two are the same the results shown are the final results. If the two are not
the same the program will then provide these two different results in the Suggested Design
spreadsheet.
The program will always present results in the output that coincide with the stiffness used in the final
solution.

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Note: The updating of the stiffness for the model is only required for the sheathing and stud
spacing optimization. Thus, hold-down call-outs are optimized automatically.

Suggested Design

In the Suggested Design spreadsheet you will get a list of wall panels in your model that are not yet
fully optimized, showing the panel and stud spacing of the last iteration and the program optimized
values. From here you have the ability to Use Panel? or Use Stud Space? which means that you
want to re-run the solution with the suggested design. You can choose this for each suggestion for
each wall panel individually. Once you have these checkboxes checked appropriately click the
Suggested Design icon in the Results tab to re-solve the model with the suggested design. After this
the stiffness matrix is re-formulated and may cause some redistribution of loads through the model.
Because of this the suggested design may also update and you may need to Use Panel?and/or Use
Stud Space? multiple times to converge on a solution.

Note:
l If the wall does not show up in the Wood Wall Suggested Design spreadsheet then
the current wall panel settings used are the optimal ones.
l If either the stud spacing or the panel fields are blank that means that the current
selections are the optimal ones.
l For more information on wood wall optimization see the Wood Wall - Design topic.
l For more information on member optimization see the Design Optimization topic.
l Concrete walls do not show up here because the reinforcement optimization does
not affect the stiffness of the wall.

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Panel Optimization

The procedure that RISA uses for design optimization is fundamentally based upon the assumption
that there is a 'cost' to shear capacity, and therefore the ideal panel design would have as little shear
capacity as possible to meet code requirements. Once the program has determined the shear
demand on the wall it will choose the most economical panel configuration based on that which has a
Shear Capacity closest to, but not exceeding the shear demand.
The default shear panels in the program come straight from published tables in the IBC, UBC, and
CSA O86 design manuals. "St-I" refers to Structural I panels and "RS" refers to Rated Sheathing
panels.

Note:
l The shear force listed in the XML spreadsheet is tabulated for the seismic values.
These values will automatically be multiplied by 1.4 for wind forces if the Wind ASIF
function is enabled. These values will be multiplied by 1.6 for wind forces when the
code is set to 2021 SDPWS LRFD.
l Panels with a label containing the characters "_W" together will be ignored during
design optimization.
l "Rated Sheathing" is a shortened form of "Span Rated Sheathing" or APA Rated
Sheathing. This terminology comes directly from the Department of Commerce
standards DOC PS1 and PS2.

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Hold Down Optimization

The procedure that RISA uses for hold-down optimization is fundamentally based upon the
assumption that there is a 'cost' to allowable tension in a product, and therefore the ideal hold-down
would have as little tensile capacity as possible to meet code requirements. Once the program has
determined the tensile force required to hold-down the wall it will choose the most economical hold-
down product based on that which most closely matches (but does not exceed) the tension demand.
The program looks to the Allowable Tension field of the hold-down schedule to choose the design.

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Strap Optimization

The procedure that RISA uses for strap optimization is fundamentally based upon the assumption
that there is a 'cost' to allowable tension in a product, and therefore the ideal strap would have as little
tensile capacity as possible to meet code requirements. Once the program has determined the
tensile force required to strap down the wall it will choose the most economical strap product based
on that which most closely matches (but does not exceed) the tension demand. The program looks to
the Allowable Tension field of the strap schedule to choose the design.

Optimization Options
For users who are new to wood wall design within RISA, the best procedure is to utilize the full
databases, and to limit the potential designs by utilizing the design rules spreadsheets. This results in
a design based on the maximum number of options, which is often the most efficient design.
For experienced users who have more specific limitations in terms of the designs they would like to
see, user-defined Groups (or families) are the solution. For example, an engineer who prefers to use
only one sheathing thickness, or one nail type can create a custom Group that contains only the
arrangements they want. For more information on creating these custom groups see Appendix F-
Wood Shear Wall Files.
For more information on Wood Walls see Wood Wall Results.

Wood Wall - Design

The wood wall panel element allows you to easily model, analyze and design wood walls for in-plane
loads. Here we will explain the wood specific inputs and design considerations. For general wall
panel information, see the Wall Panels topic. For wood wall results interpretation, see the Wood Wall
Results topic.

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For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Wood Walls.
Full code checking and design can be performed on the panel sheathing, studs, ch ords, headers and
hold-downs based on the following codes:
l The 2018 edition of the NDS. Lateral wall design can be performed using either 2015 or
2021 SDPWS when using 2018 NDS.
l The 2015 edition of the NDS
l The 2012 edition of the NDS
l The 2005/08 edition of the NDS (National Design Specification)
l The 2014 edition of the CSA O86
l The 2009 edition of the CSA O86

Wood Wall Input

The Walls ribbon provides specific information and options for the modeling/analysis of wood walls.
To open the Walls ribbon, double-click on a wall panel within the 3D view window. This action also
opens the wall panel in the Wall Panel Editor.

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Wood View Controls

The following table provides descriptions for the wood wall panel view controls.
Wood Wall Panel View Controls

Control Description
The Chords icon lets you toggle the display of the wall panel region chords on
and off.
The Header icon lets you toggle the display of the headers on and off.
The Studs icon lets you toggle the display of the wall studs on and off.
The Top/Sill Plate iconlet you toggle the display of the top/sill plates on and
off.

Design Rules
You must set up design rules for the stud/chord sizes, as well as make database selection for shear
panels and hold-downs. This is done in the Wall Design Rules spreadsheet in the Wood Wall
(Studs) and Wood Wall (Fasteners) tabs. See the Wood Wall - Design Rules topic for more
information.

Create Openings in Wood Walls with Headers

Within the Walls ribbon, you have the option of adding rectangular openings to wood wall panels.

Draw an Opening
To draw an opening:
1. Click the Openings icon.

2. Click on the two nodes or grid intersections which make up the two diagonal corners of your
opening.
When an opening is drawn, a header beam is automatically created above the opening.

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View/Edit Header Beam Properties

To view or edit the properties of a header beam:
1. Open the Wall Design Rules spreadsheet.
In the case where you may have different opening headers in the same wall, you can define
the different headers by following the next step.
2. Double-click inside the boundary of the drawn opening, or click the Design Rule ellipsis
button in the ‘Properties’ panel.
This opens the Wood Wall Definition Editor window for that particular opening, which
then lets you modify the header properties.

The following options appear:

Review or Change Wall Design Rule

Option Description
Create New Create New lets you create a new Wall Design Rule to be applied
to the wall.
View & Edit View Edit Existing lets you view as well as make edits to the Wall
Existing Design Rule that is currently applied to the wall.
Convert to The Convert to Custom (No Wall Design Rule) option is only
Custom available when each opening is defined separately. This option
lets you define a header size and material that is different from
the Wall Design Rule. This option only applies to Masonry
Walls.

Note: You set a custom header only if you have multiple

headers in the same wall that are different sizes.

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3. Click on the View & Edit Existing or Convert to Custom (if making custom modifications)
to open the related window.
Refer to Wall Design Rules for more information on the available design rule options.

Hold-Downs and Straps

Hold-downs and straps are automatically added to your walls in their required locations. For a
“Segmented” design, you must have hold-downs or straps at the bottom corners of each of your
design segments. For “Perforated” and “Force Transfer Around Openings (FTAO)”, hold-downs
straps are only allowed at the two far corners of the wall panel. The program will not permit the
drawing of hold-downs or straps at locations where they are not allowed.
If there are custom locations that you want to add hold-downs or straps, you can do this from the
Walls ribbon.
Hold downs
‘Hold downs’ can represent the anchorage of your wall to the foundation or the connection of shear
wall chords between floors.
To add hold-downs to the base of your wall:
l Click theHold Downs icon on the Walls ribbon.

Hold downs must be added after regions are created and can only be added at the corners
of regions. Hold down requirements depend on the type of wall design you are performing.
Straps
‘Straps’ represent the connection of the current wall panel to a wall panel below.
To add straps to the base of your wall:
l Click the Straps icon on the Walls ribbon.

Straps also can only be added after regions are created and can only added at the corners
of regions. Strap requirements also follow the same logic as hold downs as to where they
must be defined as far as regions are concerned.

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Note:
l All boundary conditions for wall panels should be defined in the wall panel editor.
Adding external boundary conditions can create problems.
l The locations of hold-downs and straps define where the program will calculate
tension forces in your walls.
l If you have applied your hold-downs or straps for the Segmented design with
openings in your wall, then they will be required at the interior of the wall panel.
However, running Perforated or FTAO does not require hold-downs or straps at the
interior of the wall panel. Thus, if you toggle between Segmented to Perforated or
FTAO, then the hold-downs or straps you drew will be removed at the interior of the
walls. If you switch back to Segmented, the interior hold-downs or straps will come
back again.
l By default, the program will automatically add hold-downs to the base of walls that
have boundary conditions applied to them and will apply straps to walls that have
walls below.
l All Straps and Hold-downs are placed at the base of walls only. So, if you would like
to put a strap or hold-down between floors, you would apply it to the base of the
upper wall.

The output for straps and hold-downs will show up on the detail report for the wall panel. More
information on this can be found in the Wood Wall Results topic.

General Requirements for Shear Walls

The design of wood shear walls per the available design codes requires that many criteria are
satisfied before a wall can be considered adequate. For RISA to work within this framework, we
require that certain modeling practices be followed. Outlined below are many general wall modeling
practices and limitations. Also included are specific requirements for each of the three design
procedures for wood wall design with openings: Segmented, Force Transfer Around Openings, and
Perforated.
The three different types of shear walls are defined in Section 4.3 of the NDS Special Design
Provisions for Wind and Seismic.

Note: The Canadian CSA O86 design code only supports the Segmented method, as
described below.

Segmented Method
Where there is a wall panel with openings, the area above and below the openings is disregarded
and the wall is designed as being made up of separate, smaller shear walls.
Like all wall panels, the segmented wood wall is broken into a series of meshed plate elements to
represent the overall wall. The portions of the segmented shear wall that are considered "ineffective"

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in resisting shear are modeled with a plate elements that have a significantly reduced shear stiffness
so that they will not receive any significant moment or shear from the FEM analysis.
See the diagram below for more information:

In addition, the out of plane stiffness and in plane stiffnesses of the segmented wood wall are
modeled separately based on different assumed plate thicknesses. This is done to insure that the
shear stiffness is based entirely on the properties of the sheathing and is not influenced by the out-of-
plane stiffness of the wall studs.

Note:
l If you have several stacked Segmented wall panels with misaligned openings, you
will receive the Warning Message shown below upon solution. This message
means that RISA-3D has assumed that the strap force from the above wall panel
will be spread out across the region directly under it. Therefore, you need to be
aware of this assumption and detail the wall panel accordingly.

l A shear panel design will be chosen for the worst-case region in a segmented wall.
That panel will then be used for all regions in that wall. The worst-case region is the
one that has the highest Shear UC value.

Force Transfer Around Openings Method

This method is based on a rational analysis of the wall generally referred to as the "Diekmann
Method" This method is documented in detail in Design of Wood Structures ASD/LRFD (6th edition)
by Breyer, Fridley, Cobeen, and Pollock. The assumption being that straps and blocking can added

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at the corners of the openings to transfer the sheathing forces across these nodes. This method
essentially allows you to use the entire area of the wall (minus the opening) to resist the shear in the
wall.

The basic assumptions made in the shear wall analysis are the following:
l The sheathing resists the shear forces. The average shear force in each block of the wall
(numbered 1~8 as shown in the image above) is used as the controlling shear force in that
location. The maximum shear in each of these locations will control the design of the wall.
The program uses an area weighted average of the Fxy plate forces to determine the
average shear for each block.
l The moment at the edge of each block that is above or below an opening is assumed to be
transmitted across the opening interface by horizontal tension straps or compression
blocks as shown in the image above. The required force is reported to the user, but the
design and length of these elements is left to the engineer.
l The moment at the edge of each block that is to the right or left of an opening is assumed to
be transmitted across the opening by tension straps or compression blocks. Since it is likely
that the sheathing and king studs will be capable of transmitting these forces, these
elements are not shown in the image above. However, these forces are reported so that the
design of the studs and sheathing in these regions can be checked by the engineer to
consider these effects.

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Note:
l The program is limited in the automatic generation of regions for walls with multiple
openings that are not aligned. Therefore, it is recommended that complex walls will
multiple openings be simplified based on engineering judgment to facilitate easier
detailing of the force transfer around these openings.
l This design method is not available for Canadian CSA O86 design. If you select this
design method, the program will automatically change it back to Segmented.

Perforated Method
This method for design of wood shear walls with openings may end up being the most cost effective.
It only requires hold downs at the corners of the wall, yet it does not require straps or blocking around
the openings. A perforated shear wall design approach is, however, subject to a number of code
constraints about when it can be used.

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The basic design procedure for perforated walls is to essentially ignore the portions of the wall that do
not have full height sheathing and treat the wall instead as a significantly shorter wall. This amplifies
the chord and hold down design forces significantly while at the same time increasing the design unit
shear as shown in the equations below:

Where:

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Note:
l The perforated method of design also has many caveats that are given in Section
4.3.5.3 of the 2015 Special Design Provisions for Wind & Seismic / 4.3.5.6. of the
2021 Special Design Provisions for Wind & Seismic. The program will not allow the
design of wall panels that do not follow these provisions.
l For multi-story perforated shear walls, the amplified hold down forces required per
the code become difficult to interpret for the lower walls. Therefore, when RISA
calculates the hold down forces for the lower wall it assumes that the reduction
coefficients for the upper wall are identical to the values for the lower wall. This will
result in conservative hold down forces when the lower wall has more openings
than the upper wall. But, it may be un-conservative for situations where this is not
the case. This assumption does NOT affect the shear design of either wall, nor
does it affect the strap force calculations in the upper wall.
l This design method is not available for Canadian CSA O86 design. If you select this
design method, the program will automatically change it back to Segmented.

Shear Capacity Adjustment Factor, Co:

The NDS Special Design Provisions for Wind & Seismic lists Effective Shear Capacity Ratio (Co)
values that are used in calculating the nominal shear capacity of perforated shear walls. Because the
tabular values are limited to wall heights of 8’ & 10’, RISA instead uses equation (4.3-5) from the 2015
NDS SDPWS (as shown below) or equation (4.3-6) from the 2021 NDS SDPWS to calculate the Co
factor for any height wall.

Where:

When using these equations, RISA takes Ao as the true area of the openings. However, Table
4.3.3.5 of the 2015 NDS SDPWS (Table 4.3.3.4 from older versions of the NDS SDPWS) references
Co values based on all opening heights equal to the maximum opening height. Therefore if you want
the program to calculate Co equal to that in Table 4.3.3.5 of the NDS, you must draw all openings as
equal to the maximum height. Please see the image below for reference.

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Note: When the assumption is made that all opening heights are equal to the maximum
opening height then the equation produces values of Co that are within 1% for all the values
shown in the NDS table.

Co Limitation for Stacked Wall Panels

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For wall panels that are stacked on one another, each wall panel has its own Co value. These Co
values will be different if the openings in each wall are different. This is the source of a limitation in the
program.
The program determines the design forces in each wall panel separately using the finite element
solution. We then take those design forces and factor them for the Co values. The problem is that the
design forces for the bottom wall are affected by the Co value for the upper wall. Thus, the forces that
come down on a lower wall from an upper wall have been factored for the Cofrom the upper wall.
RISA-3D does not consider this. The program takes the forces from the finite element solution and
uses the Co value only for the wall in question.
Thus, the highest level in a stacked wall configuration will always use Co in a correct manner. The
lower wall(s), however, will be conservative if they have more openings than the upper wall(s) and
can be unconservative if the upper wall(s) have more openings than the lower wall(s).
This limitation must be considered when designing Perforated walls that are stacked.

General Program Functionality and Limitations

RISAFloor and RISA-3D Interaction

When using RISAFloor and RISA-3D in combination, the interface transitions nicely between the two
programs. Here is a quick walk through of this interaction.

Input Interface
1. Model the entire building (gravity and lateral members) within RISAFloor. Be sure to model
all openings and regions for all of the wall panels in the model.

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Note: You can not modify your openings or regions in RISA-3D. All region and
opening modifications must be taken back to RISAFloor to be done.

2. Add loading and solve the model.

3. Click on the Director link to take the model into RISA-3D.
4. Once in RISA-3D, add your hold downs and straps to your wall panels.

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Note:
l Hold downs and straps can not be added to wall panels in RISAFloor.
l Hold downs are only allowed to be added to the lower corners of the wall
panel for the Perforated or Force Transfer Around Openings design methods.
l Hold downs are required at the corners of all full height regions in the wall
panel for the Segmented design method.
l The Design Rule, Design Method and SSAF can be changed in either
program at any time.

Modeling Tips- Platform Framing

The wood wall height in RISA is measured from the bottom of the sill plate to the top of the floor
framing as shown below. However, platform framing causes the wall height to be significantly shorter
than a RISA model would represent.
The design method FTAO is the only method that will cause significant problems because the region
above openings is assumed to be much larger than it is built. In order to adjust for this framing depth,
you can adjust your opening height to include the depth of the floor framing. This will reduce the
portion of the wall above the opening thus reducing the amount of area to transfer shear forces.
In Segmented and Perforated design methods, the portion above and below the opening are not
used to transfer shear forces.

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Limitations for Hold-downs / Straps (Including deformation)

l The program does not currently have a database for continuous tie rod hold-downs.
However, the design results that are presented for each floor are intended to provide the
type of information necessary for the design of these types of hold downs.
l The davalues (deflection at peak load) from our hold-down database are based entirely on
the manufacturers listed values. These do not include any allowance for shrinkage (which is
often as much as 1/4" or more per floor), or crushing of the sill plate.
l There is not currently a da value used in the calculation for strap deformation for upper floor
levels.

Automatic Boundary Conditions

l In RISA-3D, if no boundary conditions or hold downs are defined for wood wall panels at the
lowest level of the structure, the program will automatically create hold downs at the
corners of the wall panel. If you do not want the hold downs to be automatically created,
define a "free" boundary condition at the base of the wall panel in the wall panel editor.

Deflection
l There is currently no code check for drift or deflection for shear wall panels.

Chord Design
The chord design is based on forces that are calculated differently for Compression versus Tension.
The tension chord force is calculated including the dead load stabilizing moment as per Section 4.3.6
of the NDS 2015 Special Design Provisions of Wind & Seismic. The compression chord force
includes the only the tributary area of one stud spacing in the compression force. For Segmented
design, the chord forces are found based on each region, and in FTAO and Perforated design
methods the chord forces are determined for the entire wall.

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Chord forces are calculated per the following equations:

l When the "Eccentricity" check-box is selected in the Wood Wall Design Rule (Fasteners
tab):

l When the "Eccentricity" check-box is NOT selected in the Wood Wall Design Rule
(Fasteners tab):

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Where:
l M = Moment at the base of the wall
l L = Length of the wall
l bc = width of chord member
l P = Axial force at the base of the wall
l n = Number of Studs = Length/Stud Spacing

Note:
l For Perforated Design, the term M/(Length-ChordWidth) found in the above
equation is replaced with Vh/(CoΣLi-ChordWidth) as indicated in the Equation 4.3-8
of the NDS 2015 Special Design Provisions for Wind & Seismic.
l RISA-3D models the shear walls using only the sheathing. The vertical resistance
occurs only at the tension and compression chords. Thus, if two wall panels are
stacked on top of each other, the load transfer will only happen at the chord
locations. Therefore, the lateral analysis should agree very well with hand
calculations. However, it also means that gravity load design may be more
appropriate in RISAFloor.

Hold-Down Force
The Hold-Down force is calculated by finding the Tension chord force. In order to accommodate an
unsymmetrical vertical load on the wall, the program adopted a more accurate approach by
calculating the moment at the compression side first and then finding the resulting reaction on the
tension side.

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Hold-Down forces are calculated per the following equations:

l When the "Eccentricity" check-box is selected in the Wood Wall Design Rule (Fasteners
tab):

l When the "Eccentricity" check-box is NOT selected in the Wood Wall Design Rule
(Fasteners tab):

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Where:
l Ma = moment at point A(CL of compression chord)
l M = moment at base of the wall
l P = Axial load at the base of the wall
l L = length of the wall
l bc = width of chord member
l Rb = reaction at point B = hold down force
l CL = Hold down eccentricity distance (per selected hold down)

Stud Design
Studs are only designed for load combinations which do not contain a wind or seismic load. The
maximum axial load, determined as an envelope force from all of the "gravity" load combinations
which have been solved, is determined for each region.
The compression capacity for the specified stud size is calculated with the assumption that the stud is
fully braced against buckling about its minor axis (within the plane of the wall). This is because the
blocking and sheathing are assumed to provide this bracing. The unbraced length for major axis
buckling is taken as the wall height, minus the thickness of the top and sill plates.
The program divides the region axial force by the number of studs that would be present in that region
for a given stud spacing. An optimal stud spacing is then selected based on the stud capacity, and the
parameters defined in the Design Rules.

Force Distribution
l The lateral force distribution between piers is based on the relative stiffness of the
sheathing, not on the length of the shear wall. For example, if you have an 8 foot wall and a
4 foot wall, the 8 foot wall will take more than 8/(8+4)*100% of the force. The moment of
inertia in the 8 foot wall will allow for a larger proportion of load to go into that pier.

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Shear Capacity Adjustment Factors

40% Increase Factor Wind Load Cases

The allowable shear stress values tabulated in Appendix F are intended to be the allowable shear for
seismic loads. The solution tab of the Model Settings has a check-box which will automate the 40%
shear capacity increase for any load combinations that include Wind Loads. This is called "Wind
ASIF" in the detailed report output. When the code is set to 2021 SDPWS LRFD, the code allows for
a 60% increase in shear capacity for wind loads.

Allowable Stress Reductions for Slender Wall Segments

The program will modify the allowable stress of the wall based on the 2b/h adjustment factor per NDS
SDPWS section 4.3.3.4 exception 1. This adjustment factor is only applied to the wall for load
combinations which include seismic loads. This adjustment factor only affects walls with an aspect
ratio between 2.0 and 3.5. This is called "Cap.Adj. (2w/h)" in the detailed report output.
For Segmented and FTAO wall panels designed per the NDS 2015, the program also checks the
Aspect Ratio factor per section 4.3.4.2. This factor will reduce the sheathing capacity for lateral (Wind
or Seismic) load combinations on walls who have a design region whose aspect ratio is greater than
2.0. This is called "Aspect Ratio" in the detailed report output.
The final governing factor (minimum of Cap. Adj. (2w/h) and Aspect Ratio) is reported as the Gov.
H/W Factor. This is then multiplied by the sheathing capacity to give the final Adj. Shear Cap..

Specific Gravity Adjustment Factor

The NDS defines an adjustment factor associated with using stud material that is less dense than
Douglas-Fir-Larch or Southern Pine. The program automatically accounts for this factor in the design
of Wood Shear Walls.

Unblocked Shear Wall Adjustment Factor

Section 4.3.3.2 of the 2015 NDS Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic is ignored in RISA-
3D. The program will always assume that the sheathing panel is blocked for both NDS and CSA
design.

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Hold Down Adjustment Factor (Applicable to only 2021 SDPWS)

Per footnote 10 of Table 4.3A of the 2021 SDPWS, the nominal unit shear capacity for shear wall
shall be multiplied by 0.92 if shear walls are using 10d nails and where hold-downs are attached to
the inside face of the end post. The program assumes that all Wood Walls have hold-downs
anchored to the inside face of the end post.

Uplift Limitation
Section 4.4 of the 2015 NDS Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic is ignored in RISA-3D.
The program currently does not design wall panels for uplift forces.

Stiffness Adjustment Factors

Shear Stiffness Adjustment Factor (to change FEM results)

This stiffness adjustment factor is set on the Wall Panels spreadsheet and is intended as a way to
force the FEM stiffness of the wall to more closely resemble the stiffness from the APA / NDS three
term deflection equation.
This adjustment affects the stiffness of the entire wall. Therefore, for segmented walls the engineer
may be forced to model the piers separately if they need to adjust the pier stiffnesses independently.
In a future release, this may become an automated factor.

Green Lumber
The Wood Wall (Studs) tab of the Design Rules spreadsheet contains a Green Lumber check-box to
account for the 50% reduction in the Ga value defined in the NDS footnote.

Stiffness Assumptions

Vertical Direction
RISA uses an orthotropic plate element to de-couple the vertical and shear stiffness of the wood
walls. The vertical stiffness will be based on the E value of the studs and chords as specified in the
Materials spreadsheet and the thickness of the wall. The thickness is taken as

Where:

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In-Plane Shear
The in-plane shear stiffness will be based on the Ga value designated within the specified nailing
schedule divided by the sheathing thickness. Both the Ga value and the sheathing thickness are
defined in the specified sheathing schedule.

Out-of-Plane Shear
For the out of plane shear, RISA uses the same Young's Modulus (E) as used in the vertical direction
and a thickness that is calculated from the out of plane moment of inertia. This becomes:

Wood Wall Self Weight

The program will calculate wood wall self weight as a sum of all the weights of the components. The
material density is used to calculate the self weight of the studs, chords, top plates, sill plate, and
sheathing. These are all then summed together to give the self weight of the entire wall.

Note:
l For this calculation, stud height equals wall height minus the thickness of the sill
plate and the top plate.
l The number of studs is calculated using the stud spacing specified in Design Rules.

Wood Wall Optimization

The program will optimize wood walls based on the required demand forces. The program can
optimize:
l Sheathing for in-plane shear design.
l Stud spacing for axial design.
l Hold-downs for in plane design.
Of these optimizations the two that substantially modifies the stiffness of the wall are the sheathing
and the stud spacing. To properly adjust the stiffness requires an iterative solution that updates the
stiffness of the model. This includes updating the strength properties of the wall as well as the
stiffness. This optimization/iteration can be done automatically by checking Optimize Masonry and
Wood Wallsin the Model Settings - Solution tab or can be done manually by unchecking this option.

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To update the stiffness portion of the wall, the program must re-solve your model with these updated
stiffnesses as this will change the distribution of forces through the model. By checking Optimize
Masonry and Wood Walls you are telling the program to re-solve automatically. Thus, the program
will start with it's initial stiffness parameters and solve the model. It will then optimize the wall to meet
strength criteria. Another solution will then be run with the new stiffnesses and the program will again
optimize the wall to meet strength criteria. This procedure will continue to occur until you reach the
Maximum Number of Iterations set or until all wall panel results match those of the previous
solution.
By unchecking Optimize Masonry and Wood Walls the program will only run the solution once and
the results will be based on the original configuration. You can then manually optimize your walls
using the Suggested Design spreadsheet.
After the solution is run (with or without optimization) the design results are based on the stiffness
used in the last iteration (by unchecking the Optimize Masonry and Wood Walls option a single
iteration is run). The program will then compare the design of the last iteration with the stiffness used
in that last iteration. If the two are the same the results shown are the final results. If the two are not
the same the program will then provide these two different results in the Suggested Design
spreadsheet.
The program will always present results in the output that coincide with the stiffness used in the final
solution.

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Note: The updating of the stiffness for the model is only required for the sheathing and stud
spacing optimization. Thus, hold-down call-outs are optimized automatically.

Suggested Design

In the Suggested Design spreadsheet you will get a list of wall panels in your model that are not yet
fully optimized, showing the panel and stud spacing of the last iteration and the program optimized
values. From here you have the ability to Use Panel? or Use Stud Space? which means that you
want to re-run the solution with the suggested design. You can choose this for each suggestion for
each wall panel individually. Once you have these checkboxes checked appropriately click the
Suggested Design icon in the Results tab to re-solve the model with the suggested design. After this
the stiffness matrix is re-formulated and may cause some redistribution of loads through the model.
Because of this the suggested design may also update and you may need to Use Panel?and/or Use
Stud Space? multiple times to converge on a solution.

Note:
l If the wall does not show up in the Wood Wall Suggested Design spreadsheet then
the current wall panel settings used are the optimal ones.
l If either the stud spacing or the panel fields are blank that means that the current
selections are the optimal ones.
l For more information on wood wall optimization see the Wood Wall - Design topic.
l For more information on member optimization see the Design Optimization topic.
l Concrete walls do not show up here because the reinforcement optimization does
not affect the stiffness of the wall.

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Panel Optimization

The procedure that RISA uses for design optimization is fundamentally based upon the assumption
that there is a 'cost' to shear capacity, and therefore the ideal panel design would have as little shear
capacity as possible to meet code requirements. Once the program has determined the shear
demand on the wall it will choose the most economical panel configuration based on that which has a
Shear Capacity closest to, but not exceeding the shear demand.
The default shear panels in the program come straight from published tables in the IBC, UBC, and
CSA O86 design manuals. "St-I" refers to Structural I panels and "RS" refers to Rated Sheathing
panels.

Note:
l The shear force listed in the XML spreadsheet is tabulated for the seismic values.
These values will automatically be multiplied by 1.4 for wind forces if the Wind ASIF
function is enabled. These values will be multiplied by 1.6 for wind forces when the
code is set to 2021 SDPWS LRFD.
l Panels with a label containing the characters "_W" together will be ignored during
design optimization.
l "Rated Sheathing" is a shortened form of "Span Rated Sheathing" or APA Rated
Sheathing. This terminology comes directly from the Department of Commerce
standards DOC PS1 and PS2.

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Hold Down Optimization

The procedure that RISA uses for hold-down optimization is fundamentally based upon the
assumption that there is a 'cost' to allowable tension in a product, and therefore the ideal hold-down
would have as little tensile capacity as possible to meet code requirements. Once the program has
determined the tensile force required to hold-down the wall it will choose the most economical hold-
down product based on that which most closely matches (but does not exceed) the tension demand.
The program looks to the Allowable Tension field of the hold-down schedule to choose the design.

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Strap Optimization

The procedure that RISA uses for strap optimization is fundamentally based upon the assumption
that there is a 'cost' to allowable tension in a product, and therefore the ideal strap would have as little
tensile capacity as possible to meet code requirements. Once the program has determined the
tensile force required to strap down the wall it will choose the most economical strap product based
on that which most closely matches (but does not exceed) the tension demand. The program looks to
the Allowable Tension field of the strap schedule to choose the design.

Optimization Options
For users who are new to wood wall design within RISA, the best procedure is to utilize the full
databases, and to limit the potential designs by utilizing the design rules spreadsheets. This results in
a design based on the maximum number of options, which is often the most efficient design.
For experienced users who have more specific limitations in terms of the designs they would like to
see, user-defined Groups (or families) are the solution. For example, an engineer who prefers to use
only one sheathing thickness, or one nail type can create a custom Group that contains only the
arrangements they want. For more information on creating these custom groups see Appendix F-
Wood Shear Wall Files.
For more information on Wood Walls see Wood Wall Results.

Wood Wall - Design Rules

The wood wall panel element allows you to easily model, analyze and design wood walls for in plane
loads. Here we will explain the wood specific inputs and design considerations. For general wall
panel information, see the Wall Panels topic. For information on wood wall design considerations,

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see the Wood Wall - Design topic. For wood wall results interpretation, see the Wood Wall Results
topic.

Unity Check

Wall Panel Unity Check Parameters

Column Description
Max Bending Chk The Max Bending Chk column defines the hold-down maximum code
check value. Typically this will always be 1.0, but allows the option of
having the program pick out a hold-down that is not at maximum
capacity. Putting a value of 0.8 will choose a hold-down that is at 80% of
capacity.
Max Shear Chk The Max Shear Chk column defines the shear panel selection maximum
code check value. Typically this will always be 1.0, but allows the option
of having the program pick out a shear panel layout that is not at
maximum capacity. Putting a value of 0.8 will choose a panel thickness
and nailing that is at 80% of capacity.

Wood Wall (Studs)

Wood Wall Panel Parameters

Column Description
Top Plate The Top Plate column specifies the member to be used as a top plate for
your wall. A top plate is a member that runs continuously along the top of
the wall studs. Note that you can use multiple plies of nominal lumber, or
custom shapes.

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Column Description
Sill Plate The Sill Plate column specifies the member to be used as a sill plate for
your wall. A sill plate is a member that runs continuously along the
bottom of the wall studs. Note that you can use multiple plies of nominal
lumber, or custom shapes.
Studs The Studs column specifies the member to be used for studs in your
wall. Studs are vertical members in the wall, attached to the sill plate at
the bottom and the top plate at the top. Note that you can use multiple
plies of nominal lumber, or custom shapes.
Min/Max Stud The Min/Max Stud Space column lets you specify a minimum and
Space maximum spacing of wall studs. The program can then optimize the stud
spacing based on axial design only. For information on how the
optimization works, see the Wood Wall - Design topic.
l If you specify the maximum and minimum stud spacing as the
same value, then we will use that value exclusively.
l Out of plane design is not performed for wood walls, so any
optimization is based only on axial forces in the studs.
Green Lumber The Green Lumber column contains a checkbox that lets you choose a
parameter for moisture content.
l NDS Design: Check this box if your moisture content is greater
than 19%. The program multiples the Ga value of the shear
panel by 0.5 per Note 5 of Tables 4.3A and 4.3B of the NDS
SDPWS.
l CSA O86 Design: Check this box if you have wet service
conditions. This effects the Service Condition Factors, Ks per
CSA O86-14 Table 6.4.2.
Header Size The Header Size column defines the default header size for all
openings.
Note that this can be modified in the Wall Panel Editor by double-clicking
the opening and choosing Custom.
Header Matl The Header Matl columns lets you change the material for the header.
By default the program uses the same material for the header as for the
studs, chords, etc.

Design Rules - Wood Wall (Fasteners)

Additional Wood Wall Panel Parameters

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Column Description
Schedule The Schedule column lets you select the Code, and Panel Group you
would like to use for design optimization. By unchecking the Select
Entire Panel Group box, an individual panel type may be assigned.
For information on how the optimization works, see the Wood Wall -
Design topic. For more information on this schedule, as well as
information on how to edit or create your own custom schedule, see
Appendix F-Wood Design Databases
Min Panel Thick The Min Panel Thick columns lets you set the minimum thickness of the
sheathing that will be designed. If the same value is input for both min
and max, that is the thickness used.
Max Panel Thick The Max Panel Thick columns lets you set the maximum thickness of
the sheathing that will be designed. If the same value is input for both
max and min, that is the thickness used.
Double Sided The Double Sided column lets you choose whether you want the
program to force sheathing on only one side of the panel, both sides, or
to choose the optimum based on weight.
Max Nail Spacing The Max Nail Spacing column lets you set the maximum spacing of the
nails that fasten the sheathing to the boundary members (top plate, sill
plate, hold down chords). Note that a 12" spacing is assumed for all field
nailing (nails fastening the sheathing to the internal studs).
Min Nail Spacing The Min Nail Spacing column lets you set the minimum spacing of the
nails that fasten the sheathing to the boundary members (top plate, sill
plate, hold down chords). Note that a 12" spacing is assumed for all field
nailing (nails fastening the sheathing to the internal studs).
HD Chords You can choose what member size you would like to use for the Hold
Down Chords (Posts) at both ends of the wall panel.
HD Chord Material You can specify whether the hold down chords are of the same material
as the wall, or another material.

Hold Down You can select the Manufacturer and Hold Down Series you would like
to use for design optimization. By selecting Explicit Hold Down from
the Current Selection Type drop-down you can select an individual
hold down product to be assigned. For information on how the
optimization works, see the Wood Wall - Design topic. For more
information on this schedule, as well as information on how to edit or
create your own custom schedule, see Appendix F-Wood Shear
Wall Files

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Column Description

Chord Strap You can select the Manufacturer and Strap Series you would like to use
for design optimization. By selecting Explicit Hold Down from the
Current Selection Type drop-down you can select an individual hold
down product to be assigned. For information on how the optimization
works, see the Wood Wall - Design topic. For more information on this
schedule, as well as information on how to edit or create your own
custom schedule, see Appendix F-Wood Shear Wall Files

Eccentricity You can choose to include the eccentricity of the Hold-Down location by
checking the "Eccentricity" check-box in this spreadsheet. This is used
in calculating the Chord forces and the Hold Down force. The Hold-
Down center-line is defined in the Hold-down database.
If the "Eccentricity" check-box is left unchecked the program will use the
full length of the wall (ignoring the chord thicknesses and the hold down
eccentricity).

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Column Description

Note:
l Eccentricity option is only applicable to hold-downs,
not straps.
l Eccentricity option does not affect the capacity of the
wall sheathing.

Wood Wall Results

Wood Wall results are presented in the Wall Panel Design Spreadsheet and the detail reports.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Wood Walls.

Wall Results Spreadsheets

Wood Wall Axial Results

Wood Wall Panel Axial

Column Description
Wall Panel The Wall Panel column lists the wood wall panels that you have defined.
Region The Region column lists the wall panel region that the results are based
on.

Note: For Perforated or Force Transfer Around Openings

design methods, regions are not used. Thus, an N/A will be
displayed.

Stud Size and The Stud Size and Spacing columns show the optimum stud size and
Spacing spacing chosen for your wall, based on the Design Rules you have
defined.
Axial Check The Axial Check value is a code check ratio between the member load
and the member capacity.

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Column Description
Gov LC The Gov LC column adjacent to the Axial Check column shows the
governing load combination for the design.
Chord Size The Chord Size column shows the optimum chord size chosen for your
wall, based on the Design Rules you have defined. Note that the chords
are the vertical hold-down members/posts at the both ends of the wall.
Chord Axial Check The Chord Axial Check value is a code check ratio between the member
load and the member capacity
Gov LC The Gov LC column adjacent to the Chord Axial Check column shows
the governing load combination for the design.

Note:
l When running the Segmented design method, the wall
panel regions above and below the opening are not
considered in design. Thus an NC (no calculation) will
be displayed.
l If there are some constraints that will not allow a wall to
be designed, an NC (no calculation) will be displayed.
Check the Warning Log within the program for more
information on this.

Wood Wall In-Plane Results

Wood Wall Panel In Plane

Column Description
Shear Panel Label The Shear Panel Label shows the optimum shear panel arrangement
chosen for your wall, based on the Design Rules you have defined.
Region The Region gives the region for which the design values are being
displayed.

Note: The Perforated or Force Transfer Around Openings

methods do not consider regions in their design, thus N/A is
displayed.

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Column Description
Shear Check The Shear Check value is a code check ratio between the panel shear
load and the panel shear capacity.
Shear Force The Shear Force column shows the values which governed the design.
Gov LC The Gov LC adjacent to the Shear Force column show the load
combination which governed the design.
Hold-Down Label The Hold-Down Label shows the optimum hold-down product chosen for
your wall, based on the Design Rules you have defined.
Chord Strap Label The Chord Strap Label shows the optimum strap product chosen for your
wall, based on the Design Rules you have defined
Tension Check The Tension Check value is a code check ratio between the tension load
and the hold-down tensile capacity. This column will only be populated
for wood walls at the base level of the structure. The program does not
do wall to wall strap design
Tie-Down Force The Tie-Down Forceand Gov LC show the maximum value of hold-
down/strap which produced the highest strap force. This maximum force
could occur on either end of the wall/region.
Gov LC The Tie-Down Forceand Gov LC show the load combination which
produced the highest strap force.

Note:
l When running the Segmented design method, the wall
panel regions above and below the opening are not
considered in design. Thus an NC (no calculation) will
be displayed. If running a combined RISAFloor and
RISA-3D model use RISAFloor to get header results.
l If there are some constraints that will not allow a wall to
be designed, an NC (no calculation) will be displayed.
Check the Warning Log within the program for more
information on this.
l If 'default' is shown in the Hold-Down Label column it
means that a hold down is not required for this
wall/region.

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Wood Wall Header Results

Wood Wall Panel Header

Column Description
Header Label The Header Label column shows the label of your header. If there is more
than one header in a wall, you can see which is which in the wall panel
editor.
Design Rule The Design Rule column shows the rule that is defining the size and material.
Size The Size column shows the size from the Design Rule.
Bend UC The Bend UC column shows the bending code check ratio. This is given for
the load combination from the Gov LC column.
Shear UC The Shear UC column shows the shear code check ratio. This is given for the
load combination from the Gov LC column.
Gov LC The Gov LC column shows the load combination that governed the
design. The program finds the largest UC value for either bending or
shear and reports the associated load combination here.

Note:
l The Bend UC and Shear UC are always given for the
SAME load combination. Whichever load combination
produced the highest code check for either bending or
shear will have its results shown in these columns.
l The program will only design wood headers for non-EL
and non-WL load combinations.

Wood Wall Self Weight

The program calculates the self weight of a wood wall based on the weights of the individual
components. Using the material density, the self weight is calculated for the studs, chords, top plates,
sill plates, and sheathing. These are all then summed for the total self weight of the wall.

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Wood Wall Detail Reports

The detail report gives detailed information about the wall design. The detail reports are specifically
molded to the type of design specified. Here we will walk through how to access the different
information for each of the types of design: Segmented, Perforated and Force Transfer Around
Openings.

Note:
l RISAFloor only considers the Segmented design method. If using RISAFloor
together with RISA-3D, simply taking your model into RISA-3D will open up the
Perforated and Force Transfer Around Openings design methods.
l Many of the values for design checks seen below are not performed in RISAFloor
as it is strictly a gravity design program.

Accessing the Detail Reports and the Specific Windows

Once you have a solved model, the detail reports become available. They are accessible in two ways:
l If you have the Wall Panel Design spreadsheet open,
l If you are in a graphic view of your model, there is a button that opens the detail report
window.

Note: Detail report information is not available for an envelope solution.

Once the detail report window is open, you see an area at the top of the window.
Detail Report Control Options

Option Name Description

Prior/Next The left and right arrows let you
scroll quickly between the different
wall panels in your model.
Wall Panel Part The first drop-down list lets you
choose between individual Region
and Opening (Lintel) results and a
summary of the entire Wall.

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Option Name Description

Regions/Headers The second drop-down list lets you
select between different Regions or
Openings within the individual wall
panel. “R” represents regions, while
“L” represents levels (headers).

or The is available only when ‘Opening’

or ‘Region’ is chosen in the Wall
Panel Part drop-down.
In/Out Plane If you have selected a Region, then
you have the option of whether to
view the in plane or out of plane
report.
The is available only when ‘Region’
is chosen in the Wall Panel Part
drop-down.
The following options can be found at the bottom of the Detail Report window.
Print Lets you print the Detail Report.

Add to Full Report Lets you add the current detail report
you are viewing to the printed report.
View the Printing topic for more
information.
The Wall detail report gives an overall summary of your wall, complete with governing code checks
and opening information. The Opening detail report gives information to the header design for the
opening as well as detailed information for the Force Transfer Around Openings method. The
Region detail report only applies for Segmented walls. Below we have give detailed information on
each type of design: Segmented, Perforated and Force Transfer Around Openings.

Segmented Method Results

The Segmented design method uses each of the three detail report windows to give design
information.

Wall Window
This window gives an overview of the wall, giving controlling region information and deflection
information. Note that this window only gives information on the full-height segments in your wall, as
this is the basis of the Segmented method.

Input Echo
This lists information about the wall, similar to the Region report and also gives an image of the wall.
The image shows the location of hold-downs/straps, regions and headers.

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Design Summary
Detail Report - Design Summary

Criteria Description
Enveloped Results The Enveloped Results shows the code checks for all of the controlling
elements in the wall and their associated load combinations.
Region Information The Regional Information shows the tabulated results of all of the full-height
regions in the wall.
Deflection Results The Deflection Results shows both the calculated NDS deflection (Maximum
Region Deflection) the FE deflection for use as a means of comparison.
Because the NDS/CSA O86 equations are empirical and take into account
many non-elastic considerations such as nail slip, these two values may not
be the same. The use of the SSAF helps to make these two values similar.
Opening Information The Opening Information states that header design cannot be completed with
the Segmented method. The regions above and below the opening have their
shear stiffnesses set to be zero and this causes the header forces to be invalid.

Opening Window
This window defines the openings in the wall. The segmented wall design method assumes zero
stiffness over the opening, therefore, there is no header design for a Segmented wall with openings.
Walls specified as a Perforated or FTAO can be analyzed for a header design.

Region Window
This window gives information for your wall on a region by region basis. Note that only full-height
regions of the wall panel will have a region detail report. The Segmented method only considers
these full height segments in the design of the wall.
The region detail report is split into four portions: input echo, diagrams and design, design details,
and cross section detailing. Note that in RISAFloor the detail reports are less detailed because
RISAFloor does not consider lateral forces which RISA-3D does.

Input Echo
Below is the input echo portion of the detail report.
Criteria section

Criteria Description
Code Gives the code used to design your wall panel.
Wall Material Specifies the wood type assigned to the entire wall
Panel Schedule Specifies the sheathing/nailing schedule database used to optimize
panel selection (set in Design Rules)
Optimize HD Shows whether or not the program needed to optimize the hold-down,
or if the user explicitly defined a hold down

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Criteria Description
HD Manufacturer Specifies the manufacturer of chosen hold-down
Strap Manufacturer Specifies the manufacturer of chosen strap

Materials section

Materials Description
Wall Studs Specifies the wood material type assigned to the wall studs
Stud Size Specifies the member size used for the wall studs
Chord Material Specifies the wood material type assigned to the chords (vertical
members at both ends of the wall)
Chord Size Specifies the member size used for the chords (vertical members at both
ends of the wall)
Top Plate & Sill Specifies the wood material type assigned to the top and sill plates
Top Plate Size Specifies the member size used for the top plate
Sill Plate Size Specifies the member size used for the sill plate

Geometry section

Geometry Description
Total Height This is the height of the wall panel region
Total Length This is the length of the wall panel region
Region H/W Ratio This is the ratio of wall height to length, using the minimum wall height
Cap. Adj (2w/h) This is an aspect ratio reduction factor for the shear panel strength per
NDS SDPWS section 4.3.3.4 Exception 1 (2015). This factor applies
only for seismic loads, thus it will be 1.0 for wind load combinations per
NDS SDPWS section 4.3.4.1 (2005/8). This factor is applied separately
for each full-height region in your wall.
Aspect Ratio This is an aspect ratio reduction factor for the shear panel strength per
NDS SDPWS section 4.3.4.2 (2015). This factor applies only for seismic
and wind loads on Segmented or FTAO walls. This factor is applied
separately for each region in your wall.
Gov. H/W Cap. This is the governing (minimum) factor per the Cap. Adj (2w/h) and
Aspect Ratios shown above. Only the minimum shall apply per NDS
SDPWS section 4.3.3.4 Exception 1.
Wind ASIF The code gives a 40% increase in the tables if the lateral load is wind
over seismic. For seismic loads this ASIF will be 1.0 (only applicable to
NDS design). For LRFD 2021 SDPWS, the code allows a 60% increase
in capacity when wind load governs over seismic
Stud Spacing This is the optimized stud spacing based on your Design Rules
K This is the effective length, K Factor used for stud and chord
compression design

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Geometry Description
HD Eccentricity This is the eccentricity of the hold-down connection. This is based on the
manufacturer's catalog and measured as the distance from the center of
the chord to the hold-down bolt

Diagrams and Design

Envelope Diagrams
These diagrams show the axial forces, in-plane shear, and in-plane moments of the wall, as well as
the maximum and minimum forces and their locations.

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Note:
l The diagrams are not actually enveloped.
l The Axial diagram shown is the diagram from the governing load
combination for Stud design.
l The Shear diagram is the diagram from the governing load combination for
Shear Panel design.
l The Moment diagram is the diagram from the governing load combination for
Hold-Down design.

Design Summary
This portion gives you the capacity and strength values at the section in the wall where the combined
check is maximum, as well as the governing load combination. Much of this information is also
reported in the Wood Wall Panel Design spreadsheets.
Design Summary Results

Section Description
Shear Panel This section displays the Shear Panel code check results.
The provided capacity of the shear panel is taken from the Shear
Capacity column of the panel database. This is the allowable shear
value from Table 2306.4.1 from the 2006 IBC (for NDS design) or Table
9.3A, 9.3B, and 9.3C from the CSA O86-14 (for Canadian design). This
capacity automatically considers whether the loading is based on wind
or seismic loads. The Governing LC explicitly states if the controlling
load combination was based on Wind or Seismic. The program does a
unity check for all LCs that are being solved, finds the maximum value
and reports that information.

Note:
l A shear panel design will be chosen for the worst-case
region in a segmented wall. That panel will then be
used for all regions in that wall. The worst-case region
is the one that has the highest Shear UC value.
l Because wind and seismic loading allows for different
design capacities, the highest shear in the wall may not
be the governing shear (if that highest shear was due to
wind).

Chord Design This section displays the Chord Design code check results.
The provided capacities of these members are calculated using the
standard provisions for tension/compression members. These members
are assumed to be fully braced in the weak axis, and unbraced in the
strong axis. For more information on the chord force calculations, see

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Section Description
the Wood Wall - Design topic.

Note: For chord results, the tension/compression capacity is

computed using the reduced cross-sectional properties caused
by the hold-down bolt hole.

Stud Design This section displays the Stud Design code check results.
The provided capacities of these members are calculated using the
standard provisions for tension/compression members. These members
are assumed to be fully braced in the weak axis, and unbraced in the
strong axis. For more information on the chord force calculations, see
the Wood Wall - Design topic.
Hold Down Design This section displays the Hold-Down Design code check results.
The provided capacity of the hold-down is taken from the Allowable
Tension column of the hold-down database. This is information
supplied by the manufacturer. Note that we are modifying the Cd value
for the hold-down based on taking a ratio of the assumed Cd values from
the database and the Cd called for in the Load Combinations
spreadsheet.
Chord Straps This section displays the Chord Straps results.
The provided capacity of the chord strap is taken from the Allowable
Tension column of the chord strap database. This is information
supplied by the manufacturer. Note that we are modifying the Cd value
for the chord strap based on taking a ratio of the assumed Cd values
from the database and the Cd called for in the Load Combinations
spreadsheet.
Deflection This section displays the Deflection results.
The deflection listed in the detail report is based on an approximation
from the design code.

NDS Design Deflection

Per the NDS 2015 Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic, Equation 4.3-1:

Where:
b = Shear wall length,
Δa = Total vertical elongation of wall anchorage system (including fastener slip, device

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elongation, rod elongation, etc.) at the induced unit shear in the shear wall, in (This value is
taken from the hold down database and scaled per the actual tension force; hence you
multiply this value by the holddown ratio given in the output)
E = Modulus of elasticity of end posts (chords), psi
A = Area of end post (chord) cross-section, in2
Ga = Apparent shear wall shear stiffness from nail slip and panel shear deformation, kips/in.
(taken from shear panel database)
h = Shear wall height, ft
ν = Induced unit shear, lbs/ft
δsw = Total shear wall deflection determined by elastic analysis.

The first term of the above equation determines the Bending Component of the deflection.
The second term of the above equation determines the Shear Component of the deflection.
The third term of the above equation determines the Hold-Down Elongation, which causes additional
deflection.

Note:
l This is the theoretical deflection of the wall. This may differ from the deflection of
the wall as performed by finite element analysis within RISA. Therefore, this
deflection value may not coincide with the reported deflection value in the
deflections spreadsheets. For information on making the FEM deflections similar to
the reported deflections from the NDS calculated deflections, see the Shear
Stiffness Adjustment Factor information.
l For Perforated design deflections, the total deflection is to be divided by Coper
section 2305.3.8.2.9 of the IBC 2006. Because the unit shear values have already
been amplified by Co, the only portion of the deflection that needs to be divided is
the hold-down portion.
l The hold-down deflection is reported for the maximum shear LC, which may not
result in the largest hold-down component, but typically results in the highest total
deflection.

CSA O86 Design Deflection

Per the CSA O86-14 clause 11.7.1.2 (or CSA O86-09 clause 9.7.1.1):

Where:
da = Total vertical elongation of wall anchorage system (including fastener slip, device
elongation, rod elongation, etc.) at the induced unit shear in the shear wall, mm. (This
value is taken from the hold down database and scaled per the actual tension force; hence

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you multiply this value by the hold down ratio given in the output)
E = Modulus of elasticity of boundary elements (chords), N/mm2
A = Area of end post (chord) cross-section, mm2
Bv = Shear through-thickness rigidity of the sheathing, N/mm (taken from shear panel
database)
Hs = Shear wall segment height, mm
Ls = Shear wall segment length, mm
ν = Induced unit shear, N/mm
Δsw = Total shear wall deflection determined by elastic analysis.

The first term of the above equation determines the Bending Component of the deflection.
The second term of the above equation determines the Shear Component of the deflection.
The third term of the above equation determines the Hold-Down Elongation, which causes additional
deflection.

Note:
l This is the theoretical deflection of the wall. This may differ from the deflection of
the wall as performed by finite element analysis within RISA. Therefore, this
deflection value may not coincide with the reported deflection value in the
deflections spreadsheets. For information on making the FEM deflections similar to
the reported deflections from the CSA calculated deflections, see the Shear
Stiffness Adjustment Factor information.
l The hold-down deflection is reported for the maximum shear LC, which may not
result in the largest hold-down component, but typically results in the highest total
deflection.

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Design Details

Design Details Results

Section Description
Shear Panel The Shear Panel section displays the call-out from the shear panel
database. The information below it is the information describing the call-
out.

Note: There will also be an "Adjusted Shear Capacity" that

takes the given shear capacity from the design code and divides
it by any appropriate adjustment factors from the Geometry
section at the top of the report.

Hold Down Design The Hold-Down section displays the call-out from the hold-down
database. The information below it is the information describing the call-
out. The "Base Capacity" is the capacity from the manufacturer divided
by the assumed Cd value from the database. The "CD factor" that is
displayed is the value from the load combinations spreadsheet for the
controlling load combination. The actual capacity of the hold-down is the
Base Capacity*CD factor.

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Section Description
Chord Straps The Chord Strap section displays the call-out from the strap database.
The information below it is the information describing the call-out. The
"Base Capacity" is the capacity from the manufacturer divided by the
assumed Cd value from the database. The "CD factor" that is displayed
is the value from the load combinations spreadsheet for the controlling
load combination. The actual capacity of the chord strap is the Base
Capacity*CD factor.
The above section of the report echoes the database information for the selected shear panel and
hold-down. For more information on these properties refer to Appendix F-Wood Shear Wall Files.

Cross Section Detailing

The last section of the detail report consists of the wall detailing information. This information is
provided as a visual confirmation of the wall design. The wall thickness, and stud spacing are shown
as dimensions. The triangle shows sheathing on one side of the wall, with the abbreviated panel
designation. The chord sizes/forces and hold down or strap designations/forces are shown at either
end. If either chord is only experiencing a compression force, the hold down or strap will not be
drawn.

Note: The displayed chord force is not necessarily the force used in the hold-down design
because hold-down optimization only considers the governing tension LC.

Perforated Method Results

Opening Window
This window is similar to the Force Transfer information.

Wall Window
This is where the majority of the information is located for the perforated method.

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Perforated Method Wall Window

Section Description
Criteria (General) This section displays some of the important parameters in designing the wall.
Geometry This section displays dimensions and ratios for the wall panel.
l The Wall H/W Ratio is checked against the aspect ratio limits
given in Table 4.3.4 of the NDS 2015 Special Design Provisions
for Wind & Seismic (SDPWS).
l The Max Opening Ht is used in the calculation of Co.
l The % Full Ht Sheathed is used in the calculation of Co.
l The Full Ht Sheathed is the Sum Li value for Co.
Materials This section displays the sizes of the members that are not explicitly
talked about in the detail report.

Note: The top plate, sill plate and trimmer sizes are used only
for the Material Take Off.

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Perforated Method Wall Window

Section Description
Design Details The Design Details section displays adjustment factors and some other values
used to calculate Co. See the Wall Panels topic for more information on the
Shear Stiffness Adjustment Factor. See the Wood Wall - Design topic for
more information on Co.
Deflections The Deflections section displays the calculated deflection for the three term
shear wall equation from the NDS. See above for more information on
deflections.
Wall Results The Wall Results section displays the following information:
l Governing LC - The load combination that produced the
highest allowable code check. This will also state if this load
combination was a wind or seismic LC.
l Total Shear - The total shear in the wall for the governing LC.
l Max. Unit Shear - The maximum shear in the shear panel and
it is what is used to optimize the sheathing/nailing selection
from the shear panel database. Note that the Max Unit Shear
may not be the absolute maximum, because shear walls
governed by wind are allowed a 40% stress increase. Thus, a

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Section Description
wind Max Unit Shear would need to be 40% higher than a
seismic Max Unit Shear to govern.
l Shear Ratio - A ratio of the Max Unit Shear over the Shear
Capacity of the shear panel selected from the database.
Selected Shear The Selected Shear Panel section displays the same shear panel
Panel information that was given in the Segmented region report.
Selected Hold- The Selected Hold-Down section displays the same shear hold down
Down information that was given in the Segmented region report.
Selected Strap The Selected Strap section displays the same strap information that was
given in the Segmented region report.
Cross Section The Cross Section Detailing section displays a detailed view of the wall.
Detailing For more information see the Segmented section.

Force Transfer Method Results

Wall Window
This is the overall wall information and is essentially identical to the Perforated method wall window
information. There is some geometry information that is not necessary for FTAO that is omitted.

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Opening Window

Opening Window

Section Description
Criteria The Criteria section gives the code being used and which design
method used.
Geometry The Geometry section gives the opening dimensions and the h/w ratio.
Materials The Materials section gives dimensions for some of the members in the
wall.
Envelope Diagrams The Envelope Diagrams give the enveloped shear and moment
diagrams for the header beam above the opening
FTAO The FTAO graphic shows the design block numbers around the wall
panel opening along with the strap numbers.

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Design Details

The Design Details section is split into two different tables: ‘Opening Straps’ and ‘Analysis
Summary’.
Design Details

Section Description
Opening Straps The Opening Straps information gives the location, direction, force in the
strap and the load combination that caused that force.

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Section Description

Note:
l For more information on how the strap forces and unit
shears are calculated, see the Wood Wall - Design
topic.
l The program does not design the straps around the
opening, just presents the forces.

Analysis Summary The Analysis Summary provides the unit shear and the h/w ratio for
each of the blocks.
The information below the Analysis Summary section is the code check
information for the ‘Header’ member. This is identical to the information
given for Segmented Window information.

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Wood - Database
The Wood Database may be accessed from the Wood tab of the Section Sets spreadsheet by
clicking in the Shape field and then clicking , or by clicking the Shape Database button on the
Advanced ribbon and then clicking the Wood tab of the Shape Database window.

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Wood Material/Shape Selection

Unlike any other material, the design properties for wood members depends both on the material
selection as well as the shape selection. Therefore, the Wood tab of the Shape Selection database
contains shape and material selections.

Material Selection
The ‘Material Selection’ menu reads in material options that are currently listed on the Wood tab of
your Materials spreadsheet. You can select one of these existing materials, or click on the

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Create/Edit Wood Material button to open the Create/Edit Wood Material window, which lets
you add a new material, or edit an existing material, without having to go to the Materials
spreadsheet.

Create/Edit Wood Material Window

The Create/Edit Wood Material window lets you create or edit a material that is then automatically
added to your Materials spreadsheet. This allows you to enter/select this information directly from the
Draw Members Property Panel without having to first manually enter the information in the Materials
spreadsheet.

To create a new custom wood material:

1. Choose Custom from the Wood Type drop down.
2. Click the New button to manually enter the design values for a new custom wood material.
This information will then be automatically saved to the Custom Wood Species spreadsheet.

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Size Selection
Currently there are two ways to define a member size. In the Shape Type dropdown the options
available are from either the defined list of Nominal Sawn Lumber sizes, or by using the Net
Rectangular/Round option (typically referred to as Full Sawn).
l The Nominal Sawn Lumber option populates a list of nominal sized shapes for the NDS
design code and a list of net sized shapes for the CSA O86 design code. When the NDS
design code is chosen, the program automatically reduces the shape properties to their net
sizes. If the CSA O86 design code is selected, a list of actual metric sizes are shown.
l Either the Net Rectangular or Net Roundoption lets you manually enter any dressed size
that you like.
l Rectangular imperial full sawn (as opposed to nominal dimensions) shapes will be
designated with a "FS" suffix. You can also use this nomenclature to type the size
directly into the spreadsheet. For example, a 7.25"x12" net rectangular member can
be typed in as "7.25x12FS".
l Rectangular metric full sawn (as opposed to nominal dimensions) rectangular shapes
will be designated with a "MFS" suffix. You can also use this nomenclature to type the
size directly into the spreadsheet. For example, a 184mmx305mm net rectangular
member can be typed in as "184x305MFS".
l Round imperial shapes will be designated with a "RND" suffix. You can also use this
nomenclature to type the size directly into the spreadsheet. For example, a 10" net
round member can be typed as "10RND".
l Round metric shapes will be designated with a "MRND" suffix. You can also use this
nomenclature to type the size directly into the spreadsheet. For example, a 254mm
net round member can be typed as "254MRND".

Note:
l Multiple-ply lumber is assumed to be fastened sufficiently to achieve full composite
behavior between plies. Therefore, a two-ply member will have eight times greater
minor-axis flexural stiffness than a single ply member (as opposed to double the
stiffness).
l If using multiple plies there is a Bolted check-box. If this box is unchecked it is
assumed that the plies are nailed together. If bolted is checked then it is assumed
the plies are bolted together. This affects the Kf value from section 15.3.2 of the
NDS 2005/2008, 2012, 2015, and 2018. If you define the multi-ply section as bolted
a "B" (or "MB" for metric sizes) will appear after the shape name.

View Design Properties

Once you have selected the appropriate member size and material, you can view the un-adjusted
wood design values (Fb, Fv, Ft, etc.) for the selected combination in the Properties table at the
bottom of the window. The final adjusted values (Fb', Fv',Ft', etc.) will then be displayed after solution
in the Member Detail Reports.

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Wood Database Limitations

Round Shapes
Per section 3.7.3 of the NDS, the design of a round cross section shall be based on the design
calculations for a square shape with the same cross-sectional area. Therefore the moment of inertia
values will be calculated per the equivalent square shape, not the round cross section. However, the
section modulus value, S is calculated per the actual round shape.

Glulam Databases
The program includes five tables of available glulam materials: NDS Tables 5A - 5D and CSA O86
Table 6.3. The values in NDS tables 5B & 5D depend on the number of laminations in the glulam.
Therefore you will see three listings (2 Laminations, 3 Laminations, or 4 Laminations) for each
material. If you have a custom material that is not available from these lists, you can always enter
your appropriate design values as a Custom Wood Material for use in your model.

Note:
l The design values used per NDS tables 5B & 5D take into account footnote #1 to
reduce the reference shear design value Fvy depending on the number of
laminations.
l None of the other footnotes in either of these tables is taken into account.

Mechanically Graded Lumber

Mechanically graded lumber grades (MSR & MEL) are available for use with the ANSI/AWC NDS-
2015 and the CSA O86-2014 design codes. Older versions of the design codes will not support
design of mechanically graded materials from the program databases. However, you can always
enter the properties as a Custom Wood Material to get the design calculations for these materials in
older code versions.

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In order to assign a mechanically graded lumber material, you must select both the species and then
the mechanical (MEL or MSR) grade. The species selection determines the shear capacity and
compression perpendicular to grain capacity design values.
See Footnote #2 from NDS 2015 Table 4C which says that all species from NDS 2015 Table 4A are
applicable. See clause 6.3.2 from CSA O86-14 which says that specified shear strengths shall be
taken from CSA O86 Table 6.3.1A.
The other design values are defined per the mechanical grade. See NDS 2015 Table 4C and CSA
O86-14 Tables 6.3.2 and 6.3.3.

Structural Composite Lumber (SCL)

Each SCL manufacturer has documentation of their proprietary material design values. Because
these are updated so often, RISA-3D relies instead on the design data from approved product reports
(APA and ICC-ES) to build the material databases:

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Footnote Limitations:
Each of the above reports includes tables with design values which were used to create the RISA-3D
and RISAFloor SCL design property material databases. However, due to the difficulty of design
variation, the following limitations are present:
l The Fb design values are not factored in accordance with the depth of the member.
Currently RISA-3D always uses the single tabular Fb value regardless of member size.
l The Ft design values are not factored in accordance with the length or thickness of the
member. Currently RISA-3D always uses the single tabular Ft value regardless of member
size.
l The Fb design value will be increased by 4% if the member is designated as a repetitive
member using the Cr check-box on the Wood tab of the Members spreadsheet.
Alternatively, you can always enter the appropriate design values, per the applicable footnotes, as a
Custom Wood Material.

Design Values
The design properties may be verified by clicking on the ellipsis next to the Material section of the
specific member's information in the Property Panel.

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The values are as follows:

l Fb_joist: Bending capacity due to joist/beam edge loading
l Fb_plank: Bending capacity due to plank/flat edge loading
l Fv_joist: Shear capacity due to joist/beam edge loading
l Fv_plank: Shear capacity due to plank/flat edge loading
l Fc_joist: Compressive (perpendicular to grain) axial capacity due to joist/beam edge
loading
l Fc_plank: Compressive (perpendicular to grain) axial capacity due to plank/flat edge
loading
l Fc: Compressive (parallel to grain) axial capacity, regardless of load direction
l Ft: Tensile axial capacity, regardless of load direction
l E_joist: Modulus of elasticity due to joist/beam edge loading
l E_plank: Modulus of elasticity due to plank/flat edge loading
l E_mod: Young's Modulus modifier (always set as 1.0)
l COV_E: Coefficient of Variation in Modulus of Elasticity per NDS Table F1. This value is
used in the Emin calculation. For SCL materials COV_E always equals 0.10.
l E_joist_min: Emin (as calculated per NDS Appendix D equation D-4) due to joist/beam
loading
l E_plank_min: Emin (as calculated per NDS Appendix D equation D-4) due to plank/flat
edge loading
Currently the program only designs using the Joist properties of the SCL materials. This assumes
that the loading is always on the small dimension side of the member. In a future version we will be
taking the Plank values into consideration as well. In the meantime you can always enter the
appropriate design values from these tables as a Custom Wood Material for use in your model.

Note: Canadian wood member design only includes SCL design for the CSA O86-14 code.

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Custom Wood Sizes

If you would like to enter explicit dimensions of a member or if the member is "Not Dressed", the
member must be designated as a "Full Sawn" member by choosing Net Rectangular as the Shape
Type and entering the exact dimensions of the member in the boxes below. This applies to regular
wood species, custom wood species, Structural Composite Lumber (SCL), and Glu-Lam members.

Wood - Database
The Wood Database may be accessed from the Wood tab of the Section Sets spreadsheet by
clicking in the Shape field and then clicking , or by clicking the Shape Database button on the
Advanced ribbon and then clicking the Wood tab of the Shape Database window.

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Wood Material/Shape Selection

Unlike any other material, the design properties for wood members depends both on the material
selection as well as the shape selection. Therefore, the Wood tab of the Shape Selection database
contains shape and material selections.

Material Selection
The ‘Material Selection’ menu reads in material options that are currently listed on the Wood tab of
your Materials spreadsheet. You can select one of these existing materials, or click on the

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Create/Edit Wood Material button to open the Create/Edit Wood Material window, which lets
you add a new material, or edit an existing material, without having to go to the Materials
spreadsheet.

Create/Edit Wood Material Window

The Create/Edit Wood Material window lets you create or edit a material that is then automatically
added to your Materials spreadsheet. This allows you to enter/select this information directly from the
Draw Members Property Panel without having to first manually enter the information in the Materials
spreadsheet.

To create a new custom wood material:

1. Choose Custom from the Wood Type drop down.
2. Click the New button to manually enter the design values for a new custom wood material.
This information will then be automatically saved to the Custom Wood Species spreadsheet.

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Size Selection
Currently there are two ways to define a member size. In the Shape Type dropdown the options
available are from either the defined list of Nominal Sawn Lumber sizes, or by using the Net
Rectangular/Round option (typically referred to as Full Sawn).
l The Nominal Sawn Lumber option populates a list of nominal sized shapes for the NDS
design code and a list of net sized shapes for the CSA O86 design code. When the NDS
design code is chosen, the program automatically reduces the shape properties to their net
sizes. If the CSA O86 design code is selected, a list of actual metric sizes are shown.
l Either the Net Rectangular or Net Roundoption lets you manually enter any dressed size
that you like.
l Rectangular imperial full sawn (as opposed to nominal dimensions) shapes will be
designated with a "FS" suffix. You can also use this nomenclature to type the size
directly into the spreadsheet. For example, a 7.25"x12" net rectangular member can
be typed in as "7.25x12FS".
l Rectangular metric full sawn (as opposed to nominal dimensions) rectangular shapes
will be designated with a "MFS" suffix. You can also use this nomenclature to type the
size directly into the spreadsheet. For example, a 184mmx305mm net rectangular
member can be typed in as "184x305MFS".
l Round imperial shapes will be designated with a "RND" suffix. You can also use this
nomenclature to type the size directly into the spreadsheet. For example, a 10" net
round member can be typed as "10RND".
l Round metric shapes will be designated with a "MRND" suffix. You can also use this
nomenclature to type the size directly into the spreadsheet. For example, a 254mm
net round member can be typed as "254MRND".

Note:
l Multiple-ply lumber is assumed to be fastened sufficiently to achieve full composite
behavior between plies. Therefore, a two-ply member will have eight times greater
minor-axis flexural stiffness than a single ply member (as opposed to double the
stiffness).
l If using multiple plies there is a Bolted check-box. If this box is unchecked it is
assumed that the plies are nailed together. If bolted is checked then it is assumed
the plies are bolted together. This affects the Kf value from section 15.3.2 of the
NDS 2005/2008, 2012, 2015, and 2018. If you define the multi-ply section as bolted
a "B" (or "MB" for metric sizes) will appear after the shape name.

View Design Properties

Once you have selected the appropriate member size and material, you can view the un-adjusted
wood design values (Fb, Fv, Ft, etc.) for the selected combination in the Properties table at the

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bottom of the window. The final adjusted values (Fb', Fv',Ft', etc.) will then be displayed after solution
in the Member Detail Reports.

Wood Database Limitations

Round Shapes
Per section 3.7.3 of the NDS, the design of a round cross section shall be based on the design
calculations for a square shape with the same cross-sectional area. Therefore the moment of inertia
values will be calculated per the equivalent square shape, not the round cross section. However, the
section modulus value, S is calculated per the actual round shape.

Glulam Databases
The program includes five tables of available glulam materials: NDS Tables 5A - 5D and CSA O86
Table 6.3. The values in NDS tables 5B & 5D depend on the number of laminations in the glulam.
Therefore you will see three listings (2 Laminations, 3 Laminations, or 4 Laminations) for each
material. If you have a custom material that is not available from these lists, you can always enter
your appropriate design values as a Custom Wood Material for use in your model.

Note:
l The design values used per NDS tables 5B & 5D take into account footnote #1 to
reduce the reference shear design value Fvy depending on the number of
laminations.
l None of the other footnotes in either of these tables is taken into account.

Mechanically Graded Lumber

Mechanically graded lumber grades (MSR & MEL) are available for use with the ANSI/AWC NDS-
2015 and the CSA O86-2014 design codes. Older versions of the design codes will not support
design of mechanically graded materials from the program databases. However, you can always
enter the properties as a Custom Wood Material to get the design calculations for these materials in
older code versions.

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In order to assign a mechanically graded lumber material, you must select both the species and then
the mechanical (MEL or MSR) grade. The species selection determines the shear capacity and
compression perpendicular to grain capacity design values.
See Footnote #2 from NDS 2015 Table 4C which says that all species from NDS 2015 Table 4A are
applicable. See clause 6.3.2 from CSA O86-14 which says that specified shear strengths shall be
taken from CSA O86 Table 6.3.1A.
The other design values are defined per the mechanical grade. See NDS 2015 Table 4C and CSA
O86-14 Tables 6.3.2 and 6.3.3.

Structural Composite Lumber (SCL)

Each SCL manufacturer has documentation of their proprietary material design values. Because
these are updated so often, RISA-3D relies instead on the design data from approved product reports
(APA and ICC-ES) to build the material databases:

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Footnote Limitations:
Each of the above reports includes tables with design values which were used to create the RISA-3D
and RISAFloor SCL design property material databases. However, due to the difficulty of design
variation, the following limitations are present:
l The Fb design values are not factored in accordance with the depth of the member.
Currently RISA-3D always uses the single tabular Fb value regardless of member size.
l The Ft design values are not factored in accordance with the length or thickness of the
member. Currently RISA-3D always uses the single tabular Ft value regardless of member
size.
l The Fb design value will be increased by 4% if the member is designated as a repetitive
member using the Cr check-box on the Wood tab of the Members spreadsheet.
Alternatively, you can always enter the appropriate design values, per the applicable footnotes, as a
Custom Wood Material.

Design Values
The design properties may be verified by clicking on the ellipsis next to the Material section of the
specific member's information in the Property Panel.

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The values are as follows:

l Fb_joist: Bending capacity due to joist/beam edge loading
l Fb_plank: Bending capacity due to plank/flat edge loading
l Fv_joist: Shear capacity due to joist/beam edge loading
l Fv_plank: Shear capacity due to plank/flat edge loading
l Fc_joist: Compressive (perpendicular to grain) axial capacity due to joist/beam edge
loading
l Fc_plank: Compressive (perpendicular to grain) axial capacity due to plank/flat edge
loading
l Fc: Compressive (parallel to grain) axial capacity, regardless of load direction
l Ft: Tensile axial capacity, regardless of load direction
l E_joist: Modulus of elasticity due to joist/beam edge loading
l E_plank: Modulus of elasticity due to plank/flat edge loading
l E_mod: Young's Modulus modifier (always set as 1.0)
l COV_E: Coefficient of Variation in Modulus of Elasticity per NDS Table F1. This value is
used in the Emin calculation. For SCL materials COV_E always equals 0.10.
l E_joist_min: Emin (as calculated per NDS Appendix D equation D-4) due to joist/beam
loading
l E_plank_min: Emin (as calculated per NDS Appendix D equation D-4) due to plank/flat
edge loading
Currently the program only designs using the Joist properties of the SCL materials. This assumes
that the loading is always on the small dimension side of the member. In a future version we will be
taking the Plank values into consideration as well. In the meantime you can always enter the
appropriate design values from these tables as a Custom Wood Material for use in your model.

Note: Canadian wood member design only includes SCL design for the CSA O86-14 code.

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Custom Wood Sizes

If you would like to enter explicit dimensions of a member or if the member is "Not Dressed", the
member must be designated as a "Full Sawn" member by choosing Net Rectangular as the Shape
Type and entering the exact dimensions of the member in the boxes below. This applies to regular
wood species, custom wood species, Structural Composite Lumber (SCL), and Glu-Lam members.

Wood - Design
Full code checking can be performed on Dimension Lumber and Post and Timber size wood shapes
based on the following codes:
l The 2018 edition of the NDS (with 2015 and 2021 SDPWS)
l The 2015 edition of the NDS
l The 2012 edition of the NDS
l The 2005/08 edition of the NDS
l The 2001 edition of the NDS
l The 1991 / 1997 editions of the NDS
l The 2014 edition of the CSA O86 Canadian wood design code
l The 2009 edition of the CSA O86 Canadian wood design code

Note: When the 1991 / 1997 NDS is selected, the 1991 NDS specification will be used with
the 1997 stress tables. This is consistent with the requirements of the 1997 UBC.

Glu-Lams
Glu-Lams are treated as any other wood species and may be selected from the list of species on the
Wood tab of the Materials spreadsheet.

Glulam Material Properties

Available Glulam Materials are per Tables 5A and 5C of the NDS Supplement and Table 6.3 of the
CSA O86. When a Glu-Lam is selected, the grade will be listed as "na" or not applicable.
If you prefer to use a material that is not listed in the design code glulam tables, please enter the
material type as a Custom Wood Species.

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Note:
l Glu-Lams from Table5A are always assumed to have the special tension
laminations. Therefore, the Fbx value is not reduced.
l RISA is NOT applying any of the footnotes to Table 5A and 5C at this time except
for the following:
l Footnote #1 from Table 5A - For balanced materials Fbx- shall equal Fbx+ for
the stress class.
l Footnote #3 from Table 5A - Fvx and Fvy are increased for Southern Pine
Glulam materials.
l Commentary to CSA O86 Clause 6.2 notes that the Hem Fir glulam species listed in
Table 6.3 are not common and therefore they are not included by default in RISA. If
you prefer to use one of these materials, please enter it as a Custom Wood
Species.

Glulam Dimensions
All Glu-Lam members should be dimensioned as "Full Sawn" using the format wXdFS (or wXdMFS
for metric sizes), where "w" and "d" are the actual width and depth dimensions. If the size is entered
as wXd without the FS designation, then the size will be assumed to be regular dimensional lumber.

Glulam Redesign Lists/ Optimization

RISA includes two redesign lists for Glu-Lams: Glu-Lam_Western for Western Species and
Hardwoods (HW), and Glu-Lam_SouthernPine for Southern Pine (SP/SP).

Glulam Limitations
Please note that glulam design is not supported for the 91/97 NDS design code.

Custom Wood Materials & Structural Composite Lumber

To use a custom wood material that is not part of the standard NDS or CSA O86 databases, you need
to define the custom design properties. This can be done through the Materials spreadsheet, or by
clicking the Custom Wood icon on the Advanced ribbon.

Custom Wood Properties

To access the Custom Wood Properties input window:
1. Go to the Advanced ribbon.
2. Click the Custom Wood icon.

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The Custom Wood Species Database window opens.

Follow the steps below that apply to what you want to do:

Add a new custom wood

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a. Click the Add button to open the Add Custom Wood Species window.

b. In the Label box, type a name for the new custom wood.
c. In the Custom Wood Properties section, enter all the applicable
properties, referring to the Allowable Stress Properties table for descriptions.
d. Click OK to save the new custom wood and close the Add Custom Wood
Species window.

Edit an existing custom wood

a. Scroll through the list and click on the existing custom wood you want to
modify.
b. Click the Edit button to open the Edit Custom Wood Species window.

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c. Enter the changes you want to make, referring to the Allowable Stress
Properties table for descriptions.
d. Click OK to save your changes to the custom wood and close the Edit
Custom Wood Species window.

The following table provides descriptions for each of the Allowable Stress properties.
Allowable Stress Properties

Property Description
Bending Stress (Fb) Bending Stress (Fb) represents the Bending Stress limit
applied to the custom wood.
Tension Stress (Ft) Tension Stress Limit (Ft) represents the Tension Stress limit
applied to the custom wood.
Shear Stress (Fv) Shear Stress Limit (Fv) represents the Shear Stress limit
applied to the custom wood.
Compression Parallel Compression Parallel to Grain Stress (Fc) Limit represents
to Grain (Fc) the Compression Parallel to Grain Stress limit applied to the
custom wood.

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Property Description
Elastic Modulus (E) Modulus of Elasticity (E) represents the Modulus of Elasticity
applied to the custom wood.
Fifth Percentile Fifth Percentile Modulus of Elasticity only applies for
Modulus of Elasticity Canadian CSA O86 design; it is ignored for NDS design. It
represents the 5th Percentile Modulus of Elasticity applied to
the custom wood.
Structural Composite Structural Composite Lumber is used to determine design
Lumber variables (COVE, Emin, c, etc.) and design calculations.
CF/KZ CF/KZ represents the Wood Size Factor.
The program defaults to 1.0, unless you manually enter a
different value.
Specific Gravity Specific Gravity represents the Specific Gravity applied to
the custom wood.
3. Click the Close button to close the Custom Wood Species Database window.

Note:
l Most wood materials (sawn lumber visually & mechanically graded, glulam, SCL,
and LVL) are available in the current wood materials database. Please see the
Wood tab of the Materials spreadsheet for more information.
l Due to the limited entries in the Custom Wood spreadsheet, Glulam members are
always assumed to be balanced, uniform material:
l Fb is taken as the Fbx+, Fbx-, and Fby values for glulam design.
l Fv is taken as the Fvx and Fvy values for glulam design.
l E is taken as the Ex and Ey values for glulam design.
l Glulams will always use the CV volume factor equation per NDS Table 5C
(this is the same equation as Tables 5A,5B, and 5D assuming that the
material is not Southern Pine).

Create and Apply a Custom Wood Material

To create and apply custom material:
1. Open the Materials spreadsheet.
2. Click on the Wood tab.

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3. Select the last row in the spreadsheet and press Enter to create a new entry.
4. In the Label box, type a name for the new custom property.
5. Click on the Wood Type arrow and choose Custom from the list.
6. Do one of the following to define the custom species of the property you are adding.
l Click on the Species arrow and choose from the existing custom species to include.
The list of available species is read in from the Custom Wood Properties window.
Note that you can click the ‘Edit’ button to open the Edit Custom Wood Species
window in which you can modify the properties of this species.
l Click the Add button to open the Add Custom Species window in which you can add a
new custom species.
7. (Optional) Use the Design Properties options to change any of the default design
properties for the custom wood you are adding.
Note that the Elastic Modulus Modifier Emod is a factor that is applied to the Young’s
modulus modifier to reflect the NDS Appendix F criteria. This is not applicable to the CSA
O86 design code.
8. Click OK to apply the new custom wood material and close the Edit Wood Material window.

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Note: The Type menu is used to designate whether the entry is a “Visually Graded” sawn
lumber, a “MSR” mechanically graded lumber, a “MEL” mechanically graded lumber, a
“Glulam” material, or a “SCL” (structural composite lumber). This selection effects the design
factors and the applicable provisions of the selected design code.

For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Custom Wood Species.

Wood Design Parameters

The Wood Design Parameters spreadsheet records the design parameters for the timber code
checks and may be accessed by selecting Members from the Data Entry toolbar on the Explorer
panel and then clicking on the Wood tab. These parameters may also be assigned graphically. See
Modifying Member Design to learn how to do this.

These parameters are defined for each member.

Wood Design Parameters

Parameter Description
Label The Label column lets you assign a unique Label to all of the members.
Each label must be unique, so if you try to enter the same label more
than once you get an error message.
You can relabel at any time by right clicking in the spreadsheet and
choosing either Relabel All Members or Relabel Selected Members.
Shape The member Shape (or Section Set) column value is listed for reference
only and can not be edited, as it is dictated by the entry in the
‘Section/Shape’ column on the Primary tab.
Length The memberLength column lists the length of the material.This value
can not be edited, as it is dependent on the member end coordinates
listed on the Primary Data tab. Length is listed here only as a reference
for unbraced lengths, which are discussed in the next section.
Unbraced Length See the Unbraced Lengths topic.
K Factors (Effective See the Unbraced Lengths topic.
Length Factors)
Adjustment Factors Please see below for information about the various wood adjustment
factors.

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Parameter Description
Sway Flags See the Unbraced Lengths topic.

Timber Design Adjustment Factors

The Timber Design Adjustment Factors (a.k.a. NDS Adjustment Factor) design codes have a number
of adjustment factors that are applied to the various allowable stresses to determine the capacity of
the member. The adjustment factors are summarized in section 2.3 of the code. The following topics
help to summarize how adjustment factors are obtained and used.

Note:
l Cb (Bearing Area Factor), CT (Buckling Stiffness Factor), Cc (Curvature Factor), CI
(Stress Interaction Factor), and Cvr (Shear Reduction Factor) are NOT used in the
RISA analysis.
l If you are using the Canadian CSA O86 design code, see the section below for the
CSA adjustment factors.

Timber Design CD (Load Duration Factor- NDS)

CD is the Load Duration adjustment factor used for ASD codes. It is entered on the Load
Combinations spreadsheet for each load combination for which you want wood code check
results. The CD factor must be entered for each individual load combination because the CD factor is
dependent on the types of loads that are applied in each load combination. Therefore, different load
combinations could have different CD factors. For example, per the NDS 2018 specification, a load
combination that had only dead load, would have a CD factor of “0.9”, while another combination that
was comprised of dead load plus wind load would have a CD factor of “1.6”.
The CD factor will only be applied to wood code checks on wood members. See Table 2.3.2 in the
NDS 2018 specification for the CD factors to be applied for typical loads. Appendix B has additional
information about the Load Duration Factor.

Note: The CD factor used for a load combination should be for the load with the shortest load
duration in that load combination.

Timber Design Cm (Wet Service Factor)

Cm is the Wet Service adjustment factor. It is applied when you check the Cm checkbox in the
Materials Spreadsheet.

Timber Design Ci (Incision Factor- NDS)

Ci is the Incision factor per Table 4.3.8 of NDS code. It is applied when you check the Ci checkbox in
the Materials Spreadsheet.

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Timber Design Ct (Temperature Factor)

Ct is the Temperature adjustment factor. It is calculated internally based on the wood Temperature
value set on the Codes tab of Model Settings. See section 2.3.3 of the NDS 2018 for more
information on this factor.

Timber Design CP and CL (Column/Beam Stability Factors - NDS)

The Column Stability Factor, CP, and the Beam Stability Factor, CL, are calculated internally. These
calculated values are shown on the Wood tab of the Code Check Spreadsheet, as well as in the
Member Detail Reports. See NDS 2018 section 3.3.3 for information on the CL factor and NDS
2018 section 3.7.1 for information on the CP factor.
The value of Emin used for the calculation of these factors is calculated using equation D-4 from
appendix D of the 2018 NDS. For some members (especially for glulams) this equation may produce
a slightly more accurate value of Emin that shown in the NDS tables.

Note: The column stability factor, CP, is affected by the Kf factor from NDS 2018 section
15.3.2, depending on whether multi-ply members are bolted or nailed together. Bolted
columns will have a shape name with a B after. See the Wood-Database topic for information
on how to define bolted vs nailed multi-ply members.

Timber Design CF (Size Factor- NDS)

CF is the Size adjustment factor. It is applied automatically when you assign a wood shape from the
NDS shape database. See Tables 4A, 4B, 4D, and 4E in the NDS supplement for information on the
CF factor.

Note: Prior to the 2012 NDS, Table 4D (Reference Values for Timbers) combined the Size
Factor(CF) and the Flat Use Factor (Cfu) under the Size Factor (CF) description. Per the
code commentary, you are required to apply both the CF per the equation in Table 4D and
the CF per the tabular values. To clarify between the two, the program calls the calculated
value (per the equation) CF and the tabular value Cfu. This is verified with clarification in the
NDS 2012 design code.

Timber Design CV (Volume Factor)

CV is the Volume adjustment factor. It is applied automatically when you assign a glulam or SCL
material member. The user can override the calculated value by manually entering the factor on the
Wood tab of the Members Spreadsheet.

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Note:
l In the calculation of CV, RISA takes L as the full length of the member. This is a
conservative assumption.
l This factor is not available for the NDS 1991/1997 design option.

Timber Design Cfu (Flat Use Factor)

Cfu is the Flat Use adjustment factor. is automatically applied to the weak axis allowable bending
stress of a wood member whenever weak axis moments are present. See the tables in the NDS
supplement for more information on this factor.

Note: Prior to the 2012 NDS, Table 4D (Reference Values for Timbers) combined the Size
Factor(CF) and the Flat Use Factor (Cfu) under the Size Factor (CF) description. Per the
code commentary, you are required to apply both the CF per the equation in Table 4D and
the CF per the tabular values. To clarify between the two, the program calls the calculated
value (per the equation) CF and the tabular value Cfu. This is verified with clarification in the
NDS 2012 design code.

Timber Design Cr (Repetitive Factor)

Cr is the Repetitive Member adjustment factor. This factor specifies if the beam is one of a group of
repetitive members. This design parameter can be set on the Wood tab of the Members
Spreadsheet. If you put a check in the Cr field, a factor of 1.15 will be applied to beam members that
are 2" to 4" thick. See the section 4.3.9 of the NDS 2018 for information on this factor.

Note:
l This flag will be ignored for a NDS shape that is thicker than 4".
l A value of '1.0' will be used for Wood Products.
l Different restrictions apply to the use of the Cr factor for Structural Composite
Lumber and Glu-Lams.

Timber Design CH (Shear Stress Factor)

CH is the Shear Stress adjustment factor. This design parameter can be set on the Wood tab of the
Members Spreadsheet. If left blank the program will use a default value of 1.0. See the tables in the
NDS supplement for information on other CH factors.

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Note:
l The CH factor is only available for the 1991/1997 NDS option. For other codes, this
entry will be ignored.
l Only tables 4A, 4B, and 4D are used.

Timber Design Cf (Form Factor)

Cf is the Form adjustment factor. It is applied automatically when designing by the NDS 91/97 or
2001 Specification and a 'Round' shape is selected from the NDS shape database. See section 2.3.8
in the NDS (91/97, 2001) for information on the Cf factor.

Note:
l This factor is not applied when designing with the NDS 2005 or 2012 specifications.
l This factor is not applied to "diamond" shaped members, which are just rectangular
members on edge. This factor is not applied to diamond shapes because any
applied moments are transformed internally to the local member axes for the code
check calculations, which is the same as applying the “diamond” form factor and
NOT transforming the moments.

Timber Design Kf (Format Conversation Factor)

Kf is the format conversion factor for LRFD design only. The tabulated reference design values
provided in the NDS Supplement contain safety adjustments appropriate for ASD. The Kf factor
converts these values to nominal design values for LRFD. These factors are provided in NDS Table
4.3.1 and Appendix N.

Timber Design Phi (Resistance Factor)

Phi is the resistance factor for LRFD design only. These values are provided in NDS Table 4.3.1 and
are dependent on the property ranging from 0.75 for shear and 0.90 for compression.

Timber Design lambda (Time Effect Factor- NDS)

Lambda is the Time Effect adjustment factor used for LRFD codes. It is entered on the Load
Combinations spreadsheet for each load combination for which you want wood code check
results. The lambda factor must be entered for each individual load combination because the lambda
factor is dependent on the combination of loads. Therefore, different load combinations could have
different lambda factors. For example, per the NDS 2018 specification, a load combination that had
only dead load, would have a CD factor of “0.6”, while another combination that was comprised of
dead load plus wind load would have a CD factor of “1.0”.
The lambda factor will only be applied to wood code checks on wood members. See Table N3 in the
NDS 2018 specification for the lambda factors to be applied for typical load combinations.

CSA O86 Adjustment Factors

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The CSA O86 design code has a number of adjustment factors that are applied to the various
allowable stresses to determine the capacity of the member. The adjustment factors are summarized
in clause 4.3 of the code. The following topics help to summarize how adjustment factors are
obtained and used.

Note: KB (Length of Bearing Factor), KE (End Fixity Factor), KF (Foundation Factor for
plywood), KM (Bending Capacity Modification Factor), KN (Notch Factor), KR (Radial Stress
Factor), KT (Treatment Factor), and KX (Curvature Factor) are NOT used in the RISA
analysis.

Timber Design KD (Load Duration Factor - CSA)

KD is the Load Duration adjustment factor. It is entered on the Load Combinations spreadsheet for
each load combination for which you want wood code check results. The KD factor must be entered
for each individual load combination because the factor is dependent on the types of loads that are
applied in each load combination. Therefore, different load combinations could have different KD
factors. For example, per the CSA O86 -2009 specification, a load combination that had only dead
load, would have a KD factor of 0.65, while another combination that was comprised of dead load
plus wind load would have a KD factor of 1.15.
The KD factor will only be applied to wood code checks on wood members. See Table 5.3.2.2 in the
CSA O86 - 2014 specification for the KD factors to be applied for typical loads.

Note: The KD factor used for a load combination should be for the load with the shortest load
duration in that load combination.

Timber Design Ks (Service Condition Factor)

Ks is the Service Condition adjustment factor. It is applied when you check the Ks check-box in the
Materials Spreadsheet. See clause 6.4.2 (sawn lumber) or clause 7.4.2 (glulams) in the CSA O86-14
for more information on this factor.

Timber Design CV (Shear Load Coefficient-CSA)

CV is the Shear Load coefficient for glulam members. It is applied automatically when you assign a
material from the CSA Table 7.3 glulam material database. By default this value will always be taken
as 1.0. However, the user can override this value by manually entering the factor on the Wood tab of
the Members Spreadsheet.

Timber Design KH (System Factor)

KH is the System adjustment factor. This factor depends on the System Factor selection applied to
the member on the Wood tab of the Members spreadsheet:
l None - Assumes that the member is NOT in a system of repetitive members and therefore
KH = 1.0.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Wood - Database

l Sheathed - Assumes that the member is in a system of repetitive members and the
members are sheathed with plywood. This is defined as "Case 2" in clause 6.4.4.2 for sawn
lumber. In this case KH will come from Table 6.4.4 (2014 code).
l UnSheathed - Assumes that the member is in a system of repetitive members but the
members are NOT sheathed with plywood. This is defined as "Case 1" in clause 6.4.4.1 for
sawn lumber. In this case KH will come from Table 6.4.4 (2014 code).

Note:
l If the member is a glulam, selecting either "Sheathed" or "Unsheathed" will apply
the KH factors per clause 7.4.3. If "None" is selected than KH will be taken as just
1.0.
l Always assumed 1.0 for wood wall design per the CSA O86 design codes.

Timber Design KZ (Size Factor- CSA)

KZ is the Size factor. It is applied automatically when you assign a wood shape from the CSA shape
database. See Table 6.4.5 in the CSA O86-14 design code for information on this factor.

Timber Design KL (Lateral Stability Factor - CSA)

KL is the Lateral Stability factor. This factor is calculated internally per the equation given in clause
7.5.6.4.4 for both glulam and full sawn members.
The final calculated values of both CB and KL are shown on the Wood tab of the Code Check
Spreadsheet, as well as in the Member Detail Reports.

Note: Clause 6.5.4.2.1 allows full sawn members to use the glulam clause 7.5.6.4 to
determine KL.

Timber Design KC (Slenderness Factor)

KC is the Slenderness factor. This factor is calculated internally per the equation given in clause
6.5.6.2.4 for full sawn members and per clause 7.5.8.5 for glulam members.

Note: The program will use the maximum Cc value (per clause 6.5.6.2.2 or 7.5.8.2) in the KC
calculation.

Timber Design Flat Use Factor -CSA

The Flat Use factor is just called "Flat Use" in the member detail report. There is no explicit factor for
this defined in the CSA O86-14 design code. However, there is a note for Table 6.3.1C (Material
Strengths for Beams and Stringers) that includes a flat use adjustment factor. The program will
determine this factor based on the asterisk table under Table 6.3.1C.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Wood - Database

Limitations

Wood Design Limitations

l It is assumed that the load on the member is occurring through the member's shear
center. This means secondary torsional moments that may occur if the load is not applied
through the shear center are not considered.
l Currently the program only considers the Joist loaded edge design values for SCL
members per NDS design.
l CSA O86 wood design will not automatically account for the Es value (per clause 5.4.1). If
the user wants to account for this modified modulus of elasticity, then you must manually
adjust the material properties.

Adjustment Factor Limitations

l Buckling Stiffness Factor - The NDS buckling stiffness factor, CT, is not currently
accounted for.
l Bearing Area Factor - The NDS bearing area factor, Cb, is not currently accounted for.
l Curvature Factor - The NDS curvature factor for glulams, Cc, is not currently accounted
for.
l Stress Interaction Factor - The NDS stress interaction factor for glulams, CI, is not
currently accounted for.
l Shear Reduction Factor - The NDS shear reduction factor for glulams, Cvr, is not
currently accounted for.
l Length of Bearing Factor - The CSA O86 length of bearing factor, KB, is not currently
accounted for.
l End Fixity Factor - The CSA O86 end fixity factor, KE, is not currently accounted for.
l Foundation Factor - The CSA O86 foundation factor (for plywood), KF, is not currently
accounted for.
l Bending Capacity Modification Factor - The CSA O86 bending capacity modification
factor, KM, is not currently accounted for.
l Notch Factor - The CSA O86 notch factor, KN, is not currently accounted for.
l Shear Load Coefficient - The CSA O86 shear load coefficient for glulams, CV, will always
default to 1.0. The user can override this by manually typing in the appropriate CV value on
the Wood tab of the Members spreadsheet.
l Radial Stress Factor - The CSA O86 radial stress factor, KR, is not currently accounted
for.
l Treatment Factor - The CSA O86 treatment factor, KT, is not currently accounted for.
l Curvature Factor - The CSA O86 curvature factor for glulams, KX, is not currently
accounted for.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Wood - Database

NDS Emin Calculation

RISA will calculate the Emin value for NDS wood materials rather than read it in from the design
tables. In the 2018 edition of the NDS, Emin is calculated per equation (D-4) from Appendix D.

COVE (the coefficient of variation in modulus of elasticity) comes from Table F1 in Appendix F.

Note: If your member is a glulam or SCL material, the Emin equation becomes:

Wood Code Check Results

Access the Wood Code Checks Spreadsheet by selecting the Code Check spreadsheet from the
Results toolbar on the Explorer Panel and then clicking the Wood tab.

Code Checks
The final result of the design solution are the code check values (ratios of actual stress to allowable
stress). So, if these values are less than 1.0, the member passes. If they are greater than 1.0, the
member fails.

Note:
l If the value is greater than 9.999 it will be listed as "9.999".
l The Member Detail Report gives a more detailed view of the values used to perform
the code check.
l See Results View Settings - Members to learn how to view the code check results
graphically.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Wood - Database

The UC Max value represents the combined bending and axial force stresses. The governing
equation that was used to calculate the UC Max value is listed at the far right of the spreadsheet in
the Eqn column.
The Shear UC is the maximum ratio of actual to allowable shear stress.
The Loc fields that are to the right of the code check fields tells at what location the maximum code
check occurs measured from the I-joint location of the member.
The Dir field tells us in which local member direction the maximum shear is occurring (y or z).

Capacity Values
The values (Fc', Ft', Fb1', Fb2', Fv') are the factored allowable stresses per NDS wood member
design.
l For the bending stresses (Fb), Fb1' is for bending about the local z-z axis (the strong axis)
and Fb2' is for bending about the local y-y axis (the weak axis).
l RB is the adjustment factor described by Eqn. 3.3-5 of the 2018 NDS Specification. This is
a slenderness ratio that is not allowed to exceed 50.
l CL is the beam stability factor calculated using Eqn. 3.3-6 of the NDS Specifications.
l CP is the column stability factor calculated using Eqn. 3.7-1 of the NDS Specifications.
The values (Pr, Tr, Mr, Vr/Wr) are the allowable forces per CSA O86 wood member design. These
will only be visible when you have selected the CSA O86-09: Ultimate or CSA O86-14: Ultimate as
your wood design code in .Model Settings.
l Reference equations are reported in the member detail report for the calculation of each
capacity value.
l The Vr/Wr shear resistance value for glulams depends on the CV value. Unless manually
entered by the user, this value is always assumed 1.0.
l This value is called "Vr" in the 2009 version of the code and "Wr" in the 2014 version
of the code.
l The Pr, axial compressive resistance for sawn lumber members will have a 75% reduction
taken into account (per clause 6.5.6.4.3) for bolted multi-ply members.
l The Tr, axial tensile resistance for glulams only considers the gross area of the member
when calculated per clause 7.5.11.
l The glulam material Table 7.3 in the CSA O86-09 does not include weak axis bending or
shear values. Per the commentary to clause 7.5, glulams will use the sawn lumber values
for the glulams species' grade No. 2 listing in Table 6.3.1A.
Finally, the Equation controlling the code check is listed. For NDS wood member design, this will be
either Eqn. 3.9-1 or 3.9-3. Eqn. 3.9-2 is not checked since this equation includes the tension stress in
a beneficial (non-conservative) manner. All other requirements in Section 3.9 are also checked, such
as fc < FcE1, etc. To see ALL the adjustment factors and other information used to calculate the
factored allowable stresses, please go to a detail report for the member in question. You can do that

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Wood - Database

by right clicking in a spreadsheet row and clicking Detailed Report or by clicking the
Detailed Report button on the Results ribbon.

Note:
l For Enveloped results the combination that produced the listed code and shear
checks is given in the "LC" column. The other values are the corresponding values
and are not necessarily the maximums across all the combinations.
l Moving Load results are enveloped and the governing load combination and step
location is shown for each result value under the "LC" column. The first number is
the load combination, the second is the step number: (load combination - step
number). See Moving Loads to learn more.

Special Messages
In some instances code checks are not performed for a particular member. A message explaining
why a code check is not possible will be listed instead of the code check value. You may click the cell
that contains the message and look to the status bar to view the full message. Following are the
messages that may be listed:

Code Check Not Calculated

This is the general message displayed when code checks were not performed for a member. It could
mean that you have not selected a Design Code in Model Settings, or you have not included any load
combinations for this material type in your solution. Check the Design tab of the Load
Combinations spreadsheet.

RB value is greater than 50

Section 3.3.3.7 of the NDS code limits the slenderness ratio RB to a maximum of 50. Similarly, clause
7.5.6.4.3 of the CSA O86 limits CB to a maximum of 50. You will need to reduce the effective span
length, increase the thickness of the shape, or reduce the depth of the shape.

le/d is greater than 50

Section 3.7.1.4 of the NDS code limits the column slenderness ratio of Le1/b or Le2/d to a maximum
of 50. You need to reduce your effective length by reducing the actual length between supports or
changing the effective length factor “K”. You can also use a thicker shape.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Wood - Database

fc is greater than FcE1

Section 3.9.2 of the NDS code limits the actual axial compressive stress to be less than the term
FcE1. This term is approximately the Euler buckling stress for buckling about the strong axis of the
member. (Buckling is in the plane of bending)

fc is greater than FcE2

Section 3.9.2 of the NDS code limits the actual axial compressive stress to be less than the term
FcE2. This term is approximately the Euler buckling stress for buckling about the weak axis of the
member. (Buckling is in the plane of bending)

fb1 is greater than FbE

Section 3.9.2 of the NDS code limits the actual strong axis bending compressive stress to be less
than the term FbE. This term is approximately the lateral buckling stress.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Warning Log

Warning Log

The Warning Log Spreadsheet provides you with a record of any warnings or errors that occurred
during the solution of your model. The log should be reviewed for warnings or errors that would affect
the design of your structure. The error log reports back the item label for which the error occurred.
l Click the Help button to jump to the specific warning within the Warning Log section of the
Help File.
l Click the Find button to zoom into the specific element reported in the warning.
l Use the Select checkbox and Select button at the bottom to select the elements reported
for those particular warnings.
l You can view the warning log by clicking on the Spreadsheets menu item and then clicking
on the Warning Log selection.
l Click the Warning Log hyperlink to open the help that provides further explanation on this
item.

The following sections include some of the common warnings which might require additional
explanation.

Sum of reactions is not equal to the sum of the loads (LC xx)!
Check for any small rigid links or fixed boundary conditions.
When the solution is complete, the program checks the sum of the reaction forces in each direction if
this is more than 0.1% different from the sum of the applied loads, then this warning message will be
displayed. The most common causes for this warning message are the following:

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Warning Log

l A joint instability which has been automatically LOCKED by the program. If the joint is
locked then the reaction at that location is not computed. Once you rectify the instability
then this warning log message should also go away. You may also need to uncheck the
"Lock isolated ROTATIONAL instabilities without notification" box as this may conceal
some instabilities. See the Stability section for more information.
l A user assigned boundary condition which was used the "Fixed, reaction will not be
calculated" option rather than the "Reaction" option. See the Boundary Conditions section
for more information. Using the term "Fixed" suppresses the reaction output in the Joint
Reactions and thus the applied loads does not equal joint reactions. In this case the
Warning Log could likely be ignored, as there is a valid reason for this discrepancy.
l A "ghost reaction" may have developed where one or more rigid elements (Diaphragms,
rigid end offsets, or rigid links) have become so stiff that they actually became stiffer than
the internal stiffness used by the program to define boundary conditions. In this rare case
forces may be leaving the model at locations other than boundary conditions. Having a
combination of a rigid diaphragm, rigid links, rigid end offsets, top of member offsets, etc.,
all in a localized place in the model could cause these.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Sum of Reactions.
Please refer to the Help File in RISA-3D for detailed information about each error message.
The Help File may be accessed by selecting The RISA Help in the upper right-hand
corner. Choose the Warning Log topic

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Appendix A – Redesign Lists

Appendix A – Redesign Lists

RISA-3D has Redesign Lists that are used to optimize hot-rolled steel, cold-formed steel,
dimensional lumber, and concrete beams and columns. Although, the criteria used for this
optimization is the Design Rules, the sizes must be chosen from the available sizes in the Redesign
List.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Redesign.

Creating or Modifying Redesign Lists

To create or modify a Redesign List:
1. Click on the Advanced ribbon tab to open it.

2. Click the Redesign Lists icon.

The Add member Design List window opens.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Appendix A – Redesign Lists

3. Select a material using the tabs at the top of the dialog.

For each material, select a Database, Member Type, Shape Type, and Design List.
4. Do one of the following, depending on what you want to do.
l Click New to create a new Redesign List for the selected Member Type and Shape
Type.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Appendix A – Redesign Lists

l Click Delete to permanently delete the currently selected Redesign List.

l Click Copy to copy and rename the currently selected Redesign List.
The Available Shapes on the left are listed based on the selected Database, Member
Type, and Shape Type.
The Current Design List on the right lists all the shapes in the selected Design List.
5. Select shapes in the Available Shapes or Current Design List.
6. Use the Add or Remove buttons to modify the Current Design List.
7. Use the Move Up and Move Down buttons to re-order the shapes in the Current Design
List.
8. Click OK to save your changes .
These design lists can then be assigned to a specific member or Section Set.

Design List Mismatch

If you see a Design List and Shape Database Mismatch dialog, then there is a mismatch between
your default shape database and the design list you have currently selected. Either choose a Design
List to match the default Shape Database, or change your default Shape Database so that you can
use the Design List you want. To check your default Shape Database, open the Shape Database
which is located on the Advanced tab of the ribbon toolbar. In the Shape Database, your default
databases will currently be selected for each material.

Locating the Design Lists

By default the redesign list files exist in the Redesign Lists folder in the user's Documents\RISA
folder. However, this folder can be changed by selecting the RISA-3D button Application Settings
File Locations.

File Naming Convention for the Design Lists

The design lists must be ASCII text files with a file extension of ASC. In addition, the first 3 characters
of the Design indicate which Region the lists will be available for. The region can be changed by
selecting the RISA-3D button Application Settings General Advanced. Each region
corresponds to the following file name prefix.

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File
Region
Prefix
United States US_
Canada CA_
Britain BS_
Europe EU_
India IN_
Australia AU_
New Zealand AU_
Mexico / South MX_
America

File Format for Redesign Lists

The following is an example of a user defined redesign list. You can view these files using any text
editor such as Window’s Notepad. However, this file must be saved in the risa__redesign_lists folder
as an ASCII text file with a file extension ASC. If the file is saved with a txt extension, it will not be
read intoRISA-3D. The various entries for the input fields are described below:
The first field [RISA_REDESIGN_LIST] identifies this as a RISA Redesign list. If this line is not
present the file will not be recognized by the program.
The second field [NAME] identifies that the next entry will be the name of the Shape Group that will
identify this list in the program. In this case, this Shape Group is given the name Available W24s.
The next field [MATERIAL_TYPE] identifies that the next entry will be the material type that this
shape group belongs to. This material type must be given one of the following designations: Hot
Rolled Steel, Cold Formed Steel, Wood, Steel Products, or Wood Products.
The next field [MEMBER_TYPE] identifies that the next entry will be the designation of the member
type. This entry must be designated as either a Beam or Column.
The next field [ASSOCIATED DATABASE] identifies that the next entry will be the RISA database
name in which the entered shapes are defined.
The next field [UNITS] identifies the units used to define the member sizes in the redesign list. Entries
may be Inches, Millimeters, or Centimeters. This field is only applicable to files similar to the concrete
and wood lists which have the dimensions built right into the list. For files which are based on
database shape names, this field will have no effect.
The next field [END HEADER] identifies the end of the descriptive information and the beginning of
the shape list.
The next field [AVAILABLE_SHAPES] identifies that the next series of lines will signify all of the
shapes available for this Shape Group. The end of this field is reached when the [SHAPE_END] entry
is read. The file below uses an asterisk (*) to specify that W24x68’s and W24x76’s are NOT available
for this particular job.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Appendix A – Redesign Lists

The next field [OPTIMUM_SHAPES] identifies that the next series of lines will signify the preferred
shapes for this Shape Group. The program will attempt to only use optimum shapes for beams that
are significantly braced. By significantly braced, we mean that the unbraced length of the top flange is
less than or equal to three feet. The end of this field is reached when the [SHAPE_END] entry is read.
The last field [END] identifies the end of the file.

[NAME]
Available W24s
[MATERIAL_TYPE]
Hot Rolled Steel
[MEMBER_TYPE]
Beam
[ASSOCIATED_DATABASE]
AISC
[END_HEADER]
[AVAILABLE_SHAPES]
W24X104
W24X103
W24X94
W24X84
*W24X76
*W24X68
W24X62
W24X55
[SHAPE_END]
[OPTIMUM_SHAPES]
W24X55
W24X62
*W24X68
W24X76
[SHAPE_END]
[END]

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Appendix A – Redesign Lists

Manual Modification
By default, RISA installs a series of default redesign lists for each material and member type. The
default lists are assumed to be a compilation of what engineers would typically choose. To view the
available sections for each list, you can open up the file located in the Redesign Lists folder using a
word editing program.
To modify an existing redesign list, open the file in a word editing program to override any of the
variables. The same formatting as the original file should be followed as well as saving the file to the
same location, otherwise the program will not recognize the changes.
To create a new redesign list, open an existing file and run a Save As to save the file with a different
file name in the same location. The [NAME] input as described in the above section will be the label
you will see within the program so it is important to give your design list a unique name. The
[MATERIAL_TYPE], [MEMBER_TYPE], and [ASSOCIATED DATABASE] are important criteria your
member must have in order for the design list to be available. If a member in the model includes all
three of the criteria defined in a particular design list, this design list will be available within Members
spreadsheet Design List pull down box (see Design Lists for more information).

Note: If you want to list a member size in the redesign list file but not have it considered as
part of the redesign list, you can put an asterisk in front of the shape name.

Appendix A – Redesign Lists

RISA-3D has Redesign Lists that are used to optimize hot-rolled steel, cold-formed steel,
dimensional lumber, and concrete beams and columns. Although, the criteria used for this
optimization is the Design Rules, the sizes must be chosen from the available sizes in the Redesign
List.
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Redesign.

Creating or Modifying Redesign Lists

To create or modify a Redesign List:
1. Click on the Advanced ribbon tab to open it.

2. Click the Redesign Lists icon.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Appendix A – Redesign Lists

The Add member Design List window opens.

3. Select a material using the tabs at the top of the dialog.

For each material, select a Database, Member Type, Shape Type, and Design List.
4. Do one of the following, depending on what you want to do.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Appendix A – Redesign Lists

l Click New to create a new Redesign List for the selected Member Type and Shape
Type.
l Click Delete to permanently delete the currently selected Redesign List.
l Click Copy to copy and rename the currently selected Redesign List.
The Available Shapes on the left are listed based on the selected Database, Member
Type, and Shape Type.
The Current Design List on the right lists all the shapes in the selected Design List.
5. Select shapes in the Available Shapes or Current Design List.
6. Use the Add or Remove buttons to modify the Current Design List.
7. Use the Move Up and Move Down buttons to re-order the shapes in the Current Design
List.
8. Click OK to save your changes .
These design lists can then be assigned to a specific member or Section Set.

Design List Mismatch

If you see a Design List and Shape Database Mismatch dialog, then there is a mismatch between
your default shape database and the design list you have currently selected. Either choose a Design
List to match the default Shape Database, or change your default Shape Database so that you can
use the Design List you want. To check your default Shape Database, open the Shape Database
which is located on the Advanced tab of the ribbon toolbar. In the Shape Database, your default
databases will currently be selected for each material.

Locating the Design Lists

By default the redesign list files exist in the Redesign Lists folder in the user's Documents\RISA
folder. However, this folder can be changed by selecting the RISA-3D button Application Settings
File Locations.

File Naming Convention for the Design Lists

The design lists must be ASCII text files with a file extension of ASC. In addition, the first 3 characters
of the Design indicate which Region the lists will be available for. The region can be changed by
selecting the RISA-3D button Application Settings General Advanced. Each region
corresponds to the following file name prefix.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Appendix A – Redesign Lists

File
Region
Prefix
United States US_
Canada CA_
Britain BS_
Europe EU_
India IN_
Australia AU_
New Zealand AU_
Mexico / South MX_
America

File Format for Redesign Lists

The following is an example of a user defined redesign list. You can view these files using any text
editor such as Window’s Notepad. However, this file must be saved in the risa__redesign_lists folder
as an ASCII text file with a file extension ASC. If the file is saved with a txt extension, it will not be
read intoRISA-3D. The various entries for the input fields are described below:
The first field [RISA_REDESIGN_LIST] identifies this as a RISA Redesign list. If this line is not
present the file will not be recognized by the program.
The second field [NAME] identifies that the next entry will be the name of the Shape Group that will
identify this list in the program. In this case, this Shape Group is given the name Available W24s.
The next field [MATERIAL_TYPE] identifies that the next entry will be the material type that this
shape group belongs to. This material type must be given one of the following designations: Hot
Rolled Steel, Cold Formed Steel, Wood, Steel Products, or Wood Products.
The next field [MEMBER_TYPE] identifies that the next entry will be the designation of the member
type. This entry must be designated as either a Beam or Column.
The next field [ASSOCIATED DATABASE] identifies that the next entry will be the RISA database
name in which the entered shapes are defined.
The next field [UNITS] identifies the units used to define the member sizes in the redesign list. Entries
may be Inches, Millimeters, or Centimeters. This field is only applicable to files similar to the concrete
and wood lists which have the dimensions built right into the list. For files which are based on
database shape names, this field will have no effect.
The next field [END HEADER] identifies the end of the descriptive information and the beginning of
the shape list.
The next field [AVAILABLE_SHAPES] identifies that the next series of lines will signify all of the
shapes available for this Shape Group. The end of this field is reached when the [SHAPE_END] entry
is read. The file below uses an asterisk (*) to specify that W24x68’s and W24x76’s are NOT available
for this particular job.
The next field [OPTIMUM_SHAPES] identifies that the next series of lines will signify the preferred
shapes for this Shape Group. The program will attempt to only use optimum shapes for beams that

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Appendix A – Redesign Lists

are significantly braced. By significantly braced, we mean that the unbraced length of the top flange is
less than or equal to three feet. The end of this field is reached when the [SHAPE_END] entry is read.
The last field [END] identifies the end of the file.

[NAME]
Available W24s
[MATERIAL_TYPE]
Hot Rolled Steel
[MEMBER_TYPE]
Beam
[ASSOCIATED_DATABASE]
AISC
[END_HEADER]
[AVAILABLE_SHAPES]
W24X104
W24X103
W24X94
W24X84
*W24X76
*W24X68
W24X62
W24X55
[SHAPE_END]
[OPTIMUM_SHAPES]
W24X55
W24X62
*W24X68
W24X76
[SHAPE_END]
[END]

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Appendix A – Redesign Lists

Manual Modification
By default, RISA installs a series of default redesign lists for each material and member type. The
default lists are assumed to be a compilation of what engineers would typically choose. To view the
available sections for each list, you can open up the file located in the Redesign Lists folder using a
word editing program.
To modify an existing redesign list, open the file in a word editing program to override any of the
variables. The same formatting as the original file should be followed as well as saving the file to the
same location, otherwise the program will not recognize the changes.
To create a new redesign list, open an existing file and run a Save As to save the file with a different
file name in the same location. The [NAME] input as described in the above section will be the label
you will see within the program so it is important to give your design list a unique name. The
[MATERIAL_TYPE], [MEMBER_TYPE], and [ASSOCIATED DATABASE] are important criteria your
member must have in order for the design list to be available. If a member in the model includes all
three of the criteria defined in a particular design list, this design list will be available within Members
spreadsheet Design List pull down box (see Design Lists for more information).

Note: If you want to list a member size in the redesign list file but not have it considered as
part of the redesign list, you can put an asterisk in front of the shape name.

Appendix C – STAAD® Files

STAAD files may be imported into RISA-3D by choosing File > Import and then specifying STAAD as
the file type. RISA-3D can translate files produced by the STAAD III or STAAD/Pro programs.
The translation process will cause model information including geometry data, member and element
properties, load information, some advanced modeling information, and AISC steel code check
information to be read into RISA-3D.
Translated geometry data are the joints, members, and plate/shell elements. Supported member and
element properties are the material property information, element thickness and member section
shape data. Loading information includes joint loads, support displacements, member distributed and
point loads, and element surface loads. The advanced modeling information that are translated are
such things as the joint boundary conditions, including springs, the member end releases, and the
“Truss” members. Note that the STAAD model type (i.e. Space, Plane, etc.) will also be detected and
this information will be used to help translate the model.
The translator has been tested with files as old as STAAD, version 10. If you’re having a problem
translating an older or newer file some features may not be available.

Translation log File

All lines that are not translated, including unsupported shapes, unsupported loads, comment lines,
etc., are written out to a log file called 'filename'.TXT (where 'filename' is the prefix of your STAAD
filename ). A message pops up and tells you the location of the file and whether any important
warnings were written to the file. This file is an ASCII text file that can be viewed with any editor
(NotePad, WordPad, etc.) and should be reviewed after each translation.

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Supported STAAD Features

The translator supports both the "Single Item per Line" format and "Multiple Item per Line" format for
Joint definition and Member/Element Incidences. (The "Single Item per Line" format was an option for
older versions of STAAD). The use of the REPEAT keyword or command file data generation
functions are not supported. If you have a model with these features, you will need to read the model
back into STAAD and save it back out. Saving the model back out of STAAD will expand data
specified with the REPEAT keyword or data generation functions.
Most properties, loads, etc. are assigned in STAAD using a "list" of items. RISA-3D supports most of
the list format features, including the TO and BY keywords, the line continuation character "-", and the
listing of items by "Group" name. We do not support the listing of members by specifying Global Axes
for members, or by specifying Global Ranges for joints, members, and elements. If you have a model
that uses either Global Axes or Global Ranges to specify item lists, you will need to specify the item
lists using one of the other list features that are supported.
All comment lines (lines that start with the "*" character) are skipped and copied to the STAAD log file.

STAAD General Keywords

STAAD General Keywords

Keyword Description
UNIt Statements that cause model data to be interpreted in the specified units. All
STAAD unit types are supported.
SET Z UP A statement that causes the vertical axis setting on the Global Parameters to
be set to the Z-axis. (Default vertical in RISA-3D is the Y-axis)
FINish A keyword used to mark the end of the STAAD file. Nothing is translated after
the FINISH keyword.

STAAD Model Type Keywords

RISA-3D recognizes the STAAD model types and uses the information to help translate the model.
STAAD Model Type Keywords

Keyword Description
PLA “Plane” models that are assumed to be in the X-Y plane at a Z-coordinate of
zero. Thus, only the X and Y coordinates are read and the Z coordinates of all
joints are set to zero.
SPA “Space” models that are read in as is.
TRU “Truss” models that cause member end releases to be set for all members so
that members only take axial loads. The member release codes are set to
ALLpin on the I-end and BENpin on the J-end. Depending on the model
geometry, this can cause RISA-3D to report instabilities when solving. (The
instabilities occur if all the members connecting to a joint have the bending
rotational degrees of freedom released, the joint then will have no rotational
stiffness.) If this happens in a plane truss, you can use the ALLBoundary

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Keyword Description
Condition code to apply a very soft spring to the in-plane rotational DOF. For
space trusses, you can use the ALL code to apply very soft springs to all the
rotational DOF’s (MX, MY, MZ) for all free joints. See Stability for more
information.
FLO “Floor” models that are assumed to be in the X-Z plane at a Y-coordinate of
zero. Thus only the X and Z coordinates are read and the Y coordinates are
all to zero.

STAAD Joint Keywords

STAAD Joint Keywords

Keyword Description
JOInt Only Cartesian coordinates are supported.
COOrdinates
If you have a model in cylindrical or reverse cylindrical coordinate, you need
to read the model into STAAD and then save it back out. This causes the
coordinates to be converted to the Cartesian format. Repeat keywords and
command file data generations are not supported.
JOInt LOAd All joint forces, moments, and support displacements are read in using the
units from the last Units statement. Support displacements that are rotations
are converted from the STAAD convention of degrees to the RISA-3D
convention of radians.
SUPports All regular joint support types are available, including spring supports.
Inclined supports and automatic spring generation using the Footing or
Elastic Mat keywords are NOT supported.

STAAD Member Keywords

STAAD Member Keywords

Keyword Description
MEMber INCidences Repeat keywords and command file data generation are not
supported.
MEMber PROperties If a type is not specified for Member Properties, AMErican will be
assumed.
MEMber PROperties Unsupported shapes will cause members that were assigned those
AMErican shapes to be grouped together by section set with the default
section properties. Different section sets will be created for the
same unsupported geometric sections with different material
properties. Data lines specifying unsupported shapes will be
written out to the STAAD log file.
MEMber PROperties Unsupported shapes will cause members that were assigned those
CANadia shapes to be grouped together by section set with the default
section properties. Different section sets will be created for the

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Keyword Description
same unsupported geometric sections with different material
properties. Data lines specifying unsupported shapes will be
written out to the STAAD log file.
PRIsmatic Shape properties specified using the prismatic keyword are
supported. A section set will be created and the section properties
will be entered into the Sections spreadsheet. A RISA-3D
“arbitrary” database shape will NOT be created, and thus no
bending or torsion stresses will be calculated for these
sections. Note that just the properties are read in. RISA-3D does try
to detect what ‘type’ of prismatic shape is being specified.
The following “property_spec” items are recognized and read in for
prismatic sections : AX, IZ, IY, IX, AY, AZ, YD, and ZD. The
section area is calculated as a rectangular section via the YD and
ZD items if they are specified and the area was not already given
with the AX spec. Shear area factors are calculated from the
specified AY and AZ values. If not specified, these values are set to
1.2, which is the RISA-3D default.
TABle Shape properties specified using the AISC American standard
table or Canadian standard table of steel shapes are supported.
These shapes are matched against the RISA-3D shape database
and for matched shapes, full stress calculations and steel code
checks are performed.
For American AISC standard shapes, the following “type_spec”
words are supported: ST, RA, LD, SD, T, and SP. All wide flange,
channel, WT, single and double angle, and HSS shapes are
supported. All pipe shapes, built up box type tube shapes, double
channels, and built up plate girders are not supported. For double
angles, only specified spacings of 0",3/8", or 3/4" are recognized.
The translator will treat double angles with other spacings as
unsupported shapes, however these shapes can be later added to
the database using the shape editor.
For Canadian shapes as listed in the S16.1-94 standard, the
following “type_spec” words are supported: ST, and T. All wide
flange, channel, and WT shapes are supported. The HSS shapes
are supported, however, STAAD uses the AISC names for the HSS
shapes. All pipe shapes, single angles, double angles, built up box
type tube shapes, double channels, and built up plate girders are
not supported.
MEMber RELease All full member end releases are recognized. Partial releases are
not supported or translated.
MEMber TRUss Members which are assigned this property are given an I-end
release of ALLpin and a J-end release of BENpin. The member will
take moment if a distributed load or self weight load is applied.
MEMber LOAd Most member loads are supported. Unsupported member loads
include projected point loads and projected moments, loads with a

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Keyword Description
shear center offset, distributed moment loads, and triangular loads
with the maximum at the center of the member specified using the
LIN load option.
STArt GROup This feature is used in STAAD to give a frequently used list of
DEFinition member/element items an easier to reference “name”. There is a
limit of 32,000 groups, and 50,000 total group items that RISA-3D
will use when translating the STAAD file.
CONstants The constant keywords STEEL, CONCRETE, and ALUMINUM are
supported. Note that since RISA-3D ties material properties and
section properties together by using Section Sets, members with
the same geometric properties but different material properties will
be assigned to different Section Sets.
DEFine MATerial STArt This feature is fully supported for ISOTROPIC materials only. NON-
Isotropic material definitions will be replaced by the first default
material in RISA-3D.

STAAD Element Keywords

STAAD Element Keywords

Keyword Description
ELEment INCidences Repeat keywords and command file data generation are not
supported.
ELEment PROperty Only uniform element thicknesses are supported. If multiple
thicknesses are specified for an element, only the first thickness is
read and used as the thickness for the whole element.
ELEment LOAd Only uniform surface loads are supported.
STArt GROup This feature is used in STAAD to give a frequently used list of
DEFinition member/element items an easier to reference “name”. There is a
limit of 32,000 groups, and 50,000 total group items that RISA-3D
will use when translating the STAAD file.
CONstants The constant keywords STEEL, CONCRETE, and ALUMINUM are
supported. Note that since RISA-3D ties material properties and
section properties together by using Section Sets, members with
the same geometric properties but different material properties will
be assigned to different Section Sets.
DEFine MATerial STArt This feature is fully supported for ISOTROPIC materials only. NON-
Isotropic material definitions will be replaced by the first default
material in RISA-3D.

STAAD Load Keywords

STAAD Load Keywords

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Keyword Description
LOAding All Load cases will be translated into Basic Load Cases in RISA-
3D. The loads within each Load Case will be translated to the
appropriate BLC in RISA-3D. Note that RISA-3D does not solve
BLC’s, only Load Combinations. If you want to have a particular
BLC solved by itself, you should build a Load Combination with only
that BLC specified.
LOAd COMbination All load combinations will be translated into load combinations in
RISA-3D. The SRSS feature is not supported for BLC’s. The SRSS
feature for load combinations in RISA-3D only applies to Response
Spectrum loading. If P-Delta analyses are desired, they must be
assigned later on the Load Combination spreadsheet. RISA-3D
has a limit of 8 Basic Load Cases per Load Combination. If a
STAAD file is read that has more than 8 LOAD cases per Load
Combination, only the first 8 will be used. A warning will be written
to the log file.

STAAD AISC Parameters

STAAD AISC Parameters

Parameter Description
PARameter Only the AISC (ASD 9th or LRFD 2nd ) codes and the Canadian
CAN/CSA S16.1-94 code are supported in RISA-3D.
The following parameters are recognized: KY, KZ, LY, LZ, FYLd,
UNL, UNF, CB, SSY, SSZ, CMY, and CMZ. You can check the
values that have been translated into RISA-3D on the ‘Design
Parameters’ spreadsheet.

Unsupported STAAD Features

In general, you will want to examine your STAAD translation log file to note all lines that were not read
in and translated. Typically a line will only be written to the log file if it is not recognized and translated
successfully. This will give a good indication of any features that weren’t brought into RISA-3D.
l STAAD solves LOAD cases and LOAD Combinations; RISA-3D only solves Load
Combinations. You will need to have additional load combinations containing only one
basic load case per combination to solve your basic load cases.
l P-Delta analyses are specified for each load combination in RISA-3D. The P-Delta flag will
NOT be set automatically. You will need to go set it for combinations where you want to
include P-Delta effects.
l RISA-3D does not translate any of the information in the JOB Information block of model
files.
l Members with K-joint’s cause joints to be created at the K-joint coordinates. These joints
have their degrees of freedom locked automatically during model solution.

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l RISA-3D has a limit of 8 Basic Load Cases per Load Combination. If a STAAD model has
more than 8 LOAD cases in a Load Combination, only the first 8 will be used and a warning
message will be written to the log file.
l Any response spectra entered in your STAAD file will need to be entered in RISA-3D’s
spectra database. STAAD stores each spectra with a particular data file, whereas RISA-3D
maintains a library of spectra which are accessible from any data file.
l Shapes that are defined using a User defined shape database file will need to be entered
into RISA-3D’s shape database. RISA can automatically convert these shapes based on a
Mapping file defined in the STAAD Mapping File section at the end of this appendix.
l RISA-3D doesn’t support non-isotropic materials. If you translate a model with a non-
isotropic material specified, we will still translate the model, but we’ll use the first default
material instead.

STAAD User’s Overview

Folks who have a lot a structural modeling experience with STAAD can usually come up to speed
with RISA-3D fairly quickly. The only thing that’ll slow you down is figuring out how to do in RISA-3D
what you knew how to do in STAAD. The RISA-3D User's Guide is a great place to start, in spite of
the fact that it covers a lot of basic modeling concepts, because it shows you the most common ways
to get things done in RISA-3D. In STAAD, you were probably accustomed to generating the model by
manually editing the command text file, or maybe starting the model with the graphical pre-processor
and then fine tuning the model by hand in the text file. With RISA-3D the steps are similar, except that
you won’t ever be directly editing the text file. You will do all manual data editing using our
spreadsheets. Things like Section Sets and Material Properties are good examples of data that will
always be entered via the spreadsheets. The actual model geometry and the application of boundary
conditions, loads, and design parameters is usually done quickest using the Model Generation
functions or the Graphics Editing functions. Most of these tools will require that you spend a few
minutes the first time you use them to study what they can do and how it can help you model. There is
a full explanation of all the input parameters for each graphical tool in this Help file under each
graphical tool topic.
Many STAAD users who are now using RISA-3D often want to know about the differences in the way
modeling is performed between the two programs. You may want to read about some of the
differences between RISA-3D and STAAD that we’ve documented and discussed in the relevant
Help file topics.
A big plus for people who’ve used STAAD for a while and built up a library of models is that RISA-3D
can read STAAD input files.
The translation process will cause model information including geometry data, member and element
properties, load information, some advanced modeling information, and AISC steel code check
information to be read into RISA-3D.

STAAD Differences from RISA-3D

STAAD is a "batch" mode program, where you are building a text input file either by hand or using
their pre-processor. The latest STAAD/Pro program is very nearly an interactive program, with the
only external programs being the solvers. RISA-3D is completely an interactive program in that we
do not write an intermediate file. All input, solution, and results are performed using the same
program.

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For manual data entry, the input file can be directly edited in STAAD, whereas in RISA-3D you edit
your data manually in custom spreadsheets that error check your input as it goes in. RISA-3D also
has many built in spreadsheet functions to assist manual editing of the model data. You can cut and
paste from other programs and spreadsheet directly into the RISA-3D data spreadsheets. The *.R3D
file format uses keyword delimited format that may be edited directly from a text editor such as
notepad. See Appendix D for more information on the RISA file format. Directly editing the *.R3D file
also bypasses many of the error-checking features that would catch syntactical errors in the model
data (having your model data integrity assured before you even run the model will save you lots of
time in the long run).

Member Data
RISA-3D uses a Section Set to relate a set of members to a particular shape. The analog in STAAD is
their "Groups". The RISA-3D Section Set combines a material and a shape into a one entity, which is
then assigned to members. In RISA-3D, steel redesign is performed on a Section Set basis, so the
worst-case member in a section set will control the size of all the members in that set.

Load Data
STAAD solves Primary LOAD cases and LOAD Combinations; RISA-3D only solves Load
Combinations. If you’d like to run all your Basic Load Cases in addition to your Load Combinations,
you will need to set up additional load combinations that only contain one basic load case per
combination. RISA-3D has a limit of 8 Basic Load Cases per Load Combination. To learn how to get
more than 8 BLC’s per Load Combination, see Nesting Load Combinations for more information.

Analysis Types
A P-Delta analysis is a specific analysis option for a STAAD file and usually applies to all the loads in
the current data file. In RISA-3D, a P-Delta analysis can be specified by setting a P-Delta flag for
each combination on the Load Combination spreadsheet where you would like to include 2nd order
effects.

Dynamic/Response Spectrum
Any response spectra used by your STAAD file will need to be entered in RISA-3D’s spectra
database. STAAD stores each spectra with a particular data file, whereas RISA-3D maintains a
library of spectra which are accessible from any data file.
For dynamic analysis in RISA-3D, mass is assigned in the vertical direction and then assumed to act
in all three global directions. In STAAD, you have to specify your mass in all the directions in which
you want it to act.

STAAD Mapping File

The STAAD importing feature now accepts a mapping file (STAAD_Mapping_File.XML). This file
format allows RISA to import User Defined database or table shapes from STAAD. All parameters in
the tables are assumed to be based on units of kips and inches.

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STAAD Mapping File Column Headers

Header Description
RISA ShapeName The Shape Name in RISA programs.
type-spec Can be any of the following: ST, RA, D, LD, SD, T, CM, TC, BC, TB
table-name Table section name like W6X9, C9X15 etc.
SP Spacing between angles
WP Width of Cover Plate
TH Thickness of plate or tubes
WT Width of tubes
DT Depth of tubes
OD Outer Diameter
ID Inner Diameter
CT Concrete Thickness for Composite Sections
FC Compressive Strength of Concrete for Composite Sections.

Appendix E - Interfacing with Other Programs

RISA-3D interacts with a number of other RISA programs within the RISA suite (see below) as well as
a the 3rd party programs listed in the sections below.

Integration with other RISA programs

For information on the integration between Floor and 3D see RISA-3D Integration.
For information on the integration between RISA-3D and RISASection see Shape Databases.
For information on the integration between RISA-3D and Foundation see RISAFoundation
Integration.
For information on the integration between RISA-3D and RISAConnection see RISAConnection
Integration.

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Exporting to ADAPT Builder

RISA-3D has the ability to export Node Reactions in an ADAPT Builder file format(.b3d file
extension). This allows for the reactions to be imported as loads in ADAPT Builder.

Exporting to SDS2
RISA-3D has the ability to export Enveloped Member End Reactions in a Flat file format(.txt file
extension).

Linking your Autodesk Revit Structure model with RISA-3D

AutoDesk® Revit® Structure users can now link directly with RISA-3D and/or RISAFloor. This link is
being continuously improved and updated. Therefore, for the most up to date information on this link,
please visit the AutoDesk and RISA web sites.
risa.com/products/risa-revit-link
autodesk.com/products/revit/overview
For additional advice on this topic, please see the RISA Tips & Tricks webpage at
risa.com/post/support. Type in Search keywords: Revit.

Importing or Exporting SAF Files

RISA-3D has the ability to import and export files in the SAF file format(.xlsx file extension). This is an
open exchange file format that allows for exchanging data between structural analysis software. This
is an initiative from Nemetschek Group to improve collaboration.
For more information and to download an SAF Viewer, visit: https://www.saf.guide/en/stable/getting-
started/what-is-saf.html

Importing or Exporting CIS/2 Files

RISA-3D and RISAFloor have the ability to import and export files in the CIS/2 file format(.stp file
extension). This is a generic file format that allows different pieces of software to communicate with
each other. Our three main partners that accept and produce this type of file are:
l SDS2 Design Data
l Tekla Structures
l StruCad
For more information and to download the CIS/2 translator, visit our website at:
risa.com/products/risa-cis2-translator

Importing or Exporting DXF Files

For DXF importing / exporting, refer to the DXF Files section of the main manual.

Importing STAAD Files

Refer to Appendix C for more information on importing STAAD files.

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Importing SAF Files

RISA is actively involved in the SAF Open Exchange Initiative with other Nemetschek brands. For
more information, visit the SAF Open Exchange Guide: https://saf.guide/
In order to import an SAF file, the vertical axis in RISA-3D must be Z.

Exporting to an SDNF File Format

The Steel Detailing Neutral File is a file format that is used by a number of CAD and steel detailing
packages. This format is superior to a DXF export in that it contains member size and orientation
information as well. The SDNF export dialog may be obtained by selecting File - Export - SDNF from
the Main Menu Toolbar.
Because the SDNF data exchange is so heavily dependent on naming conventions for the structural
steel, there are a number of options related to the steel shape prefixes and naming conventions as
shown in the dialog below.

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Note:
l SDNF exporting includes member information only. It does not export Wall Panel
Elements, solids or plates.
l The SDNF exporting does not link to the Member Detailing information. Setting
cardinal points and offsets in the Member Detailing will have no effect on this
export.

Structural Desktop
Structural Desktop is a 3rd party program that works inside AutoCAD and is capable of importing
RISA models into AutoCAD for the purposes of drawing production. Structural Desktop is also
capable of exporting RISA files as well.
Structural Desktop also includes a library of steel joists that can be used directly inside of RISA-3D or
2D. Refer to the Shape Database - General Shapes section of the manual for more information.
For more information, see the RISA and Structural Desktop web sites:

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risa.com/partners/prt_sdt.html
www.structuraldesktop.com

Appendix F – Wood Shear Wall Files

RISA-3D has design databases for wood shear walls and diaphragms which are used to optimize the
nailing and hold downs for the wall. The criteria used for this optimization is specified on the Wood
Wall (Fasteners) and Wood Diaphragms tabs of the Design Rules spreadsheet. In addition to this
basic criteria, the user may specify a subset of the overall database from which the design /
optimization must be performed.

Hold Downs

Each database of hold downs is specified by an XML file in the "Hold Downs" sub-directory of the
Wood Wall panels directory. The location of this directory is based on the information in the File
Locations tab of the Application Settings window.
The program comes pre-loaded with three XML files, one for Simpson hold-downs, one for Canadian
Simpson hold-downs, and one for USP hold-downs. The name of the XML file itself will be used in the
list of databases in the Hold Down Schedule Dialog.
The first sheet of the XML file should always be descriptive of the contents of the database (such as
Simpson HoldDowns). This is because the name used here is the name used in the Design Rules
spreadsheet. This sheet contains all of the identifier, design and code check information used for
each hold down. These entries are described below.

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Full Database - Required Fields

The following fields are required information. If they are not provided or are left blank, then that hold
down will not be available for use in that database.
Hold Downs: Full Database - Required Fields

Field Description
Label The ‘Label’ field is used to identify the hold down. This field must be
referenced on the sheets that identify families or groups of hold downs.
Maximum numbers of characters for this field is 32.
Deflection at Peak The ‘Deflection at Peak Load’ entry is used to calculate the deflection of
Load the shear wall per APA / NDS formulas. This deflection is then reported
on the shear wall detail report for each wall panel.
CD Factor The ‘CD Factor’ is the assumed load duration factor that was used as
the basis for specifying the listed Allowable Tension value for that hold
down.
Allowable Tension A load combination may be solved with a load duration factor different
from the CD Factor described above. When this is the case, the
‘Allowable Tension’ for that hold down will be adjusted based on the
difference between the assumed and actual load duration factors.

Full Database - Optional Fields

The following fields are optional. They are not currently used in the design or capacity calculations,
but are reported on the detail reports for reference purposes only.
Hold Downs: Full Database - Optional Fields

Field Description
Manufacturer The ‘Manufacturer’ field is an identifier for the hold down. It is provided
so that the engineer can more easily identify the call-outs for their final
design drawings.
Min Chord Thickness The allowable capacity of the hold down will vary based on the Chord
Thickness. Therefore, the ‘Min Chord Thickness’ gives the minimum
chord thickness that will yield the listed allowable tension load. However,
this field is NOT currently used in the calculations. A future revision may
provide a warning message if the actual chord thickness provided is less
than required.
Required Chord The allowable capacity of the hold down will vary based on the density of
Species the wood species being used. Therefore, the ‘Required Chord Species’
lists the density assumed for the entered allowable tension. However,
this field is NOT currently checked in the calculations. A future revision
may provide a warning message if the actual chord density provided is
less than required.
Bolt Size The ‘Bolt Size’ when specified is used to reduce the axial capacity of the
hold down chord itself. The only change to the calculation is that the

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Field Description
program will perform the allowable tension check on the net area of the
chord member rather than the gross area.

Grouping Hold Down Schedules for Design Optimization

The other sheets allow the user to group hold downs together into families for optimization purposes.
These additional sheets CANNOT be the first sheet in the XML file as that first sheet must always be
the one where the full database information resides.
The hold down labels specified on these sheets refer only to hold downs that have already been
defined on the full database sheet. The information in this sheet need not be organized in a specific
order. Instead, they will always be optimized based on the assumption that the hold down cost is
directly related to the tension capacity. Therefore, when this group is selected, then the hold down
within the group with the code check closest to unity, but still less than 1.0 will get selected during the
optimization process.

Straps

Each database of straps is specified by an XML file in the "Straps" sub-directory of the Wood Wall
panels directory. The location of this directory is based on the information in the File Locations tab of
the Application Settings window.
The program comes pre-loaded with a database for Simpson Chord Straps. The name of the XML file
itself will be used in the list of databases in the Strap Schedule Dialog.
The first sheet of the XML file should always be descriptive of the contents of the database (such as
Simpson Chord Straps). This is because the name used here is the name used in the Design Rules

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spreadsheet. This sheet contains all of the identifier, design and code check information used for
each strap. These entries are described below.

Full Database - Required Fields

The following fields are required information. If they are not provided or are left blank, then that strap
will not be available for use in that database.
Straps: Full Database - Required Fields

Field Description
Label The ‘Label’ field is used to identify the strap. This field must be
referenced on the sheets that identify families or groups of straps.
Maximum numbers of characters for this field is 32.
CD Factor The ‘CD Factor’ is the assumed load duration factor that was used as
the basis for specifying the listed Allowable Tension value for that hold
down.
A load combination may be solved with a load duration factor different
from the CD Factor described above. When this is the case, the
Allowable Tension for that hold down will be adjusted based on the
difference between the assumed and actual load duration factors.
Allowable Tension ‘Allowable Tension’ is the value the program will use when designing the
strap to be used.

Full Database - Optional Fields

The following fields are optional. They are not currently used in the design or capacity calculations,
but are reported on the detail reports for reference purposes only.
Straps: Full Database - Optional Fields

Field Description
Manufacturer The ‘Manufacturer’ field is an identifier for the strap. It is provided so that
the engineer can more easily identify the callouts for their final design
drawings.
Clear Span The ‘Clear Span’ is the distance the strap is required to span between
elements it is resisting the tension of.
End Length ‘End Length’ is the length of the strap that extends past the clear span.
The allowable capacity of the strap will vary based on the density of the
wood species being used. Therefore, the Required Chord Species
lists the density assumed for the entered allowable tension. However,
this field is NOT currently checked in the calculations. A future revision
may provide a warning message if the actual chord density provided is
less than required.
Fastener Type The ‘Fastener Type’ shows whether Nails or Bolts is used to fasten the
strap to the tension chords.

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Field Description
Number of The ‘Number of Fasteners’ field show how many fasteners are required
Fasteners to be used to meet the requirements of the tension capacity given by the
strap.

Grouping Strap Schedules for Design Optimization

The other sheets allow the user to group straps together into families for optimization purposes.
These additional sheets CANNOT be the first sheet in the XML file as that first sheet must always be
the one where the full database information resides.
The strap labels specified on these sheets refer only to straps that have already been defined on the
full database sheet. The information in this sheet need not be organized in a specific order. Instead,
they will always be optimized based on the assumption that the strap cost is directly related to the
tension capacity. Therefore, when this group is selected, then the strap within the group with the code
check closest to unity, but still less than 1.0 will get selected during the optimization process.

Panel Nailing Schedules

Each database of wall panels is specified by an XML file in the "Shear Panels" sub-directory of the
Wood Wall panels directory. This directory is located based on the information File Locations tab of
the Application Settings window.
The program comes preloaded with XML files, including OSB and Plywood databases from the
American Wood Council's 2015 Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic.

Note: The 2015 IBC refers directly to AWC SDPWS 2015 instead of publishing separate
IBC tables as in previous versions.

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The first sheet of the XML file should always be descriptive of the contents of the database (such
as IBC 2012). This is because the name used here is the name used in the Design Rules
spreadsheet. This sheet contains all of the identifier, nailing, design and code check information for
each nailing schedule. These entries are described below.

Full Database - Required Fields

The following fields are required information. If they are not provided or are left blank, then that nailing
schedule will not be available for use in the database.
Panel Nailing Schedule: Full Database - Required Fields

Field Description
Label The ‘Label’ field is a used to identify the panel schedule and its nailing
requirements. This field must be referenced on the sheets that identify
families or groups of panels. Maximum numbers of characters for this
field is 32.

Note: Panels with a label containing the characters "_W"

together will be ignored during design optimization.

Min Panel The ‘Min Panel Thickness’ is used during the design optimization to limit
Thickness the selected panels based on the Design Rules chosen by the user. It is
also used to help set the elastic stiffness of the wall panel used during
the FEM solution.
Ga The ‘Ga’ value is the Apparent Shear Stiffness from nail slip and panel
deformation as defined in equation 4.3-1 of the NDS' Special Design
Provisions for Wind and Seismic. This value (in combination with the Min
Panel Thickness defined above) is used to set the elastic stiffness of the
wall panel that will be used during the FEM solution.

Note: When a family or group of panels / nailing schedules are

assigned to a shear wall, the lowest value of Ga and Min Panel
thickness will be used to determine the elastic stiffness of the
plate elements in the FEM solution.

One/Two Sided The ‘One/Two Sided’ field is used during the design optimization to limit
the available panels based on the Design Rules specified by the user.
Boundary Nail The ‘Boundary Nail Spacing’ field is used during the design optimization
Spacing to limit the available panels based on the Design Rules specified by the
user.

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Field Description

Note: The maximum field spacing is never entered in the

program but is generally equal to 12 inches for the nailing
schedules defined in the 1997 UBC and 2006 IBC databases. If
a different nail spacing is present, then the user should add in a
new nailing schedule to the existing database with a user
defined shear capacity.

Shear Capacity The ‘Shear Capacity’ listed in the spreadsheet is the primary value that
controls the code checking of the shear wall. This is the seismic
capacity, which the program can automatically increase for wind loads if
the Wind ASIF function is enabled.

Full Database - Optional Fields

The following fields are optional. They are not currently used in the design or capacity calculations,
but are reported on the detail reports for informational purposes only.
Panel Nailing Schedule: Full Database - Optional Fields

Field Description
Panel The ‘Panel Grade’ field is an identifier for the engineer, but is not used in the design
Grade calculations. It is provided so that the engineer can more easily identify the panels in
their design results and drawings.
Min The ‘Min Penetration’ field is an identifier for the engineer, but is not used in the
Penetrati design calculations. It is provided so that the engineer can more easily identify the
on panels in their design results and drawings.
Panel The ‘Panel Applied Over Gypsum’ field is also a identifier for the engineer that will
Applied not be used in the design calculations.
Over
Gypsum
Nail Size The ‘Nail Size’ listed in the spreadsheet is intended to refer to the Common nail size,
but is reported only for reference purposes and are NOT used in the capacity
calculations. If the nail size is changed by the user, then the user should also change
the Shear Capacity entry accordingly. Below is a reference table for common, box,
and sinker nails.

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Field Description

Diameter Length

Comm Box
Penny Sinke
Comm on Box Sinke and
Weigh Commo r
on (in) (Wire (in) r (in)
t n (in) (in)
Gage)
6d 0.113 11.5 0.099 0.092 2 1.875
7d 0.113 11.5 0.099 0.099 2.25 2.125
8d 0.131 10 0.113 0.113 2.5 2.375
10d 0.148 9 0.128 0.120 3 2.875
12d 0.148 9 0.128 0.135 3.25 3.125
16d 0.162 8 0.135 0.148 3.5 3.25
The Staple size listed in the database is reported for reference purposes only. If the
staple size is entered or changed by the user, then the user should also change the
shear capacity entry to the appropriate value.

Grouping Panel / Nailing Schedules for Design Optimization

The other sheets in the database allow the user to organize multiple nailing schedules into groups or
families for design optimization purposes. These additional sheets CANNOT be the first sheet in the
XML file as that first sheet must always be the one where the full database information resides.
The panel labels specified on these sheets refer only to panel / nailing schedules that have already
been defined on the full database sheet. The information in this sheet need not be organized in a
specific order. Instead, they will always be optimized based on the assumption that the installed cost
is directly related to the shear capacity. Therefore, when a group or family is selected, then the nailing
schedule within the group with the code check closest to unity, but still less than 1.0 will get selected
during the optimization process.

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Diaphragm Nailing Schedules

Each database of diaphragms is specified by an XML file in the "Diaphragms" sub-directory of the
Wood schedules directory. This directory is located based on the information on the File Locations
tab of the Application Settings window.
The program comes preloaded with XML files, including OSB and Plywood databases from the
American Wood Council's 2015 Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic.

Note:
l The 2015 IBC refers directly to AWC SDPWS 2015 instead of publishing separate
IBC tables as in previous versions.
l Diaphragm design is currently only available for flexible diaphragms that were
created in RISAFloor and brought into RISA-3D.

The first sheet of the XML file should always be descriptive of the contents of the database (such as
IBC_06-09_OSB ). This is because the name used here is the name used in the Design Rules
spreadsheet. This sheet contains all of the identifier, nailing, design and code check information for
each nailing schedule. These entries are described below:

Diaphragm Nailing Schedules: Full Database - Required Fields

The following fields are required information. If they are not provided or are left blank, then that nailing
schedule will not be available for use in the database.
Diaphragm Nailing Schedules: Full Database - Required Fields

Field Description
Label The ‘Label’ field is a used to identify the diaphragm nailing. This field

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Field Description
must be referenced on the sheets that identify families or groups of
panels.

Note: Panels with a label containing the characters "_W"

together will be ignored during design optimization.

Case The ‘Case’ field is used to specify the layout of the shear panels as
shown below. Any diaphragm that has a Case 1 layout also has a Case
3 layout, and the same goes for 2/4 and 5/6.

The program considers the deck span defined in RISAFloor to coincide

with the long direction of the plywood. Therefore, Cases 2, 3 and 6 are
considered parallel to the to the RISAFloor deck span. Whereas, Cases
1, 2 and 5 would be considered perpendicular to the same deck span.
Blocked The ‘Blocked’ field specifies whether blocking is used to achieve the
associated design strength. It also determines the method by which the
diaphragm deflection will be calculated. For more information see
Diaphragm Deflection.
Panel Grade The ‘Panel Grade’ field specifies what grade of structural panel is used
in the diaphragm. This may be set to either “Structural-I”, "Rated
Sheathing" or “Other” and is used as a criteria in the Design Rules.
Panel Thickness The ‘Panel Thickness’ field specifies the thickness of the structural panel
used for the diaphragm. This is a decimal value that is rounded to four
places for reporting convenience. For example, a 15/32” panel is listed
as 0.4688
Boundary/Cont The ‘Boundary/Cont Edge Spacing’ field specifies the nail spacing at the
Edge Spacing boundary and along any continuous edges. These must be specified as
the same value.

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Field Description
Other Edge The ‘Other Edge Spacing’ field specifies the nail spacing at non-
Spacing continuous edges.
Nail Lines The ‘Nail Lines’ field specifies the number of lines of nails along each
panel edge. This value is greater than (1) for High Load diaphragms.
This value is not currently used in design optimization, but is reported on
the output for reference purposes only.
Strong Shear The ‘Strong Shear Capacity’ field specifies the shear strength of the
Capacity diaphragm (lbs/ft) based on its stronger case. For example, while Case
1/3 represents the same panel layout, Case 1 has greater strength than
Case 3 (based on load direction). This is the seismic capacity, which the
program can automatically increase for wind loads if the Wind ASIF
function is enabled.
Weak Shear The ‘Weak Shear Capacity’ field specifies the shear strength of the
Capacity diaphragm (lbs/ft) based on its weaker case. There are many situations
where strong and weak capacities are identical. In these cases the same
value must be specified for both fields. This is the seismic capacity,
which the program can automatically increase for wind loads if the Wind
ASIF function is enabled.
Strong Ga The Strong Ga’ field specifi’es the apparent shear stiffness (kips/in) of
the diaphragm as specified in the NDS document Special Design
Provisions for Wind and Seismic Since this is the strong direction it will
be based on the stronger direction / case for loading. For example, while
Case 1/3 represents the same panel layout, Case 1 has greater stiffness
than Case 3 (based on load direction). For more information see
Diaphragm Deflection.
Weak Ga The ‘Weak Ga’ field specifies the apparent shear stiffness (kips/in) of the
diaphragm as specified in the NDS document Special Design Provisions
for Wind and Seismic.
Gt The ‘Gt’ field specifies the shear stiffness of panel depth. It is always the
same for both strong weak directions, hence it does not need to be
specified twice. For more information see Diaphragm Deflection.
Strong Nail Slip The ‘Strong Nail Slip (en)’ field specifies the nail slip used for deflection
(en) calculations based on the stronger case. For example, while Case 1/3
represents the same panel layout, Case 1 may have less nail slip than
Case 3 (based on load direction). For more information see Diaphragm
Deflection.
Weak Nail Slip (en) The ‘Weak Nail Slip (en)’ field specifies the nail slip used for deflection
calculations based on the weaker case. There are many situations
where strong and weak nail slips are identical. In these cases the same
value must be specified for both fields. For more information see
Diaphragm Deflection.

Note: The Gt and Nail Slip fields are ignored for unblocked
diaphragms.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Appendix A – Redesign Lists

Full Database - Optional Fields

The following fields are optional. They are not currently used in the design, capacity or deflection
calculations, but are reported on the detail reports for informational purposes only.
Diaphragm Nailing Schedules: Full Database - Optional Fields

Field Description
Framing Width The ‘Framing Width’ field identifies the minimum required framing width
for the nailing layout. A higher shear capacity can typically be achieved
for a diaphragm by using wider supporting framing, thereby reducing the
tension perpendicular to the grain of supporting members.
Minimum The ‘Minimum Penetration’ field identifies the minimum required nail
Penetration penetration specified in the IBC/NDS tables.
Nail Size The ‘Nail Size’ listed in the spreadsheet is intended to refer to the
Common nail size, but is reported only for reference purposes and are
NOT used in the capacity calculations. If the nail size is changed by the
user, then the user should also change the Shear Capacity entry
accordingly. The section on shear walls contains a good reference table
for common, box and sinker nails.

Grouping Panel / Nailing Schedules for Design Optimization

The other sheets in the database allow the user to organize multiple nailing schedules into groups or
families for design optimization purposes. These additional sheets CANNOT be the first sheet in the
XML file as that first sheet must always be the one where the full database information resides.
The labels specified on these sheets refer only to nailing schedules that have already been defined
on the first (full) database sheet.

Appendix G – CFS Shear Wall Files

RISA-3D has design databases for CFS shear walls which are used to optimize the nailing for the
wall. The criteria used for this optimization is specified on the CFS Wall (Fasteners) tab of the Design
Rules spreadsheet. In addition to this basic criteria, the user may specify a subset of the overall
database from which the design / optimization must be performed.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Appendix A – Redesign Lists

Panel Nailing Schedules

Each database of wall panels is specified by an XML file in the "Shear Panels" sub-directory of the
CFS Wall panels directory. This directory is located based on the information File Locations tab of the
Application Settings window.
The program comes preloaded with XML files, including Wood, Steel sheet, Fiberboard, and Gypsum
databases based on the AISI S240-15/20 and AISI S400-15/20 codes.
The first sheet of the XML file should always be descriptive of the contents of the database (such as
AISI 2015 Wood). This is because the name used here is the name used in the Design Rules
spreadsheet. This sheet contains all of the identifier, nailing, design and code check information for
each nailing schedule. These entries are described below.

Full Database - Required Fields

The following fields are required information. If they are not provided or are left blank, then that nailing
schedule will not be available for use in the database.
Full Database - Required Fields

Field Description
Label The ‘Label’ field is a used to identify the panel schedule and its nailing
requirements. This field must be referenced on the sheets that identify
families or groups of panels. Maximum numbers of characters for this
field is 32.

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Field Description

Note:
l Panels with a label containing the characters "_W"
together will be ignored during design optimization.
l Panels containing the same exact label name as a
preceding panel will be ignored and will not be loaded
into the program.

Type of Wall The ‘Type of Wall’ dictates the design method that this row should be
associated with.
Sheathing Material The ‘Sheathing Material’ indicates which material of the sheathing. This
should be Wood Structural, Steel Sheet, Fiberboard or Gypsum Board
Panels.
2:1 to 4:1? The ‘2:1 to 4:1?’ column should only contain a yes or no entry. “No”
means that the row will only apply for walls with height-to-width ratios up
to 2:1. “Yes” means that the row only applies for walls with height-to-
width ratios greater than 2:1 but less than 4:1.
Thickness The ‘Thickness’ column is used during the design to help set the elastic
stiffness of the wall panel used during the FEM solution.
Fastener Spacing The ‘Fastener Spacing’ is used during the design optimization to limit the
available panels based on the Design Rules specified by the user.
Min Member The ‘Min Member Thickness’ is used in the design optimization to pick a
Thickness sheathing configuration that satisfies the minimum required stud
thickness. For wood sheathing, this column is treated as the required
thickness since AISI S400 does not permit any other thickness to be
used for the wood sheathing case.

Gov by S400 (EL The ‘Gov by S400 (EL)’ determines whether this sheathing configuration
comes from the AISI S400-15/20 code or not. This column should only
contain a yes or no entry. A “no” entry means that this configuration
comes from AISI S240-15/20 and will only be applied to load
combinations that do not contain earthquake load categories. A “yes”
entry means that this configuration is pulled from the AISI S400-15/20
provisions and will only be applied when the load combination contains
an earthquake load category (EL, ELX, ELZ, etc).
Shear Capacity The ‘Shear Capacity’ listed in the spreadsheet is the primary value that
controls the code checking of the shear wall. This is the nominal lateral
capacity of the shear wall that is pulled directly from the tables in AISI
S240 and S400. The program will then apply the appropriate factors
depending on if ASD or LRFD design is selected.

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Field Description
Shear Modulus The ‘Shear Modulus’ is (in combination with the panel Thickness defined
above) is used to set the elastic stiffness of the wall panel that will be
used during the FEM solution. This value is also used in the reported
design deflection calculation for wood or steel sheathed panels.
For 7/16” OSB, we are assuming 24/16 OSB rated sheathing and approximating G based on AISI
S240-15/20-C pg. 30. CGGVtV = 177,300 psi
For Struct 1 sheathing (4-ply) we are using IBC values assuming 24/16 rated sheathing. The values
reported in the table are given in lb/in. For the values input in the spreadsheets that we’ll use, we take
this value and divide by the panel thickness to get this in psi which is required in the deflection
calculation.

Note: When a family or group of panels/nailing schedules are assigned to a shear wall, the
lowest value of Shear Modulus and Min Panel thickness will be used to determine the elastic
stiffness of the plate elements in the FEM solution.

Full Database - Optional Fields

The ‘Min Screw Size’ listed in the spreadsheet is reported only for reference purposes and are NOT
used in the capacity calculations.

Grouping Panel / Nailing Schedules for Design Optimization

The other sheets in the database allow the user to organize multiple nailing schedules into groups or
families for design optimization purposes. These additional sheets CANNOT be the first sheet in the
XML file as that first sheet must always be the one where the full database information resides.
The panel labels specified on these sheets refer only to panel / nailing schedules that have already
been defined on the full database sheet. The information in this sheet need not be organized in a
specific order. Instead, they will always be optimized based on the assumption that the installed cost
is directly related to the shear capacity. Therefore, when a group or family is selected, then the nailing
schedule within the group with the code check closest to unity, but still less than 1.0 will get selected
during the optimization process.

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RISA-3D v22 General Reference Manual Technical Support

Technical Support
Technical support is an important part of the RISA-3D package. There is no charge for technical
support for all users with a current subscription of RISA-3D. Technical support is very important to
the staff at RISA Tech, Inc.

Email Support
Email: [email protected]. If your question is related to a specific model, please send us that
model. Doing so makes it much easier for us to debug a problem or answer questions about specific
issues. The model file has a .R3D extension. Make sure you tell us your name, company name, serial
number, Key ID (or Cloud ID), phone number, and give a thorough problem description. If you have
multiple members, plates, or load combinations, make sure you specify which ones to look at.

Phone Support
Hours: 6AM to 5PM Pacific Time, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays)
Phone Support: (949) 951-5815. Feel free to call, especially if you need a quick answer and your
question is not model specific and therefore doesn't require us to look at your file.
Before contacting technical support, you should typically do the following:
1. Please search the Help File or General Reference Manual.
The Help File and General Reference are meant to cover most common questions asked
about RISA-3D. The Table of Contents or Search can also be used, to find specific
topics. This is a good first step in finding the answer to your question. It is also good
practice to go through all of the ‘Tutorials’ when you first get the program. This helps you
get a feel for the program and will likely increase your modeling confidence.
2. Ensure that you are running the latest version of the software.

Click the Help/Info icon on the Quick Access Toolbar.

3. Visit our website at risa.com.
4. Make sure you understand the problem, and make sure your question is related to the
program or structural modeling.
5. Take a few minutes to experiment with the problem to try to understand and re solve it.

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