WoodWorks and RISA Partner to Give Architects and Engineers Greater Design Flexibility with Expanded Software

WoodWorks is excited to announce an agreement with RISA Technologies, a leader in structural analysis and building design software. This joint venture will expand RISA’s popular software to incorporate wood design features, giving architects and engineers greater flexibility and choice in the selection of materials for non-residential buildings.

“This partnership between WoodWorks and RISA is a natural fit,” said Kelly McCloskey, executive director of the WoodWorks program. “Both organizations are focused on making life easier for engineers and other users of building design software. RISA’s software is known for helping designers more accurately plan and budget their buildings—and it will soon offer the same benefits to individuals who also want the advantages of a wood structure, such as lower material costs and a smaller environmental footprint.”

Once the RISA software is updated, it will incorporate information on building code requirements, gravity design, diaphragm modeling and design, shear wall modeling, analysis and design, lateral force design, hybrid design and several other features. The upgrade will be Building Information Modeling (BIM) compatible and will be released in two stages throughout 2008. The first software release, set to occur in August, will incorporate flexible shear wall and diaphragm design without openings. The second release, slated for December, will allow the design of complete wood structures.

“Our design software has set the standard in the built environment,” said RISA CEO, Bruce Bates. “The addition of a wood design component is something we’ve been planning for some time, and this partnership with the Wood Products Council has allowed us to increase the pace while also benefitting from the expertise of engineers who work with its partner associations like APA – The Engineered Wood Association. Once complete, it will open up a world of possibilities to designers who are eager to work with wood.”

“A lot of people don’t realize how many advantages there are to using wood in non-residential buildings,” said McCloskey, “With the new software upgrades, designers will be able to consider wood purely in light of its merits and not because the design process is more time consuming or difficult.”

For engineers with current licenses for RISA software, the new wood design features will be received automatically as part of their regular upgrades. WoodWorks will also be working directly with design professionals to provide training on the updated software.

For more information on RISA software, please click here.