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Built by Structural Engineers

Semi-Rigid Diaphragm Analysis Made Simple

Analyze irregular-shaped light-frame diaphragms quickly. Get accurate shear wall base shears for complex geometries in minutes, not hours.

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Built by structural engineers, for structural engineers

Irregular-Shaped Diaphragms Are Everywhere

Modern buildings rarely have simple rectangular floor plans. Traditional analysis methods struggle with irregular geometries, leading to blown budgets and burnout.

Complex Geometry
L-shapes, T-shapes, openings, and offset shear walls are the norm in today's mixed-use and multi-family construction.
Time-Consuming
Manual calculations and spreadsheets take hours and are error-prone for non-rectangular layouts.
Flexible vs. Rigid
Choosing between flexible and rigid diaphragm assumptions is tough. You know the truth is somewhere in between.

Powerful Features for Light-Frame Structural Design

Everything you need to analyze semi-rigid light-frame diaphragms with confidence.

Interactive 3D Modeling

Draw and modify floor plans with an intuitive interface. Visualize your diaphragm in 3D with real-time feedback.

Finite Element Analysis

Advanced semi-rigid analysis based on finite element methods. Accurately capture diaphragm behavior for irregular shapes.

Shear Wall Base Shears

Automatically calculate base shears for all shear walls. Export results in formats ready for design and documentation.

Irregular Shaped Floor Plans

Handle L-shapes, T-shapes, U-shapes, and any complex geometry. No simplification needed.

Accurate Diaphragm Rigidity

Explicit modeling of sheathing panels, framing, and connections to capture true diaphragm stiffness.

Research-Backed Methodology

Proposed two decades ago, the connector-based modeling approach is one of the best ways to capture light-frame diaphragm behavior accurately.

How It Works

From floor plan to results in three simple steps.

  1. 1

    Define Your Floor Plan

    Draw your diaphragm geometry, place shear walls, and specify loading conditions using our intuitive interface.

  2. 2

    Run Analysis

    Click analyze and let our cloud-based finite element engine calculate the semi-rigid diaphragm response.

  3. 3

    Get Results

    View shear wall base shears, deflections, and visualizations. Export for design documentation and code checks.

Ready to Streamline Your Diaphragm Analysis?

Join structural engineers who are already saving time and improving accuracy with Cupola.

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